Anyone Enjoying Diana Krall-Wallflower?

Dennis Gardner
Dennis Gardner Posts: 4,861
in Music & Movies
I went ahead and got the CD this weekend. As a product of being raised and influenced heavily by music in the '70s pop era, as well as being a huge DK fan, I looked eagerly to hearing her take on many of the songs that filled the radio waves when I was a young lad. This is a solid mix of mostly '70s classic ballad/love songs that few have taken a chance of ever covering. The usual DK phrasing comes through on each and every cut, generally well recorded from what I have heard at medium volume levels as most of her releases are. I think this would be a great late night choice to hear with a glass of your most expensive adult beverage of choice at your side. Nothing to rush through, just sit back and chill, this is not a soundtrack you would want your wife to clean house by, as nothing will get done.....

The duets with fellow Canucks Bryan Adams and Michael Buble' are sweet, but nothing earth shattering to me. The David Foster's lush full symphony arrangements seem out of place on some of the cuts where a full string section simply stands out as an odd choice as a stark contrast to the original hits sparse recording style of the decade. There were a number of tracks that I felt could have benefited from a simple acoustic guitar accompaniment instead of a studio filled with violins. Sort of a disconnected feeling using steel guitar solos following a violin section opening on Dylan's "Wallflower". The "I Can't Tell You Why" (Eagles) cover was nearly as good as anything that I have ever heard from her and if I had never known of the original, I might have thought she owned it from the start.

Nice listening session so far that makes me look forward to hearing it many times over in the coming weeks. I hope you get a chance to check it out, I feel it is worth it if you like hearing songs so very familiar in a slightly different manner.

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Comments

  • BlueFox
    BlueFox Posts: 15,251
    Yes. I ripped it a couple of weeks ago, and just played it again Friday. It is a well recorded CD.
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  • Sea
    Sea Posts: 317
    Listening right now on Spotify.....very nice!
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  • mantis
    mantis Posts: 17,200
    i also checked it out and i dig it, she is one of my favorites
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  • Emlyn
    Emlyn Posts: 4,530
    Also available now as a high res download at 48/24. I've listened to the samples, and while I like Diana Krall's voice a lot on jazz vocals and have almost everything else she's done, this one doesn't do it for me. Sounds slow, depressing, and over produced, and the original songs are way too familiar to me to be impressed by her doing cover tunes of them. The main problem to me is the arrangements. Music to fall asleep to. The album cover looks good though.
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  • drumminman
    drumminman Posts: 3,396
    Thanks for the review, may have to pick up this one. I have many of her other releases.
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  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 10,716
    I hate to say anything bad about her work but...
    this and an x-mas LP are stall tactics on a career.
    I used to say that about live LPs until I heard hers. :)
    Emlyn wrote: »
    Also available now as a high res download at 48/24. I've listened to the samples, and while I like Diana Krall's voice a lot on jazz vocals and have almost everything else she's done, this one doesn't do it for me. Sounds slow, depressing, and over produced, and the original songs are way too familiar to me to be impressed by her doing cover tunes of them. The main problem to me is the arrangements. Music to fall asleep to. The album cover looks good though.

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  • gce
    gce Posts: 2,158
    I thinking about getting this on the double 180g Vinyl or HDtracks. Don't know yet as I'm looking for a review on just the vinyl before I decide what format.
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  • hochpt21
    hochpt21 Posts: 5,423
    I agree with Red and Emlyn.

    I absolutely love her. But after three complete listens...I just can't get into this one.
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  • dromunds
    dromunds Posts: 10,018
    Hey, that's how I feel about Dylan's new Sinatra cover album.
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  • teekay0007
    teekay0007 Posts: 2,289
    dromunds wrote: »
    Hey, that's how I feel about Dylan's new Sinatra cover album.

    Dylan as a songwriter - Fantastic! Beyond incredible!

    Dylan as a singer - I guess I just don't understand the attraction... I've heard hearing-impaired third graders warble and whine in quite the similar fashion. Hmmmm...

    Sorry about the thread tangent there...back to the regularly scheduled program.

    Maybe this post should have been in Toolfan66's thread about "Things that make you go WTF"! :/


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  • Simplyrandom
    Simplyrandom Posts: 119
    edited February 2015
    I recently purchased this on cd and I was not overly impressed. I like Diana Krall and have only recently started listening to her. Great cover and by that I mean the actual cover as she is very easy on the eyes. Speaking of that I need to pick up a copy of Glad Rag Doll.
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  • Moose68Bash
    Moose68Bash Posts: 3,843
    I like "Glad Rag Doll," and listen to it frequently.

    I'll buy "Wallflower," but after reading the above I'm not optimistic.

    "Wallflower" was advertised on Fox News Channel today -- first time I've ever seen an ad for a CD on pretty major TV network.

    Diana Krall is giving a concert at the Portsmouth (NH) Music Hall on 5 March. By the time I got online to order tickets all that were left were behind posts! I decided to take a pass, so to speak, on $300 (for two tix) to sit behind a post. :/
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  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 10,716
    The tix are so expensive cuz they are handing out this:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDSYZBG2jAY
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  • gudnoyez
    gudnoyez Posts: 8,124
    Two Eagles songs sorry but nobody does I Can't Tell You why as well as Timothy B Schmidt.

    I will pass on this one, Elvis Costello is a lucky man though.
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  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 10,716
    I got to see that tour. One of the best concerts!
    gudnoyez wrote: »
    Two Eagles songs sorry but nobody does I Can't Tell You why as well as Timothy B Schmidt.

    I will pass on this one, Elvis Costello is a lucky man though.

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