Track Listing

1. Sally Ann
2. Which Side Are You On
3. Crazy Man Michael
4. Diver Boy
5. Weeping Pilgrim
6. Soldier Soldier
7. Bury Me Under The Weeping Willow
8. House Carpenter
9. Owensboro
10. Down On Penny's Farm
11. Poor Wayfaring Stranger

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #17006 in Music
• Released on: 2004-03-22
• Number of discs: 1

Customer Reviews

Truly excellent
I first came across this album in my local library, and have to confess that at that point I had never heard of Natalie Merchant. Just why I took the CD out on loan remains a mystery because it is something I very rarely do. I forgot about it for several days and then, as I spend a large part of every day working at the computer, I put it in the disk drive not expecting very much at all, and started to work. All I can say is that after the first few bars of Sally Anne I was no longer working, I was listening - and I was literally spellbound. Her voice almost defies accurate description. To me it is the perfect medium for the songs she sings. It is wistful, sometimes it is dark, sometimes it is almost raunchy, and throughout the entire album it is consistently brilliant. I don't think I have ever heard a voice so perfectly evoke the emotions contained within the songs, and her choice of songs is also excellent. There is not a single weak song. They are all equally strong, and equally good, as are the musicians that play beside her. A lot of the guitar is reminiscent of Richard Thompson when he was with Fairport Convention. In fact there is a marked Fairport 'feel' to a lot of the album - but a Fairport belonging firmly in the 21st century. This is not 'folk rock' or 'electric folk' it is uniquely itself, but at the same time seems to have seamlessly absorbed many disparate influences and blended them into something remarkable. All in all - perfect.
On the back of buying this album, I immediately bought Motherland, which is almost as good, with the same depth and feeling yet maybe a little lighter. When I subsequently obtained Ophelia and TigerLily, I thought (apart from the title track of Ophelia) - wait a minute, is this the same girl? Quite honestly the change was so startling as to be almost schizophrenic. They are both 'good' I suppose, if you like very light, almost pop-driven music. In fact, even as light as they are in comparison to her two later albums, they still blow most 'pop' performers away - but that is all I can say in their favour. I am just thankful that I discovered Natalie Merchant in reverse chronological order, otherwise I would never have experienced the true perfection of The House Carpenters Daughter and the near perfection of Motherland. I eagerly await her next album, although if she carries on just getting better and better, I think I will never do any work again, and just listen to her music!

The House Carpenter's Daughter
This album is beautiful. I had never heard of Natalie Merchant before I bought this (having heard it played) and I was entranced by her brilliant voice - haunting in some tracks (Pilgrim, Wayfaring stranger) , angry in others (Which side are you on?). She possesses each song in a unique fashion, possibly because she has not been bound by the tradition, but brings a fresh interpretation to these songs. This album (which I play again and again) must appeal across the spectrum of music listening: by no means should you miss hearing this just because you think you are not usually 'into' folk. If you dismiss it you will be missing out on a unique and beautifully crafted album.

What the... ???
Unfortunately, I've been mislead by the previous reviews, so I thought I might make myself useful and prevent somebody else from doing the same mistake I did.
In a word, this album is a pure FOLK album; namely, all songs played are traditionals, not original compositions anyway. Let me stress it again: there is NOT any new material from Natalie Merchant on this album. Now, if you like folk traditionals, it will sound great to you. On the other hand, if you're looking for something which sounds like 10,000 Maniacs or the first Merchant production, just steer clear: this cd will sound plain boring to you, like it did for me.