| Spirit |
Jewel's second album Spirit was released globally in November 1998 and was a instant platinum-seller in her native US. But like her debut album, Pieces Of You, Spirit was ignored throughout Europe, achieving only a single week at number 54 in the UK charts.
Although Spirit's production is credited to Patrick Leonard, Jewel has been quoted as saying that she had a very major influence in its sound. Some people think this album is over-produced, but I think it has a beautiful sound and is without a doubt Jewel's best album to-date.
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| Track List |
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Deep Water, What's Simple Is True, Hands, Kiss The Flame, Down So Long, Innocence Maintained, Jupiter, Fat Boy, Enter From The East, Barcelona, Life Uncommon, Do You, Absence Of Fear, This Little Bird (Additional Track)
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| Reviews |
Daily Mail - 13 November 1998 "the Alaskan singer shines on both acoustic ballads and pop tracks"
The Independent - 13 November 1998 "her songs depict a stereotypically cold, cruel world in which innocence is routinely violated"
Time Out - 11-18 November 1998 "This is an acoustically-based work of limpid beauty and subtle intensity."
NME - 14 November 1998 "if He has any taste at all, will look upon this album and see that it is evil"
Music Week - 7 November 1998 : With Hands - Jewel's next single, released on November 9 - now on Radio One's As Featured list, it would appear that the time is right for this Alaskan-born singer/songwriter. The songs are strong and sensual, carried by Jewel's beautiful crystal-clear voice. If anyone deserves to repeat their domestic success over here, then surely it is this talented singer.
The Times - 13 November 1998 "converts her most personal feelings into words and music of much greater emotional resonance than her singer-songwriter confrères"
Total Guitar - March 1999 : Jewel is huge news in the USA. At the tender age of 21 she released her sparkling debut, Pieces Of You, crammed full of folky, Joni Mitchell-esque songs. Now, some three years later comes Spirit. This time around, the rough and ready production of Pieces... gives way to a polished radio-friendly sheen. This isn't a bad thing, as the songs still have an unerring endearing quality to them, especially Hands and Jupiter. Given the UK's current fondness for female singer/songwriters (Sheryl Crow, Alanis et al) perhaps it's now Jewel's time to sparkle.
Siân Llewellyn. ****
What HiFi? - February 1999 : Just 24 years old and Jewel has recorded her second album of sublimely melodic pop songs.Spirit is full of simple tunes, played superbly, and sung with the voice of an Alaskan angel, albeit one that's certainly lived a little.
If your hi-fi's worth its name then Jewel's vocals on tracks such as Fat Boy and the stunning Deep Water should sit right at the heart of the soundstage and sound both dramatic and fullbodied. Her performance is one of simple beauty, but with undercurrents of irony and worldliness that becomes obvious on a system that possesses sufficient expression to convey the subtle intonations in her voice and lyrics
Q - January 1999 - Good news! In America, it's still possible to sell bucket loads of records without being commercial (more)
Uncut - January 1999 - I have spent weeks attempting to work out why this album is so special (more)
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