Kirsty MacColl - ‘The Best Of' (Virgin/EMI) Released 01/08/2005

At an auction in London...

by Emily Warner
Friday, July 29, 2005

Kirsty MacColl - ‘The Best Of' (Virgin/EMI) Released 01/08/2005

This ethereal album reflects the bittersweet taste of life, love and music. With MacColl's distinctive voice and its shimmering huskiness there’s traces of Dusty Springfield here and there - two kindred spirits and greats. For openers there's ‘They Don’t Know’ a number that has a 60’s pop thread which brings visions of big daisies and bubbles as it floats along on a vocal wave. And ‘Terry’ is a simple title for a simple song with its ta-da-da rhythm and shots of humour in the lyrics “See the door is open, so if you don’t want your nose broke” is a line that particularly tugs at your ear. This one oozes the arrogance of teen love.

Later ‘A New England’ is buoyed by Kirsty’s voice that kicks this tune into the stratosphere with its range from girly pop to jazz style depth. ‘He’s On The Beach’ tells a story of love lost over distance, but it's a number that's still full of hope and defiance. Performed with The Pouges the ubiquitous ‘Fairytale Of New York’ which has soundtracked a billion Christmases is such an inspired pairing of voices that a like this only ever happens once in a lifetime. A perfect foil for Shane McGowan this shows Kirsty performing poetry at its musical best.

Elsewhere, ‘Days’ as performed by Kristy is possibly one of the greatest love songs written. Intense, simple and a celebration of both what is and what was. This has a companion in ‘As Long As You Hold Me’ another heartbreaking slice of love and lifes intrusion upon it. The guitar and keyboards here thread themselves through the vocals superbly, providing perfect balance. With its jazzed up sound that could be floating down from Mexico ‘My Affair’ is both a statement and a vehicle for humour. ‘In These Shoes has that bossanova / rumba kick to it. Laden with sexuality and an undercurrent of humour, there’s a feeling that if played in a bar, both Bogart and Bacall would be simmering in some corner or other. ‘Walking Down Madison’ serves up yet another slice of style with its up-tempo funky beat it works as yet another vehicle to display this singer’s talent.

‘Perfect Day’ is a number that sends delicious shivers through you. Performed with The Lemonheads' Evan Dando, who manages an uncanny Lou Reed with more depth, this song is given the kind of treatment that blows you away. While ‘Sun On The Water’ closes out this album gently, but because of the vocal beauty displayed here it's a number that imprints itself on your mind. This album has obviously been put together with care from the comic (‘There’s A Guy Works Down The Chip Shop Swears He’s Elvis’) to the sublime (‘Days’) and as such reflects the beauty of a truly great voice. Being a ‘Best Of’ album should not put you off - sample a part of the world’s beauty that tragically is no longer with us in person.

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