Maria McKee

I loved the movie and my basset hound sang along to a few of the tunes in the movie; however she (the basset) did not respond at all to the music from the sound track, and this was a little disappointing, but I liked it a great deal.

Saw the movie, had to get this for my husband's birthday. It is great! Thank you.

i orderded the soundtrack to the movie songcather along with the dvd. the dvd was the right one but the cd was some kinda tribal indian chants with a 'songcatcher' cd sticker on it!
so i cant even review the product because i NEVER GOT IT!

I'm not going to write a lot since that's "what I do" in life, and one can only do so much of it with the fingers one was provided with. What I am going to say is that I love the movie (rent it, buy it, see it), and have no objection to this "inspired by" CD. Here's the important part: Nobody has commented on Gillian Welch & David Rawlings "Wind and Rain." It is staggering, a juxtaposition of beauty and horror like few others. (The old song "Greenwood Sidee" as performed by the ancient band The Kaleidoscope comes to mind.) If you do not know Gillian Welch, start here, start anywhere, but start now. It will be (to borrow the title of one of her CD's) a "soul journey."

This CD is absolutely fantastic. If anyone that enjoys mountain music will
certainly be crazy about it. And if you enjoy the CD, you will diffiently enjoy the DVD of the Songcatcher.

This is a fantastic document of the power of Maria McKee live. This CD brings together two BBC live sets from the early 1990's. There are numerous highlights. She spotlights songs from her first two solo releases as well as songs from her Lone Justice days. There are also visits to her songs "A Good Heart","Show Me Heaven" and "Nobody's Child". This CD flows along wonderfully and, when it's over, you'll want to replay it again! Absolutely sweet Maria!

The evolution of Maria just keeps growing and growing. To Maria Mckee fans she is the best kept secret. We are so blessed.

If you saw Lone Justice back in the day, you're a Maria Mckee fan. But thought she was always one of the great live performers, and an enormously talented songwriter, the recordings (both LJ and her own) were, by almost all accounts, an eclectic and mixed bag.

But here she is, part Edith Piaf, part Freddie Mercury, blasting through an outrageous set of operatic pop-rock that is about the most startlingly bold CD in recently memory. Hearing it is like when you first heard Jeff Buckley's "Grace": ohmygodohmygod, this person is out of his/her mind, shooting for the stars, and talented enough to pull it off. Wow.

This is the one we've been waiting for. And it's thrilling that in her forties, she is doing, without a doubt, absolutely her barking best work.

The gorgeous space of the opener, "Late December," sets you up. Then she rollicks along with the almost Motownish "No Other Way to Love You" (though the Rob Halford screeches mark it as a song only Mckee could sing). We're all glad to finally have her own studio recording of the classic "A Good Heart." And the next three only get better, with McKee out-Queening Queen on "Destine."

I could go on... every song is excellent, and the flow is dramatic and compelling.

If you're looking for a safe listen in a particular style you like to be able to ignore while you do something else, take a pass. But if you appreciate what can happen when a great songwriter, performer, and student of pop goes completely for broke, check it out.

Continuing her penchant of putting out great albums (this being her third studio album since returning in 2003 after a seven-year studio hiatus) that are too good for corporate radio, Maria McKee's LATE DECEMBER is another stunning work from one of the finest and most painfully underappreciated (at least by the public) vocalists of the last thirty-plus years.

In contrast with 2005's PEDDLIN' DREAMS (a rustic acoustic folk/country/rock affair that sort of harkened back to her Lone Justice days), LATE DECEMBER harkens back to the power-pop/rock eclecticism of her 2003 comeback HIGH DIVE. Her voice soars on all twelve tracks, written either by her alone or in collaboration with her producer husband Jim Akin, in such a way as to make her perfect for Broadway. But there's the R&B influences as well, on the title track and "No Other Way To Love You." And there is also the kind of cautionary note on "One Eye On The Sky (One On The Grave)", which is faintly reminiscent of HIGH DIVE's "From Our TV Teens To The Tomb."

What this album, and all of those in Maria's canon, dating all the way back to Lone Justice, shows is that she has always had the goods in every facet and has always had a hugely eclectic musical pallet--and, unfortunately, has also been far too good to be accepted on corporate radio in America. This is why it is best to pick up this CD and experience this tremendously gifted and youthful lady who still packs a vocal punch in her early 40s.

Holy Glam Rock! Maria McKee saves Rock N Roll single handedly with this glam rock explosion! What an amazing power-pop record. The second song, No Other Way To Love You sums up what Rock has been missing. Life is sweet, indeeed! This album has restored my faith in Rock!

Ahhhhh Maria. Still not doing what everyone expects of you. Why doesn't she play this? Why doesn't she record that? Why doesn't each new record sound like the last one? How do we solve a problem like Maria?

You little diva indeed.

In my opinion, the new album is flippin' brilliant. My favourite so far, I think. Truly. Amazing. No Other Way to Love You may be the most gorgeously perfect pop song she's ever recorded. I am 3 months sober and Power On, Little Star leaves me shaking and in tears. I LOVE Destine - killer hook in it. Would love to see her play it live. And Starving Pretty is rich and full and melodic and...again...Maria breaks my heart. Did I mention Late December? Uhhh, goosebumps. The end of a relationship? The end of a career? The end of a life? But still, the hope of starting over. Maria sees the bleakness but holds onto hope.

This woman is a genius. I cannot believe we have been blessed with five (count 'em, five) Maria albums since 2003. Around year 2000, I seriously wondered if we would ever hear from her again. I believe that LD is a more accomplished, cohesive album than High Dive. The production is stellar and exciting and Maria seems to understand now that, no matter what, her voice needs to stay front and center in the mix. She and Jim have done a remarkable job with this one.

Thank you, Maria, for a lifetime of music and passion and hope.

Life is sweet.

Caution: Rant ahead:
Why? Why? Why does every song/album that Maria records HAVE to be compared to some other sound/singer/genre, blah, blah, blah? Has the world not figured out yet that she is her very own universe, guided by her own insane muse? It's obvious. It's been obvious for a long time. She's not interested in doing the same thing twice. Ever. Let's all get over it. She's never doing an album of Bob Dylan covers. Ain't gonna happen! Record critics are truly out-to-lunch. Thank God for Thom Jurek!

I was lucky enough to have come across this in a second-hand store yesterday. Only part-way through, on my first listen but I can tell you that it's not likely to appeal to those who only enjoyed the straight up & down country of her first solo album. Some of the other amazon reviewers who have compared the style to 70's Bowie are very close to the mark. Wild and adventurous, a "concept album" feel to it - where Bowie left me cold with his oft trite lyrics, McKee's writing engages and confronts - albeit with pathos and empathy - enough to allow us to identify with her in her travail and vice-versa. Possibly Maria McKee's finest hour though probably not her last.

I had no idea who Maria McKee was when I stumbled upon this album. If I had heard Lone Justice they made no impression.

I bought a Geffen sampler and threw it in the CD changer in the car. At some point "Absolutely Barking Stars" turned up on shuffle play and I fell in love with it. I ran to buy the album, and, for the last ten years, it's been in my regular rotation (now on an iPod instead of a CD changer).

This is a powerful album. What attracted me initially was the Ronson-like guitar and the power of the voice. The lyrics are strong and often full of pain. This album is more emotional than any I've heard before.

There aren't any clunkers on this album. Every song is a keeper. Instrumentation ranges from guitar and tamborine to full orchestra, and it all works.

Used copies of this album are available for little money. Take a chance. Buy it.

I was a big fan of Lone Justice, the band Maria McKee fronted for a few years in the mid-80s. After only two albums, she went "solo" and has since released several albums. Her style is mostly feminine soft rock and energized country. Elements of Fleetwood Mac meets Tammy Wynette with a more modern edge. Life Is Sweet is a little off the beaten path for McKee, and I find it a refreshing change of pace and overall a very enjoyable CD. This one is kind of like Joni Mitchel meets Ziggy Stardust with Maria playing Neil Young-esque guitar lines. A really cool blend of classic rock, women's lib, and folk art I guess. Hard to describe, but easy to enjoy. This is more of a rock album than country, and more of a toe-tapper than a relax-by-the-fireplace listen. This is one of the Maria McKee albums I listen to the most. Because she's more an artist than a star, she's a little obscure and her songs are a little more obtuse than commercial radio offerings. If you're looking for something better than the latest Matrix formula pop rock, check this one out.

Standout tracks: Scarlover, The Perfect Dress, Absolutly barking Stars, I'm Not Listening, Smarter, What Else You want To Know

Awful. You Gotta Sin To Get Saved is by far a much better record than Life Is Sweet, there's some real gems on You Gotta Sin To Get Saved but also a lot of filler-album tracks. I'm glad I got Life Is Sweet out of the library and didn't spend my hard earned money on it. And believe me, my money is hard earned. Not like that you sicko, get your mind out of the gutter.

I saw her perform this album in Austin Tx. She has the voice of an angel and the song writing is pretty good too.

Maria McKee is a once-in-a-generation talent. Her voice defies all labels and poorly-thought up categories. Although she is sometimes misguided in presentation, she always brings her heart and soul to every work. She is a force-of-nature, and I am continually fascinated by her!

Maria McKee, velvet voiced diva. A collection that touches mainly upon her later work with Lone Justice as well as solo. Taken in context with the Lone Justice compilation, this is must have.

As for the Lone Justice stuff, it's all superb; from the zenlike "Ways to Be Wicked" to the get up and go from "Sweet, Sweet Baby" to the silky "Shelter" and "Don't Toss Us Away".

Her solo stuff is great. I can't think of a more perfect 2+ minutes of sound that is "Am I the Only One (Who's Ever Felt this Way)?". A song that sounds infinitely better than the Dixie Chicks cover version. Wonderful too are the bluesy "Only Once", "Absolutely Barking Stars" and "If Love is a Red Dress".

A gorgeous collection from a talented woman.

I admit to being primarily a fan of the Lone Justice phase of Maria McKee's career, and the tracks from that band are poorly chosen here. Great songs like "East of Eden" and "I Found Love" aren't present, and songs that were uninteresting ("Sweet Sweet Baby") or boring curiosities ("Sweet Jane") are included. Songs not found on her solo albums like "Red Dress" are must-haves for a serious fan, but with so much focus on Lone Justice, I think it would be better to have the "This World Is Not My Home" Lone Justice compilation. And to either wait for a compilation containing more of her solo material or to buy the CD's themselves...

I think it's safe to say that Maria McKee has to rank as one of the most underappreciated (or least appreciated) female singers of the last three decades. Whether it has been as the lead singer of the 1980s alternative country-rock outfit Lone Justice or on her own, Maria has had one of the most flexible voices this side of Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris. And yet despite her immense talents, radio and the music-buying public have ignored her. This compilation CD of Maria's best performances will leave you shaking your head as to why this is.

Maria shines really well while out front of Lone Justice on songs like Tom Petty's "Ways To Be Wicked" (with the notorious "stick it in" line), the country weeper "Don't Toss Us Away" (which Patty Loveless would later abscond with), and "Dixie Storms." On her own, the best tracks include "Only Once", a country tune that sounds like she's channeling early Linda Ronstadt and Patsy Cline, "If Love Is A Red Dress" (which would find its way into the soundtrack for PULP FICTION), and the up-tempo country-rocker "Am I The Only One (Who's Ever Felt This Way)" (which the Dixie Chicks would cover on their 1998 breakthrough album WIDE OPEN SPACES).

Some of the blame for Maria's lack of success may have had to do with some of her own personal eccentricities. Beyond that, however, vocally she is certainly very close to the equal of Linda and Emmylou, and as such would blow many a female pop or country singer off the map. This CD comes strongly recommended.

Robert Christgau once wrote that Steve Winwood is what happens when one has more talent than brains. Listening to this CD evokes a similar response.

Maria McKee possesses undeniable talent and beauty. If she had been born 50 years earlier, some studio or Svengali producer would have surely harnessed that talent and beauty and made her a star. However, it appears that her career has been left to her own devices yielding this highly uneven collection and less than household name recognition.

The amber warning light goes off when one realizes that some of the strongest material a) was written by others, and b) is off the first Lone Justice album, before that band first splintered then collapsed. Although McKee has put out some good solo material, it is much more hit and miss. The collection reaches its nadir with a pointless live cover of "Sweet Jane."

You Gotta Sin to Get Saved is her 1993 recording and her second solo album and is a straight forward rock and pop album that I picked up at my local library. It is far from bad but then again there is nothing special about it either. Heatseekers is the only song that charted on the billboard coming in at a respectable 12th position. The book-let is a travesty with font that is impossible to read, photos that look like a joke. The cover is not that nice and Ms Mckee looks drab in what she wears like she lacked a sense of fashion.

You Gotta Sin To Get Saved is a good album from former Lone Justice leader Maria McKee. She's a "real" musician and songwriter, not a record company product. She could sing the phone book and I'd listen to that voice. I like this solo release about a smuch as the first LJ album but not as much as Shelter. I'm not sure where this release falls in her solo career, if it was her 2nd, 3rd, 4th solo album...

It's good music. If you like talented female musicians on the mellow side, this is a good CD. Sort of in the style of 10,000 Maniacs but better than Natalie Merchant.

Standout track: I'm Gonna Soothe You

Maria soothes the soul with this, her second solo album. Backed by the Jayhawks and old-friends from her Lone Justice days, she rips through the songs--some originals, some cover versions--with abandon. For proof, listen to "I'm Gonna Soothe You," which basically wraps you in its warmth. "My touch is gentle, my body is warm ..." she sings, stepping out from the speakers. She's sexy, saucy, inviting and sweet all at once; and envelops you with her passion. Further proof: Her wondrous remake of the Goffin-King classic "I Can't Make It Alone"; and her raucous ode to her Lone Justice days, "My Girlhood Among the Outlaws." A true classic - and for $7, a no-brainer. Buy it.

Mckee after left Lone Justice,(80s Mtvs favorites) wanted to lead her music to a new level, she had folk , southern and country influences she wanted to capture in a studio , so with the help of Justices former keyboardist Mr. Brody and Don Was in production she started with her Van Morrison favorite tunes and musical references as well Tom Petty teachings and some of his musicians too, the result is an album with all the melancholly of southern, the beauty of the depressing lyrics in some tracks and the emotion of love , lost love and hope of love, life, childhood memories and even some sense humor for a broken heart such as in "only once" , only a few girls have followed the path that country southern and blues legends (cash, Petty etc.) started and Maria Mckee is one of them "You Gotta Sin to Get Saved" is one of the highest points in her career same as in "Life is sweet"
HM

She's only known by hits like "Show Me Heaven" and a song written for Quentin Tarantino's soundtrack Pulp Fiction "If Love Is A Red Dress". But she's on a scene more than twenty years. She started in early eighties as a lead singer and songwriter in the roots rock band Lone Justice. After they disbanded in 1986 she went solo. Three years later she recorded her first solo album Maria McKee.
This is her second album. A mix of soul and country music. The covers (Van Morrison's My Lonely Sad Eyes and The Way Young Lovers Do, Gerry Goffin and Carole King's I Can't Make It Alone) sounds like they are recorded for the first time and like her own. Few country songs Only Once and My Girlhood Among The Outlaws are beutiful love songs that could be done by Gram Parsons or Emmylou Harris, not to mention Precious Time or Why Wasn't I More Grateful, You Gotta Sin To Get Saved or I'm Gonna Soothe You.
This album is a masterpiece.

I feel in love with Maria's voice during the Lone Justice years and have followed her ever since. I only wish that some day I would have a chance to see her live.

What dissapoints me about this disk is the somber mood in most of the tracks. She could lighten up a bit because her voice brings such a smile to my face it hurts to taint that feeling in this manner.

I would like her to get back to the "You Gotta Sin to Get Saved.." approach to her music.

Definately one of Marias finer albums. She has always amazed me through the years, even through some fairly mediocre releases. This one though shows her in top form vocally and musically. Great arrangements, although a few a little to country for my taste. But hey, that is part of who Maria is.

After hearing her wonderful contributions to the cajun tribute album "Evangeline Made", I thought I would give her a try and purchased this CD. These songs are simply gorgeous!

A killer set of tunes in her best album so far, mellow and tender in a country kind of way with the occasional blast of neil young like guitar.
Just gets beter and better with every play.

Although I am an admirer of the fact that Maria Mckee has the ability to consistently shift genres (seemingly) effortlessly from album to album, I was very pleased to discover that this album has more than a little common - in feeling - with my favorite of her recordings, Life is Sweet. Alas, the Bowie flavored guitar is gone but the tone set by the quieter tracks on that 96 album is very much accounted for. "My One True Love", "People in the Way", and "Everyone's Got a Story" are my favorites among the acoustic based gems on this strongly song oriented work. I love the fact that all of these songs have such memorable hooks, but some don't reveal themselves until a second or third listen. And don't let the title fool you, but "Sullen Soul" is the most soaringly majestic track on the record, one that just begs to be heard from a car radio on a cool summer night. So if you're on this page already take the plunge and buy the album. I know you're curious.

I received this CD as a Christmas gift from a friend who had given me a cassette of Lone Justice. I liked it infinitely more than Lone Justice. Her voice is much softer and introspective. I felt more connected to the artist. A soothing representation of McKee's considerable musical talent that I would highly recommend!

I'm not sure if I would have made it through the 80's if it wasn't for Maria McKee. Rolling Stone named Lone Justice the best new band, and although not a commercial giant in the US, McKee delivered. My vinyl copy of this album was worn to a nub long ago. Maria has it all, and on this album she shows us so.
Her lyrics full of drama, heartbreak, passion and anger, her voice full of joy, ferver, fear, and love. Her vocal range astounding, her pen astonishing - and although she continues to deliver (2007's Late December for instance) this is still her best.
"Panic Beach" is story of a vaudville hopefull that is sung with such optimistic anguish "I may be hungry, but my rent is free" that you want to pity her, help her, watch her, and be her all at the same time. "To Miss Someone" and "Breathe", the singles from the album are incredible. "More Than A Heart Can Hold" is a bluesy/gospel masterpiece.
McKee's voice continues to be one of the finest in music - proof that power and control does not have to mean vocal gymnastics. Her solo debut continues to hold strongly at the top of my favorite albums of all time.
Thank you, Little Diva, thank you.

Georgia rain bring me a sound that's as sweet and as fresh as this Gem by a woman who's both "clumsy and Shy" according to her own longings, and I don't know if I know of another more passionate vocalist ma'am. May I escort her to the property that's condemned so I can share a brandy with a woman who does this classic "Property's condemned" a wall or a Lone Justice if you will. Ahh the satisfying warmth of inspiration.

Maria McKee is easily the most overlooked female singer in music history. Quite a claim! I know, but I challenge you to find a stronger voice after, say, Aretha Franklin. There is simply no better country singer on the planet - not Loretta Lynn, not Tammy Wynette, none of the moderns - forget the Dixie Chicks, and Neko Case, as glorious as she can be, cannot begin to approach the tortured angelic ecstasy that pours out from Maria's voice. She leaves everyone else in the dust. Listen to Panic Beach off this record and experience four minutes of rapture. If you're still in one piece, try More than a Heart Can Hold for the best country gospel you're ever likely to hear! So uplifting, it's a religious experience... every time I listen I want to dissolve myself in her breath and spirit.

Born in LA in 1964, and having released two albums with Lone Justice, this is Maria McKee's first solo album. Released in 1989, and recorded in Hollywood, Dublin and London, nine of the eleven tracks were written solely by Maria. A tenth ("More Than a Heart Can Hold") was co-written with Robbie Robertson. Featuring, among other things, a Hammond organ and strings, the best description is country-rock with a slight bluesy twinge.

The album gets off to a great start with "I've Forgotten What It Was In You (That Put The Need In Me)". Despite the title, it's quite an up-tempo number that sees Maria fairly belting out the vocals. She puts in a similar performance on "This Property is Condemned", which also features a moody bassline and rock-n-roll-esque guitars. However, it's "Panic Beach" - another of the album's livelier songs - that I'd pick as the best track. It has a great tune, great lyrics and could easily have been subtitled "When Showbiz Goes Wrong". Sometimes, it does you good to hear a song like this !

There are a couple of more gentle songs on the album - "Has He Got a Friend For Me ?", the only song that doesn't see Maria with a writing credit, is a very good example. She also gives her backing band its only break for this track, and accompanies herself on the piano. Two of the songs that were released as singles also stand out : "To Miss Someone" shows just what a nice voice Maria has, while "Breathe" is one of the few songs where things actually seem to be working out !

There simply isn't a bad song on this album, and I can't understand why Maria McKee didn't become a huge success. She has a voice that can convey the mood of a song perfectly - hurt, need, calm or just generally fed up ! Highly recommended !

I was very glad when I heard this album was out, and even gladder when I heard this album. Probably recorded in or near L.A. with her family and friends there, and now you can be there too. So what if there is talking between the songs, it is a Maria McKee concert, and it is her show, not a juke box,(many facets to the artist). Her voice makes me melt, she could sing the phonebook even, but like all songs there are meanings behind the lyrics. So, if you want to have an intimate experience with a truely gifted artist, get this album. I just found out about her latest effort called "Late December", now I`ll have to get that one too. Sooo prolific as of late!

This was a much better live album than Maria's last one (Live from Hamburg). She included many classic LJ and MM hits. While she does do a little spoken intro for many of the songs it is no way excessive. If you are a fan of her old stuff you will want this CD. I saw her on the acoustic tour and I get to relive the experience every time I listen. Enjoy!

If you like lots of inane chatter [about 1/3 of the total running time?] interspersed among good [but not great] and too-short renditions of some good [but not the best] choices from Maria's catalog, this is the disc for you. Otherwise stick with You Gotta Sin to Get Saved and the Lone Justice discs.

A true, five-star stunner. Essentially just Maria on guitar and piano, with her friend Susan helping out on backing vocals, from her spring '06 tour. I saw them when they played Philly - this CD, like that show, is wondrous, mesmerizing and a delight. If you close your eyes, you'll swear you're at the foot of the stage. Highlights include the old dependables of "Shelter" and "Breathe" (I'll never tire of hearing either), plus Richard Thompson's "Has He Got a Friend for Me," the three songs written by her late brother Bryan (Love's "Orange Skies," Lone Justice's "Don't Toss Us Away" and the gospel "Blessed Salvation") and her hypnotic rendition of Bruce Springsteen's "Backstreets." Other highlights worth mentioning: the three tracks from her sublime 2005 Peddlin' Dreams album (the title track, "Sullen Soul" and Neil Young's "Barstool Blues," presented here as a "hidden" track).

Since leaving Lone Justice, Maria McKee has not courted the limelight but has settled for quietly putting together a luminous portfolio of work. None of her albums stands out as a masterwork, but neither is there a clunker among them. Each rewards repeated listenings and contains a few gems of especial lustre, as is attested to by this splendid collection. Some "best of" collections satisfy one's thirst for that artist, but this is one that should lead any listener back to the marvelous albums on which they originated. Highly recommended!

what more could you ask for? Maria Mckee is a wonderful singer. the dress/rag was an extra track from her debut album which was later heard in Pulp Fiction. the record is really powerful and definately played many many times in my cassette player.