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The Met - Winter "94 (Texas Music)
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Big Kid
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Sarah Hickman Album Review:
Great for kids of all ages at 2006-06-28
I have seen Sara perform twice now--the last time with her older daughter along with her. She is great with kids and her songs are catchy, easily learned and have wonderful messages in them. Look at me....a song that all parents should listen to and every kid should learn to sing. This album includes all of her older kid material..it will have you singing, clapping and wanting more. The final song on the album is beautiful and bittersweet and makes for a great lullaby. Its a wonderful collection. If you have the chance to see her perform...its well worth the effort.
Sarah Hickman Album Review:
Third in an impressive series of audio CDs at 2004-03-10
Big Kid is third in an impressive series of audio CDs designed to inspire quality parent-child time through music and poetry. Award-winning singer and songwriter Sara Hickman reaches out with enthusiastic and movement-oriented songs to spark activity, confidence, and imagination in developing young minds. The individual tracks include Iolana, Cantaloupe!, Ooh La La, Middle Of A Little Country Road, Eat My Breakfast, Look At Me, Louise, Pledge, Little Seed, Radiation Man, Pink On The Inside, Here It Comes, My Sista My Friend, Nanatime!, Little Yella Dog, Belinsky, I Wish I Were A Princess, Its Fall, Space Poetry!, Pillowman!, Red Wagon, Rainstick, I Wish You Well, and Pray For Peace. Also very highly recommended are the two earlier CDs from Sarah Hickman: Newborn (featuring both traditional and original songs for newborns and their parents) and Toddler (a collection of songs, stories, and poetry that teaches counting, colors, animals, sounds, and geography suitable for preschoolers).
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Ready To Pop
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Sarah Hickman Album Review:
The ONLY live Sara CD, ever! at 2003-12-22
OK, you should know going in, half of the fun of a Sara show is the wonderful stories! I guess this gets EXPLICIT LYRICS because it talks about things like tampons (!) and she might say, what the hell once. Dont let that label scare you away!Her singing and laughter are wonderful here. Soundwise, it has a very boot-leg-y feel to it. And the song selection spans most of the first part of her career (up to this point, I think Two Kinds of Laughter had just been released).In short, until her DVD comes out, BUY THIS RECORD
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Faithful Heart
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Sarah Hickman Album Review:
buy this for someone you love! at 2005-01-02
Sara Hickmans love for her spouse shines through in every song on this CD. Buy it and listen to it with the love of YOUR life!
Sarah Hickman Album Review:
Total Peace at 2003-03-21
Her a cappella version of Faithful Heart Reprise stopped me in my tracks. Its so very peaceful. Well worth a listen.
Sarah Hickman Album Review:
another stellar CD by this wonderful woman! at 2002-05-15
I bought this CD after reading on Saras site that she was in the process of making cover songs for Valentines Day! Im not sorry I did! Her covers of Joni Mitchells Chelsea Morning is wonderful, and her cover of Jennifer is marvelous too. She also covers when IWhen I Fall in Love plus some Sara originals like Coolness By Mistake and Claiim On My Heart and Happy In Your Love by it you wont be sorry!Warens song
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Toddler
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Sarah Hickman Album Review:
Wonderful! at 2004-10-02
My 2 year old loves these songs, and I do too! They stick in my head, and I find myself singing them at work, while driving, etc.She has remakes of traditional songs, sometimes with the old tune but new (better!) lyrics. And lots of her own.
Sarah Hickman Album Review:
Must buy if youre sick of the usual kid stuff at 2005-05-25
Great kids CD that my 18 month old just loves. I actually love it too! The songs are different and fun with harmony- great vocals and more a rare find in kids music. She has a great voice and this CD has many different styles of music so you dont get bored. If your bored stiff with what else is out there buy this. My daughter picked up some of the songs to sing after hearing them just a few times.
Sarah Hickman Album Review:
We love it! at 2005-04-11
We (my 2 1/2 year old son and 9 month old son) listen to this CD in the car constantly. I love the diversity. I even find myself listening to it after I drop them off... scary! Its catchy!
Sarah Hickman Album Review:
we all love it! at 2005-12-01
We werent surprised that we love it, as Sara does not put out bad albums. This cd lives in the minivan to keep my 18 month old twins and my 15-18 year old teens happy. The twins clap and sing and wave their arms to the music. Everyone sings and has their favorite songs, especially Weenie Man. Even on long trips, nobody gets tired of it. Even my teens friends sing along with gusto. An amazing album from an amazing woman.
Sarah Hickman Album Review:
We wore it out - have to get a new one at 2005-06-06
Fun for both adults and toddler. Weve loved this cd and on a long car trip to grandmas (it kept everyone happy!), we somehow scratched it. I probably miss it more than my 2 year old. I was hoping to get a cheap used copy but obviously everyone else loves it too.
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Spiritual Appliances
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Sarah Hickman Album Review:
She knows how to entertain! at 2003-05-31
From the heart, totally from the heart. Dont miss this music from this talented songwriter. Her guitar playing is so authentic and so is her voice.
Sarah Hickman Album Review:
If you only get one CD of Saras, make it this one! at 2002-12-18
This is by far my favorite Sara CD yet. The range of songs, the expressive lyrics, the catchy melodies - why is this woman forced into hiatus while other people (who have less talent than in Saras little FINGER) are pushed on the music-buying public like so much PRODUCT!The songs Kerosene, Woman Waiting To Happen, Bowl Full Of Stars, Standing Ground, Everythings Red, Im Not Going Anywhere, Come Around, all have a permanent place in my top-favorite-songs-lists...If you like acoustic guitar, pop-folk songs, GREAT vocals, thought-provoking lyrics, you NEED to check this album (or any of Saras) out.
Sarah Hickman Album Review:
Another Great Album at 2001-05-14
I really cant understand why Sara Hickman is not huge. Her songs are catchy, her lyrics can be both fun and astute (and sometimes at the same time). Reviews from independent groups (Rolling Stone and the All Music Guide) give her strong praise. I enjoy this album thoroughly. I own more than 300 cds and Sara Hickman always remains at the top of the rotation. This album is extremely enjoyable. Bowl Full of Stars is fun and catchy, I wish I could run is great. Standing Ground, Life, and many of the others are enjoyable and fun. If you purchase this album, I believe your favorite song will shift with each listening. Ive listened to the album 15-20 times and I still want to hear it again.
Sarah Hickman Album Review:
They keep getting better at 2000-05-15
Saras albums just keep getting better. This and her last, Two Kinds of Laughter seem to be coming-of-age albums, containing more complex arrangements and a wider variety of styles and sounds than those heard in the past. The variety of emotions contained on this album express Saras personality, but the album has an overall calming effect, something new for Sara, who often makes listeners want to dance, sing along, or find a playground. But most importantly, Saras vocals continue to be the focus -- and with a voice like hers, thats as it should be.
Sarah Hickman Album Review:
Magical Melodies at 2000-12-03
An insightful music reviewer once called trying to describe Sara Hickmans music similar to trying to capture moonbeams in a jar. Once you have heard Sara sing, it is safe to predict you will never forget her. The ballad, Woman Waiting to Happen, makes every woman believe it was written straight from her heart. Her musical range is astonishing; her honesty profound. Go ahead, let a little Sara into your life.
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Newborn
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Sarah Hickman Album Review:
An outstanding collection of musical selections for kids. at 2001-05-04
Sara Hickmans Newborn is an outstanding collection of highly recommended musical selections for young listeners which are superbly performed and flawlessly recorded. The fifteen pieces comprising Newborn include Hush (1:33); Its Alright (2:55); A-Tisket A-Tasket (2:07); Lily (3:16); Goops In It (1:45); This Heart (4:50); Reserved for the One I Love (3:01); Big Bird, Little Bird (:59); Moonshadow (2:53); You Are My Sunshine (2;43); A Slice of Heaven (2:23); All Things Bright and Beautiful (:51); Its Alright (4:13); We Are Each Others Angels (5:20); and Brahms Lullaby (1:02). Also highly recommended for family, school, day-care center, and community library childrens music collections is Sara Hickmans Toddler (CD, ... 42 minutes)
Sarah Hickman Album Review:
A Family Favorite at 2003-12-14
A friend gave us a copy of Sara Hickmans Newborn and Toddler cds when our daughter was born and they are forever on our stereo... in the livingroom, the nursery, and the car. Newborn is such a sweet cd that has calming songs as well as a few funny and playful songs (good for dads to sing along with!). The Toddler cd is great fun for when our little one is wide awake and in need of entertainment. You dont feel so ridiculous being silly when you are singing along with Sara! Both cds are essential for new parents. We treasure them!
Sarah Hickman Album Review:
Couldnt (would not want to) live without this one! at 2002-04-25
If my now 6 months old daughter (who has been Saras fan for 3 months) was writing a review, it would go something like this. I love to listen to Saras CD. She has a beautiful voice that instantly makes me forget to be fussy. I could listen to her singing for hours, and indeed I do - and never tire! The song goop in your eyes makes me smile, esp when mama tries to sing along (she is NOT a very good singer). My only complaint is that the pauses between the songs are too long. Sometimes I have just enough time to remember what was making me fussy, but then I forget again when the next song starts! --- aah, isnt she cute?
Sarah Hickman Album Review:
This album is a MUST-HAVE for parents everywhere at 2004-08-23
I received this album as a shower gift and I cant tell you how much it has meant to my whole family, even the grandparents. Sara has a way of verbalizing how amazing children and your love for them is. I plan on buying every product she ever produces because she is uplifting and makes both my daughter and I feel great.
Sarah Hickman Album Review:
Best baby gift you can buy. at 2006-04-12
Going to a baby shower soon? Friends or family members about to have a kid? This is more than a CD of some music -- is family intimacy in a box! Seriously, this CD was created to encourage parents to sing to their children. Simple songs that are soothing to babies. One of the songs was made up by Sara while walking the floor with her colicky firstborn. This is the kind of stuff that settles the stomach of both parents and babies. Beautiful stuff.
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Two Kinds of Laughter
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Sarah Hickman Album Review:
Another Outstanding Album at 1998-12-29
Every time a new album comes out, I have a hard time deciding which one I like best--they are all fabulous! I used to see Sara Hickman live when I lived in Dallas--years ago when she played with a group called The Cheese--I loved her then...and I love her now! I just hope she keeps the music coming!
Sarah Hickman Album Review:
Her most consistent and beautifully complex album. at 1998-12-11
Sara Hickman has been delivering solid, melodic, folk-pop-rock that is often both amusing and poignant since 1989s Equal Scary People. This solid collection, produced by King Crimsons other guitar maestro Adrian Belew, leads the listner on a slippery trip that celebrates the magic innocence of youth and plumbs the depths of dispair when love just kind of disappears. Ms. Hickman presents these observations through a mature, clear, and well-focused eye. The arrangements are rich in complexity yet hummable. Repeated playings yield previously hidden jems of melody and bittersweet irony. Sadly, this is another remarkable artist that you will not hear on the radio (unless you call your local public radio station with a request). Buy the record (or buy two and give one to a good friend)and see her live if she plays anywhere in your time zone. I promise you will be richly rewarded with an unforgettable experience on both counts.
Sarah Hickman Album Review:
Sara Hickman Two Kinds Of Laughter at 2001-02-01
I have almost all of Saras CDs, I bought this one from amazon.com a couple of weeks ago. Let me just say this CD is fabulous!! I heard Take Whatever I Can Get and I had to have this CD. This CD is a gem, its definitely worth buying!!All of Saras CDs are absolutely excellent, but this one really takes the prize for one of the most played CDs I own!! the first track Two Kinds Of Laughter is beautiful, amd positive. The second track Take Whatever I Can Get is really rocking! other tracks ogems on this impressive CD are: I Wear the Crown Coolness By Mistake Look At It This Way Eight Secret Family Let Go Comets Over Costa Rica Optimistic Fool has a beat, and One In Our Happiness is a great love song!! this CD is definitely worth the money and you will listen to it constantly as I do! buy it now!! Saras guitar playing is superb, and so is that magical voice of hers that can stop time!!
Sarah Hickman Album Review:
many kinds of love at 2005-12-12
an energetic, uplifting and emotionally stirring release that made me an instant fan. Like another seminal songwriter/musician who makes the songs truly come to life in a live setting (Jeffrey Gaines), Sara Hickman is an absolute joy and enduring triumph.Buy the discs, see her live and share the joy!Those of you perhaps put off by her kids albums, thinking that she is only a family artist, will be pleasantly surprised. Her nighttime show has plenty of adult appeal! She is humorous, full of passion and exceptionally talented.
Sarah Hickman Album Review:
What a wonderful folk artist, especially live! at 2001-08-09
I first heard one of Saras songs on the radio, called in to get her name and went out and bought this CD. Wow! What an amazing clear voice! Since she is a Texas artist, she plays live at a local pub here in Houston pretty often so I went for my birthday. She is even better in a live setting and a wonderful, giving personality. She is very funny and free-spirted and always includes and encourages the crowd.I have gone on and bought several more of her CDs and have seen her live again but this particular CD is my favoite out of all of them (although the rest are good too). My favorite song is She Wears the Crown but I also really enjoy Take Whatever I Can Get (the one I heard on the radio).As Ive said, her voice is very pure and clear and her songs are very fresh and original. There is no one else who sounds like Sara! I also enjoy her music becasue it is not bogged down in too much production. I hope you enjoy her as much as I do!
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Misfits
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Sarah Hickman Album Review:
A musical treat! at 1999-06-17
A few new recordings plus some older things unearthed and collected here for the first time, which includes selections her previous record companies refused to release. This is another fantastic Hickman CD that shows her versatility in styles and moods. Songs range from haunting (Everyones Gone to the Moon, Romania) to hilarious (Radiation Man, Baby its Cold Outside).Hickman is one of those amazingly talented musicians who should be much better known. Hats off to this American treasure.
Sarah Hickman Album Review:
Great fun! at 1999-04-05
Ive listened to Sara since the start and this has become my favorite album. Like most of my favorite CDs I didnt love this at first listen, but more and more I love this album.
Sarah Hickman Album Review:
Several years of un-released gems. at 1999-03-27
I have all of Saras recordings, and this is perhaps my favorite. Several of the songs will have you grinning from ear to ear. All of her cds are well worth owning due to the very wide range of musical styles, humorous lyrics, and social concern but this one is the best place to start.
Sarah Hickman Album Review:
Eclectic, beautiful. Saras best album. at 1999-07-16
Sara Hickman is IMO the most talented person recording music today. Her vocal range, control and quality are astonishing, and her songwriting is absolutely topnotch. This is *not* pop music; its thought provoking, its funny, its toe-tapping, its wonderful. DO NOT miss a chance to hear her live.
Sarah Hickman Album Review:
Misfits from an (as-yet) unrecognized star at 2002-04-14
I would not rate this CD as highly as Sara Hickmans first three works, but it did grow on me with repeated listenings, and contains some really essential songs for anyone who has become a fan of the Texas singer-songwriter. The anthemic Romania, about her visits to orphaned children in Eastern Europe, is so emotional it brought me to tears on the first couple of listens, and in itself made the album worth the purchase price. Saras sense of humor shines in Radiation Man, an uptempo, hilarious, tongue-in-cheek look at space aliens and nudity. Like a Collar on a Dog is another good example of the more powerful rock-based songs o this CD. Zippity Doo-Dah, is simply a fun song that brings back memories of childhood, moreso because it includes phrases from the familiar theme song for Sesame Street. An example of Saras strong folk-songwriting is Satin Sheets for Alice. There are a lot of covers here, with mixed results. A cover of the 1970s version of a boy band hit, I Think I Love You, just doesnt compare with her smarter songwriting, although Baby Its Cold Outside has a half-spoken, giggled delivery that works with a wink. A nice addition to anyones Sara Hickman library.
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Equal Scary People
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Sarah Hickman Album Review:
This is an endorsement at 2001-08-21
I like punk rock music. I like avant garde jazz full of squeals, honks, and atonal blats. The female singer-songwriter genre is not my usual cup of tea. This is a great CD.Shes got a massive hook Last Night was a Big Rain, a JB tune (This is a Mans World,), and uses a plastic hose swung around her head to get a theramin-type sound on one cut. The Art Ensemble of Chicago would be proud.I have only heard a couple of Sara Hickmans other CDs. I didnt think they were as good as this one: the songwriting was weaker and tended toward cloying earnestness. But this one is great. Take it from an avant punk.
Sarah Hickman Album Review:
A must for folk/popular fans at 1999-01-05
A really great album. Each track has a mind of its own. Tunes such as Simply and Song for my father are sincere and not overly complicated. Im sure James Brown would love Sara Hickmans cover of Its a mans world! Only one track, I wish I were a princess doesnt make the cut. It just grates. Recently purchased the CD to replace the badly worn cassette. All in all, a good buy. No regrets here.
Sarah Hickman Album Review:
Everyone should have this album. at 1998-05-26
What can I say? I live in the middle of nowhere Nevada and bought this album several years ago, sound unseen and strictly based on a description in a music club catalog. I think I have listened to it nearly every month for the last four years. Every track is great and yet there is enough variety in the album to fit many moods. It is the sort of album in your collection that you always come back to.
Sarah Hickman Album Review:
Good! Very Good! at 2005-01-21
Big Rain and Song for My Father are the best tunes. This artist can sing fast and slow songs with great skill and sensitivity. Hickmann is a smart and witty musician, and well worth trying out.
Sarah Hickman Album Review:
Exceptional folk-pop album debut at 2002-04-17
I took a gamble buying this Sara Hickman debut album after reading a favorable review in a Southwest Airlines in-flight magazine. It was a gamble that paid big dividends. From the opening cut, Simply, a lofty, beautifully fingerpicked love song that lacks the cliches so common to the genre (We cant be one, but two is fine with me.), to the closer, Under the Sycamore Tree, the album is highlighted by Saras strong songwriting, her achingly sweet voice, and deft acoustic guitar work. Last Night Was a Big Rain, once performed solo by Sara on The Tonight Show, is a nice throwback to Country musics folk roots. Along the same lines is 500X (The Train Song), a song that, along with Last Night would have fit well on the playlists of country music radio stations (if country music had not become a parody of itself and stubbornly refused to recognize its folk roots). Sara shines on solo acoustic ballads like Song for my Father and an unusual but well done acoustic cover of James Brown, Its a Mans World. She changes tempo on the upbeat, rhythmically adventurous Equal Scary People, complete with humourous chatter that sounds like it was recorded at a party. Why Dont You is a slow ballad driven by Saras guitar, pedal steel, high hat and aching for a boy who no longer wants her. I rated this album four stars instead of the five because of songs like I Wish I Were a Princess (one of only two songs NOT penned by Sara) that, in my opinion, did not work. Overall, an impressive debut from an eclectic artist who doesnt get much deserved radio airplay because she isnt easy to categorize: Is she folk? Is she pop? Is she country? Is she rock?
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Necessary Angels
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Sarah Hickman Album Review:
Can you wear out a CD?? at 2003-08-02
Ive worn out many records and cassettes in my day, but this will likely be the first CD I wear out. From the uplifting Best of Times through the fun of Tiger in a Teacup Town and Where the Garage Used to Stand, this one has played over and over. A Room of Ones Own should have been a classic of all time. This is the only CD Ive ever given to a friend where the person later took me aside and thanked me for turning him on to the artist...and his daughter loves it too ... I had to buy her one! Thanks Sara!
Sarah Hickman Album Review:
Sara WOW! at 2002-09-19
This is a wonderful album. From 1-12 the tracks are at once charming and full of angst....
Sarah Hickman Album Review:
An Angel of an Album at 2002-04-14
I already owned the first two Sara Hickman albums when I found this CD in a cut-out bin. At first, I felt it paled in comparision to her first two albums, Equal Scary People, and, Shortstop. However, after repeated listenings, this has become my favorite Sara Hickman album. Full of personal, heartfelt observations of the world around her, the strength of Necessary Angels is Saras songwriting. Unlike her previous album, Shortstop, which leaned more toward acoustic pop, this album is driven primarily by acoustic folk, most notably the impressionistic Shadowboxing, the emotional examination of Time Will Tell, a wonderful piece about the circle of life as represented by women in her family titled Sister and Sam, and Joy, a beautiful observations on the life of a homeless woman. Saras everpresent optimism and nostalgia can be found in the bouncing, rollicking memory of girlhood, The Place Where the Garage Used to Stand, and the uptempo Tiger in a Teacup Town. I consider this CD a treasure, in part because it is becoming more difficult to find, and again because this album was almost not released. Saras record company refused to release the tapes, and she had to raise money from necessary angels to buy back the master tapes. Money well spent, any way you look at it.
Sarah Hickman Album Review:
Timeless advice wrapped in timeless sound. at 2001-10-19
I know this is an 80s album. Yet the style and delivery has been a mainstay for many years prior. As pop and rock styles floated in and out. Saras type of music supported theaters and concerts. It is something that you can relate to today as well. It is possible that others found different tracks profound, yet I think that the first track (Pursuit of Happiness) is something to think about. Pieces of her songs get a little busy especially those that use electronics. But for the most part it sounds like the girl next door. This album definitely belongs in your collection and occasionally in your car.
Sarah Hickman Album Review:
A Fairy Tale of an Album at 2004-02-18
Sara Hickman is one of many female artists that scored record deals during a craze when all sorts of women in rock were getting signed. Once Tracy Chapman and Natalie Merchant gave proof to the industry that dance divas werent the only women that could hit number one, the labels went on a feeding frenzy. A few were actually successful (think The Indigo Girls and Melissa Etheridge), many got critically noticed (remember Tinita Tickeram?) but a lot of the ones that got critical acclaim also didnt sell huge numbers. Such is the case with Sara Hickman, whos two albums to appear on Elektra were given strong reviews, some modest airplay (I Couldnt Help Myself and Blue Eyes Are Sensitive to the Light) but only so-so commercial success. As she prepared to turn in her third album to the Elektra label, they decided they would exercise their option to pass on the tapes, and dropped Sara from their artists roster. When Sara put in a request to issue the music on her own, she was told that she could, but only if she bought her own mastertapes back.Basically heartbroken, Sara retreated to Texas. It was her mom who made the kind of brilliant suggestion that only a mother could make, in the form of asking Sara is she could hold a bake sale or some similar fund raiser. Of course, on its face, the suggestion sounds ludicrous, but Sara got to thinking about it. If her fan base (and we are a loyal lot) would be willing to purchase a listing on the CD itself, perhaps THAT would be enough to rescue the album from gathering dust in a vault somewhere.And even as far fetched as that idea seemed, somehow, it worked. Not only did Sara manage to raise the necessary funds, she managed to negotiate the price down. The money she raised was used to obtain the tapes, and also to start a childrens fund that Sara maintains to this day. Once the tapes were hers to release, the fledgling company Discovery Records agreed to release Necessary Angels. (Now for the irony: Discovery, as is Elektra, was a Time/Warner company. So in essence, Warners paid for the album twice. For the current decades version, see Wilcos Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.)After all that, how does Necessary Angels hold up after over a decade? Quite well. Pursuit Of Happiness and The Best of Times contain the kind of message that never loses its integrity. Tiger in a Teacup Town is the kind of humorous song that Sara excels in, especially live. And there are the kinds of touching folk songs that make you love the serenity of a simple acoustic guitar (Joy and Sister and Sam). Its enough to make you believe in the occasional miracle in the world that Necessary Angels saw the light of day. Maybe you havent heard of Sara Hickman before (if youre reading this, I kinda doubt it), but shes too good to keep under wraps.
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Shortstop
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Sarah Hickman Album Review:
Somewhat dissapointed at 2006-02-24
After the rave reviews of this CD, I decided to take a chance and buy it. I was somewhat dissapointed as I dont think its all that it was purported to be. I guess if others have felt the same, they didnt bother to write a review; only those that really loved the album.
Sarah Hickman Album Review:
Great! at 2005-01-22
Salvador, Dont Give Up, and Aurora are the best tracks on this CD. It would be interesting to see Hickman in concert nowadays and see if she has the same kind of sound, or if she has changed a lot. I recently discovered this CD after it lay dormant for ten years. Its just as fresh today! Hickman has a very original sound, and I wish more modern performers had the courage to have their own sound rather than parroting others. Equally Scary People is also a good CD of early Hickman. You cant miss with this one either!! :)
Sarah Hickman Album Review:
Dancing in the middle of a crazy diamond at 2004-02-18
Sara Hickmans second album for Elektra Records shows the grooming that her label obviously thought her worthy of at the time. Producer David Kershenbaum (Tracy Chapman, Joe Jackson) was brought in to give Shortstop the full digital buff job, and Sara was given a big budget sound on the likes of I Couldnt Help Myself in the hopes of Adult Contemporary and VH1 airplay. (I still have the videos from her appearances on Johnny Carsons and Pat Sajaks late shows.)The end result was her most commercially successful album. And while I Couldnt Help Myself did get a great deal of radio play, it is the song least indicative of Saras talents. She is a great songwriter, given to spurts of impish humor (the title track), genuine optimism (If We Sent Our Hearts Over Now, written about a death row inmate and a Hostage from the Iranian Crisis - remember that?), and passion with flair (Salvador, about Dali). The instrumentation is mostly acoustic and includes a few cohorts from Joni Mitchells bands, all given lots of place to let their passages breathe. Shortstop is an album that also holds a special place in my collection and heart. Sara is the only person to ever name check me on her album. Youll see Tim at WAFL mentioned (because I programmed Equal Scary People way back when you could still get away with choosing what songs you played as a DJ). So you have to understand that, when it comes to Sara, I am a very prejudiced fan. If even with that admittance you may be slightly disinclined to add this to your library, I still say GET THIS CD. You can use my email address and thank me later.
Sarah Hickman Album Review:
Saras biggest seller at 2002-12-18
This is a great (if short) album. I bought a new one to replace the one I burned out after years of playing (and less-than-careful handling...)The most popular album (I think) in Saras discography. From a song like Aurora about a musical visit to an invalid in a hospital, to Too Fast (where a lady has, ahem, an interlude with the popsicle guy), to the imagery of In The Fields, this is a must for any fan of thoughtful, beautiful music...
Sarah Hickman Album Review:
Why this album wasnt a smash is mystifying at 2002-04-14
Shortstop was simply a stunning release by Sara Hickman, with power and maturity only hinted at on her wonderful debut, Equal Scary People. The pop of I Couldnt Help Myself, assisted by some really nice sax work, should have been a smash hit on radio, and The Very Thing, a wry song about relationships between men and women, also richly deserved airplay. One has to wonder if this album would have fared better had it been released years later, after other folk-based artists like Shawn Colvin broke through to get airplay. I have found Sara most interesting in that she writes about subjects few other songwriters touch. For instance, the steel-stringed acoustic piece Aurora takes a powerful look at the issue of aging via a visit to an elderly family member, who cannot speak but taps her toes to the beat of Saras guitar. Dont Give Up is an uplifting song offering encouragement to those who have given up on life. It ALWAYS leaves me with a smile. I simply love to play the song Too Fast for friends, Saras tale of a not-so-shy woman who takes sexual matters into her own hands. The album opens with a nice, uptempo, acoustic love song, In the Fields, before moving into the title tune, another of Saras impressionistic pieces that hits the mark. All in all, album that left me puzzled: How could an album this musically rich get such poor response from radio programmers?
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