Reviews (page 2 of 13)
Folk/jazz in the vain of Joni Mitchell, not done as well as Joni, but still good. 4 stars
I thought this album started off really good, but kind of fizzled out as it went on. "Down to Zero" and "Love and Affection" are cool tunes though. 3 stars.
Not too bad. Quite Only Fools And Horses-core as Someone Who Loves You gets used in the credits of the 1990 Christmas special Rodney Come Home. Maybe not this whole album because it does get a bit samey but I would definitely take a few tracks and smush em together with a heap of Sade, Simply Red and Fat Larry’s Band for a Only Fools And Horses-themed entry. Lovely jubbly. Bonnet de douche. This time next year we’ll have finished this list and be millionaires!
An artist I had never heard of, and wow, am I hooked! What a phenomenal album. Is it blues, jazz, folk, R&B...? Joan's voice is so versatile, the instrumentation never ceases to amaze, and the production quality and panning are top notch. My interest was piqued at every moment! "Love and Affection" and "Tall in the Saddle" may be my favorite tracks.
Альбом хорош только тем что эти песни не раздражают. В остальном не запоминающиеся песни с банальными аранжировками
Help Yourself
Bra låtar rakt igenom. Ingen som är rent dålig. Gillar Water with the wine och Down to zero bäst.
Pretty good but flew right over me, was funny immediately getting autoplayed Tracey Chapman after this, definitely her precursor.
This was fine, feel like I probably should’ve liked this more than I actually did 2.5
Enjoyed it.
Solid album of bluesy folk. Great voice, missing a stand out track/hit.
once again not my kind of music but it was ok to listen to
(5/1089) I've enjoyed listening to this album at most part. Good songwriting. I think I'll need to listen to it again. Favorite: Water With The Wine, Love And Affection, Somebody Who Loves You Least favorite: Like Fire 8/10
Pretty good, but lacks something..
Some pretty good stuff here, but also some stuff that’s a bit too lush and schmaltzy upon first listen. Might re-visit it and change my rating. Very much up my alley
never heard of her but really enjoyed this album. quite the range
Buon musicista
Fantastic album.
5 - AVERAGE
Really lovely. Joan Armatrading is one of those performers who has been on my radar for many years but who I rarely listen to. It was a nice start to my day.
3 stars
Very Jazzy and soulful. Great depth of sound and lyrics. There was something about this one I just really liked.
When I was in graduate school I embarked on an archival project that required me to read every major British music magazine published in 1976. My research was about the Sex Pistols and the rise of punk rock in the UK, but I was shocked to see nearly every mag list this album as the Album of the Year. I had never even heard of Joan Armatrading, but here was a stack of primary sources showing me how important she once was. Maybe the lesson is that today's critical darling is tomorrow's forgotten pop star. Listening to this album, though, I can understand how/why listeners were hungry for something that felt "authentic," musically sophisticated, but not corny or cliche. Armatrading hits all these marks, but I do think the songwriting is relatively uneven -- there are a few songs here that go nowhere or are totally unmemorable. Nevertheless, I'm really happy to learn about Armatrading and her music.
Raw Talent. I love how she switches between different genres and puts so much feeling into her music. Unfortunately it just doesn't do much for me.
She's got a great voice. It's not for me.
Strangely enough I feel like her voice and this production would have been better served on slower tracks. Tall in the saddle first half for example was my favorite and the rest was cool
nice blend of folky, bluesy, jazzy rock stuff
Really nice voice. Like that it has a bit of grit to it. Good songs too.
self-titled third album release by joan armatrading, recorded in london and said to be her true commercial breakthrough in her discography. taking her time to write a lot of new material by herself, her work is written in a way which aligns with many listeners of different shapes and sizes. not only did the release work well for her, but producer glyn johns has stated it was the best project he ever had a part in. it's a really nice listening day for me when i check out an artist i'm not too familiar with, and i ended liking what i hear. it's folk rock but it's got a real classy vigor to it. i really like the funky guitar playing, and if there's one thing i like, it's women vocalists with more deeper, husky voices. i really really need more of that. a lot of tracks blend right in with each other to the point where if it was just one big continuous song, there wouldn't be much of a difference. her music and her lyrics are really easy to pick up and digest if you're listening to this for the first time; it feels like a gentle massage. this album is remarkable, it made my work day go by smoothly.
Pretty good
A fun discovery. Enjoyed her voice and most of the songs on the album. I'll explore more of her music.
forgettable
Wow, just lovely. I was surprised that this came out in the 70s because you can really feel the throughline to Tracy Chapman, so much so that I thought it was contemporary to Chapman’s work. Armatrading’s voice just cuts straight to my heart and overall I loved the vibe of the album!
She had a great voice! I've seen her name before and always found the name Armatrading so interesting. what does it mean?? There was a richness to these songs that I appreciated even though I maybe expected a bit more daring. But a really nice listen (and it led me to a little Wikipedia deep dive on Saint Kitts and Nevis, her birthplace)
Nice background music, but little stood out beyond Love and Affection
I am pretty (a lot) mad that this is the first time I am hearing of her?
thoughts: - women playing guitar, let's goooooooo - decent, but not my fave
Classic production of the time and Glyn Johns. I enjoyed the vocal production, sometimes the vocal delivery wasn’t my favorite but I know it’s kinda “of the time”. I really liked ‘Join the Boys’ & ‘Somebody Who Loves You’ & “People”. Overall, I don’t typically listen to this style of songwriting/production but I enjoyed myself to some feel good 70s pop rock!
Unique and beautiful voice, excellent production quality, and overall very good album. Liked the 70s soft rock/singer songwriter vibes and some tracks were very unique.
J'ai bien aimé cet album
Not for me. Seems without a genre.
Okay, just not my cup of tea
6/10 - Pretty medium. Maybe this was on the beginning end of the lady Folk/Rock/Pop star trend. Not bad but not memorable.
I really liked the song Love and Affection. The rest of the album was fine but it felt like pretty standard 70's acoustic singer songwriter stuff. Light 6/10
It was good enough that I'm going to listen to it in the future
4/10
This was okay, I don't know. Pretty good voice and classic singer song writing, though it does not really tickle my fancy. After listening to some different stuff after I had forgotten about the album already, not the greatest sign. Strong 2, just for not being more memorable for me.
What a great album. Didn't know about her or it before, will definitely check her out. 4.0
6/10
Oh shit. I for sure thought I was gonna hate this. I’m kinda into it, and I generally couldn’t give a shit about the folksy female singer songwriter set. Sometimes it feels like Joan is lulling me into thinking that she’s going to write some Starbucks radio, Norah Jones-type bullshit, and then she cranks up the feeling and tempo. She has a sorta weird/pretty voice, but it works. the arrangements and instrumentation are crazy interesting, and she does a lot of unexpected stuff. The recording is really well done. It feels really ahead of its time. I dunno, this one surprises me. It’s like a whole bunch of genres of music all thrown into a blender, but it actually works for me. 8/10
Love and Affection ❤️💯
I really liked the first track but after that it’s just kinda meh
Bluesy, funky, guitar-led rock that feels very distinctive in its sound and songwriting. Incredible vocals.
I knew of Joan back in ‘86. Really enjoyed the album “Sleight of Hand” and the single “Kind Words.” This album definitely sounded like 1976. Great voice, but the arrangements didn’t really connect with me.
2026.10.21.
This album straight up fucks. For being someone I didn't have on my radar I'm grateful to have been introduced to it. Her ability to use her voice like an instrument is incredible and I definitely will be listening to this again.
Joan Armatrading is a name I had often heard but never listened to. She's got an amazing voice - passionate, soulful, flexible - and some fantastic musicians playing really great, original arrangements (and some killer solos). This is a 50-year-old album that sounds well ahead of its time, and I can hear its echoes in a lot of later artists' works. I have no clever comments to make; this is just a really excellent album of music.
meh
Uma voz poderosa e bonita, com um groove interessante.
I’ve never heard of her before, which is a bit odd. If it made it to this list there must be some kind of notoriety, but it’s never come up. It’s a remarkably well produced album. The layering of the different instruments is something truly special. It’s a great combination of acoustic guitar and interesting vocals. I can’t say I liked all of it, but I certainly appreciated the craftsmanship throughout.
Joan Armatrading walked so that Tracy Chapman could run. And another thing, I feel like Joan Armatrading is out there living a wonderful life right now. This is the music of someone living and expected to continue to live her best life.
An album I already knew well and loved; but a wonderful re-listen nonetheless.
Excelente. Não conhecia e adorei
I have not heard any of Joan Armatrading music. I grew up in the 70s. I was crazy about music then. I don’t know how I missed her. Then again, I hadn’t heard of Nick Drake either. Well here goes. This is a good album. She is a singer-songwriter who writes her own songs. Her vocals are pretty good. She writes about relationships from a feminist perspective. She plays acoustic guitar mostly. Her musical accompaniment is sparse: piano and drums and some electric guitar. She has lots of good songs: Help yourself, water with wine, Save me and Love and affection. My only complaint is that there is not much variety in her songs. This is a very good album. Four stars.
Ok
Kinda dull.
What a gem. For someone trying to break out of the mold of ‘1970’s British singer-songwriter’ she displays a staggering amount of versatility. Stylistically, I was getting shades of Elton John (Down To Zero), Joni Mitchell (Save Me), Dusty Springfield (Water With The Wine), and even Pink Floyd (Tall In The Saddle) depending on the song. Folk, country, funk, blues, you want it? We got it. Compositionally varied, and keeps you on your toes with solos from everything from steel guitars to saxophones — unconventional for what I thought was a proto-Tracy Chapman Speaking of, this is probably an unoriginal thought, but Joan is the foundation upon which Tracy Chapman stands, but this was probably an incredibly refreshing sound in the 70’s that paved the way for artists like her, after her. That soulful alto is really something. It’s distinctive and powerful, and her voice lifts every song and lends weight to her songwriting, which is mature and well fleshed out. 9/10. I still felt really strongly about this even after 2 more listens, but this is a vibes based 5 star since I still can’t exactly verbalize my rationale. I just love it Favorites: - Water With The Wine - Love and Affection - People - Like Fire - Tall In The Saddle
A beautifully written album. Joan does a wonderful job mixing styles and instruments throughout the album which keeps the sound fresh and avoid the pitfall of homogeneity. Solid from beginning to end with the first six songs being the strongest part of the album and the final string is a great closer. Favorites: - Down to Zero - Help Yourself - Water with the Wine - Love and Affection - Save Me - Tall in the Saddle Rating: Low 9/10
Lei ha una bellissima voce e la usa bene. Musicalmente non scontato. La mia preferita è l'ultima: Tall in the Saddle.
Pretty good, pleasant to listen to, but not entirely moving. Sounds surprisingly modern, and is way better than a lot of the guitar music going on in the 70s. Respectable effort.
Pretty fun
Pretty generic album but I got nothing bad to say about it. Just good pop-rock music
not feeling too strongly on this one, cos it keeps finding its way into the background no matter how hard i try to lock onto it. it's some pretty decent folk rock and armatrading's performances are good but its just not clicking for me somehow. maybe i'm just too tired today. i might come back to this one and reconsider but for now... it seems like it's just fine.
5.8/10 pretty bad and boring
Love her voice and guitar. Wish I liked the songs more.
Easy listening discovery
This was a lovely listen! Very nice discovery.
I enjoyed this more than anticipated. Very soulful. I was listening to my typical music discovery playlist lately, and just found that most music was so... within the "Standard Bell Curve." It's easy to take the albums on this list for granted. Sure there are some that are 'bad', especially relative to the rest of the really great stuff--however, when you compare anything with vitality (like Joan Armatrading's namesake album) to the vast mid-ness of most music put out--especially in the last 5 years--it makes you realize how good the stuff is. 3, but would be 3.5 if it was out of 10.
Another fun one. Got alot of fun stuff all in a row. This is just a great little singer songwriter record. A woman with a great voice who has some fun. There are alot of serious moments here but it never feels that heavy. Just the right pick of instrumentation gives songs a levity that I dont see in alot of music like this. Maybe it could be seen as not taking it serious but I see it in a better light. Not huge on the famous song here but many others do it for me. Love and affection just isnt my style but I got 3 other b sides rhat I very much liked. Soem fun slide guitar on down to zero. A downbeat song but enjoyable. The falsetto on water with the wine is fun. And the drums there drive it home. The chorus on somebody who loves you is great. Many others but those are the standouts. Some songs are a little down low for me but i got alot out of this. Not usually my bag but glad I heard this. And hell yeah she's still out here making music. Very awesome to see. I'll have to check it out
This was really nice. Great musicianship.
Never heard of Joan until I started this 1001 journey, man I was blown away by that opener. She is a great singer with a great vocal style. I love the production, Glyn Johns does a good job adding layers to the music. Everything here blends together very well while letting her voice shine. There are a couple that while not bad were not my favorites but when it is rocking this album is up there with the best. Some great soul, funk, rock, pop going on and I am glad that I could find this album! I will be adding this to the collection!
I want to like it more but cannot quite get there.
Decent listen but nothing too memorable. 3/5.
I've never heard her before but she's so good! I loved this album and it flew by
Down to Zero 3.5 Help Yourself 3.3 Water with the Wine 3.4 Love and Affection 3.2 Save Me 3 Join the Boys 3.5 People 3.4 Somebody Who Loves You 3.3 Like Fire 3 Tall in the Saddle 3.2 Score: 3.28
I found this exceedingly bland. There was very little of it that I can recall and nothing stood out, barring some nice percussive guitar playing. As if to confirm the blandness, she won an Ivor Novello award. Jamie Callum has won at least one. Phil Collins has six. This is the gold standard of music that is bland and“meaningful”. Next!
The positives are that it is nice to have a black, female, singer/songwriter represented amongst a sea of western white males. The downside is that this feels a little bit like music by numbers, like Joan Armatrading walked so Tracy Chapman could trudge. ‘Love and affection’ is a bit more interesting (just because of the slightly jilted cadence to it) but only comparatively so, the rest faded into the background and I’m afraid just passed me by.
1st song was nice
I've always really liked Love and Affection, but I think I had the idea that a whole album of Joan Armatrading might be a bit earnest for my tastes. I was wrong - I enjoyed this a lot, and it's frequently funkier than I was expecting.
красивый голос, красивая музыка, сохранила альбом, буду переслушивать, мне прям вкатило
Solid
Some of the songs on this album are better than others, but there is an honesty to her voice that sells them all and makes this a great listen.
She’s got a really nice voice, but songs themselves come across a bit dull and generic to me. Nothing really stands out and it’s not something I think I will return to.
What a nice surprise! I'd never heard Joan Armatrading before but I really enjoyed this. Her voice is so smooth and her guitar-playing kept me really interested. Favorites were "Down to Zero," "Water with the Wine," "People," and "Like Fire." Some of the music is 70s-funky, but a lot of it sounds like it's from the 90s or later. Her biggest-ever hit "Love and Affection" is on this album and it's mostly FANTASTIC but she lost me with the sax solo (which, you could argue, was actually pretty ahead of its time because it's several years before sax solos come out in force to ruin perfectly good 80s pop songs). Music discoveries like this are what make me glad that I'm doing this album-a-day challenge.
Like others, it seems I never heard of this before, and like others, it seems I loved it. Real singer-songwriter.
Soulful with just a smidge of folk, a gem I've never heard of before that might stick around in my rotation
Nice
pretty good!
Boring if you’re under 50
Grown up music
Ihan ok folk-levy. Joanin tumma ääni on mukavaa kuunneltavaa.
Lovely
The 90's folk scene pulled a LOT from this album
Groovy. A little jazz, a little soul, a little funk. Upbeat with a nice voice. 3.75/5
There are some real moments of loveliness here, but I didn't find myself wanting to just listen to the whole thing. Seems like a predecessor to more greater singer songwriters later on.
woah- this feels so relevant? and i have never heard her?
Good stuff! Water with the wine is a banger
Ja, sehr schön, aber nicht mein Kuchen.
What a nice surprise! The quality here is just amazing, I've never heard of this artist and I'm glad I have now! This is such a great combination of rock, soul, and pure groove. Truly great and I will be listening again. The variety is pretty good, could be better, but still decent. I saved many songs to decided if they'll be part of my rotation.
Joan Armatrading is drastically underrated songwriter and her eponymous third album shows her at her best. "Down to Zero" kicks it off and is the best track on the album. Her voice is simultaneously firm and smooth. In another world you can easily hear this as a Van Morrison song. Other highlights include "Love and Affection" and "People".
I enjoyed this
heard this before, one of Mum's. talented - i just never connected with it at the time or now. it is comforting, but a little dull? unexpected lily allen influence on water with the wine?
#1040. Pretty good, I think. 3/5: good
Broad-scoped and imaginative. At times a little too quiet and non-confrontational
This album was perfectly fine. I had never heard it and I don't know if I would pull it up again. Listening to it made me feel like there have probably been many people that had a nice evening putting this on their record player.
Nice soulful groove throughout.
What a great record.
This scratched an itch I didn’t know existed and I just can’t understand how it’s 50 years old.
I listened to this album alot a couple of years ago - got really into Love and Affection. Its a great album. Beautiful voice and lovely sparse orchestration.
Joan Armatrading Joan Armatrading was one of my dad’s favourites, and I do remember this being in my parents vinyl collection, but I’ve never listened to her. Bearing in mind he was a fan of Dylan, Joan Baez and Joni Mitchell you can see a through line to this, and you can also then see a through line from this to some of the singer songwriters of the 80s and 90s. Down to Zero has a vague echo of Into the Mystic, as well as a bit of Elton John to the rhythmic piano and steel guitar, and it's an excellent mid 70s singer songwriter song. That quality continues over the rest of the album in a superb collection of tasteful and sure footed rock-folk-pop. Help Yourself’s rippling Piano, the bluesy verses and catchy choruses of Water with the Wine, the excellent soulfulness of the fantastic Love and Affection, the jazzy, Joni-esque Save Me. Join the Boys blues-funk shadings could be a recipe for soft rock disaster, but the steel sounding guitar and shuffle give it a nice Dire Straits vibe. Again People could be cheesy, but the assured nature of her vocals, the tune and the playing make it another enjoyable track. Somebody Who Loves You is a great song, a lovely floating Joni-esque feel to it. Like Fire returns to a bit of a Dire Straits feel, again her confident vocals and melody making it a nice track. Tall in the Saddle is perhaps the only misstep for me, the languid bluesiness of the intro feeling far more heavy legged than the light touch elsewhere on the album. Alongside some great melodies and songs the playing is excellent, but Glyn Johns production is stellar - the 70s analogue warmth complementary her voice and songs brilliantly. Soundwise it reminds me of Rough Mix, an album he produced for Pete Townsend and Ronnie Lane a few years later. Initially it went straight in as a 4, but on repeat listens I think its a five, an exemplar of a brilliantly produced mid 70s singer songwriter album, that traces a line from the late 60s right through to the 90s. 💪💪💪💪💪 Playlist submission: Love and Affection
Emotion-powered folk delivered stoically by Joan, really is superb throughout: 'Love and Affection', 'Down to Zero', 'Somebody.Who Loves You', all excellent. There are musical detours albeit by small margins e.g. more of a funk/soul feel to 'Water With the Wine' whose pre-chorus borrows from 'Son of a Preacher Man'; the same subtle funk on 'Join the Boys'; a funky rhythm on 'People'; the jazz/funk of 'Help Yourself', which is very much like John Martyn. There's a pull to MoR here on these tracks and they're less strong - but they aren't funked to smithereens, rather quite tastefully restrained.
Wow I love this! She reminds me of Tracy Chapman. Great voice, catchy tunes and a wonderful blend of styles.
Joan Baez goes electric is Joan Armatrading. 3 stars
Really high heights otherwise mostly pleasantly washes over. Fav tracks: Love And Affection RYM: N Saved a song: Y
Deep Soulful female doing that classic 60's/70's singer/songwriter. Beautiful in places and generally really good.
Nice, some good tracks but didn't quite convince me.
Class all the way through. Opens with the masterpiece of Down to Zero. Hard to match that all the way through, but she gets very close. Can’t think of a thing to say even to nitpick on this album. Just great.
Continuing Paris albums, this one straight rocks. Loving, soulful, great vocals and instrumental, the interplay of guitar and saxophone and drums is just great. Loved this
Das hät iwie ghitted
I enjoyed it. Nothing really stands out.
bueno, cada vez más aburrido
Not bad pop. Pretty good.
4.5/5 This album was a surprise gem. I can hear this having been a massive influence on artists like Tracy Chapman and Natalie Merchant.
I love her voice - it has a timeless quality to it. The songs work best when there is less elaborate orchestration. Join the Boys is fun with the funk/jazz additions
I am more familiar with Walk Under Ladders than this album. The former is more upbeat where this one is more proto-Tracy Chapman. I liked it. 7/10
I have dipped into Joan Armatrading's catalog here and there in the past, and it never clicked. Sticking with this album, I found it a strong listen. Very 70s -- at times for good (People) and at others not so good (Save Me, about two thirds of the way through which I almost stopped listening to the album). There is some good playing, especially the funky drumming that appears with regularity, but other musicians, too. Tall In the Saddle is interesting ... mixed feelings about it, kind of goes on too long ... and then in the last two minutes or so, Joan A and the band start to cook -- the lyrics become just the material for her voice to play with as one instrument among several, as the band goes into a mini jam to close out the record. That might be the best thing on the album. A high point. Not really my bag, but a good album.
I just cannot rate this album objectively. I love it so much. I remember buying it in a record store in Montreal in 1987 just because I was interested in her and when I got home and listened to it I was blown away. It was so different from anything else I was listening to at the time in that era but it didn't matter. I fell in love with it and have loved it ever since. I still listen to Joan regularly, consider her an old friend, and am on a first name basis with her. Hearing the album again from start to finish was a blast. Maybe I don't love every song on here equally but Love and Affection and Down to Zero are just perfect, and there are so many other treats on here too.
Yet another wonderful deep cut five star album! How have I never heard of this stylish and fun woman?? So influential I refuse to believe that Jeff Buckley wasn’t inspired by this - much the same with her contemporaries at the time this surely gave way to artists I love now like Spellling and Big Thief like come onnnn Everyone should listen to this I’m serious.
This is album sounds like Panera Bread in 2008 and I mean that in the best way! Love the chords throughout this one. Highlights: Help Yourself, Love and Affection
Decent, but I honestly find little reason to ever come back to this. If every track matched the quality of the first one, maybe. The technical aspects are top notch, but the songwriting almost never piqued my interest. I think I'm slowly heading into one of those project lulls during which I'm underwhelmed by everything, though, so I'll give it another chance later on.
Pleasant actually
Brilliant. those instrumentals? that voice? fucking brilliant. My ears and my brain feel lucky to have gotten to hear this.
Good album. Not good enough to give more than 3 stars. not bad enough to go below 3 stars either. Had a really strong '90s vibe while listening to it, even though it's a 1976 album.
It’s cool. Kind of a paint by numbers Court and Spark/Hejira. But it’s not Joni and no one does Joni like Joni
listened to one song and immediately added the album to my playlist. i love the instrumental, i love her voice, i cant believe ive never heard of her before. the album is pretty chill and calm, but its far from boring in my opinion. just a happy middle that i love very much
Save me var Jo.. dusj synging Mye dusjsynging, veldig soft rock! Blir for rolig as Join the boys hadde potensiale med jazz men liker ikke sounden og blir fårr ute av Tune. People var kuleste. Like fire nice på strengene men liker ikke stemmen hans as
Chill, heilt greit, ikkje någe som fenge sånn veldig. Kult gitarspill, litt for frijazz synging for min del... Beste sang: Down to zero
Not sure if I like this album or not…but I’m open to persuasion. I had this album on CD bought on release so was attracted to it then. Or maybe I had someone close who liked it as it wasn’t the music I was listening to mid 70’s. Either way I sold the CD on years ago. Listening today was quite enjoyable and must have re-ignited the feelings I had for the album 50 years ago. Certainly reminded me of what was going on in my life back then. Some good and some bad. Don’t think there is any other Joan Amatrading album I’m familiar with or would listen to now. 3/5 11/8/26
Solid. The rare artist that is as good a composer as she is a performer. She's good at making music that at the same time sounds original and familiar both.
I know of Joan Armatrading by name, but this is definitely the most I've ever heard by her, and I can definitely see why this album was included in the collection. Although I can sort of see why some critics compared her to Joni Mitchell, that seems unfair to both of them and especially Armatrading. I enjoy her style (at least on this album) much more than Mitchell's, and it feels like Armatrading is a much more accomplished composer--and guitarist--as well. My favorites are probably the great opening track "Down to zero", the impressive trio "Save me"/"Join the boys"/"People", and the Jeff-Beck-reminiscent "Tall in the saddle". (I know "Love and affection" is considered her best song on the album, but there was something a bit too Laurie-Anderson-like in it for my tastes.) And kudos to her for getting a great producer (Glyn Johns) and for recruiting great session musicians from Fairport Convention and The Faces.
In the late 70s my aunt had a bumper sticker on her car that said "Bored with top 40? Try women's music!" I love the optimism, though the idea of women's music as a category stirs my enlightened sensibilities now. But my aunt was thinking about Joan Armatrading, Holly Near, Cris Williamson, and gang, and this album might be most representative, though she's not my favorite. Armatrading's voice is the best part; a few of the songs are a snooze, and "Water with the Wine" (a sprightly date rape-y tune) hasn't aged well.
I like this one. The first track really pulls you in and the whole thing a 70s yet timeless feel about it.
Фолк с блюзом и всякими напевами.
This was quite samey for me - I didn’t hate it but I also didn’t have any standout tracks. I think I might listen again if I was cooking, it strikes me as good cooking background music.
Malo
Gillar!
It's OK. Feels like Tracy Chapman.
It's amazing music
Actually, I really enjoyable. Listen. Dug her voice.
Superb voice and musicianship. Still sounds great.
Such a strong voice coupled with real talent on the guitar.
3/6
Delightful
6/10
Pleasantly surprised.
Any cliché I write has already been written. Okay album.
Love her voice but one hit won’t get me to listen to the whole album.
No, you don't need to listen to this before you done. A lovely listen but nothing that screams vital. A new name for me, the first of many thus far, which is great. I imagine a black woman releasing this impacts the placement on the list.
I knew nothing about this one coming in and was blown away. I love her deep voice. Just a great collection of songs. Would definitely like to hear more of her stuff! 4/5
Pure talent.
It's always a nice thing when I come across a record from an artist or band I know absolutely nothing about on this list. No preconceptions, no thoughts of "Have I underestimated the work of geniuses?" — just pure appreciation of the music. That's what happened with Joan Armatrading. From the cover, I didn't even immediately realize whether the singer was a guy or a girl, but I figured I was probably in for something acoustic and folk. My hunch was right, but the folk here isn't like that of the venerable elders Crosby, Stills and Nash, but rather the kind of folk that (clearly influenced by this album) Tracy Chapman would make ten years later — with a touch of funk, disco, and jazz, mostly about relationships in a pleasant female voice. The "girl with a guitar" bio-platform, now popular among schoolgirls, was already beginning to take shape back then. Tracy's approach, however, was somehow more soulful, which is why I'll rate Joan's album lower. But that doesn't mean it's bad!
Loved Joan's music for such a long time. Nothing bad here.
Really strong, folksy album. I love her deep voice and the guitar. Very cool.
What a pleasant surprise this album was! I really enjoyed the style of the artist, while each song has their own style again. I think I listened to this album 4 times right after each other, to appreciate it more. Water with the wine is my favorite song of this album
Wat is deze muziek goed! Het zit heel goed in elkaar, vooral de nummers Join the Boys en People vond ik fantastisch. Ik vind het stemgeluid wat deze artiest produceert minder geweldig. Het doet mij te veel denken aan Joni Mitchell. Dat geluid… brrr… alsof ze overal extra lucht in proberen te blazen ofzo. Muzikaal een 4 of 5! Vocaal een 1… dus een 3tje
Prima album, het krijgt een voldoende. Niet verder iets om heel lang over te schrijven denk ik. Niet slecht, ook niet geweldig. Er zaten stukjes in waar ik echt van kon genieten. Maar dat was het.
Geen liefde, geen haat. Prima
Wel leuk om eens te luisteren, kreeg er Tracy Chapman vibes van, ik zal vast niet de enige zijn. Toch vond ik de songs niet sterk genoeg om helemaal op te gaan in haar muziek, het is wel goed, ze zingt goed en haar songwriting is dat ook. Drie sterren
3.5 - good
"help yourself" is good. "join the boys" has amazing start. "tall in the saddle" first half beautiful. why most songs in second part transform? not bad, 3/5
It has been too long. 2.5 months late, but here we are! Liked the singer-songwriter vibes and some of these were really great! Favorites: Down To Zero, Water With The Wine, Somebody Who Loves You
Joan Armatrading is a key figure in the singer-songwriter scene that I never got around to, for whatever reason. What a talent. Some great songwriting here, a wide range of styles, a unique a powerful voice. That said, it didn't really dig its hooks into me, and I don't have the time to give it the chance to do so... so that's on me.
Couldnt be arsed with this one
Good! Very nice very feel
Unique anddistinctive sound. Qell written songs. Very pleasant. Love and Affection very good. Join The Boys has pushed it to a 3.5 I think
Meh better then I thought it would be
Going back and forth on this one. She has a solid voice. The variety and excellent vibe get it a round up to 4.
Great voice but it’s another meh album
Fine. The songs felt pretty repetitive both musically and lyrically across the whole album. I didn’t really feel like any of them were very different from each other. She has a great voice so I would’ve liked some more slow stuff to highlight it but oh well.
Meh. Fine, middle of road listen
Great 70s sound. Liked it
In my opinion, this is a fine album. As many people have said, this seems to somehow anticipate the works of other female songwriters such as Tracy Chapman. That may be true, but I personally prefer Chapman. This is of course good. I like the guitar playing and, overall, it is a nice listen. So, all considered, a solid 3 star album.
GORGEOUSSSS
really like this
YAAAAH
This caught me be surprise. I had never heard of Joan nor had I listened to any of these songs prior to today. I like the musicianship and variety.
Objectivement hyper bien mais j'arrive pas trop à être touchée
Some good songs on there
Pretty good. Nice voice.
[5/5] folky/funky/country/rocky/groovy/souly/everything. moving and vulnerable lyrics while using her voice as an instrument. acoustic and minimal. most songs surprised me in how they progressed, no dull moments. 4.5 // rounded up for her voice. track notes: 1. devastatingly sad. folkish but powerful 2. ELO-like orchestral powerhouse manifests in the middle then dips 3. call the police immediately lyrics, catchy melody 4. definitely using her voice as an instrument. feels so groovy but also minimal at times 5. the moths yearn for the light 6. funk soul brother. again minimal at times, the organ comes in clutch 7. groovy PEOPLE 8. peaceful lil song 9. guitar like fire in my right ear 10. ballad with electric guitar
I was listening to this while I was in a bad mood and it didn't cure it so yeah
I just don't like 70s folk music at all
✸ Yes!! This is beautiful - signer-songwriter, guitar, and verbose (complimentary) ✸ Unfortunately for these artists, my enjoyment of their work has a lot to do with what I learn about their personal lives and context, and I do love a private queer woman, who resists public interrogation ✸ Also reading how mad people are about all the pronoun ambiguity in some of her songs lol ✸ Funky: Join The Boys ✸ Soft: Somebody Who Loves You (like Elliott Smith!) ✸ Shredding guitar: Tall In The Saddle
Joan Armour-Plating, as we used to call her...a constant presence on every variety show on TV when this album came out. Unavoidable at the time, but barely remembered now. The rumour of her relationship with Blue Peter presenter Valerie Singleton was false, according to Val herself, who was a bit of a playa with the guys by all accounts, and never other women. Joan herself was lesbian, so an outsider when she wrote these songs. She had to pretend to be straight to be accepted back then. Hence the gendered love songs. If she wrote them now, she could swap all the "hes" and "hims" for "shes" and "hers" and no-one outside of the right wing cultists would bat an eyelid. She chose the medium of acoustic songwriting to express herself, and she did it well, listening back to her here for the first time in decades. However, I found her constant presence on TV annoying as a child and still can't shake that feeling, so going to give a low star rating. Also, it's bland AOR, definitely not my thing. I'm such a bad person. Oh, and Valerie was shagging a member of Joan's backing band, which is why they were seen together so often, in case you were wondering.
Nice and relaxed songs. Saved one song.
Sounds totally normal
It was okay. Some parts were really good. Some parts are just kind of boring.
Definitely a good singer, but didn't immediately click with me. I didn't keep track of the song titles as I listened so I can't point to individual songs, but I definitely found that I enjoyed the later songs in the album more than the early ones. The instrumental sections caught my ear from time to time, and the vocals were consistently good. Made for some enjoyable background music. Probably not an artist I'm going to dedicate much time to in the future though, so going to land on a 3. Immediate regret, this deserves more than a 3. Edited to a 4.
Singer songwriter with an exceptional voice and some psychedelicy/folky guitars. I enjoyed it but I'm already struggling to remember anything else about it. High 3
Going to revisit this very soon
At this point in her career, Joan Armatrading had more critical respect than hits. The big hits - Drop the Pilot and I Love it When You Call me Names- didn't come along for another four or five albums. (The Key is probably the album that should be here.) But this is fine. Sharp, observant songs, with a great, Glyn John's produced backing. An enjoyable time.
Good
Really enjoyed this one! Had never heard of the artist before, but I liked the grooves and the guitar playing. Reminded me a lot of Joni Mitchell, but with a huskier, funkier turn and better guitar playing.
I've never heard anything about Joan Armatrading, but she seems like a brilliant musician from this album alone. I should really give this album another listen, and also listen to more music of hers.
3/6
Folk with some nice guitar parts, but is missing elements required to step through to the next level.
álbum para acompañar y con algunos toques rítmicos interesantes, pero nunca llego a comprender este estilo
yeah
album #100 there was a lot about this album that was really, really cool. it wasn't really my thing, but it's place on the list is well deserved :-) i really liked tall in the saddle. ꩜ average track rating: 2.4/5 ꩜ favourite track(s): tall in the saddle ꩜ least favourite track(s): water with the wine ꩜ album rating: ★★⯪☆☆ ꩜ number of albums left to review: 989 ꩜ number of albums from the list that i agree with being on the list: 48 (+1 Joan Armatrading) ꩜ albums from the list that I would consider on my list: 22 ꩜ albums from the list I won't include on my list: 78
Cool new discovery, great part of that era gets fleshed out more for me, Love and Affection was the hit and the standout, but very interesting and nice sound throughout
I had never heard of this person before today but I really enjoyed this album. You could feel an artistic passion in every song that I really appreciated. Probably will be revisiting this one.
Never thought I'd have two 5 stars in a row on here, both from albums I've never listened to (fully). I was hooked. The beats, her singing, the whole vibe. Had not heard much about her before but this was a really good listen.
Actually pretty good
A bag full of meh. Surely nobody has ever uttered the phrase "Joan Armatrading is my favourite artist"
1976 to me always signals the global spread of punk music, being a rejection of bloated, over-produced stadium rock music So its always interesting to see what else was happening at that time, that escaped my attention at that time Never heard this lady before, but suprised to kind of like it, even though its worlds away from my usual listening preferences Some of those guitar sounds are really nice I'll be playing this one again - something I dont say often enough in the 1001 album journey
Pretty nice sound and vibe. I can’t say that I was particularly blown away by the album, but there were some groovy songs. Overall decent but not totally mind boggling.
7/10 A great album that feels well ahead of it's time - a real precursor to the wonderful female singer songwriters over the past 4 decades. At times it drifts a little, but you cannot fault her voice and the production
Mangler revidering
alright
Herregud, koffor har æ ikke hørt på Joan Armatrading før? Æ har jo visst at ho eksisterte omtrent så lenge æ kan huske, ka i alle dager har æ holdt på med? Bedre seint enn aldri, altså!
" Mom, can we have Tracy Chapman?" "No, there's Tracy Chapman at home." Tracy Chapman at home....
круто 4/5
Such a strong vocalist and musician. But the vibe was just not for me.
Armatrading never appealed as much to me as a Tracy Chapman or a Sade. Yet it is very pleasant listening.
Tempted to give it a 4 after the last couple of albums, but on reflection I'd describe as a solid 3
I quite enjoyed it. Last few songs were a bit more bluesy. Solid 3.
I enjoyed this, but feel like it hasn't left an impression on me. Dunno
One of those artists I knew the name of but had no idea of her music's style. It wasn't super my thing but was nice, I liked Join the Boys best
This is so much more impressive than I ever had considered her to be in the past. Incredible voice and lyrics with an unusual and unique set of song structures. Love her contralto.
This was fine but nothing outstanding. Probably someone who made the list feels that Joan doesn't get enough credit... and this album didn't prove anything different for me.
That was nicely done. Not something that I'd normally listen to, but I'm glad to be exposed to this artist.
I'd never heard of Joan before. This is good, although a bit inconsistent in just listening: I think this is probably a performance art, where watching her sing these brings added perspective. She is also a good song writer.
Solid.
Cool as hell. Gonna check her out more. Might be a 5 for me some day.
I really enjoyed this mix of rock and pop. The 70s had a lot of this but I really liked how diverse Joan was throughout this album. Very melancholic and cozy!!
Oh baby. Really great songwriting and melodies here.
Enjoyed her snowy voice. Very 70s
it was fine
we sure did have fun while it lasted Joan!
album surpreendente. otimos instrumentos e a voz dela é muito boa! aos mesmo tempo que o album tem algumas faixas profundas, tem algumas bem upbeats e divertidas. fun fun fun fun fun lbum, i had fun while it lasted. nota 7,8
I’d heard of Armatrading before, but never heard her music. It’s generally good. Seems to have been and influence on, or at least a trailblazer for, Tracy Chapman. But these songs didn’t move me. I heard more that i liked after the album ended and Spotify began to feed me additional Armatrading tracks. This album is a 3.
3.5
It was pretty solid, but overall I'm not sure it's for me and the soft rock vibe seemed to cage it a bit too much in my opinion. I probably wouldn't listen again, but it's not bad by any means.
Pretty ok. I'm guessing this was an influence of Tracy Chapman
This is the exact kind of album I was hoping to discover when I started this project. Excellent
What a singular voice. Lushly produced and passionately performed. Sometimes it’s a lot for my personal tastes, but I can’t really fault it for that. Songs I really liked and others that didn’t do it for me. The guitar work was consistently great. I don’t think I’ll revisit in full, but I would recommend this to people who like this kind of music pretty readily.
She's got a good enough voice but the songs themselves are all just too slow/mid-tempo to really leave an impact. Maybe I wasn't in the mood for it since nothing is outright bad, just not for me. 2/5
Had never heard of her and dug this more than I was expecting! Kinda funk/country/soul? "Down to Zero" "Love and Affection" and "Like Fire" were the standouts for me
Decently convincing songwriter-core music, missing some spice for an extra lift but it's still pretty solid
100/100
pero claro que siiiiii. 5/5.
Had not heard of this Lady til now, very, very beautiful stuff! Standouts are Save Me, Join The Boys and likely more that im forgetting right now, will probably get more on a relisten.
It's fine
Wow!
mwah, kan zeker nog een keer naar luisteren maar niet wat ik wil.
*Nice voice and cool varied songs with a varied group of instruments *Tall in the Saddle is a great song
Never heard of her but was pleasantly surprised. Very talented, great voice. Didn't connect with some of the songs but others blew me away.
One of those albums where I've definitely heard the sound and some songs before but never put a name to the voice. I enjoyed this.
What do Italian mafia people do with guns? Illegal arm-a trading. Had the same experience with this as with yesterday’s Blue, but I probably liked this more overall
“Armatrading eh? I’ll buy it at a high price.” Resident Evil 4
It’s pretty groovy man
Perhaps my morning run wasn't the ideal environment for this. Have to admit that I zoned out.
Love and Affection was pretty decent but the rest had me snoozing.
Soulalbum. Langweilig und brav.
After a belting opening the rest of the album was fine but just didn't draw me in
Þægileg og flott rödd
Hafði aldrei heyrt um þessa konu. Þetta kom mér skemmtilega á óvart!
Es un album precioso, pero no he conectado con el en absoluto, por mucho que me hubiera encantado, sobretodo porque me recordaba un poco a Joni Mitchell que me suele gustar lo que escucho de ella. Tal vez no me ha pillado en buen momento. Me he guardado las que mas me han llamado la atención para reescucharlas en otro momento. La que mas me ha llamado la atención es Somebody who loves you.
I don’t think I expected to like this as much as I did. A really enjoyable listen.
Toll, gefällt mir. Am besten die beiden letzten Songs.
In the last review I praised and faulted The Meat Puppets for being jack of several genres, but master of none. The same possibility exists for Joan Armatrading, where elements of Ricki Lee Jones’ and Joni Mitchell’s jazz-folk, modern R&B, synth driven pop and straight rock all appear. What makes this album great is Armatrading’s ability to synthesize these styles into an indescribable whole. Armatrading’s singing is the strongest element lifting the record. She varies her voice from the gentle pledges of “Somebody Who Loves You”, to the authoritative “Down to Zero” and the snazzy soul of “Love and Affection.” “Tall in the Saddle”, has her verging on the likes of Billie Holiday and Nina Simone for the depth she brings to this closing track. Her understanding of how to deliver the lyrics carries the stories and messages in multiple directions: love, bewilderment, downtrodden. Stellar work appears from the musicians assembled here and Glyn Johns’ production work. The acoustic guitar appears as a great rhythm instrument as well as accenting most pieces. Deep diving into 1970s singer-songwriting records has given me an appreciation for the subtle drum work that usually appeared. Fairport Convention’s Dave Mattacks and surprisingly, Kenney Jones of The Faces, propel her compositions without overwhelming them. Personality gets displayed in their fills, but never overwhelming the songs. I’ll credit Johns as well as Armatrading for the overall sound. My only significant complaint falls into this same category as at times overproduction in the form of 1970s studio perfection appears. The soprano sax, keyboards and even Armatrading’s vocals are well mannered, which limits the raw emotion that emerges in the record. Certainly a personal pet peeve of mine that does not take away much from this outstanding album.
Mega album
I did this exercise to discover albums like this. I feel like I’ve seen this album in record stores but really no idea what to make of it. And now I know Joan Armatrading is a badass. The level of musicianship here is high and the album starts hot with like 5 bangers in a row. It trails off after People but multiple “wow this is good” were happening up until that point.
I know this is excellent, just not ra really for me
It’s definitely introduction to her music very peaceful. Could see turning back to this album but nothing really blew me away perfectly middle of the road. I could see the appeal to have this on the list or you can completely move right past it. Very easy to listen to though.
not my thing bur enjoyed the ride. ‘down to zero’, ‘help yourself’and ‘somebody who loves you’ were fine i will stick to them for a while. deserves at least solid 7/10. maybe i will revisit at some spoint.
This was an incredibly eclectic collection of singer-songwriter tunes augmented with nice production and instrumentation. The vocals were accomplished without ever going over the top, giving the whole album a quiet confidence. My favorite the first time through was easily "Join the Boys," with a great funk/jazz groove and a wonderfully textured vocal performance. Is it weird that it reminds me of the stuff Tears For Fears would do with Oleta Adams more than a dozen years later? At any rate, it's a really appealing track... one of several here. I could see this getting to 5-star level with repeated listening, but it's a strong 4 for sure.
Chiar e un album ok comparativ cu “Ramones”.Chiar inteleg de ce este pe lista,probabil a fost un album cu influente foarte puternice in lumea indie rock.Nu e printre preferatele mele,adica nu m a omorat o melodie anume,dar mi a placut “Down to zero”dintre toate .Dar si cea mai populara melodie de pe album “Love and affection “ e ok
Thought this was an interesting sounding album. I like the mix of soul, funk, and pop/rock? 7/10
3.5/5
Wonderful listen. For the 70s, I can see how this was pretty groundbreaking. I'd never heard anyone else sound like this. Today though, there's not much special about a female artist defining her own sound. She's a remarkable musician, though.
Perfect
Really a cool album by an artist I have never heard of. Like Fire was aptly named.
Nice comfortable album. Nice songs
i bet she's done better
Love this!
Wow, I never heard of Joan, but boy did I enjoy this one. It is a bit R&B a bit singer songwriter and just a smooth album all the way around. I really loved this - such a gem and the reason I do this project!
I discovered a good one today! This album is great. I love the writing on it and the instrumentation is nice. I wish they turned up her voice a little bit because the lyrics are so important on this one yet they occasionally get lost a bit. 4 stars. I am gonna relisten with all the lyrics open because this album deserves it. Not 5 star because it misses a bit of punchiness but time will tell whether I really miss that longterm or not.
Some solid folk rock with a sprinkle of funk influence. It's an interesting combination. The album can feel a bit too "easy listening" at times and it generally doesn't make the leap from good to amazing, but I can see myself going back to this.
Fornøyelig folk. Noen skikkelige gode låter veier opp til en snill firer.