Customer Reviews
Average Customer Review
(36 customer reviews) 84 of 88 people found the following review helpful
Iris is Back!,
November 9, 2004 David T. Steere, Jr. (Annapolis, MD United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Lifeline (Audio CD)
I'm the least religious person I know...quite an atheist in fact. I often resent when religion creeps into ostensibly or otherwise secular albums (i.e., my reaction to the recent Rosie Thomas cd was quite strong and negative for this reason). But...
I wonder at the few negative reviews LIFELINE has received here. I haven't been so moved by an album in ages. In fact, LIFELINE turned me to mush. I've always loved Iris as one of our best songwriters and most affecting singers. My reaction is likely heightened by having just read the biographical essay about her in the new issue of NO DEPRESSION. It deals with the past eight years since her last album (the great THE WAY I SHOULD), the hate mail she received from some of the songs on that album, the more viruluent response she got when she cancelled a concert out of conscience about her tax dollars supporting the war in Iraq, her writers' block, her periods of depression, her divorce and remarriage to Greg Brown. Most...Read more
63 of 67 people found the following review helpful
Thank You Iris...and Amazon!,
November 20, 2004 Charles Griffin (DeLand, FL USA) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Lifeline (Audio CD)
Ok, forgive me for being a little political, but I wasn't in the greatest of moods the morning of November 3rd (Election Night)! In fact, I was downright depressed. Being perhaps a little overly dramatic, I thought, "Oh Lord, what happens now?" Dramatic because I'm not very religious.
Then something wonderful happened...Amazon sent me an email indicating a new album release from Iris DeMent! AFTER 8 YEARS!!! I couldn't believe my eyes. It came as a complete surprise.
So I did what any true Iris DeMent fan would...I tried to run out and buy LIFELINE at the local music stores (sorry Amazon, but I wanted to get it right away). But here in Greenville, NC the CD was nowhere to be found. I wonder if Lee Armstrong had better luck than I. So thanks again to Amazon, I finally got what I've wanted for years...to hear Iris once again!
And I am not disappointed. As I've mentioned, I'm not particularly religious, and yet I love old gospel songs. Why? Because...Read more
29 of 32 people found the following review helpful
Like Iris Sitting Next To Me,
November 9, 2004 Mark Bunner "IrisDeMent.Net" (Weirton, WV USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Lifeline (Audio CD)
Iris deserves accolades for this CD. This album of gospel songs is definitely worth buying and definitely worth finding some time to sit down and pay attention to. The one quality that struck me about this CD is the feeling that it's Iris sitting next to you on a couch in the living room, just playing and enjoying music together. It has a warm, personal feel to it. The production is much like anyone who has attended her concerts expects. It's Iris, her instruments, and her beautiful voice. There are a couple of "flat" songs on this CD, but the wonderful songs truly outshine those less shining moments. I haven't really picked a favorite at this time, but tracks 1,, 9, 10, 11, and 12 are all wonderful examples of Iris at her best. The one song that I think has gotten my attention the most is, "Near The Cross". I've heard this song many times, from places so varied as inside a church, on an album, and in my own home sitting with family and friends in an impromptu "living room...Read more