Storms

 (8 customer reviews)

i own & love just about all of nanci's recordings. however, when i first heard this one, i hated it. it sounded totally overproduced to my ears, and i just couldn't get over the fact that the drums were programmed.
eventually, nanci's songwriting, voice and sincerity won me over & i came to love this album just as much as any of her's.
somehow she manages to say really cornball things that would make my teeth itch if anyone else said them. god, i used to be a punk rocker! but when she says anything, i just love it. can't go wrong with nanci griffith, but know the difference--her recordings vary considerably.

This was my first Nanci Griffith cd, and, while now most of my favorite stuff of hers predates "Storms", this album still holds a special place in my heart.That, and it's an elegant, smart, classic album with very few low points. Some highlights: "Listen to the Radio" took off as the fan favorite, and it's a rousing rocker, a great song. Nanci thinks of "It's a Hard Life Wherever You Go" as her most important song, and it really does have the punch of a civil rights anthem, as well as being infinitely campfire-sing-able. "If Wishes Were Changes" is a complicated take on unrequited love written after seeing Wim Wenders' "Wings of Desire," and it makes us all wish we had angels who sang in our dreams.Me, I'm partial to "Brave Companion of the Road," my favorite track off this album. "Leaving the Harbor" is also eerie and beautiful, and "Radio Fragile" is a sharp, sad little ode to Phil Ochs. If this...Read more

Texas is home to several eminent storytellers including Guy Clark, Towns Van Zandt and Jerry Jeff Walker. If you haven't already done so, add the name Nanci Griffith to your list. Her tales on Storms are tender observations of romance and conflict. With her girlish voice and a touch of Texas twang, Nanci focuses on a tried-and-true country theme - leavin.' She has a poetic gift for symbolic lyrics. "Love is but a fragile flame and trust just fuels the fire" from `You Made This Love A Teardrop.' And from `If Wishes Were Changes' - "I wish I had angels who sang in my dreams." Although delicate and sweet, her voice brims with conviction and confidence (Storms, Listen To The Radio). And while I'm name dropping names, Nanci surrounds herself with a group of accomplished musicians including Pat Donaldson (bassist with Sandy Denny, Richard Thompson, Kate & Anna McGarrigle), x-Eagle's guitarist Bernie Leadon, and Lucinda Williams' drummer Fran Breen. Storms with tug gently on...Read more