rev_m_waldman

WENDY WALDMAN
Love Is The Only Goal - The Best of Wendy Waldman

as reviewed by Jack Crompton at Amazon.com, April 30, 2008

Ooohh, the winds gonna blow...

Wendy Waldman is a real songwriter’s artist, in much the same way as Jimmy Webb is. They both have prodigious talent in their own right as singers/performers but as fate would have it, they are better known as the faceless names behind the authorship of many songs made popular by other ‘more visible’ stars. It is a cruel fate in a way, as to hear the originals of those popular songs done by the creators, makes those tunes all the more beautiful and rewarding to listen to. But I doubt that either one of these artists is complaining. The have the love and respect of many. And in the show biz world, respect is probably the hardest to come by... for it takes quality to be earned.

So, Wendy Waldman is not exactly a household name known by mainstream music lovers. But her music is deep and extraordinary and she’s a fabulous performer. This career retrospective, dated in the mid-late nineties, (she’s still writing, performing and producing new music), reveals many of the gems of her long career that are definitely worth making note of.

Wendy began as a solo artist in the mid seventies and produced several beautiful, ‘earthy’ and original albums. Several of her songs were recorded and popularized by Linda Ronstadt, Judy Collins and many others. But I still prefer her versions of each one. Wendy possesses an authenticity that few artists have. It’s real. Her music is ‘grounded’ and touches the soul.

I remember when I first heard her transcendent song, ‘Wild Bird’ around 1975. The melancholy feel of the major seventh chords in the sparse solo piano arrangement just gave me chills as she sang ‘The wind’s gonna blow...’ The meaning of the song is never actually spelled out, but it invites you seductively into it to make whatever meaning you want out of it. It’s hauntingly beautiful as is so many of her ballads, such as ‘Pirate Ships’ and ‘Waiting For The Rain’.

It’s too bad more people aren’t aware of this special artist, but then, perhaps thats exactly what makes her special. Like a diamond in the rough. If you are unfamiliar with her music, this compilation is a great set to start with. After absorbing, I think it likely that many will want to hunt out the original albums these great tunes came from.

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