Maria McKee - Life Is Sweet | Album of the Week

[@Kevin-1969]

I have 4 of Maria’s Albums, her debut, You Gotta Sin, High Dive and Peddlin Dreams. She is an awesome artist, I listen to her a lot, she is my most listened to Female Artist. Their is no one like her, her music is ace, Panic Beach, I can’t make it alone, my top two tunes by Maria.

[@user-kp9yg9hw1u]

Was shocked to see you guys doing this forgotten album. I love Maria and think this is the best work of her career. One of my top 10 albums of the decade. I'm Not Listening is an epic gut punch that never fails to move me. The album got good reviews at the time, but sales were poor. It was probably too optimistic and hopeful for the era when angst ruled radio. I do want to thank you and whoever suggested it for devoting an episode to it. Despite your lukewarm reviews, hopefully it makes some of your viewers curious enough to check it on on Spotify.

[@leslierandall5112]

Thank you! It was my pick for the week. I’m so happy that you have a deep love for this album like I do.

[@michelewiese48]

I was pulled into listening in the first place by the album artwork. Brought to mind the black & white photos and the haunting song playing in The Shining’s ending credits, so I was hoping to hear something a little multi-layered and sinister. I also thought of her 90s sisters Tori Amos and PJ Harvey, and Chris Isaak. Marie’s vocals carry a ton of emotion and it feels like an everywoman’s voice. Jaded, gritty, but still truckin’! The guitar parts and strings enhanced her lyrical & vocal power. If this is her outlier album, I started with the right one for me! Brought back a lot of alt gal memories. Her country rock stuff may not have the same effect on me. My favorite tracks: Scarlover, The Perfect Dress, Smarter, I’m Awake, Human, and Afterlife. I doubt I would’ve ever stumbled upon this album on my own. Thanks, Leslie!

[@waynekvetkosky2572]

NEW TAKE on an old album that I never heard before, i listened to it for first time today in part and look forward to the rest. Thanks for introducing new music to this old man.

[@pocket1684]

Check Out Peddlin Dreams solo album by Maria Mckee its more americana

[@ijeff2005]

I have almost forgotten about this album. I discovered it many years ago when I heard the song "Absolutely Barking Stars" on a cd sampler. It impressed me enough to buy the album. It isn't the easiest record to listen all the way through. It's so different than her previous work and I'll admit some songs just don't work for me. It has been almost 20 years since it came out and i have to say I think its aged very well. The somewhat weird song flow, the aggressive guitar tones wrapped around that beautiful voice at times strikes me as brilliant. My current assessment is similar to Joe's. I'd give it a 4 star rating and even if I want to skip a few songs, the rest of them are very engaging. If people give it a try it might surprise them, but it does take some patient listening to fully appreciate it.

[@leslierandall5112]

Thanks for the review! Figured Jason would at least like the guitar work and I was right.

[@CrunchyFrog47]

Jason, I would highly recommend her self titled solo debut. But for Lone Justice, I would recommend, the This World Is Not My Home compilation. It has several pre debut recordings which they have a powerfully infectious cow punk drive that Jimmy Iovine whittled down the edges on in their debut. (but it also has a great overview of their two album, if you like those selections, you'll like the albums)

[@OperationPhantom]

You should check out some of the live performances Maria did around this time, she definitely plays a mean guitar! I absolutely adore this album and it is actually my favourite album by her. For me it is a very cathartic listening experience because of Maria's heartfelt and passionate vocals and performance, interesting lyrics, the stirring string-work (also co-written by Maria)... Basically I wouldn't change a thing on this album, to me it is absolutely barking perfect dress 5 stars. Definitely the album she wanted to make at the time but unfortunately not the album everybody wanted to hear. The more Americana oriented fans probably checked out at this point. I think I read somewhere in an interview that Bowie's Ziggy era with Mick Ronson on the guitar was an inspiration, probably bigger than the 90s Britpop landscape/alt rock women. The album art work is also really intriguing, looking like a panoramic picture from the 1920's of, seemingly, a traveling circus act (the front cover only shows 1/4).

[@davidellis5141]

Guitarist David Nolte was in The Last. Their LA Explosion album on Bomp is a garage pop classic.

[@ericrobertson2024]

My favorite song of 1986 was I Found Love,my favorite song of 89 was Show Me Heaven.

[@ThomasR789]

If this was Prince week today would be the day!! Totally cool if it's not I'm dying of curiosity for when it lands!! Amazing channel!!

[@raycarter8070]

I love her stuff. This was good!

[@stuartmoore1064]

I really loved Maria McKee's first two solo albums and still have the CDs. When this one came out I bought it and hated it, and then got rid of it. So have not heard it since back when it came out.

[@walterjanaro42]

Three stars for me. I kept thinking while I was listening "why don't I like this more?" so there was something about it that was intriguing but maybe it just wasn't executed very well.

[@bengalgangster]

sounds like a album i will have to try

[@collinmurr3207]

I did a double take when I saw the album you were reviewing. I absolutely love Maria's work, and her Peddlin' Dreams album is a top 5 album of all time for me. This album is much harder to get into than the rest of her stuff, but I still like it a lot. Carried, Everybody, Life is Sweet, and Scarlover are all highlights, even though the version of Life is Sweet on High Dive is even better. The thing that holds me back a bit on this album is the production, which doesn't quite work. Still, she has one of the most beautiful voices out there, so as far as I'm concerned, you can't go wrong with any of her music.

[@davidellis5141]

The half sister of Brian McClean of Love , Maria was adventurous on this album but the final result was a middling effort that led to her being dropped by Geffen. The album has been deleted since the late 90's & has never in any form been reissued. Probably get an RSD one of these years.

[@anthonytanner1546]

Wow! I would not have pegged Joe as a Maria McKee admirer...I remember when this came out, it was a loved or hated album by fans. Definitely an oddity in her catalogue but she also has veered into many directions from time to time like an artist. I loved Scarlover and This perfect Dress from the first listen, I find the rest of the album challenging. But I always applaud Maria she has great talent and truly follows her muse without regard to the consequences.

[@esteeb67]

Wow! I had no idea she was still around. Really enjoyed Lone Justice back in the day. I know a bit of her post-Lone Justice material, but am surprised she went 90s alternative in 2024. Maybe she's ahead of the curve! Will definitely check it out.

[@TastesLikeMusic]

This album is from 1996

[@esteeb67]

@@TastesLikeMusic Well, there you go! She was jumpin on the alternative bandwagon.

[@179rich]

Nice choice Leslie! I enjoyed hearing this. An interesting mix of loud, rockin' guitars and strings. I thought the first side was good, but merely good. None of the songs were particularly sticky. On "Everybody," it sounds like she's trying hard to make the perfect pop song, but again, good but not sticky. However, I found side 2 to be considerably better. "What Else You Wanna Know" is a simple verse chorus verse song that happens to be very good and the guitar at the end is cool. "I'm Awake" is excellent and the guitar solo in the middle is cathartic. "Carried" is the weakest song for me (it's OK), but then we have the other excellent song, the best song which is the title track (and also the last song of the album as the final track "Afterlife" is really just part of "Life Is Sweet" - the climactic ending). This track is definitely sticky! Considering the first side has pretty much all good songs that would likely grow on me with repeated listens combined with my strong appreciation of side 2, I'm going with a generous 4 stars for this one. Thanks for playin'!

[@Vanessa.P]

I knew some Maria before this, I'm familiar with Lone Justice and her first solo album. I'd heard about this album but never actually heard it. I thought parts of it were interesting, especially a bit of the Bowie influenced parts. But around the second half of the album she did start to lose me. Still cool to hear in comparison to the other stuff I know. Mileage kinda varies for me on the 90s angsty female songwriter stuff but I'd put this somewhere in the middle. 3.5 for me.

[@bababooey666]

Did you hear the new Pumpkins album?

[@TastesLikeMusic]

Yeah we will probably review it

[@bengalgangster]

suede really ? now i def will try it

[@michelewiese48]

Joe, ain’t nothing wrong with 1985! 😭😧😵‍💫

[@ChazeGeyer]

hey there, there’s nothing really wrong here,her vocal is original enough, interesting guitar, in a few of the songs,sensed shadings of Chrissie Hynde’s voice but really not as compelling but still a fair record

[@waynekvetkosky2572]

There is one CD left on Amazon

[@TastesLikeMusic]

Get it!

[@neurophile]

2/5

[@ihavenoquarrelwithyou3249]

I am disappointed that this is the Maria McKee that gets the review. The two solo albums prior to this are much more enjoyable. I listened to this a couple of times on release and kind of lost interest in her career after that. Now I need to go back and listen to Maria McKee and You Gotta Sin to Get Saved. She put on a great live show in '93. Made me think she would be around for a while, but Life is Sweet was an unsatisfying left turn that seemed to kill any momentum.

[@leslierandall5112]

@@ihavenoquarrelwithyou3249 this is my pick and my favorite. She has lots of great albums of course.

[@leslierandall5112]

Next time I’ll be sure to check with you to make sure I pick the right album.

[@ihavenoquarrelwithyou3249]

@@leslierandall5112 I was excited you had them discussing Maria McKee on the channel. I love seeing her discussed anywhere , as she seems forgotten somehow. I apologize if my (very unsolicited) thoughts on Life Is Sweet seemed like a jab at you. Not my intent, but I know how unfiltered and negative comments, especially about the music we love can seem like a personal dig. Going on the comments here I am definitely in the minority throwing shade at the album. 30 years on I need to give it a fresh listen.