Comments for Carpenter, Mary-Chapin, State of the Heart

I discovered Mary Chapin Carpenter last summer when I bought Stones in the Road. I then began working my way backwards through her catalouge and I soon got Come On Come On and Shooting Straight in the Dark and I loved them both. Then I got this one last week and was very disappointed. The songs were weak and at times boring. I haven't got Hometown Girl yet but I hope its better than this one. Rating: 4

Okay, maybe my previous comments were a bit pre-mature. I've given State of the Heart another listen and, while its still not as good as her following 3 albums, Down in Mary's Land, Quittin Time and especially Never Had it So Good have grown on me. On second thought I would up the rating to a 6.

I DON'T CARE WHAT ANYONE SAYS. THIS IS THE BEST MARY CHAPIN CARPENTER ALBUM TO DATE. SONGS SUCH AS GOODBYE AGAIN AND THIS SHIRT ARE CLASSICS. I THINK THE MAIN REASON THAT THIS ALBUM GETS LOW REVIEWS IS BECAUSE PEOPLE WORK BACKWARDS THROUGH THE CATALOGUE. THE NEWER ALBUMS ARE MORE SLICK AND POLISHED THAN THIS ALBUM AND I BELIEVE THAT'S WHERE PEOPLE MAKE THE MISTAKE. THIS IS ONE GREAT CD.

Album gets better with repeated listenings. It includes elements that MCC would continue to explore with subsequent albums, including up-tempo stompers ("How Do"), poignant character studies ("Slow Country Dance"), pristine acoustic ballads ("Goodbye Again") folk/rock-influenced "romance-gone-wrong" songs ("Never Had it So Good," "Quitting Time") and slightly humerous story songs ("This Shirt"). Probably not recommended as as "first purchase," but anyone who has her more recent work and likes it would probably enjoy this album, as well.

OK - Listen up! There''s no such thing as a "boring" MC2 song! Every one brings out a different facet of her gift for songwriting and musicality. Check out the Bridge in " Never Had it So Good", the clever lyrics in "Mary''s Land" and "Slow Country Dance", and how the words in "This Shirt almost sound like something from Shakespeare. You just can''t miss when you aquire one of her CD''s... (RON, Brook Park, Ohio)

This ablum went gold in 1994, as people introduced to MCC through"Come On Come On" and "Stones In The Road" worked their waybackward through her catalog.