Album:
Just As I Am
Size: 89,5 MB
Time: 38:39
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2011
Styles: Memphis Blues, Blues Rock
Art: Front
01. Blessed Be (3:26)
02. Help Mother Nature (3:29)
03. Heartfixin'man (3:21)
04. Waiting For The Storm (5:14)
05. Romeo And Juliet (4:31)
06. Runnin' Out Of Grace (3:54)
07. Slow Kisses (2:50)
08. Messin' With Me (4:03)
09. Baby Comin' Home (3:24)
10. Just As I Am (4:24)
All the songs are written or co-written by Carroll. Powerful and compelling songs they are, too. She has written songs for some of the best in the business. No doubt the production by Grammy-winning husband Jim Gaines is a big factor in the appeal of the album. Other would-be producers should take note. This CD is a classic example of how less is more. But the strength of the CD is the songwriting and vocal talent of Sandy Carroll herself. 9 out of 10 rating. --Blueswax-September 2011
Memphis singer-songwriter Sandy Carroll's new album is her first in several years. She was one of the Beale Street originals when it opened back up in the 80s and was honored with her note on the famous street in 2011. Produced by the legendary Jim Gaines who is Sandy's husband. Just As I Am features the best studio musicians in Memphis including Evan Leake, Steve Potts, Rick Steff and Dave Smith, all members of Sandy's band. She is also backed by Memphis vocalists Reba Russell and Daunielle "Pie" Hill. The songs are an eclectic mix covering a wide swath of her musical influences, ranging from ballads, blues/rock and gospel, to New Orleans second line and country. The title track was written by her, Luther Allison and James Solberg and released by Luther Allison on his Reckless album. Just As I Am has received a rating of 9 out of 10 by Blueswax with its rave review noting the strength of the album is the songwriting and vocal talent of Sandy Carroll herself.
Just As I Am
Album:
Unnaturally Blonde
Size: 92,9 MB
Time: 40:28
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Memphis Blues, Blues Rock
Art: Front
01. Unnaturally Blonde (3:51)
02. I Got You (3:46)
03. Sundown (Lay The Day To Bed) (4:38)
04. Superman Blues (4:25)
05. Leave It Alone (4:10)
06. Good To Be Home (4:47)
07. Bad B Movie (3:32)
08. Can't Make The Devil Cry (2:46)
09. Somebody Gotta Pay (3:40)
10. Waltzing To Sunset (Pappy's Song) (4:49)
The second release from West Tennessee-based singer/songwriter Sandy Carrollis the follow-up to Sandy’s 2011 debut, Just As I Am, which garnered critical acclaim and extensive radio airplay. “Romeo and Juliet,” a single from that first album, also stayed on the New Country Indie Chart for three months, topping off at number 6.
Unnaturally Blonde features 10 original songs with some of Sandy’s offbeat perceptions and heartfelt universal life experiences. It was produced, mixed and engineered by multi-Grammy winner Jim Gaines. The core band on the sessions was Sandy Carroll – piano, lead vocals; David Smith – bass; Steve Potts – drums; and Will McFarlane -- guitar. Special guests included Royal Southern Brotherhood drummer Yonrico Scott, keyboardist Rick Steff, guitarist Harold Smith & backing singer Daunielle “Pie” Hill.
Since the release of her last CD, Sandy’s also been very busy as a songwriter, having had her compositions recorded by a number of other artists. Sandy co-wrote cuts on Johnny Rawls’ Soul Survivor, Barbara Carr’s Keep the Fire Burning, James Armstrong’s Blues at the Border and the upcoming debut CD from Daunielle “Pie” Hill. More recently, she was one of the first inductees into her hometown’s Music Hall of Fame (Arts in McNairy County), along with legendary Memphis deejay Dewey Phillips, earlier this year. Some of the other musicians who’ve recorded her songs over the years include Albert King and Luther Allison.
“Unnaturally Blonde was written for the strong, sassy, funny, undefeated, glorious men and women in my world, especially my much-maligned blonde friends who are really very, very
smart,” declares Carroll about the new album’s songs. “It was written for the fine men in my world, too ... the ‘Superman’ ones and the ‘Bad B Movie’ ones... and the very, very special ones told in ‘Pappy's Song.’ Some are pure fun, some make a somewhat statement and all of them are organic and recorded with an Americana sound true to their roots, mud and all.”
And Sandy Carroll cuts right to the chase on some specific targets with these tunes, as she described the essence of each.
“ ‘Unnaturally Blonde, drawn like a moth to the shine of her yellow light…’ is a fun-loving look at how our society judges by the color of hair … unnatural plays on the actual hair color, but also on the assumption that blondes are not ‘as smart as’ … No more dumb blonde jokes!”
Unnaturally Blonde