EGAS Reviews

BILLBOARD.COM

Marshall's third recording stands miles apart from her previous work in a variety of ways. For starters, she's tempered her signature acoustic-rock sound with refreshing elements of old-school soul, modern hip-hop, and pure pop. In doing so, she's not only revitalized her sales potential, but she's also added some much-needed zest to her sound. Cuts like the playfully sexy shuffler "Sunday Morning After" and "Double Agent," with its agile guitar work and chunky funk beats, are the things that triple-A and top-40 hits are made of. Marshall has never performed with such vigor. It's going to be hot to hear these songs come to life onstage, where the artist has always excelled. In the meantime, dig into what could prove to be (and deserves to be) one of the sleeper surprises of the summer season.—LF

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

With her soulful belt, jammy tunes, personal lyrics, and cascading curls, this Canadian singer recalls Joan Osbourne, albeit a blonder, blander one. The smoothing strings on almost every track steer Marshall's third Cd down the middle of the road. And although the songs' themes are varied, her voice lacks the emotional complexity to do them justice, making all of Marshall's stories feel the same. B- Nina Malkin

Amazon.com

Toronto is hardly a hotbed of soul, blue-eyed or otherwise. But geographic roots inform little of Amanda Marshall's third album. As the title suggests, her lively songs play out against a more personal landscape of first- and third-person perspectives and narratives. While Marshall's husky, expressive voice sometimes lapses into contemporary R&B shadings, it's often a shrewd vehicle to deliver genre-blending songs whose viewpoints and rich, telling details are anything but mundane.

Part confessional, part personal challenge, the album's songs are largely rooted in autobiography. "Double Agent" explores Marshall's bicultural roots (Canadian-Trinidadian). "Colleen (I Saw Him First)" offers up a romantic rivalry steeped in tragedy. "The Voice Inside" acknowledges the foibles of ambitions of all stripes. Marshall's songwriting collaborator-producers--Peter Asher (the onetime

Beatles associate who's midwifed careers from James Taylor's to 10,000 Maniacs'), Billy Mann (Diana King, Art Garfunkel ), and NYC DJ Molecules--wrap her voice in an intoxicating cocktail of orchestral flourishes, hip-hop beats, crunchy samples, and crystalline acoustic guitar that inform, tease, and cajole Marshall's spunky groove musings and solid pop instincts ("Dizzy," "Crystal Ball," "Gypsy," the title track) to new heights. --Jerry McCulley

SOUNDCHANNEL- 4 STARS OUT OF 5 (translated from German)

With her debut the Canadian brought itself in the middle of the nineties as singer-songwriter in which can be taken seriously in the discussion. Not completely as impetuously as Alanis, more in a juvenile manner as Sheryl - and concomitantly Mainstream compatibly.

With album No. three it continues the way consistently. Solid Midtempo Songs in a US-typical mixture from skirt, Pop and Country. Ballads are strong like "Marry Me" and "Love Is My Witness" - not too thick, because Amanda Marshall can blow away with her strong voice if necessary.

AMAZON.COM

After two fairly straight-ahead (and platinum-selling) rock records, Amanda Marshall lets down her not inconsiderable hair on Everybody's Got a Story. Working with producer Peter Asher (Linda Ronstadt), songwriter Billy Mann, and young beat-master Molecules, the Toronto-raised Marshall has come up with a groove-oriented pop record combining acoustic guitar, hip-hop beats, strings, and the true star of the show--the singer's own multi-octave, Joplin-esque voice. At times the new, more boho clothes fit--the title track is ideal radio fodder, the party tune "Sunday Morning After" is a hoot, and "Red Magic Marker" is hooky pop. At other times the combination sounds forced and synthetic, especially when in service to uninspired melodies like those of "The Gypsy," "Brand New Beau," and "The Voice Inside." The biggest surprise may be "Marry Me," a soft ballad written by Marshall with her bassist and paramour Rob Misener. More than any other track, "Marry Me" demonstrates the singer has learned to tone down her often overpowering vocals when necessary--making her story a lot more interesting. --Shawn Conner

FREE PRESS

Hey Jhim, did you know that everybody's got a story that would break your heart?"

"If you leave that CD on my desk again I'm gonna break your arm!"

The pointed words of my editor, sum up just how he feels about Amanda Marshall's most recent release.

Marshall's music combines impressive lyrics and her trademark raspy soul voice with a disappointing mediocre studio pop backdrop. Pseudo-drums and synthesizer orchestras play a significant role along with a token acoustic guitar melody in every song to achieve that 'hip, yet earthy, straight out of a salad dressing commercial sort of sound'.

If you like that sort of thing, and a lot of people do, Marshall's 'Everybody's Got a Story' is an upbeat album that will not disappoint old fans, but plays it a little too safe for my tastes.

Marshall is making a stand in the over-saturated pop world, a part she can pull off visually, but lacks the required shallowness to achieve completely in her music.

The result, imagine the love child of Melissa Etheridge and Jessica Simpson conceived with the sperm of Michael Jackson. It's an album that neither offends nor inspires, torn between new exploration and old roots.

After years in the business, Marshall's staying power can be attributed to the raw talent for songwriting and singing that got her noticed in the first place.

In the end, it's her interesting songs and reputation as a stunning live performer that will keep her firmly entrenched in the music world.- Chris Marchand

ALL MUSIC GUIDE

Canadian singer/songwriter Amanda Marshall is concerned about the difference between appearance and reality on her third album, Everybody's Got a Story. On the title track, a tired pickup line inspires her to think about what people are really like, as opposed to what they seem to be at first. "Don't assume everything on the surface is what you see," she warns, and then goes on to expand on that theme in the rest of the album's story songs. That might make the collection sound somewhat preachy, but it's apparent as early as that first song that she is talking as much to herself as she is to anyone else. On "Double Agent," she reflects on her mixed heritage; appearing to be white, she is actually a mulatto with a Trinidadian mother and is made uncomfortable by whites who try to act black. On "Red Magic Marker," she complains that her infatuation must be obvious, though the object of her affection is not responding. "Brand New Beau" describes a surprising romantic betrayal in which the singer walks in on her boyfriend and his gay lover. Marshall's outspoken lyrics, sung in a throaty, soulful voice, are supported by an often gimmicky musical bed intended to disguise her basic girl-with-a-guitar persona. If she were just a folky, after all, she wouldn't be on a major label in 2002, and since she is, it's necessary to borrow production tricks from Madonna and Britney Spears to give her a chance at multi-platinum sales. Eight of the 12 tracks are co-credited to the Molecules team that provides drum and percussion programming. If the approach works, maybe her new fans will get a chance to hear the hilarious "Sunday Morning After" and the affecting "Marry Me" later on and realize there's a good songwriter here, too. William Ruhlmann

CALGARY SUN

Story has happy ending

Not just the same old story. This third album from big-lunged blues-rock belter Amanda Marshall is an ambitious, forward-leaning follow-up to the warm, timeless sound of her 1999 effort Tuesday's Child.

Recorded under the direction of veteran producers Peter Asher and Billy Mann, Everybody's Got A Story's dozen tracks are, at their centre, fairly standard chunks of pop-rock, hip-hop, folk-pop and blues.

But Asher and Mann dress them up with plenty of superb, cutting-edge ear candy and arrangements - dark strings, scratches, snapping beats, sassy backup vocals, squirrelly synths - to raise them up a notch on the pop-music evolutionary scale and provide a smartly distinctive backdrop for Marshall's husky, sensual tones. Doubtless this Story is gonna have a happy ending.

Sun rating: 3 1/2 stars out of 5

HMV TOP TEN OF 2001

Just one listen to Amanda Marshall's new single "Everybody's Got A Story" indicates that this new album is going to be a winner. Upon framing the track with a groove-oriented pop sound, "the theme of the album was so evident," says the flaxen-haired singer. This new approach also spices up album highlights "The Gypsy" and "Double Agent". Everybody's Got A Story is the follow-up to Marshall's Tuesday's Child, which produced three Canadian Top 20 singles. Looks like there's many more to come

----

Amanda Marshall is that singer you know you've heard somewhere before, but you can't quite place it. Her smoky voice stood out on the soundtracks to "Tin Cup" and "My Best Friend's Wedding," and her first two albums garnered general acclaim, if not outright fame. On her new album, "Everybody's Got a Story," Marshall tries to cut a swath through the Girl Power zeitgeist and finally put a name with the music.

There's only one problem: It's hard to believe that this is really her music. The tunes as written are incisive and innovative, with an eye for irony and cheeky sexuality. But Marshall's best songs are drowned in layer upon layer of production, obscuring her sensual guitar sound. Producers Peter Asher and Billy Mann, with the help of someone named "Molecules," go nuts with the studio effects, adding electronic effects like hyperactive drumbeats and non-sequiturs echoing in the background. The title track, for instance, is so cluttered it's hard to enjoy the otherwise appealing melody. Only the sweet-but-maudlin ballad "Marry Me" escapes the heavy hands at the soundboard, giving us a glance of what this album could have been.

The none-too-subtle lyrical theme of "Everybody's Got a Story" is the shrugging off of preconceived notions to see people for who they are. We would be wise to heed her words and try to hear the simple beauty of the music behind the noise. And in the meantime, we can hope for the acoustic album that would adequately showcase Marshall's ample talents.

- JASON HAMMERSLA

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	BILLBOARD.COM Marshall's third recording stands miles apart from her previous work in a variety of ways. For starters, she's tempered her signature acoustic-rock sound with refreshing elements of old-school soul, modern hip-hop, and pure pop. In doing so, she's not only revitalized her sales potential, but she's also added some much-needed zest to her sound. Cuts like the playfully sexy shuffler "Sunday Morning After" and "Double Agent," with its agile guitar work and chunky funk beats, are the things that triple-A and top-40 hits are made of. Marshall has never performed with such vigor. It's going to be hot to hear these songs come to life onstage, where the artist has always excelled. In the meantime, dig into what could prove to be (and deserves to be) one of the sleeper surprises of the summer season.—LF ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY With her soulful belt, jammy tunes, personal lyrics, and cascading curls, this Canadian singer recalls Joan Osbourne, albeit a blonder, blander one. The smoothing strings on almost every track steer Marshall's third Cd down the middle of the road. And although the songs' themes are varied, her voice lacks the emotional complexity to do them justice, making all of Marshall's stories feel the same. B- Nina Malkin Amazon.com Toronto is hardly a hotbed of soul, blue-eyed or otherwise. But geographic roots inform little of Amanda Marshall's third album. As the title suggests, her lively songs play out against a more personal landscape of first- and third-person perspectives and narratives. While Marshall's husky, expressive voice sometimes lapses into contemporary R&B shadings, it's often a shrewd vehicle to deliver genre-blending songs whose viewpoints and rich, telling details are anything but mundane. Part confessional, part personal challenge, the album's songs are largely rooted in autobiography. "Double Agent" explores Marshall's bicultural roots (Canadian-Trinidadian). "Colleen (I Saw Him First)" offers up a romantic rivalry steeped in tragedy. "The Voice Inside" acknowledges the foibles of ambitions of all stripes. Marshall's songwriting collaborator-producers--Peter Asher (the onetime Beatles associate who's midwifed careers from James Taylor's to 10,000 Maniacs'), Billy Mann (Diana King, Art Garfunkel ), and NYC DJ Molecules--wrap her voice in an intoxicating cocktail of orchestral flourishes, hip-hop beats, crunchy samples, and crystalline acoustic guitar that inform, tease, and cajole Marshall's spunky groove musings and solid pop instincts ("Dizzy," "Crystal Ball," "Gypsy," the title track) to new heights. --Jerry McCulley SOUNDCHANNEL- 4 STARS OUT OF 5 (translated from German) With her debut the Canadian brought itself in the middle of the nineties as singer-songwriter in which can be taken seriously in the discussion. Not completely as impetuously as Alanis, more in a juvenile manner as Sheryl - and concomitantly Mainstream compatibly. With album No. three it continues the way consistently. Solid Midtempo Songs in a US-typical mixture from skirt, Pop and Country. Ballads are strong like "Marry Me" and "Love Is My Witness" - not too thick, because Amanda Marshall can blow away with her strong voice if necessary. AMAZON.COM After two fairly straight-ahead (and platinum-selling) rock records, Amanda Marshall lets down her not inconsiderable hair on Everybody's Got a Story. Working with producer Peter Asher (Linda Ronstadt), songwriter Billy Mann, and young beat-master Molecules, the Toronto-raised Marshall has come up with a groove-oriented pop record combining acoustic guitar, hip-hop beats, strings, and the true star of the show--the singer's own multi-octave, Joplin-esque voice. At times the new, more boho clothes fit--the title track is ideal radio fodder, the party tune "Sunday Morning After" is a hoot, and "Red Magic Marker" is hooky pop. At other times the combination sounds forced and synthetic, especially when in service to uninspired melodies like those of "The Gypsy," "Brand New Beau," and "The Voice Inside." The biggest surprise may be "Marry Me," a soft ballad written by Marshall with her bassist and paramour Rob Misener. More than any other track, "Marry Me" demonstrates the singer has learned to tone down her often overpowering vocals when necessary--making her story a lot more interesting. --Shawn Conner FREE PRESS Hey Jhim, did you know that everybody's got a story that would break your heart?" "If you leave that CD on my desk again I'm gonna break your arm!" The pointed words of my editor, sum up just how he feels about Amanda Marshall's most recent release. Marshall's music combines impressive lyrics and her trademark raspy soul voice with a disappointing mediocre studio pop backdrop. Pseudo-drums and synthesizer orchestras play a significant role along with a token acoustic guitar melody in every song to achieve that 'hip, yet earthy, straight out of a salad dressing commercial sort of sound'. If you like that sort of thing, and a lot of people do, Marshall's 'Everybody's Got a Story' is an upbeat album that will not disappoint old fans, but plays it a little too safe for my tastes. Marshall is making a stand in the over-saturated pop world, a part she can pull off visually, but lacks the required shallowness to achieve completely in her music. The result, imagine the love child of Melissa Etheridge and Jessica Simpson conceived with the sperm of Michael Jackson. It's an album that neither offends nor inspires, torn between new exploration and old roots. After years in the business, Marshall's staying power can be attributed to the raw talent for songwriting and singing that got her noticed in the first place. In the end, it's her interesting songs and reputation as a stunning live performer that will keep her firmly entrenched in the music world.- Chris Marchand ALL MUSIC GUIDE Canadian singer/songwriter Amanda Marshall is concerned about the difference between appearance and reality on her third album, Everybody's Got a Story. On the title track, a tired pickup line inspires her to think about what people are really like, as opposed to what they seem to be at first. "Don't assume everything on the surface is what you see," she warns, and then goes on to expand on that theme in the rest of the album's story songs. That might make the collection sound somewhat preachy, but it's apparent as early as that first song that she is talking as much to herself as she is to anyone else. On "Double Agent," she reflects on her mixed heritage; appearing to be white, she is actually a mulatto with a Trinidadian mother and is made uncomfortable by whites who try to act black. On "Red Magic Marker," she complains that her infatuation must be obvious, though the object of her affection is not responding. "Brand New Beau" describes a surprising romantic betrayal in which the singer walks in on her boyfriend and his gay lover. Marshall's outspoken lyrics, sung in a throaty, soulful voice, are supported by an often gimmicky musical bed intended to disguise her basic girl-with-a-guitar persona. If she were just a folky, after all, she wouldn't be on a major label in 2002, and since she is, it's necessary to borrow production tricks from Madonna and Britney Spears to give her a chance at multi-platinum sales. Eight of the 12 tracks are co-credited to the Molecules team that provides drum and percussion programming. If the approach works, maybe her new fans will get a chance to hear the hilarious "Sunday Morning After" and the affecting "Marry Me" later on and realize there's a good songwriter here, too. William Ruhlmann CALGARY SUN Story has happy ending Not just the same old story. This third album from big-lunged blues-rock belter Amanda Marshall is an ambitious, forward-leaning follow-up to the warm, timeless sound of her 1999 effort Tuesday's Child. Recorded under the direction of veteran producers Peter Asher and Billy Mann, Everybody's Got A Story's dozen tracks are, at their centre, fairly standard chunks of pop-rock, hip-hop, folk-pop and blues. But Asher and Mann dress them up with plenty of superb, cutting-edge ear candy and arrangements - dark strings, scratches, snapping beats, sassy backup vocals, squirrelly synths - to raise them up a notch on the pop-music evolutionary scale and provide a smartly distinctive backdrop for Marshall's husky, sensual tones. Doubtless this Story is gonna have a happy ending. Sun rating: 3 1/2 stars out of 5 HMV TOP TEN OF 2001 Just one listen to Amanda Marshall's new single "Everybody's Got A Story" indicates that this new album is going to be a winner. Upon framing the track with a groove-oriented pop sound, "the theme of the album was so evident," says the flaxen-haired singer. This new approach also spices up album highlights "The Gypsy" and "Double Agent". Everybody's Got A Story is the follow-up to Marshall's Tuesday's Child, which produced three Canadian Top 20 singles. Looks like there's many more to come ---- Amanda Marshall is that singer you know you've heard somewhere before, but you can't quite place it. Her smoky voice stood out on the soundtracks to "Tin Cup" and "My Best Friend's Wedding," and her first two albums garnered general acclaim, if not outright fame. On her new album, "Everybody's Got a Story," Marshall tries to cut a swath through the Girl Power zeitgeist and finally put a name with the music. There's only one problem: It's hard to believe that this is really her music. The tunes as written are incisive and innovative, with an eye for irony and cheeky sexuality. But Marshall's best songs are drowned in layer upon layer of production, obscuring her sensual guitar sound. Producers Peter Asher and Billy Mann, with the help of someone named "Molecules," go nuts with the studio effects, adding electronic effects like hyperactive drumbeats and non-sequiturs echoing in the background. The title track, for instance, is so cluttered it's hard to enjoy the otherwise appealing melody. Only the sweet-but-maudlin ballad "Marry Me" escapes the heavy hands at the soundboard, giving us a glance of what this album could have been. The none-too-subtle lyrical theme of "Everybody's Got a Story" is the shrugging off of preconceived notions to see people for who they are. We would be wise to heed her words and try to hear the simple beauty of the music behind the noise. And in the meantime, we can hope for the acoustic album that would adequately showcase Marshall's ample talents. - JASON HAMMERSLA Feel like reading some consumer reviews?? Check out this page