"Now
What" (Lisa Marie Presley)
...this
girl can really rock...and she's not afraid to reveal her
innermost feelings...
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From
the pounding beat of the catchy opening track I'll
Figure It Out and the cogent lyrics of each subsequent
song, I realised I was in for a rollercoaster ride.
Lisa
Presley's second album, Now What, resonates with
gritty rock tracks and poetic, eloquent ballads. As
a singer-songwriter Lisa continues her exploration of
relationships and self-esteem as she reveals more and
more of her inner feelings. And she does so exhibiting
her vocally inimitable rock and smouldering style.
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Turbulence
is a nicely sung, beaty ballad with
piercing lyrics and clear vocals. Lisa excels with her ability
to paint vivid pictures through the evocative imagery of her
lyrics:
"Hey
you, you slither around while you rip every vein out And you,
your once so charming self indflicted tortured act It's a
loser and a poser's tool
"Hey
you, you wore me out there was nothing left for anybody else"
Thanx
is another solid ballad with a great melody line:
"Thanks
for throwing me the line When I lost sight of it"
Shine
is the track featuring well known contemporary artist, Pink.
Sung in lilting fashion by both singers it wafts through your
senses like a warm Sunday afternoon breeze. A cute track.
The
first single from the album is the Don Henley penned Dirty
Laundry, a powerful attack on the invasive and sensationalist
nature of of our mass media.
When
You Go again has Lisa in reflective mood and this time
her lyric echoes the pain felt when someone leaves a relationship
and the theme of "choices":
"When
you go you break my heart Don't you go cause it chokes. It
chokes"
The
opening to track 7 suggests we are about to hear a glorious
ballad before a rapid drum beat takes us on a journey of chastisement
as Lisa wails:
"You're
an idiot And I hate your guts"
A
curious mix, Idiot is a powerful track with a strong
sentiment but at the same time a fun listening experience.
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High
Enough is a breathy
ballad and its title is symbolic of its theme. Lisa
pours through her lyrics in search of "getting there",
the underlying message being the subject of the song
isn't OK!
Turned
To Black has a cute, almost surreal, opening instrumental
before settling into a lyric reflecting the pain of
a breaking or broken relationship. My mind wondered
just who was the cause, the subject of her pain.
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The
next track, Raven, is a very interesting one. It starts
and ends with the sweet voice of an angelic child. It is a beautiful
ballad with an emotional lyric:
"And
as the raven flies she feels unwelcome
She's
fallen out of her tree and caught on a limb with silver lining
Her
wings uncertain oh but she's still flying
Yeah
little Raven I see you there"
The
song ebbs and flows and is nicely cut up by the use of a distorted
instrumental from time to time.
The
title track closes the album (or does it?) and again Lisa's
ability to write a cogent lyric line shines with sentiments
each of us will readily identify with:
"Now
whose gonna save me next time It won't be you for the first
time Somehow I'll be alright Somehow I'll be alright"
As
with her first album, Lisa includes a "hidden" track. This
time it is Here Today, Gone Tomorrow. A reflective,
guitar distorted ballad communicating the fickleness of many
relationships, it is a fitting closing to the album.
Now
What has been released in two editions: with explicit
and non-explicit language. The Parental Advisory Explicit
Content edition will not be to everyone's taste. The language
is choice and while it fits neatly in the context of the narrative
of various songs it will be affronting to many listeners.
While
first week sales of Now What are disappointing...only
56,000 copies sold in the USA for a #9 debut on Billboard
(Lisa's debut album, To
Whom It May Concern, sold around 100,000 copies more
in its opening week), as a follow-up album, Now What
has definite appeal.
Importantly,
it is aurally more accesssible (and mellower) than To
Whom It May Concern (which had a decidedly hard edge),
and consequently should have wider appeal than its predecessor.
Many of the tracks on the album have "singles" potential,
particularly the rocky I'll Figure It Out and more
musically reserved, but emotionally charged, Turbulence
and Raven.
A
downside of To Whom
It May Concern was the way Lisa's vocals were drowned
out by her musical backing. Thankfully that is not the case
on Now What and her (alternating) deep raspy and poignant
vocals are allowed to showcase their considerable appeal.
Also, Now What improves on To
Whom It May Concern through its greater musical variety.
Now
What was produced by Lisa and new beau, Michael Lockwood.
The Executive Producer was Bob Fosse. All tracks, bar the
single, Dirty Laundry, were written by Lisa Presley.
Verdict:
Now What is Lisa Marie Presley...Now What is a
damn good contemporary rock album which further highlights
the performer's status as a singer-songwriter in the rock
music market. Lisa's established fan base will love this album...and
with its greater aural accessibility and mellower sound it
will win over more of her father's fans.
Take
the time to listen to Now What and you will be rewarded
on two levels...musically, and through potent lyrics that
are emotionally strong and personally revealing.
Recommendations:
- Fans
aged over 35 years: Now What (Edited, clean version)
- Fans
aged under 35 years: Now What (Explicit content edition)
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