So - you've been wondering just where I've been... and what have I done with Nell Stanley?

Well, fear not; I have been acting a sleuth since last I wrote here, and frankly, enjoying every minute of it. NELL is not forgotten - I have just so much to say about the fun we're getting to as we progress with the line-up of songs in NELL that it is taking a while to get my thoughts, and the facts about the songs, together! One day, soon....I promise there will be more about NELL! BUT, I just have to share a few thoughts on OTHER Pascale treasures, for now.

Love Me For What I Am is only one song that Palma has recorded on her wonderful CD entitled I'll Leave You The Music.

As you can see by this 45RPM cover for the 1975 single, Love Me For What I Am was the "B" side for Carpenters' recording of Solitaire, written by Neil Sedaka. I would guess the ONLY reason Love Me For What I Am got the B side and not the A side, or in other words, was not released as THE single, would have something to do with the fact that Solitaire was written by Sedaka, who, at one time, was the lead act or "front" act for Carpenters' live performances. Yet I think Carpenters would have been so wise to have actually released Love Me For What I Am as a single from their Horizon album. I believe it would have done VERY well for them.

What I want to do here, however, is to briefly revisit some of the tunes I reviewed way early in this blog - in particular, songs from the In & Out of Love CD that I have been listening so closely to, of late. Seemingly, there is some mysterious magnetism for me toward this CD at this point. Could it be that it's simply such captivating music and that the stories are woven with such a clever pen? Yep, yep.......I think that could be it, in a nutshell.

I was telling Palma that the songs themselves tend to be so varied on this compilation - take the captivating "He's There - She's There" for example. I love it! Just love it! Not only does the hook get you right away, and you find yourself humming the song - but these lyrics tell a story that cut right to the chase; and I find that the entire album is that way. The listener gets the bottom line and understands the story quickly, (and Palm sings it clearly so that the listener does not have to try and guess what the lyrics are)....PLUS, we even get a few details thrown in to flavor the story a bit.

But then there's the absolutely prodigious What The Ocean Knows - it's like night and day difference from He's There-She's There, yet the feelings this remarkable creation stirs are familiar - and the method of the storytelling is, too. Brilliantly done!

I've given you all of the specifics as I heard them, already - they're in my April 11, 2007 blog about In & Out of Love, and from having put the CD aside for a short time (only because of being busy listening to other solo compositions by Palm, and the music from her collaboration with vocal talent Frank Rendo), well.....I don't exactly have a different perspective on the CD now, per se...but I guess I have an even deeper appreciation of these songs.

Even though there is much variation with the style of these songs, each one has a familiarity yet distinctiveness to it, too... and I can tell it was composed by Palm. This ability seems to be a natural extension of Palma's very being. That is - she sits at the piano....she has an idea of a song or a lyric....and "poof "....a song is born.

My blogging today, then, is about the variety of and the way in which these compositions literally "speak" to me, with various shades of light and dark included in each! This is stellar writing, truly. I just felt like I had to pay attention to them again RIGHT HERE.

He's There-She's There - The Mirror Cracked - Everything To Me - We've Got To Love Again - What The Ocean Knows ......each of these compositions are so powerfully written with an intensity that I cannot really describe to you, but that takes me to a different "place" with every listen. I "get" these songs in a big, big way - and they are masterfully done.

BRAVO! to Palma Pascale for such an awesome collection. The emotions they can evoke when listening to them are nothing short of extraordinary.

Until next time, I remain musically yours,

~Martini