Eye to the Telescope: Stargazer Edition

『プラダを着た悪魔』のオープニング曲の人と言えば大半の人は理解できるはず!!
マルチ・プラチナ・レコード、ブリット・アワード受賞、グラミー賞ノミネート歴を誇るアーティスト、KT Tunstallの伝説のデビュー・アルバム、『Eye To The Telescope』のリリース20周年を記念し、「Stargazer」エディションとしてリイシューされます!
こちらはDISC 1にオリジナル12曲、DISC 2に新曲3曲とライヴ音源9曲を収録した2枚組CD!

リリースを記念してリリースされる「Stargazer Edition」の2枚組CD版。DISC 1にオリジナル12曲、DISC 2に新曲3曲とライヴ音源9曲を収録。

「Cancerian」、「Anything At All」、そしてタイトル・トラック「Eye To The Telescope」の3曲の新曲が追加。これらの曲はオリジナル・セッション中に制作開始され、今年まで未完成のまま残されていた楽曲。David Davidsonが再び参加し、豪華なオーケストラ・アレンジを加え、さらに新世代UKジャズのキング=Shabakaによるスペシャル・パフォーマンスも収録。

Perhaps it's inevitable that K.T. Tunstall's Eye to the Telescope will draw initial comparisons to Dido, since they're both female adult alternative singer/songwriters who bear a certain similarity in their vocal timbres. But as Tunstall's debut starts to unfold, those superficial connections fall away, as she reveals herself to be a soulful vocalist, a restless musician, and a serious songwriter. At times, she may be on the verge of being a little too serious, as her songs are tightly wound and earnest, two qualities that can seem slightly stuffy when her production has a glossy veneer, as it does on opening songs of the album. These cuts, while accomplished and enjoyable, paint Tunstall as a good but ordinary songwriter, halfway between Dido's elegantly sleepy soundscapes and Sheryl Crow's tuneful craft, which is an inaccurate impression, as the album quickly proves. About a third of the way in, the album kicks into gear and Tunstall is revealed as a kindred spirit of such eccentric contemporaries as Fiona Apple and Nelly Furtado. She's more straightforward than either Apple or Furtado, partially due to the album's overly slick production, but also in her sober, uncluttered songwriting, yet her musical instincts, along with her impassioned vocals, edge her out of the mainstream. Slower songs like "False Alarm" aren't sleepy; they have the lazy, jazzy undercurrents of Jeff Buckley and Radiohead, while faster cuts like the single "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" or "Suddenly I See" have an urgency that makes them compelling, despite the shiny production. But that production is the only drawback on Eye to the Telescope -- it certainly sounds good, it certainly sounds professional, but it may keep some listeners at a distance, since it requires that they look hard to find the unique songwriter beneath the glistening surface. And if they spend the time to really hear what's going on in Eye to the Telescope, they'll find a promising, satisfying debut. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

映画「プラダを着た悪魔」で使用の"Suddenly I See"がスマッシュ・ヒットし、各賞レースでも実績を残しまくった伝説のファースト・アルバムが、リリースから20周年!ということで、本人もきっちり関わった記念盤が登場です。オリジナル・セッションの時点で未完成だったアルバム表題曲などを3つの新曲として完成させ、ライヴ音源も収録。シャバカとのコラボが刺激的!
bounce (C)大原かおり

くぅーっ、渋い!　本国イギリスではすでに大ブレイク中の本格派シンガー・ソングライター、ケイティー・タンストールちゃんがついにここ日本でもデビュー! 〈ブリット・アワード〉の最優秀女性ソロ・アーティスト部門を見事に受賞したっていうんだから、その実力は言わずもがな。キュートなルックスからは想像できない激渋ヴォイスにノックアウトされっぱなしです。新人とは思えない貫禄に誰もが惚れちゃいますよ～♪
bounce (C)佐藤 瑞樹