Healing Bones is an album by the American musician Jules Shear, released in 1994.[1][2] The first single was "Listen to What She Says".[3] Shear supported the album with a North American tour that included Paula Cole as the opening act.[4]
| Healing Bones | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1994 | |||
| Genre | Pop | |||
| Label | Island | |||
| Producer | Peter Van Hooke, Rod Argent | |||
| Jules Shear chronology | ||||
| ||||
Production
editThe album was recorded in a barn in Bearsville, New York.[5] It was coproduced by Peter Van Hooke and Rod Argent; Argent also played keyboards.[6][7] "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore" is a cover of the Walker Brothers song.[8] The title track, cowritten by Rick Danko, describes the death of a woman due to a plowing mishap.[9][6] "Two Friends" is about a person living with schizophrenia.[10]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [6] |
| Calgary Herald | B−[11] |
| MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide | [12] |
| Pittsburgh Post-Gazette | [13] |
| Rolling Stone | [14] |
Guitar Player called Shear "one of few writers to compete with Elvis Costello's verbal virtuosity and unerring ear for hooks."[15] The News Tribune deemed the album "vibrant, electrified pop performed by an amazing band."[7] The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette determined that, "with a voice that at different times has an uncanny resemblance to Jackson Browne and Tom Petty, Shear brings feeling to his often-poignant lyrics."[13]
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch labeled Healing Bones a "generic collection of tepid retreads."[16] Rolling Stone wrote that "A Prayer (For Those Not Here)" "combines a Motown-catchy beat, Beach Boys-style backups and audacious rhymes (theoretically and phonetically) in pop that's as literate as it is melodic."[14] The Calgary Herald praised Shear's "weirdly engaging nasal voice."[11]
AllMusic wrote that "Shear and his crack four-piece band bring out both the charm and depth in the material, steering clear of the sort of production that has stamped a date on some of his recordings in the past."[6]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Listen to What She Says" | |
| 2. | "A Bird in That Cage" | |
| 3. | "Healing Bones" | |
| 4. | "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore" | |
| 5. | "Over the Lane" | |
| 6. | "When You Finally Gonna Come Through" | |
| 7. | "Never Again or Forever" | |
| 8. | "Heaven/Hell" | |
| 9. | "Two Friends" | |
| 10. | "How Many Wheels" | |
| 11. | "A Prayer (For Those Not Here)" | |
| 12. | "By and By" |
References
edit- ^ Kening, Dan (9 Sep 1994). "Radio Finally Comes Up with a Format to Suit Jules Shear". Friday. Chicago Tribune. p. N.
- ^ "SXSWSAT". Austin American-Statesman. 14 Mar 1996. p. 37.
- ^ Applefeld, Catherine (Jul 16, 1994). "Jules Shear finds bliss in Woodstock, N.Y.". Billboard. Vol. 106, no. 29. p. 16.
- ^ Holden, Stephen (16 Sep 1994). "Shear and Cole". The New York Times. p. C23.
- ^ Allan, Marc D. (11 Sep 1994). "Jules Shear doesn't miss 'Unplugged' job". The Indianapolis Star. p. I5.
- ^ a b c d "Healing Bones Review by Brett Hartenbach". AllMusic. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
- ^ a b Nelson, Rick (2 Sep 1994). "Growth of AAA Radio Helps 'Unplugged' Shear Get Connected". The News Tribune. p. F2.
- ^ "Jules Shear Biography by Mark Deming". AllMusic. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
- ^ Eichenberger, Bill (February 16, 1993). "Bassist Keeps His Band Past in Perspective". The Columbus Dispatch. p. 6D.
- ^ Sinclair, Tom (1 Jan 1995). "Jules Shear 'Healing Bones'". Fanfare. Newsday. p. 23.
- ^ a b Tremblay, Mark (9 Oct 1994). "Recent Releases". Calgary Herald. p. C2.
- ^ MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1996. p. 604.
- ^ a b Collins, Tracy (23 Sep 1994). "Shear's Jewel". Arts & Entertainment. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 18.
- ^ a b Evans, Paul (Oct 6, 1994). "Rollin' & Tumblin'—Healing Bones by Jules Shear". Rolling Stone. No. 692. p. 87.
- ^ Rotondi, James (Sep 1994). "Songlines – Healing Bones by Jules Shear". Guitar Player. Vol. 28, no. 9. p. 142.
- ^ Pick, Steve (23 Sep 1994). "What Should That CD Really Cost?". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. 6E.