My Long-Haired Life is an album by the American musician Marti Jones, released in 1996.[2][3] It was released the same year as a live album, Live at Spirit Square, which was recorded in 1990. The albums marked a return from a six-year recording hiatus.[4] My Long-Haired Life's title alludes to Jones's career before motherhood.[5] The album's first single was "It's Not What I Want".[6]
| My Long-Haired Life | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1996 | |||
| Label | Sugar Hill[1] | |||
| Producer | Don Dixon | |||
| Marti Jones chronology | ||||
| ||||
Production
editThe album was produced by Don Dixon.[7] Eight of the album's 11 songs are covers; the other three were cowritten by Jones and Dixon.[8] The pair duetted on the cover of Joe Tex's "You Got What It Takes"; "Sleep of the Just" is a cover of the Elvis Costello song.[4][9] Jones played a 1940 000-18 Martin guitar on the album.[10]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [11] |
| The Austin Chronicle |  [12] |
| Chicago Tribune | [13] |
| Daily Herald | [9] |
| MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide | [14] |
| The Republican | [5] |
| The San Diego Union-Tribune | [15] |
No Depression called the album "too adult for alternative rock, too pure pop for adult alternative, too smart for Top 40... Banished to eclectic public radio shows forever."[8] The Austin Chronicle wrote that "the real surprise ... is that Jones shines brightest when pouring over her own songs penned with longtime cohort Don Dixon."[12] The St. Louis Post-Dispatch concluded that My Long-Haired Life "is a lean, beautiful record and one of the best of 1996."[16]
The Chicago Tribune stated: "Embracing folk, pop and blue-eyed soul, Jones displays a nimble vocal style and a broad range of influences."[13] The San Diego Union-Tribune praised the "Marti-in-Memphis take" on Otis Redding's "Champagne and Wine".[15] The Charleston Daily Mail thought that "the tunes showcase Jones' smooth, lilting alto and Dixon's ear-pleasing sense of 'what goes where'."[17]
AllMusic called the album "a wonderfully eclectic pool of material."[11]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I Love the Sound of Breaking Glass" | |
| 2. | "It's Not What I Want" | |
| 3. | "Life's a Game" | |
| 4. | "Black Coffee in Bed" | |
| 5. | "Champagne and Wine" | |
| 6. | "Sleep of the Just" | |
| 7. | "Put Me on Top" | |
| 8. | "You Got What It Takes" | |
| 9. | "Feather on a Stone" | |
| 10. | "Silent Partner" | |
| 11. | "Songs to Aging Children Come" |
References
edit- ^ Horak, Terri (Jan 11, 1997). "Market expands for indie folk labels". Billboard. Vol. 109, no. 2. pp. 3, 15+.
- ^ "Marti Jones Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
- ^ Winters, Pamela Murray (November 3, 2000). "Don Dixon & Marti Jones". Washington City Paper.
- ^ a b McGuinness, Jim (15 Nov 1996). "Lost Her Label, Had a Baby, Cut Her Hair". Lifestyle/Previews. The Record. p. 37.
- ^ a b O'Hare, Kevin (January 26, 1997). "Marti Jones, 'My Long-Haired Life'". The Republican. p. E6.
- ^ Flick, Larry (Nov 2, 1996). "Marti Jones: It's Not What I Want". Billboard. Vol. 108, no. 44. p. 78.
- ^ Menconi, David (October 6, 1996). "Seemingly more sanguine than either Crow or Rigby is Marti Jones...". The News & Observer. p. G1.
- ^ a b "Marti Jones – My Long-Haired Life". No Depression. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
- ^ a b Kening, Dan (December 20, 1996). "Marti Jones 'My Long Haired Life'". Time Out. Daily Herald. p. 6.
- ^ Ayers, Anne (20 June 1996). "Excellence is instrumental". USA Today. p. 4D.
- ^ a b "My Long-Haired Life". AllMusic.
- ^ a b "Record Reviews". The Austin Chronicle.
- ^ a b Dretzka, Gary (17 Jan 1997). "Album reviews: Marti Jones". Friday. Chicago Tribune. p. 49.
- ^ MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 613.
- ^ a b Toombs, Mikel (May 1, 1997). "My Long-Haired Life Marti Jones". Entertainment. The San Diego Union-Tribune. p. 22.
- ^ BeDell, Andrew (December 12, 1996). "Marti Jones Makes the Most of Other's Songs". Get Out. St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. 12.
- ^ "Music Reviews". Charleston Daily Mail. February 21, 1997. p. 3D.