SHERYL CROW - STRONG ENOUGH

For the most part, I like Sheryl Crow. I remember hearing 'All I Wanna Do' on the radio for the first time when I lived in Salt Lake. I remember thinking what a great laid back tune it was. I never bought the album or followed her, but I did like the song. Years later, a friend of mine was throwing a bunch of CDs away and this was one of the discs she was unloading. I like the song 'Strong Enough' so when she asked if I wanted any of her music, I picked this single out. It's literally the only CD I have of hers.

'Strong Enough' is an interesting song for a couple reasons... The first time I heard it, I thought "Boring... Another chick singing about outdated male stereotypes and some bullshit ethic about men being real men so the woman can be weak." But, when you listen to the words, the meaning is far from that standpoint. She discusses her own failings and temperament. Because of her personal weak points, she needs to know if her potential mate is strong enough to deal with it. There's no macho bravado or stereotypes at play. Just an open and honest revelation of herself. "This is what you're in for. Make sure you really want to endure it."

The next three tracks are live cuts. One suspects this single was released to correspond with a tour. Usually, bands include live material on singles when they're promoting live dates. I'm familiar with both 'All I Wanna Do' and 'Leaving Las Vegas'. Both were fairly big hits for Crow. 'Reach Around Jerk' is a song I'm not familiar with and I don't find much beyond the title that extremely interesting about it. The live versions showcase her band and comes across somewhat less than polished. But it's that raw feeling that make live bands like Crow's more interesting. There's something human, organic and flawed in groups like this. You feel a real connection to them rather than a flawless, perfectly rehearsed show.

In the end, it's a nice piece of music to own. If this is demonstrative of Crow's single releases, I must say good job. It's always wonderful to have content you can't find on the album. It's also great to have something other than just mixes to listen to. Well done, Sheryl. My final words: GREAT SINGLE TO ENJOY.

SHERYL CROW - STRONG ENOUGH
01. Strong Enough (LP Version)
02. All I Wanna Do (Live)
03. Reach Around Jerk (Live)
04. Leaving Las Vegas (Live)