In many ways, this CD is what fans of the duo have been waiting for. Over various incarnations of their website, Wendy & Lisa have allowed fans to hear some of the scoring work and other tidbits of music they've done. But only in the most limited fashion. Streaming media files you could only listen to on the site or record illegally to have a copy you could burn. You could easily find gems among the many snippets they posted, but one day, you'd log in and the site would change or a piece was gone. Take "Rosalyn" for example... I've had various edits of the track for over ten years now. To finally have a nice quality recording of this track I can listen to is absolutely wonderful! Same thing with "Perfect Stranger". I've had two edits of this track, but neither can equal the intensity of this version. I remember the first time I heard this song... I remember thinking, "Ok, now Lisa & Wendy have crossed over into lesbian rock..." Which wasn't a bad thing. But it seemed trendy at the time. Regardless of that impression, this song is aggressive with so many elements of classic rock 'n' roll you can't help but jump up and dance. Or you can do what I did when I got my CD the other day... You can dump it in your truck, roll down the windows and put it on repeat just to rock out the neighbors. You just can't beat the look of horror on an old woman's face when you roll up next to her in your big truck and she hears, "Give it up, I'm coming for ya!" blaring out the speakers. Oh yeah, pure terror.
The majority of the other tracks represent pieces of music the two have done over the years. The digital download includes a PDF book explaining where the songs came from and why they never saw the light of day. It's fascinating to read about the music and get some impressions from the duo on their stuff.
Only "Perfect Stranger" and "Water To The Wave" have vocals. The other tracks are all instrumental but vastly different in temperament. "Time" kicks in sounding like the opening titles of a 70's TV show and then breaks down into a bass jam. Once that rhythm kicks in, the tune moves across the board in an almost suite-like trajectory. One minute, it's funky and the next it's ethereal and shimmering. In the end, it has a very simple structure building around 3 specific motifs. "Water To The Wave" sounds like it would have found a home on "Fruit At The Bottom". They write about Babyface Edmunds thinking the song was too experimental. There's some expressive playing and a disjointed feeling by the beat changeups, but it works and is easily one of my favorite tracks on the record. I find the lyrics beautifully compelling and the coda actually flows nicely into "Rosalyn". Both pieces of music would've fit nicely on Seal's first album.
"Rock Song" uses an echo on the piano to make a reverberation I think was intended to give the listener a feeling of hallucination or uncertainty. For me, the tune moves in a different direction entirely. I find myself anticipating sounds. It grounds me. It's the breakdown about 3 minutes in where I find myself enjoying the track the most. It's a simple progression, but an enjoyable one and demonstrates an ability to cause feeling through sound manipulation. "Lemon Chiffon" sounds like it would've been at home on "Eroica". It's another mellow number you just fall into a groove and flow along with it. There's no complication, just a musical bed for your body to comfortably drift off in. The sway of this tune is lazy and calm. There is a tartness to it about two and a half minutes in. The minor additions help to accentuate the track and also help in understanding where the title comes from.
It's not the huge compilation of scoring material fans have been waiting for, but it does reflect a demand for this music. What would be wonderful.... Is if Wendy & Lisa responded with a continuing series of these CDs and released more of this material over time. With the many hours of music they've recorded for "Crossing Jordan" or "Heroes", this would be the perfect venue for capitalizing on those efforts and also giving their fans what they want most. However, considering the shorter length of some of these pieces, I'd suggest making a compilation similar to Electric Six's "Sexy Trash". However they did it, releasing a series of these discs would help generate income for the new mothers and help establish stronger ties with their fans. You're only as popular as your last release. A steady diet of new material (even if it's old material just sitting around) will help them stay current with fans. I know for me, this wonderful disc is both long awaited and anticipated. When I saw it was for sale, it was a no-brainer. I bought it immediately. And once again, I find myself rededicated to Wendy & Lisa. My final words: THANKFULLY RECEIVED, GREATLY ANTICIPATED.
WENDY AND LISA - SNAPSHOTS
01. Perfect Stranger
02. Time
03. Water To The Wave
04. Rosalyn
05. Rock Song
06. Lemon Chiffon
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