An Invitation

I saw Inara George and Van Dyke Parks only two months ago in The Hague, Netherlands, performing with the Mondriaan extended. It was a great concert and besides songs of Van Dyke himself (jump f.e.), Randy Newman and Lowell George they did 'An invitation'. Allthough I didn't know Inara George and only later bought 'An invitation' I was impressed by her performance and her voice. Like 'all rise' a cd I only had a week before the concert, the album grows and grows. It doesn't fit in nowadays popmusic, but who cares? A song like Idaho is so beautifull. So I recommand this album (and 'all rise') to everyone and make a deep bow to miss George and mr Van Dyke Parks.

and what is wrong with that? Absolutely nothing. So, here is what you get: -melodies that fall several quavers and quirks short of chance. I don't mean to suggest any similarity to the dizzying interval exchanges of John Cage, but often, these melodies seem to go some place other that what you might anticipate. Musicians--think of the circle of fifths in the hands of a mischievous demon who loves melody, but can't tolerate the quotidian world of expectations. -harmonies that are rich in early 20th century influences like rag and stride--think of the tri-tones you might expect from Scott Joplin and Jelly Roll Morton rendered through the sweep of orchestration that leads as often as it follows. Van Dyke Parks likes the same "Americana" movement of harmony employed by Randy Newman in much of his film music. However, Parks arrangements and orchestrations whip around like the American flag on a windy July 4th--threatening, on occasion, to shut down the picnic, or a roller-coaster that dips and rolls often enough to delight any kid. These harmonies are like agitating train cars locked to a locomotive on serious speed. Frankly--I love the feeling that the train could leap the tracks at any moment--though I can imagine that others might experience this as vertigo. -lyrics that are more head than heart--and wonderfully so. These lyrics are not especially interested in rhyme, but don't ignore the aural need for a satisfying couplet. More often than not, the lyrics are simple and expressive of desire--but not always of the romantic kind. Here and there, you will come across an elusive and mystifying idea--and it is difficult to know if the lyric has run into a corner and cannot negotiate its way out, or ifthat corner actually is the way out (if you find this implausible, then you have just gotten a sense of George lyrics) I am a sucker for Van Dyke Parks and consider "Orange Crate Art" a landmark cd, worthy of wide praise and affectionate allegiance (much like the Beatles Sergeant Pepper album). Aside from his palette of compositional colors, Parks is a first-rate arranger and orchestrator, but--he likes to bring the orchestra up close--sometimes, to the point of overwhelming the arc of melody. He doesn't do that in "Orange Crate Art" because that arc is always controlled by Brian Wilson's rich and dominant harmonies. However, Inara George, when confronted with this Parks tendency, can be reduced, just occasionally, to a footnote. Don't allow this cd's near-aleatory presentation of melody and Godzilla-like proportion of orchestration to isolate you from the satisfactions of the George/Parks collaboration. They have fashioned an original contribution to American pop--dig into it, and you will find a pleasure chest full of riches.

I have to admit that I came into this album with high expectations. The idea of the great Van Dyke Parks with a female songwriter/vocalist immediately reminded me of Joanna Newsom's incredible Ys. In some ways this albums is a sort of Ys II, but it falls short in other respects. These songs that the catchy melodies, emotional swells and long narrative arcs that make Ys so engaging. Instead, this collection just seems "pretty" - lacking the substance of Newsom's epics. Overall, it just doesn't have the energy or vision that I was hoping for.

Daughter of Little Feat's Lowell George, Inara has established herself as a quietly cool pop vocalist on her solo projects (e.g., All Rise ) and as one half of The Bird and the Bee. An Invitation is clearly a stretch for her. George relies solely on strings to bring the songs across. Parks' busy chamber orchestrations dance and flitter around George's uncharacteristically meandering material, giving the vocals a careless, improvised quality. Listening to this is like trying to traverse a stream by crossing its slippery rocks (George's vocals) while being entranced by the natural beauty of the surrounding woods (Parks' string arrangements). You're gonna fall down. You're gonna get wet. And you're not gonna remember a thing. **1/2

Great product and service.

After finding and thoroughly enjoying this artist's first album "All Rise", I went in search of more of her music and found "An Invitation". At first, I wasn't sure exactly what to make of the intriguing, but rather strange sample clips, but I figured I'd keep returning for another listen out of sheer curiosity if nothing else, so I made the purchase. I'm so glad my curiosity got the best of me in this case - it has been months now and I've listened to this album so many times, but it still sounds as startling and fresh as the first time. "An Invitation" is a challenging and intellectual collection of flitting strings, sneaky bursts of woodwinds, and twirling, counter-intuitive melodies. The instrumental arrangements are demanding and are as much of a "voice" as the beautiful vocals, forming more of a duet than a backdrop. This album is evocative and theatrical. Like some of my other favorite albums, it is one of those pieces of music that become almost multisensory the more attention you turn toward it, inspiring both images and sensations. Visions of a dramatically-lit concert hall or a black and white film rolling along on stage in a gilded theater tend to spring to mind when I listen to this music. There's a quality of nostalgia here, a jazzy feeling that reminds me vaguely of the 30's and 40's music my grandfather loves (incidentally, he likes this album too, since I introduced him to it!). It is easy for me to rave about this album, but at the same time, it's not one I'd easily recommend - "An Invitation" is such a strong flavor and will not appeal to everyone. It is pretty obstinate about not fading into the background, a real show-stealer. If you find yourself intrigued, fascinated, or curious after listening to the samples a few times, give it a try and you might find a new favorite! If you are looking for more of her first album, you might be a bit disappointed by this one, unless you really enjoyed the jazzier moments of "All Rise".

Infectious tunes and outrageously surprising arrangements. Both my 13-year-old daughter and I (43-year-old mother) love this CD.

I love Inara George and own all her CDs including her solo work, Merrick, and Bird and the Bee. Unfortunately I did not like her collaboration with Van Dyke Parks on An Invitation. The orchestra music drowns out her voice and is a constant distraction making hard to detect the melody of the song. I have played it several times but find it a noticeable dissappointment compared to how much I have enjoyed all her other music.