Chi Coltrane Albums (3)
What The Critics Say
In the years between Let It Ride and Road to Tomorrow, Chi Coltrane had suffered financial misfortune at the hands of a neglectful manager. Not that you could tell from these songs, all relentlessly upbeat and optimistic. Released on the small Clouds label, Road to Tomorrow has none of the appealing darkness of earlier Coltrane, but thankfully, the musicianship and instant melodies remain. Nearly every song is about either romantic or spiritual satisfaction (with only the curious "Slow Driver," in which Coltrane berates a slack motorist, breaking the mold). The pieces wouldn't sound out of place on a mid-period Carole King album, and there's not a note on the record that isn't a pleasure to hear, but everything -- from the drab front cover to the chronic prettiness of the songs -- lacks the bite she had before. By the time the album closes (with the title track), you'll feel either blissfully purged of all unpleasant thoughts, or as though you've just eaten twice your own weight in meringues. But give Coltrane points for avoiding the more obvious maudlin tack beloved of singer/songwriters. ~ Charles Donovan, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
A year on from her first album, Coltrane took over production for Let It Ride, recorded at London's Trident Studios. The sound isn't vastly different, although there is more backing vocal support (from vastly talented stalwart Merry Clayton). Her songwriting was taking new and interesting turns. The debut had shown a gift for pastiche, but Let It Ride frees her skills to run a little wilder. "Flyaway Bluebird" creates an aural playground out of only a piano and a handful of vocalists, and is her finest moment. The title track opens as a rather routine ballad, only to transmogrify into an untamed, anguished masterpiece, reminiscent of Laura Nyro's best work. Coltrane reaches back to her classical training for "Forget Love" -- an icily sophisticated composition with a clever, almost Germanic piano accompaniment. The only criticism it's possible to level at Let It Ride is Coltrane's tendency to eat up musical genres and spit out instant, bite-size, expert examples of them. "Shortnin' Bread" sounds like an exercise from a "How to Play the Blues" textbook, and is the only time Coltrane's undoubted expertise is potentially tiresome. But when the only fault you can find with an artist is her own virtuosity, there's little point in finding it. ~ Charles Donovan, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
It's clear from the opening moments of Chi Coltrane's self-titled debut that she's a singer/songwriter a few musical cuts above the rest. Primarily, this is down to her piano playing. Where even the most respected artists of the genre could only play basic block chords or arpeggios (Laura Nyro and Joni Mitchell, respectively), Coltrane is a player's player, and the equal of any session musician. The 11 songs on Chi Coltrane give her ample opportunity to show off. "Thunder and Lightning" (an absolute white soul gem) was her first single and a Top 20 hit, but it tells only a fraction of the story. The rest of the album displays a complete mastery and understanding of gospel ("Go Like Elijah"), as well music of both the Classical and Romantic periods ("The Wheel of Life"), and in addition, she comes up with a few hybrids of her own ("You Were My Friend"). Her vocals, alternatively tender, spirited, angry, and with a wonderful on-the-verge-of-tears quality, are at odds with the dreamy inertia of most mid-'70s performers. They invest every cut with a compelling sense of drama and anxiety. Coltrane may not be a top-drawer wordsmith (although she's certainly quite good), but her lyrics are clear-headed, unpretentious, and direct. For subject matter, she draws mainly on love, friendship, religion (tentatively), and philosophy. Although much press attention focussed on her glacial, blonde good looks (think a less scary, pre-heroin Nico), this album was a triumph of style and substance in equal measure. ~ Charles Donovan, All Music Guide
