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I thoroughly enjoy listening to this CD, but it definitely won't appeal to everybody. Several of the tracks have a "retro" feel to them (Bathroom Window, Fancy to name two). One even has a country flavor to it (My Dear Companion). And it's plain to see that Megan Mullally is a fan of songs that tell a story, at least in this collection.

These are all covers that have been done (some of them numerous times) by other singers in other genres. But I can honestly say I've never heard any of them done in this way. Megan Mullally's interpretations are, to me, artfully wonderful, welcomingly diverse, and sophisticated in their simplicity. Where she draws her inspiration from, I don't know, but it sounds as if her muse is rooted just this side of sanity (and I won't say which side I'm on...LOL).

My favorite is the last track, Take It With Me. It's simply a beautiful piece, and when push comes to shove, Megan Mullally has a beautiful voice. That she can sing beautifully but chooses to sing expressively indicates to me that she is an artist. She is more concerned with telling a story or conveying an emotion than she is with appealing to the masses or being "correct."

To behold a rose is a beautiful thing. But for a rose to be held, you must feel the thorns gently piercing your flesh. And not everybody wants to do that.


Oh my!!!   February 25, 2004
 42 out of 44 found this review helpful

This woman can sing!! But that's not what amazed me- what got me was she can effortlessly switch from one musical style to another and flawlessly don different personas. One moment she's country belle crooner, and the next song she's a broadway starlet, then she's a smooth rocker.

Megan has a beautiful voice and her performances are so charismatic and delivered with so much personality that it's hard to not like this album!

I shocked my husband with this, telling him I had a CD of "Karen Walker" singing. He said, "oh, God," and laughed, because all the only thing most people know of her voice is the one she dons for her TV character. I hit play and he was blown away. He muttered "wow!" in reply.

The first track, 'Bathroom Window,' she starts by belting "She came in through the bathroom window..." and there's no denying her talent, and the beauty and power of her voice from the get go. I was afraid that the song selection wouldn't be my cup of tea (I'm 23 and haven't heard of many of these songs), but I adore it.

Go, go, Megan!!


DIVA! DIVA! DIVA!   October 31, 2002
 20 out of 22 found this review helpful

This CD is perfection! For those of you wanting Megan to re-hash Broadway standards or simply belt out old favorites-this is not the CD for you. For those of you who want to hear an actress with a great voice perform songs with every muscle in her body-pull up a chair and take notice. Megan seems to select songs that have disenfranchised characters. She picks material in the same vein as Ute Lemper-stories of people who sometimes fall through the cracks, but who are absolutely fascinating.

It appears Ms. Megan likes to tell stories and act out the songs. She is truly a musical theatre actress. Almost every song on the disc sounds like she's a different character. Her first CD is wonderful too, so if you don't have it-go find it. However, on Big As A Berry, Megan seems to inhabit the characters more and gives so many moving performances.Her Kurt Weill song interpretation is stunning and brilliant-right up there with Ute Lemper. Megan really takes her time on a song and feels it, acts it, and becomes it. I'm blown away. Hopefully, after Wil & Grace is over she will tour and impress audiences with her incandescent talent. There is so much more to this fine actress than Karen. Support this amazing diva and buy her CD.


Janis Joplin meets Bernadette Peters   October 15, 2002
 18 out of 19 found this review helpful

Listeners who only know Megan Mullally as the shrilly hilarious Karen Walker on "Will & Grace" are in for a surprise when they first hear this CD. For the last time, Karen's voice is *not* Megan's real voice!

Megan's background as a Broadway singer shines through on "Big as a Berry," but the album's eclectic mix of song styles prove that Megan can't be neatly labeled as a show tune singer. Rock, country, theater -- this CD has it all, and Megan can do it all.

Each song tells a story, and Megan performs as each narrator, exhibiting a wide range of emotion and experiences. Particular standouts are Lennon/McCartney's "Bathroom Window," Randy Newman's "Real Emotional Girl," Bobbie Gentry's "Fancy" (listen for Billy Porter's stunning backup vocals on this one), George Richey's "The Grand Tour," Fred Weatherley's "Danny Boy" and Tom Waits and Kathleen Brennan's "Take It with Me."

Backed up by a terrific band, the Supreme Music Program, Megan enfuses each track with passion, consummate showmanship and a lust for life.


Wow!!!   September 18, 2002
 12 out of 13 found this review helpful

Megan Mullally is best known as Karen Walker on TV show WILL & GRACE, but she has really hit a home run IMO with this album.
Very soulful, with elements recalling Phoebe Snow or Jennifer Warnes, with a few music hall moments, & a very interesting mix of songs ranging from trad. song "Dear Companion' (done rather like Emmylou Harris) to a couple lovely Randy Newman ones, to more 'cabaret' fare with Brecht/Weill's "Barbara Song" (interesting translation) to a couple by Bobbie Gentry. And her take on "Danny Boy" is a dramatic contrast to 'recent' one by Eva Cassidy. A couple overuse vocoder a bit (she doesn't NEED the distortion. . .), but solid stuff. Great variety of songs, great album.