Music
Store

PLUS, Anastacia is brave, bare, and daring in her lyrics here, digging deep and exposing her struggles with having breast cancer...transforming what would normally be an edgy rock/pop set into pure art. Lyrically, she has more in common with Annie Lennox and Alanis Morissette than your typical R+B divas. Anastacia exudes pure strength here, and for that, she gets full respect from me.

Now, musically, on this self-titled set, Ms Newkirk has REALLY found her own sound and true calling...she calls it "sprock", an amalgam of soul, pop and rock, and I agree. I would call it that, sort of, because it emphasized the ROCK portion, and yeppers, she DOES rock, in a HEAVY way, with noisy, jagged riffs and ballsy performances, but she doesn't sacrifice pop hooks or excellent songwriting chops...she actually IMPROVES on her way with hooks here!! As a matter of fact, my first reaction on set opener "Seasons Change"?? LISA DALBELLO!!! "Anastacia" is like a better, more tuneful version of Lisa Dalbello's last album, 1996's "Whore", from the arrangements, vocal approach, strength, and lyrical touches here and there, like on "Pretty Little Dum Dum", the opening resembling "Deep Dark Hole" and lyrical reference to the number 11, where Lisa has a song on "Whore" called "Eleven". Strange, interesting and coincidental, and I LOVE it!!

Since this album totally ROCKS, and it has killer collaborations with Dave Stewart (Eurythmics), Glen Ballard, John Shanks, Sonny from POD, Dallas Austin, and her usual posse of Ric Wake and Richie Jones (no sign of Sam Watters + Louis Biancanello ANYWHERE on this album, good or bad depending on your taste), I am DYING to see Anastacia TOUR behind this album, I NEED to see her live, now that she emphasizes her "inner rock chick"!!!

Oh, on the "Left Outside Alone" single (AWESOME song, one of the best singles of the year, as is the album), the B-side "Get Ready" kicks [back]too, it's a killer funk rocker that is really raw and bluesy, incredible!! Another fave is "Welcome To My Truth"...amazing writing...as is all 12 songs, period...

Oh, and this limited edition has a nice slipcase, sexy poster (I emphasize the artiste Anstacia is, but really, she is also a beautiful woman, drop dead gorgeous!!), and a great DVD which enables you to get inside the album, the way it was recorded, her 2002 European tour, and inside Anastacia's head, to see what makes her tick as an artist, and it shows her battle with breast cancer which is both heartbreaking and inspiring.

Essential...period...the defense rests...nothing more I can say to emphasize how much you need to hear this disc and buy this limited package...


Disappointing   May 9, 2004
I LOVE ANASTACIA!!!! however her showing on this CD is nowhere near as great as the good from start to finish "Freak Of Nature" Anastacia does have some strong points and the sad part is that the strong points arent that strong. when i first heard Left Outside Alone i was like i hope that is not her first single! its grown on me but not that great of a song. However, Seasons Change and Time are great songs and anyone of those would have been a great first single not Left Outside Alone. Still a good CD though i would love to see I Do with Sonny from POD be a single as well great song. Great political message. CD is not that bad.


Suffering yields this artist's great work   October 10, 2005
Although many Americans do not know Anastacia, she is a humongous success in Europe. The irony is that she is a Chicago-native. She has talent and an incredible voice that simply cannot be duplicated. She is raw and shows her emotions. She is not all singer though. She writes her own songs and they have meaning. She has been throug Breast Cancer and lives with Crohn's and shows that a person with these ailments can truly survive. This album is a complete turn-around from 'not that kind' and 'Freak of Nature.' She defines her new style as 'sprock' a mixture of soul, pop, and rock. Every song has meaning and therefore everyone can find a song to relate to. My personal favorite is 'Sick and Tired' with a Buddhist chant and a very catchy chorus, the song is sure to stay stuck in your head. 'Welcome to my Truth' is about a personal journey and has a great drum sequence. the best advice i can give is to buy this cd with the bonus dvd. i bought the cd back in november and i ordered this version about a month ago and i am well satisfied. the dvd is great and offers a glimpse into Anastacia's personal life. A true must have for any fan!


Remarkable Album amazing artist   January 22, 2006
Unless you have been hanging around Europe for a while now you may not recognize the name Anastacia, although she began in the US with the Phenominal hit I'm Outta Love she has sadly been shunned by American Airwaves. So packing it up she headed to Europe only to became a HUGE international star.

This classic album showcases Anastacia's strong gritty voice full of raw emotion and power.

Well its figuring out whats going on in the mind of a lover such as in the track Left Outside Alone An upbeat what the heck is wrong with you track.

Living it up as a sexy single, a fun upbeat song which will get you up and movin.

Or the heartbreaking Heavy on My Heart you realize the passion and the range of this artist. The imagery in this song is fantasic and the breathy vocals are haunting.

Or by far the best song to hit the music industry, Maybe Today, if you need a heart breaker, this is the song for you!

If Britney Spears is your idea of talent, this album won't interest you, if you are an Alanis or Jewel fan, pick this puppy up!