Amanda Affair
Commentary/Poem/Music Review on Amanda Marshall
Amanda Marshall
Amandamarshall.com
Do you know Amanda?
Hear her stunning self-titled debut song, “Let it Rain” and watch a recent live concert performance of it combined with Prince’s “Purple Rain”, if anything, just hear it from 5:45 on and have your spirit lifted!) (Video from Stewart Atwood)
For those of you uninitiated, let me tell you about Amanda, Marshall that is. She is a beloved music artist from Canada who garnered worldwide attention back in the 90s. Imagine a powerhouse voice reminsicient of Janis Joplin and Melissa Etheridge with a refined R&B-ish pop vibe and you get Amanda.
Besides her big and raspy vocals, her flowy dirty blond locks are lovely (Imagine though the headaches she must endure maintaining that mane!). The name, Amanda, itself, means "lovable or worthy of love". Like a panda, Amanda has an adorable factor. Perhaps my admiration for Miss M could be called a girl crush. Very innocent but I have strong affinity for her— not sycophant-like, which super fans have these days for, arguably, lesser than and talent-deprived music stars of today.
Traveling back to the year 2000, Amanda was a part of my fabulous music capulse.
In constant rotation in my CD player was her sophomore effort, Tuesday’s Child. That 12 song whirlwind of emotion represented my early womanhood. One of the songs from the album, “Love Lift Me”, was on frequent loop on the video reel at Virgin Megastore where I worked. Amanda was in rotation right along with early ‘00s pop acts NSync, Britney Spears, Destiny's Child, Eminem, a bunch of monotonous electronica DJ and psuedo new rock acts.
Amanda’s music got some fair hype but it was not appreciated enough. The music industry mismanaged a good one, wasted her talent. Eventually Amanda slipped away for months, than years, than over a decade to about two. Shame, shame of it all!
However, the Amanda comeback is now underway. It arrives as a new collection of introspective songs and a concert tour. Initially, she is promoting and performing live in her homeland base of Canada. Hopefully, she will go beyond the Great White North and take her talents to America and the rest of the world again.
PLAY: Travel song suggestion of Amanda: “Ride”
POEM by MARINARENA:
Amanda, as I, 20 years later
Hear this poem here.
Music Review- Heavy Lifting
Amanda Marshall’s Heavy Lifting/Amanda Marshall.com
Canadian Pop/Soft Rock Maiden Comes Back with Fun, Raucous Effort
Amanda Marshall- Heavy Lifting
Amanda Marshall, a mid ‘90s adult contemporary ingenue, makes her triumphant return after a 20 year absence from the music biz. Heavy Lifting is an amp’ed up, audacious 11-track effort, reflecting an empowered and no-nonsense woman “telling it like it is and givin’ the business” to those who wronged her. Much is to be rejoiced in this rousing release: Marshall’s signature rasp plus a fresh stylized vocal approach, bangin’ blues rock riffs and even some humor injected in the mix.
Less pop-driven and polished than in previous albums, the 4th full-length album by the Toronto firebrand is weighted with rockin’ uptempo numbers, such as catchy “I Built This House” and “Halfway Love”, the electroflying rock n roll pinnacle cut of the bunch.
Though somewhat awkward lyrically in spots (quite notable in “Dawgcatcher”), Marshall delivers a winning charm with color commentary that can be appreciated enough to get past silly, pedestrian lines. Frankly, Amanda is just funny. Also, “I’m Not Drunk” is a (solid) mess of a song lyrics-wise — but works somehow and it begs to push repeat. It’s a would-be dialogue at a bachelorette party and a good crank up at any girlfriends get-together.
Profound lyrical content can be explored on deeper tracks such as “God Forbid” , which addresses modern-day vices, as well as in “Special”, a third-person take on the perils of making it big time Hollywood
Marshall’s comeback is worth the wait for her fans and a gem for new ears to check out.
Top songs: Halfway Love, Rainbows & Gasoline (third single), I Hope She Cheats
(first single/music video), Special
Get Heavy Lifting on Vinyl or your other preferred format here
It’s cute, red and translucent!
More on Amanda
Listen to and watch Birmingham , a moving song, video and Amanda fan fave.
Favorite poetic sung lines from Amanda:
”You gotta fumble in the darkness if you wanna see the light”- Love Lift Me“In our darkest hour, we’re all just shades of grey” from a top fave and perhaps, her most poignant and personal song, “Shades of Grey”.
I remember her very well.. playing the Queen Street West scene - Toronto
Glad to hear she’s persevered .. Was no longer spinning vinyl by mid 80’s
After opening Silver City in Banff as as DJ & Canada’s 1st VJ (oh yes I was !)
& did the same when Banff Springs stole me to Bartend & DJ ‘The Clubhouse’
Returned to The Beaches & Queen West - we got pregnant & was part of QTV
as we Broadcast to the World across from The Cameron House..
Amanda came along .. after Handsome Ned OD’d & I was shooting live handheld
@ the Bamboo, Grossman’s, Horseshoe, Mocambo, the Squeeze Club, Jarvis Club
so I saw her a ton back then.. a unique Talent .. and there were so many !
Nikki Costa, Fiona Apple, Mikes Davis and Sade were in constant rotation for me 20 years ago