Jewel This Way CD

Her first collection of all new, self-penned material since 1998 was recorded in Nashville and produced by guitarist Dan Huff (& Jewel). This 2001 Atlantic Records release features 14 tracks, including the 2 bonus tracks 'Grey Matter' and 'Sometimes It Be That Way'.



This is an Enhanced CD, which contains both regular audio tracks and multimedia computer files.
Personnel includes: Jewel (vocals, acoustic guitar); John Willis, B. James Lowry (acoustic guitar); Dann Huff, Jerry McPherson, Kenny Greeenberg (electric guitar); Jonathan Yudkin (mandolin, cello); The Nashville String Machine (strings); George Tidwell (trumpet); Tim Akers, Steve Nathan (keyboards); Jimmie Sloas (bass); Chris McHugh, Steve Brewster (drums); Eric Darken (percussion); Tedd T. (programming); Chris Rodriguez, Gene Miller, Bekka Bramlett (background vocals); Josh Freese.
Recorded at Emerald Entertainment and Ocean Way Nashville, Tennessee; The Sound Kitchen, Franklin, Tennessee.
This is an Enhanced CD, which contains both regular audio tracks and multimedia computer files.
Personnel: John Willis, B. James Lowry (acoustic guitar); Dann Huff, Gordon Kennedy, Jerry McPherson, Kenny Greenberg, J.T. Corenflos (electric guitar); Dan Digmore, Paul Franklin (steel guitar); Jonathan Yudkin (mandolin, fiddle, cello); Roger Spencer , Bruce Christensen, Kathryn Plummer, Connie Ellisor, Karen Winkelmann, Beth Beeson, Dave Angell, Julie Tanner, Gerald Greer, Glenn Wanner, Lynn Bloom, Joy Worland, Anthony LaMarchina, Calvin Smith, Mary Kathryn Vanosdale, Carl Gorodetzky, Pamela Sixfin, Bob Mason , Lee Larrison, Alan Umstead, Monisa Angell, Catherine Umstead, Cate Myer, Janet Askey, Gary VanOsdale (strings); George Tidwell (trumpet); Tim Akers, Steve Nathan (keyboards); Chris McHugh, Steve Brewster (drums); Eric Darken (percussion); David Lyndon Huff, Tedd T. (programming); Wayne Rodrigues (drum programming); Chris Rodrigues, Gene Miller, Lisa Cochran, Bekka Bramlett (background vocals).
Audio Mixer: Jeff Balding.
Recording information: Emerald ENtertainment, Nashville, TN; Ocean Way Nashville, Nashville, TN; The Sound Kitchen, Franklin, TN.
Photographer: Ellen Von Unwerth.
Arranger: Mark Goldenberg.
Jewel came dangerously close to drowning in her own solemnity and good intentions with her second album, so it comes as a great relief that This Way, her third effort, finds her lightening up and sharpening her focus, creating an album that never feels as somber or polished as Spirit. In fact, it's her first genuine step forward, since it finds her enhancing the latent folk and country influences in her music, attempting to add grit to her songs and performances, while retaining the pop sense of Pieces of You's studiocraft that made Spirit a more sonically satisfying record than her debut. Consequently, this is probably the best record she has cut to date, even if she still is very quick to indulge in silly, naïve lyrics (it's not just her save-the-world sentiments -- who on god's green earth has pictures of Randy Newman strewn across the floor?). Nevertheless, Jewel sounds looser, more comfortable than she ever has, and the music matches her attitude. The same problems may still remain, but her strengths have been enhanced and, at its best, This Way offers some fine, sweet adult alternative folk-pop -- maybe it has some dull stretches, and maybe she still takes herself a bit too seriously, but it's a classy adult pop record all the same. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
The first three songs on Jewel Kilcher's first new album after a long layoff (her previous release was a 1999 Christmas album) embrace country, alternative rock, and a kind of John Cougar Mellencamp rock/country. She finds her own voice five songs in, with the tour de force "Do You Want to Play?" whose smart lyrics combined with a killer chorus are an immediate highlight of this self-assured collection.
"Jesus Loves You" is a thoughtful meditation on consumerism that also managesRolling Stone (11/22/01, p.89) - 3.5 stars out of 5 - "...Elegant, earthy, engaged..."
Q (2/02, p.110) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...An album of tuneful but calculated pop-rock to be admired rather than loved..."