Vanessa Carlton Be Not Nobody CD

"A Thousand Miles" was nominated for the 2003 Grammy Awards for Record Of The Year, Song Of The Year and Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocals.

Although comparisons to fellow piano-playing chanteuses Fiona Apple and Tori Amos would be the easiest and laziest to make, 22-year old Vanessa Carlton's confident mastery of the 88's is more reminiscent of Ben Folds if he had Jewel's voice. Carlton's songs on BE NOT NOBODY deal with the emotional heft of love and life minus the collateral damage of physical and psychological abuse.

Armed with classical training (thanks to her piano teacher mum) and a honey-soaked vocal style, Carlton burned up the airwaves and MTV's heavy rotation with the breezy hit "A Thousand Miles," and there are plenty more tricks up the sleeves of this former ballerina's Danskin. When she's not giving herself over to infatuation on the yearning "Pretty Baby" or hinting at a dark side on her version of The Rolling Stones' "Paint It Black," she's hiding her vulnerability behind a barrage of pointed piano runs on the Folds-flavored "Unsung." Equally impressive are the jittery neo-funk of "Prince," the Suzanne Vega-like "Twilight," and the soaring pop of "Ordinary Day."

Vanessa Carlton probably couldn't have happened without Alicia Keys, but that doesn't mean they sound the same. Both artists are preternaturally talented and write on keyboards, sounding much older than their years. The difference is, Carlton pretty much revels in her advanced years, creating a record that recalls the lush ambition of Keys, but also the soul-searching of Fiona Apple and the precise intricacies of Rick Wakeman. Certainly, this wasn't something she planned to evoke, but the end result is pretty impressive all the same, because it's s

Includes four bonus tracks and enhanced video footage.

Additional Tracks

Recorded at IGA Studios, Santa Monica, California, Henson Studios, Hollywood, California and Royaltone Studios, Burbank, California.

Personnel: Vanessa Carlton (vocals, piano); John Goux (guitar, dulcimer, sitar); Gayle Levant (harp); Charlie Bisharat (violin, electric violin); Eun Mee Ahn, Al Hershberger, John Wittenberg, Rebecca Bunnell, Anatoly Rosinsky, Tamara L. Hatwan, Robin Olson, Ken Yerke, Alan Grunfield, Rene Mandel, Katia Barbra Porter, Tiffany Hu, Lily Ho-Chen, Franklyn d'Antonio, Joel Derouin, Mark Robertson , Sid Page, Jacqueline Brand, Bruce Dukov, Kirstin Fife, Clayton Haslop, Natalie Leggett, Phillipe Levy, Sara Parkins, Margaret Wooten, Berj Garabedian, Mario Diaz de Leon, Endre Granat (violin); Marlo Fisher, Mathew Cooker, Katia Popov, Keith Grezen, Karen Elaine Bakunin, Vicky Miscolczy, Karen Van Sant, Paul Cohen , Brian Dembow, Simon Oswell, Samuel Formicola, Dmitri Boviard (viola); Timothy Landauer, Bob Adcock, Suzie Katayama, Larry Corbett, Stephen Erdody, Armen Ksadjikian, David Low , Cecilia Tsan (cello); Ron Fair (harmonica, organ, vibraphone); Tommy Morgan (harmonica); Dan Higgins (recorder, woodwinds); Susan Greenberg, Cindy Ellis, Larry Williams , Rose Corrigan, David Shostac, Sheridon Stokes (woodwinds); Emil Richards (vibraphone); Walter Trey Henry , Nico Abandolo, Michael Valerio (double bass); Alex Al (upright bass, electric bass); Chuck Berghofer (upright bass); Abe Laboriel, Jr. (drums); Luis Conte (percussion).

Audio Mixers: Hugh Padgham; Jack Joseph Puig; Michael C. Ross .

Recording information: Henson Recording Studios, Hollywood, CA; IGA Studios, Santa Monica, CA; New York, NY; Royaltone Studios, Burbank, CA; The Netherlands; Tokyo, Japan.

Illustrator: Drew FitzGerald.

Photographers: Alan Silfen; James "Big Jim" Wright .

Arrangers: Vanessa Carlton; Randy Kerber.

Personnel: Vanessa Carlton (vocals, piano); John Goux (guitar, dulcimer, sitar); Ron Fair (harmonica, organ, vibraphone); Alex Al (electric upright bass); Chuck Berghofer (upright bass); Abe Laboriel Jr. (drums); Luis Conte (percussion).



This is an Enhanced CD, which contains both regular audio tracks and multiQ (10/02, p.102) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...Carlton sounds earthier, wiser and in for the long haul..."