The Good Book - MELANIE***

The Good Book/Babe Rainbow/Sign On The Window/The Saddest Thing/Nickel Song/Isn't It A Pity/My Father/ Chords Of Fame/You Can Go Fishin'/Birthday Of The Sun/The Prize/Babe Rainbow (Reprise)

The Good Book was singer songwriter Melanie’s last authorised release on the Buddah label before setting up her own recording company. Some critics were disappointed by the number of cover songs. (US:80 UK:9)

“This was recorded while Melanie was at loggerheads with her record label Buddah, and while it doesn't seem to have impacted the craft of the album, the presence of three covers and the frequently dour mood of these songs seem to reflect an artist who was not entirely at peace with herself.”

“Melanie's cover of Dylan's Sign On The Window and her own title track both depict a woman tired of the music business (if not her art) and eager to look after kids rather than deal with the trappings of stardom. If her take on Phil Ochs' Chords Of Fame and her own composition, The Nickel Song, lack the agrarian influence of former tunes, if anything they're even stronger variation on the same theme.”

“There's no such thing as a Melanie album without a bit of emotional excess, and she speaks her heart and mind with clarity and gentle force on these numbers, while finding room for the hard won wisdom of The Saddest Thing and Judy Collins' My Father, and the playful proto-feminism of Babe Rainbow. If Good Book was a product of a troubled moment in Melanie's career, there's little arguing that she made the very best of a bad situation.”

“Melanie is one of the truly great entertainers. Although she has sold millions of albums, she has not enjoyed the wider public recognition such a powerful voice and amazing song writing prowess deserve. A whole new generation should be listening to this amazing artist.”

“Melanie writes songs that mean something different to every person who hears them. It is simply poetry to music, its life as it happens and she leaves you somehow connected to a moment.”

“The Good Book, contains several classic songs, but also shows Melanie's increasing disenchantment with the music business. There is one piece of nonsense (a spoken narrative that lasts just half a minute) but don't worry about that, as there are ten great songs on the main album, plus a reprise of one of them.”