Track Listing

1. Cradle and All [Live] - Ani DiFranco
2. Wolf - Catie Curtis
3. When the Silence Falls - Janis Ian
4. Maryland - Vonda Shepard
5. Just Enough - Toshi Reagon
6. Notion - Barbara Kessler
7. Letting Go - Fiona Joyce
8. Wild Horse - Eliza Gilkyson
9. Thru Cryin' - Kristen Hall
10. If You Leave Me Now - Laura Love
11. Testimony - Ferron
12. Off the Ground - Christine Kane
13. I Met a Man [Live] - Toni Childs

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #44730 in Music
• Released on: 1996-11-05
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.com
In 1996 the interest in singer-songwriters was cresting and women were a big part of the emerging trend. The songs they wrote were not about fanciful dream images; they came from real life and were insightful, bitter, funny, and often painfully intimate. While a vanguard of younger artists were just finding their way, established performers were also being rediscovered, and the two groups gave each other considerable inspiration and support. These 13 songs are an amazingly accurate time capsule of a period when the vogue finally shifted to include singers who used small forces to sort out big problems and overwhelming emotions. Romances go sour, philosophy brings cold comfort, and reality is sometimes too much to stomach, but the women keep going as best they can despite craziness, opposition on various fronts, and their own frailty. With Ani DiFranco, Janis Ian, Vonda Shepard, and Toni Childs. --Christina Roden

Customer Reviews

Discover great singer songwriters
This CD is one I bought at random, because I happened to like the cover, and it's one I've never regretted. It rarely leaves my CD player for long. If you're looking for real lyrics that have some true poetry in them, sung by beautiful voices, and accompanied with actual music, then you've found the right CD. There are a few tracks that I don't care for, but that's to be expected. Barbara Kessler's "Notion" is perfect, and Eliza Gilkyson's "Wild Horses" makes me cry every time. I've discovered several new artists from this CD that have since become some of my favorites. God bless Putamayo. Buy the CD.

An excellent selection of important female artists
As a long-time fan of Ani DiFranco, I was thrilled to find this rocking, live version of "Cradle and All". I didn't know any of the other artists, but soon grew to love them. This has become one of those albums I can't live without! The CD includes quite a few up-and-comers, all of whom I hope begin gaining the widespread attention they deserve. Most of the songs have a folk edge to them, but a couple break the mold. The songs tend to not be overtly political, focusing mostly on stories of things that happen to women. Many of these stories will ring a familiar chord. If you are a fan of contemporary women's music and are looking to expand your horizons, this album is the perfect starting point!

An unbeatable collection of women singers
This CD is a collection of powerful and diverse female voices. Women's Work provides a good introtuction to a variety of women singers. Because it includes a variety of styles, most everyone will find something they can relate too. I strongly reccomend this CD to anyone who wants to add some flavor to their CD collection!