Track Listing

1. Foreclose on the House of Love
2. Dance With Me
3. Baby, Why Not
4. Honeypie
5. Give Me a Chance
6. Didn't You Know
7. Give It Up (Give In)
8. So Many Rivers to Cross
9. Storm
10. Lowdown
11. Hurricane on China Lake
12. Three Hundred Pounds of Hongry
13. If It's Really Got to Be This Way
14. If Ain't One Thing

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #101316 in Music
• Released on: 2003-04-22
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .18 pounds

Album Description
Texas pianist/vocalist Marcia Ball is at a creative and commercial high point in her career. After years of critically acclaimed releases and thousands of jam-packed live shows, Marcia's career has kicked into high gear since the release of Presumed Innocent. So Many Rivers showcases Marcia Ball's mastery of roadhouse rock, New Orleans R&B and deep soul ballads, along with a continuing sophistication that makes her a prime candidate to reach fans of adult rockers like Bonnie Raitt and Lucinda Williams. Digipak. Alligator. 2003.

Amazon.com
If Bonnie Raitt played piano and had a little more New Orleans in her, she'd be proud to claim the soulful sincerity of this release as her own. Producer Stephen Bruton (long Raitt's lead guitarist) polishes this groove-laden set with rich arrangements of horns and harmonies, as Cajun accordionist Wayne Toups, former Storyville vocalist Malford Milligan, and blues guitarist Pat Boyack provide additional sonic spice. Though the second-line syncopation of "Foreclose on the House of Love," the buoyant swamp pop of "Honeypie" (with Toups), and an acoustic, mandolin-driven transformation of the funky "Three Hundred Pounds of Hongry" find the veteran blueswoman in playful spirits, she shows her depth as a balladeer on originals such as "Give Me a Chance" and "The Storm," as well as a revival of Arthur Alexander's classic "If It's Really Got to Be This Way." Between the river towns of New Orleans (Ball's musical homeland) and Austin (where she's based), these 14 cuts cover a lot of ground. --Don McLeese

Customer Reviews

More like it.
I was disappointed with Marcia's last album, "Presumed Innocent", as it had a somewhat antiseptic sound for this most organic of performers. "So Many Rivers" sounds much more vibrant and closer in feel to her best album: "Let Me Play with Your Poodle". Her playing and that of her band is solid and rollicking. The mix between rockers and ballads is perfect. However, to experience Marcia at her best you need to see her in concert. This album should provide some excellent fodder for her current live set. A live album would really do Marcia justice.

No House of Glass
"So Many Rivers" is a high point for Marcia Ball. An accomplished pianist, she has a crack band to help fill in the gaps. Six of the tracks are originals that she penned. My favorite is Danny Timms' "Hurricane on China Lake." Although this was copyrighted in 1978, this is the first recording of the tune I can find. Marcia's bluesy piano pounds out the melody, "It's blowing the walls down; You find your house of glass in pieces on the ground." Donnie Fritts & Gary Nicholson penned the beautiful melody of "If It's Really Got to Be This Way," a sad slow breakup lament that Marcia's vocals fully embody. On "Give Me A Chance," Marcia's piano goes gospel with Greg Smith's sax and the Los Angeles Horns giving Marcia's powerful vocal a classic soul feel that'd put a smile on Al Green's face. Danny Timm's "Dance With Me" bounces joyfully on the set's feel-good track. The material on this set is consistently good. The performances are first rate & make this a delightful jewel! Enjoy!

Marcia Ball - Some Many Rivers
This is a fabulous album. I highly recommend it to everyone interested to just purely great music. Not noise. End of story.