Hearing It First
Beth Nielsen Chapman
You Hold The Key
Sand And Water
That's the easy part
You light up my life
In the time it takes
Happy girl
Sand and water
 |
Hearing It First (1980) Capitol Records |
Listening to this album the first thing I noticed was that
Beth's voice didn't change much over the years. The music reminds me of what I was listening to
in the late '70s early '80s. The instruments, the arangements, it's all what you can expect from
an album made in 1980. If Beth would ever release a 'Best of BNC' then I think 'I'll start
walking out' should be one of the songs on there. I made Real Audio sound clips of some of the
songs on the album, I hope you enjoy them.
Alex van Renesse
| Track | Title | Songwriter | Playing Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hearing it first from me | Beth Nielsen Chapman | 02:50 |
| 2 | Here today and gone again tomorrow | Beth Nielsen Chapman | 02:59 |
| 3 | Never say never | Beth Nielsen Chapman | 02:20 |
| 4 | Hazel's song (Every time you leave me) | Beth Nielsen Chapman | 03:15 |
| 5 | If only I'd known | Beth Nielsen Chapman | 03:48 |
| 6 | Start again | Beth Nielsen Chapman | 03:22 |
| 7 | When love is new | Beth Nielsen Chapman | 03:14 |
| 8 | Tired old lady | Beth Nielsen Chapman | 03:02 |
| 9 | No stopping you now | Beth Nielsen Chapman | 03:35 |
| 10 | I'll start walking out | Beth Nielsen Chapman | 03:14 |
 |
Beth Nielsen Chapman (1990) Reprise Records 7599-26172-2 |
My favourite song is 'Years' from her second album. It is about Beth going to visit her parents for Christmas and describes the feeling and memories she gets on the moment she turns on the street she grew up in.
| Track | Title | Songwriter | Playing Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Life holds on | Beth Nielsen Chapman | 04:42 |
| 2 | No system for love | Beth Nielsen Chapman | 04:20 |
| 3 | I keep coming back to you | Beth Nielsen Chapman / Bill Lloyd | 03:28 |
| 4 | Walk my way | Beth Nielsen Chapman / David Austin | 05:35 |
| 5 | All I have | Beth Nielsen Chapman / Eric Kaz | 04:18 |
| 6 | Child again | Beth Nielsen Chapman | 04:15 |
| 7 | Take it as it comes | Beth Nielsen Chapman | 04:23 |
| 8 | Down on my knees | Beth Nielsen Chapman | 05:02 |
| 9 | Avalanche | Beth Nielsen Chapman | 04:50 |
| 10 | That's the easy part | Beth Nielsen Chapman | 04:27 |
| 11 | Emily | Beth Nielsen Chapman | 05:28 |
| 12 | Years | Beth Nielsen Chapman | 04:54 |
 |
You Hold The Key (1993) Reprise Records 9362-45233-2 |
The Japanese release contains a bonus track.
Q magazine review by Rob Beattie
When country music crosses over, it sometimes loses clarity, and that's
what's happened here. Beth Nielsen Chapman's a real songwriter (she's served Willie Nelson,
Waylon Jennings and Tanya Tucker) and wants to have a go at everything-country rock, torch
blues, folk, there's even a drum loop in here. I Don't Know and You Hold The Key should have
set the pace-insistent and up front, a concerned Carly Simon. But all the edges disappear as
if she's fed the rest of the album through a fluffy Whitney Houston machine, (the brutal
Rage On Rage is the exception, all the more stark becase of the company it's forced to keep).
A spirited duet with Paul Carrack threatens to light a fire under the second half, but it
takes the choirful Faithful Heart and Dancer To The Drum (a small miracle, as if Jackson
Browne had written From A Distance) to restore any belief. (2 stars out of 5)
| Track | Title | Songwriter | Playing Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | I don't know | Beth Nielsen Chapman | 03:58 |
| 2 | You hold the key | Beth Nielsen Chapman | 04:06 |
| 3 | Dance with me slow | Beth Nielsen Chapman | 04:19 |
| 4 | Say it to me now | Beth Nielsen Chapman | 04:48 |
| 5 | When I feel this way | Beth Nielsen Chapman | 04:20 |
| 6 | Rage on rage | Beth Nielsen Chapman | 04:19 |
| 7 | Only so many tears | Beth Nielsen Chapman | 04:08 |
| 8 | In the time it takes | Beth Nielsen Chapman | 04:18 |
| 9 | You say you will | Beth Nielsen Chapman / Verlon Thompson | 04:20 |
| 10 | The moment you were mine | Beth Nielsen Chapman / Steve Dorff | 03:31 |
| 11 | Faithful heart | Beth Nielsen Chapman | 03:31 |
| 12 | Dancer to the drum | Beth Nielsen Chapman | 03:41 |
Guest vocalist: Paul Carrack on "In the time it takes"
 |
Sand And Water (1997) WEA/Warner/Reprise 46521 |
The back of the CD booklet contains the following note
from Beth:
"I could never have imagined all the twists and turns my life would
take since the release of my last record. I lost my husband Ernest to cancer in August of 1994.
The year that passed between his diagnosis and his death was one of profound sorrow, deep
learning and incomprehensible wonder for us both. The songs on this album reflect many stages
of grief and healing for me. It has been a long struggle, but I'm starting to feel more joy
these days. And every aspect of my life has deepened in meaning. That has been a gift in the
midst of this loss. I hope this music will touch a chord with others who have lost a loved one.
In my experience there is no way around grief -- there is only through to the other side."
| Track | Title | Songwriter | Playing Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The color of roses | Beth Nielsen Chapman / Matt Rollings | 04:52 |
| 2 | Beyond the blue | Beth Nielsen Chapman / Gary Nicholson | 05:00 |
| 3 | All the time in the world | Beth Nielsen Chapman / Bill Lloyd | 03:44 |
| 4 | Sand and water | Beth Nielsen Chapman | 04:09 |
| 5 | Fair enough | Beth Nielsen Chapman / Dominic Miller / Kevin Savigar | 03:40 |
| 6 | Seven shades of blue | Beth Nielsen Chapman | 04:25 |
| 7 | Happy girl | Beth Nielsen Chapman / Annie Shoes Roboff | 03:34 |
| 8 | Thanks to spring | Beth Nielsen Chapman | 03:45 |
| 9 | No one knows but you | Beth Nielsen Chapman | 04:43 |
| 10 | Heads up for the wrecking ball | Beth Nielsen Chapman | 03:58 |
| 11 | Say goodnight | Beth Nielsen Chapman / Joe Henry | 03:59 |
| 12 | Sleepless nights | Boudleaux / Felice Bryant | 02:45 |
| 13 | The color of roses (instrumental) | Beth Nielsen Chapman / Matt Rollings | 01:35 |
The CD was released in Japan on April 25th. Tracks 8, 12, and 13 are Japanese bonus tracks.
There are several guest vocalist on this album:
Michael McDonald on "Seven shades of blue"
Amy Grant on "Thanks to spring"
Bonnie Raitt on "Heads up for the wrecking ball"
J.D. Souther on "Sleepless nights"
 |
In the time it takes (1994) Reprise CD 5439181682 |
| Track | Title | Songwriter | Playing Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | In the time it takes (single version) | Beth Nielsen Chapman | 04:17 |
| 2 | You hold the key (album version) | Beth Nielsen Chapman | 04:07 |
 |
Happy girl (1997 Reprise CD 936243932 |
| Track | Title | Songwriter |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Happy girl (album version remix) | Beth Nielsen Chapman / Annie Shoes Roboff |
| 2 | Seven Shades Of Blue | Beth Nielsen Chapman |
| 3 | All I have | Beth Nielsen Chapman / Eric Kaz |
 |
Sand and water (1997) Reprise CD 9 17269-2 |
| Track | Title | Songwriter | Playing Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sand and water | Beth Nielsen Chapman | 04:07 |
| 2 | Beyond the blue | Beth Nielsen Chapman / Gary Nicholson | 04:58 |
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