Necessary Angels

Necessary Angels

ASIN: B000003MVQ

Track Listings

1. Pursuit of Happiness

2. Shadowboxing

3. Best of Times

4. Sister and Sam

5. Time Will Tell

6. Eye of the Storm

7. Oh, Daddy

8. Room of One's Own

9. Tiger in a Teacup Town

10. Slippery

11. Joy

12. Place Where the Garage Used to Stand

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
It's an uplifting tale: Artist is dropped by label (Elektra), outraged fans finance the buy-back of unreleased tapes, and artist gets a fresh shot while crediting by name those fans (her "angels") in the liner notes. A fine songwriter with rather ordinary vocal abilities, Hickman shines most brightly on the uptempo "Tiger in a Teacup Town" and a pair of tunes featuring Adrian Belew and Tony Levin, "Pursuit of Happiness" and "Room of One's Own." --Jeff Bateman

Tracks:

Pursuit Of Happiness
Shadowboxing
The Best Of Times
Sister And Sam
Time Will Tell
Eye Of The Storm
Oh, Daddy
Room Of One's Own
Tiger In A Teacup Town
Slippery
Joy
The Place Where The Garage Used To Stand

Amazon.com

It's an uplifting tale: Artist is dropped by label (Elektra), outraged fans finance the buy-back of unreleased tapes, and artist gets a fresh shot while crediting by name those fans (her "angels") in the liner notes. A fine songwriter with rather ordinary vocal abilities, Hickman shines most brightly on the uptempo "Tiger in a Teacup Town" and a pair of tunes featuring Adrian Belew and Tony Levin, "Pursuit of Happiness" and "Room of One's Own." --Jeff Bateman

Album Details

Her Third Album that was Refused to Issue by Elektra. A Dedicated Group of Fans Raised the Money to Buy the Tapes Back from Elektra and was Eventually Released on the Indie Label Discovery. Features Adrian Belew, Tony Levin and David Sancious.

Customer Reviews:

A Fairy Tale of an Album.......2004-02-19

Sara Hickman is one of many female artists that scored record deals during a craze when all sorts of "women in rock" were getting signed. Once Tracy Chapman and Natalie Merchant gave proof to the industry that dance divas weren't the only women that could hit number one, the labels went on a feeding frenzy. A few were actually successful (think The Indigo Girls and Melissa Etheridge), many got critically noticed (remember Tinita Tickeram?) but a lot of the ones that got critical acclaim also didn't sell huge numbers.

Such is the case with Sara Hickman, who's two albums to appear on Elektra were given strong reviews, some modest airplay ("I Couldn't Help Myself" and "Blue Eyes Are Sensitive to the Light") but only so-so commercial success. As she prepared to turn in her third album to the Elektra label, they decided they would exercise their option to pass on the tapes, and dropped Sara from their artists roster. When Sara put in a request to issue the music on her own, she was told that she could, but only if she bought her own mastertapes back.

Basically heartbroken, Sara retreated to Texas. It was her mom who made the kind of brilliant suggestion that only a mother could make, in the form of asking Sara is she could hold a bake sale or some similar fund raiser. Of course, on its face, the suggestion sounds ludicrous, but Sara got to thinking about it. If her fan base (and we are a loyal lot) would be willing to purchase a listing on the CD itself, perhaps THAT would be enough to rescue the album from gathering dust in a vault somewhere.

And even as far fetched as that idea seemed, somehow, it worked. Not only did Sara manage to raise the necessary funds, she managed to negotiate the price down. The money she raised was used to obtain the tapes, and also to start a childrens' fund that Sara maintains to this day. Once the tapes were hers to release, the fledgling company Discovery Records agreed to release "Necessary Angels." (Now for the irony: Discovery, as is Elektra, was a Time/Warner company. So in essence, Warners paid for the album twice. For the current decade's version, see Wilco's "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.")

After all that, how does "Necessary Angels" hold up after over a decade? Quite well. "Pursuit Of Happiness" and "The Best of Times" contain the kind of message that never loses its integrity. "Tiger in a Teacup Town" is the kind of humorous song that Sara excels in, especially live. And there are the kinds of touching folk songs that make you love the serenity of a simple acoustic guitar ("Joy" and "Sister and Sam").

It's enough to make you believe in the occasional miracle in the world that "Necessary Angels" saw the light of day. Maybe you haven't heard of Sara Hickman before (if you're reading this, I kinda doubt it), but she's too good to keep under wraps.

Can you wear out a CD??.......2003-08-02

I've worn out many records and cassettes in my day, but this will likely be the first CD I wear out. From the uplifting Best of Times through the fun of Tiger in a Teacup Town and Where the Garage Used to Stand, this one has played over and over. A Room of One's Own should have been a classic of all time. This is the only CD I've ever given to a friend where the person later took me aside and thanked me for turning him on to the artist...and his daughter loves it too ... I had to buy her one! Thanks Sara!

Sara WOW!.......2002-09-19

This is a wonderful album. From 1-12 the tracks are at once charming and full of angst.
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An Angel of an Album.......2002-04-14

I already owned the first two Sara Hickman albums when I found this CD in a cut-out bin. At first, I felt it paled in comparision to her first two albums, "Equal Scary People," and, "Shortstop." However, after repeated listenings, this has become my favorite Sara Hickman album. Full of personal, heartfelt observations of the world around her, the strength of "Necessary Angels" is Sara's songwriting. Unlike her previous album, "Shortstop," which leaned more toward acoustic pop, this album is driven primarily by acoustic folk, most notably the impressionistic "Shadowboxing," the emotional examination of "Time Will Tell," a wonderful piece about the circle of life as represented by women in her family titled "Sister and Sam," and "Joy," a beautiful observations on the life of a homeless woman. Sara's everpresent optimism and nostalgia can be found in the bouncing, rollicking memory of girlhood, "The Place Where the Garage Used to Stand," and the uptempo "Tiger in a Teacup Town." I consider this CD a treasure, in part because it is becoming more difficult to find, and again because this album was almost not released. Sara's record company refused to release the tapes, and she had to raise money from "necessary angels" to buy back the master tapes. Money well spent, any way you look at it.

Timeless advice wrapped in timeless sound........2001-10-19

I know this is an 80's album. Yet the style and delivery has been a mainstay for many years prior. As pop and rock styles floated in and out. Sara's type of music supported theaters and concerts. It is something that you can relate to today as well. It is possible that others found different tracks profound, yet I think that the first track (Pursuit of Happiness) is something to think about. Pieces of her songs get a little busy especially those that use electronics. But for the most part it sounds like the girl next door. This album definitely belongs in your collection and occasionally in your car.

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