Bitter

Artist: Me'Shell NdegéOcello
Label: Maverick
Category: Music

Average customer rating:

Media: Audio Cassette
Number Of Discs: 1

UPC: 093624743941
EAN: 0093624743941
ASIN: B00000JZC8

Release Date: 1999-08-24

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Tracks:

Adam
Fool of Me
Faithful
Satisfy
Bitter
May This Be Love
Sincerity
Loyalty
Beautiful
Eve
Wasted Time
Grace

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Peace Beyond Passion
Plantation Lullabies
Cookie: The Anthropological Mixtape
Dance of the Infidel

Customer Reviews:

Dark Mood Music - Approach With Caution!.......2007-02-08

I was going through a very dark period in my life when this album came out in 1999 and the songs on it spoke more directly to me than any other album I've ever owned or heard. Ndegeocello changed producers (her previous album "Peace Beyond Passion" was produced by David Gamson, this one by Craig Street) and went for a dark and moody sound with lots of acoustic guitar and strings, to tell her stories of betrayal, unrequited love and bitterness. I revelled in it. Interesting though, that the album didn't tip me over the edge like some of my friends thought it would; it actually gave me hope. Silly though it may sound, the album enabled me to realise that what I was going through was just a part of life, that I wasn't the only one to ever go through it and that there was a light at the end of the tunnel. After all the ups and downs of songs like "Fool of Me" ('And I have allowed you to make me feel... (I feel so dumb)/ What kind of fool am I that you so easily set me aside/ You made a fool of me/ Tell me why'), "Sincerity" ('Gives his entire self/ But it's all in vain/ His love for her drowns him/ In a sea of denial/ Her fear of being alone/ Will it keep her there?/ He loves with sweetness and sincerity/ While she, may only, pretend') and "Wasted Time" ('You rarely notice but I hang on your every word/ Everything you say/ You are much too busy to notice me/You turn and walk away'), the album ends on a positive note with "Grace" ('Your love's my only saving grace/ You caress my heart/ Kiss my face') and somehow I just knew everything was going to be okay.

That was quite a number of years ago of course and though I still play the album these days and still love listening to it, it doesn't have that same resonance. I just don't feel it the same way I did back then. I guess I have to wait for the next big depression?

(I'm not saying you need to be depressed to really enjoy this album, to truly experience it, I'm just saying that it definitely helped me).

Thanks, Meshell, for seeing me through the last big one. You are the queen of my heart!

What Becomes of the Broken Hearted? Find out..........2006-11-20

Once, Jimmy Ruffin asked us, "what becomes of the broken hearted?". Me'Shell NdegéOcello has the answer with 1999's "Bitter". This record is sure to adorn the speakers of broken hearted folks for evenings to come.

Me'Shell allows Craig Armstrong to produce this record, & Me'Shell handles the rest. The rest being the songs that paints the thoughts of one's confusion about love.

Musically, it is based in a soulful mixture of varying sounds. You'll find acoustic elements, lots of strings, rhythmic drumming, soft of course, amongst others. The true star is Me'Shell's voice, which matches the intensity of her musical arrangments.

Her phrasing soars on every song here, so a highlight is very hard to pick. Though "Fool of Me", "Faithful", "May This Be Love" (wow! here), & "Beautiful" take the cake.

Soulful, sad, beautiful, & remarkably human, "Bitter" hits you in all the right places & soothes the spirit that aches within. Highly recommended!

Classic.......2006-03-21

This album is a classic. If you want something that could make you feel every emotion in your soul, this is the album

A genuis in our mist.......2006-02-02

This is possibly the best CD out there. Me'shell will steal your heart and soul with each of these songs. It's a shame that good music is frequently overlooked for skippily dressed barbie dolls who barely know the music scale. (read: Pussycat dolls)Highly Highly recommend.

Amazingly Beautiful.......2006-01-31

From the opening track of MeShell NdegeoCello's "Bitter" to the last second you are left with a feeling of amazement and wonder. The album is simply beautifully constructed and well produced. A definate saddening classic. The sound of the album is so different and abstract to anything she has done before which made many critic the album as a "bad one" and "too white". I, however, think the album is mature and shows a different side to NdegeoCello. It is much more welcome than a "Peace Beyond Passion" part 2 would be, even though I think "Peace Beyond Passion" is also an incredible album. It has less of a hip-hop/ jazz influence than her past records.

1. "Adam"- A beautiful instrumental that took me a while to get into. It is a song that builds up at the right moments and is an excelent opener.
2. "Fool Of Me"- A beautiful track that introduces us to NdegeoCello's voice for the first time on the album. She works her vocals well, managing to sound saddened. Good lyrics and instrumentation.
3. "Faithful"- A beautiful track with great lyrics. The electric guitar at the end is welcome.
4. "Satisfy"- A great track. NdegeoCello's vocals sound happier on this track as the theme is lighter. It is a very poetic track.
5. "Bitter"- Possibly one of the most beautiful tracks ever made. The acoustic guitar really complements NdegeoCello's beautiful voice. The lyrics are so good.
6. "May This Be Love"- A Jimi Hendrix cover that NdegeoCello makes her own. Very beautiful.
7. "Sincerity"- A saddening song about how someone is true to their lover but their lover isn't true in return. The lyrics are good and the instrumentation works well.
8. "Loyalty"- Slightly more upbeat than the previous track. It is a beautiful track but I don't think the use of "D***" was really necessary.
9. "Beautiful"- The track name describes this track perfectly. You can tell by the lyrics exactly how sincere NdegeoCello is being. The instrumentation really complements the song. Everything about this is beautiful. It really makes me hate the song "You're Beautiful" by James Blunt as it is such a bad rip off of the track.
10. "Eve"- Another instrumental that works very well. It breaks up the album well.
11. "Wasted Time"- An unusual track as the male vocals are certainly different to NdegeoCello's. It works well however I don't like how the track ends so suddenly.
12. "Grace"- A beautiful way to close the album. A classic.

Overall this is one of my favourite albums of all time (just behind "Peace Beyond Passion" by the same artist) and offers a lot of diversity in music taste. Those who grew to love NdegeoCello's bass playing and her jazz influence may be slightly dissapointed in this complete turn in style but I think this is because they are not giving the album a chance. It grabs the listeners attention after several listens and won't let go. A complete success.

MARK- 10/10

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