Selections from the Album Leave Your Sleep

My mommy got me this CD, and since then, my jump rope hasn't stopped! She's even better than Raffi! I'm glad she stopped doing stupid songs like Motherland, and Ophelia!

i was at a natalie merchant concert and even though i liked the songs a lot anyway, hearing her explain the background on each of them was very special.

This is a musically uplifting album. What a great job. From all corners of the world of styles. Add Natalie's voice to these melodies and you get OMG!

Please read the attached digital booklet. The songs contain the lessons that taught us as children, the prat falls and joys of adult life to come. Maybe a reconnect with those experiences would be good for all of us. A little pathos along with the giggles. Sorry Barney! Then again, a silly song is just fun too!

ZZZZZZZZZZZ. Sorry, this is where I get off. Actually, I passed on her last "album" as well. This thing, apart from a handful of songs which would fit nicely on the O' Brother Where-art Thou soundtrack, is unlistenable. When I'm in the mood for old-folks music (which I do enjoy in it's own right) I'll listen to the original source material, or at least a band like Union Station with Allison Krauss who know what they are doing with the material. I'm an old school Natalie fan who greatly misses the bouncy and jangly fun of her Maniac days. I remember seeing her when I was 17 - she was a ball of dancing energy, a whirling dervish of vibrant passion. The Maniacs had a rhythm section so good it was stupid and Robert Buck was entrancing on guitar. She was young and passionate - the music was youthful and driven, propelled like a rocket ship to energize the soul. This stuff is the cure for insomnia. What happened? "Motherland" was the straw, with Natalie suddenly deciding to drop an octave and swallow her words in a Lurch-like manner. This was an artist who had long taken great skill and pleasure with her vocals, singing naturally and from the heart. Now all of the sudden, no doubt under the influence of a very dubious vocal coach, she's a constipated school marm who is intent on hitting a single note - the note of despair, over and over and over again. Pass.

Natalie has evolved over the years beautifully. All of her albums are different in their expressions of passion and Love. This is no exception! Worth the Wait.

I have been a fan of Natalie Merchant's from the beginning and she has continued to grow as an artist and person and we may all not like everything she does. She has reached a point in her career where she can do what she wants. I would love to hear more of the Tigerlily and Ophelia music but the very essence of this is her voice at this time. She is a brilliant woman who is very well read and this is not the first time (Carpenter's daughter) where significant ancient poetry has been brought to life by her with some of the most beautiful music by some incredibly talented musicians. Will you be able to get through the last 20 minutes on a treadmill with it? Perhaps if you were walking. WIll it set a nice mood in the evening with candles; brunch with some friends; a bubble bath; a fun, formal tea at home? Certainly. Enjoy what she has brought to us - sensational poetry with beautiful music! Enjoy.

I am probably one of Natalie's most passionate fans and I appreciate her mixed style. This albums misses her passion, purpose and change driven voice of her earlier albums.

Where is the gifted artist who gave us Tigerlily, Motherland and Ophelia? Not in these recordings, in my opinion. Please Natalie you are so much more talented than this!

I saw Natalie in concert last night & she performed many songs from this new album. She was absolutely amazing, but the new songs are "eh." The stories behind them are nice though, so that does add something. And the composition is outstanding-- her band was phenomenal. So I guess what I'm trying to say is, I actually do like this album, but I would only purchase select songs. (I loved the Peppery Man and The Janitor's Boy)