That summer was the summer when, duringa visit to my father's house in Marine, Minnesota, I first heard Jewel. My stepsister was playing this album as we cleaned house, and as we cleaned, the song "Little Sister" grabbed my attention. A virtual stranger to the folk/pop genre, I was immediately moved by the song's personal/political lyrics and spare acoustic sound.

Soon after, I purchased "Pieces of You." It was months before the album left my cd player.

In many ways, Jewel was a stepping stone for me. In the years since, I have moved on to other, more skilled female singer-songwriters, from folkies like Tracy Chapman, the Indigo Girls, Catie Curtis, Shawn Colvin and Ani DiFranco to popsters like Paula Cole, Sarah McLachlan, Tori Amos and Bjork. The number of female singer-songwriter albums in my collection is nearing 160. In a sense, my initial idolizing of Jewel prompted a fullscale revolution in my music tastes.

Now, as Jewel releases her third album, I find myself asking wondering whether she deserved the adoration I once bestowed upon her. I find myself returning to her first album, questioning what it was that once made this work so special to me.

I find myself realizing that there is indeed something special about this album.

Is Jewel something of a bubblehead? Absolutely. Is she one of the most gifted singer-songwriters of our time? Absolutely not. However, "Pieces of You" showed a potential for lyrical intelligence lacking in her later work. The songs are sincere, accessible and meaningful. There are no cryptic or pretensious lines about "concrete and honey," or ridiculously uningelligent metaphors such as "your heart like grape gum on the ground."

In her early work, Jewel doesn't try to be anything she's not. Her simplest lyrics are ofen her least ridiculous -- "I'm sensitive and I'd like to stay that way," is not neccesarily a naive statement. It is the statement of someone who simply wishes for a world w/ less pain.

And though this album is chock full of flat notes and fumbled chords, it is precisely these minor flubs which give it its character. As a result, it is endearing in a way Jewel's later work can never be.

In the begginning, Jewel showed some promise of intelligence. Unfortunately, this was quickly squandared, giving way to the idiotic and meaningless sub-par pseudo-poetry of "Spirit."

However, I will always be tempted to look back to "Pieces of You," to wonder what could've been, what might've been -- and what for me once was.

If you have any interest in hearing the closest thing to sincerity in Jewel's career, pick this up. It's worth a shot.
--TIM J-Y


Pieces of my Soul   November 24, 2004
 11 out of 11 found this review helpful

Who Will Save Your Soul: Nice instrumentals and a very good song. Really fun to listen to. "Another day, another dollar, another war, another tower went up where the homeless had their homes." 4/5

Pieces of You: This is really raw music. Not at all filed down for the ears of the regular people. I admire that Jewel knows how to do this. "Do you hate her cause she's pieces of you?" 4/5

Little Sister: A wonderful song but rather painful to listen to. The lyrics are so powerful. "Hey little sister, I heard you went to Mr. So-and-so, knocking on his door last night, said you needed it bad." 3/5

Foolish Games: The most amazing song Jewel's ever written. Beautiful, heart-wrenching. Jewel's voice is really mature. "In case you failed to notice, in case you failed to see, this is my heart, bleeding before you." 6/5

Near You Always: Jewel is really humble in this, talking about what love can do to anyone. An enjoyable listen with a fine line. "And when you look in my eyes...my heart is in your hand." 3/5

Painters: A lovely and sad ballad with a nice tune. You get really into it. "They were painters and they were painting themselves a lovely world." 5/5

Morning Song: An interesting song. I wish it could have taken a different turn, since the title is so intriguing and the song turned out so typically. It's kinda cute though. "Let the phone ring, let's go back to sleep." 2/5

Adrian: Really sad. Not divinely enjoyable to listen to but the lyrics are involving enough to keep the song going. "People talk, people stare, oh, Adrian come out and play." 3/5

I'm Sensitive: A drifty, fun song. Great lyrics. "I was thinking that it might do some good if we robbed the cynics and took all their food. That way what they believe will have taken place..." 4/5

You Were Meant for Me: A great song all around. Hard to find anything wrong. "Break the yolks, make a smiley face...even after you're gone." 5/5

Don't: Rather a duplicate of Near You Always, switched around to the negative view. A fine song. "Don't let me fall in love with you again." 2/5

Daddy: A very angry, frustrated song that really gets going. "Gonna make you just as vulnerable as I was, Daddy. What's that say about me?" 3/5

Angel Standing By: Slow, moving, and beautiful. Something you just keep listening to. "Telling you you were never anything less than beautiful...I'm your Angel standing by." 5/5

Amen: Really wise lyrics. A haunting song with whispered tones that grow and subside. "Some are being beaten, some are being born, and some can't tell the difference anymore...Hallelujah." 5/5