Cheap Hoodoo (Music) (Alison Moyet) Price

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Customer Reviews of Hoodoo

A voice found at last
Four years after her smash hit cover of Ketty Lester's "Love Letters", Alison Moyet heralded the release of her "Hoodoo" album with the searing "It Won't Be Long." It might have earned a Grammy nomination and critical kudos but it scared the bejaysus out of inane pop-pickers on playlist panels. So much so, in fact, that the two subsequent (and more commercial) A-sides from this set would be utterly sidelined.

Alison Moyet had clearly found her voice and a clear artistic vision. "Hoodoo" at once embraced her soulful roots, her pop sensibilities, a taste for shouty blues/rock and her unrivalled talent for smoky chanson. "Footsteps," with its soulful horn section and superglue hooks, slinkily opens proceedings before "It Won't Be Long" comes along to strip emotional paint. Next is the jewel in this album's crown, the hauntingly beautiful "This House." Imbued with longing and loss, it never once falters into saccharine balladry and its failure to become a global smash remains a mystery. It remains one of the very finest songs of Moyet's career. Elsewhere, the lilting "Wishing You Were Here," the skittering electro-reggae of the gorgeous "Back Where I Belong" and the strident pizzazz of the funky title track keep the standard at a very satisfying high.

Overall, "Hoodoo" is a very dark album. The feminist call-to-arms of "Rise" is bedded in a swampy arrangement and "My Right A.R.M." is a dense mood-piece. Closing the album is the gospel tinged "Find Me," which has 'modern standard' written all over it.

It is a mark of this album's strength that, all these years later, it still packs a punch. True, some of the arrangements and production are 'of their time' ('Never Too Late,' for instance) but the quality of the performances and the writing remains awe-inspiring. It is fair to say that the real Alison Moyet emerged with the release of this album. She found her voice and started to use it in fine style.

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Flawed in parts, but on the whole, a great record
Listening to anything prior to Alison's triumphant 2002 album 'Hometime' seems difficult now. The sheer beauty and craftsmanship on her last album overshadows anything Alison has done before.

Sony, bafflingly, deleted Hoodoo some years ago, and Ms Moyet's new label, Sanctuary, snapped up the rights to both this and the underwhelming 'Essex', and have re-released them, remastered, not repackaged.

The intervening 13 years have been surprisingly kind to Hoodoo, apart from the 80's sounding 'My Right ARM' and 'Never too Late', both great songs, but sounding a little tired nowadays. The title track still sounds like a Prince song (which is a good thing... check out 'More' from 'Hometime', another song in a similar vein), the breathtakingly fabulous 'This House' still send shivers down the spine (best opening line EVER in a song: "Whose sticky hands are these, and what is this empty place?"....genius), and the toe curling 'Meeting with my main man' still stands out like a sore thumb and is clearly a song Alison should never have touched with a bargepole. This, along with the dreadful 'Rise' (put down those frying pans, ladies), are the album's severe lowpoints. But these are more than compensated for - 2 duff tracks on an album full of gems...ahhh.

'It Won't Be Long', the first single from Hoodoo, alienated many of her 'pop' fans, and the resulting sales for Hoodoo were lukewarm. Don't let that put you off - Hoodoo is ten times the album 'Alf' or 'Raindancing' is - more adult, more honest and infinitely more textured and interesting.

This, along with 'Hometime' and the two glorious Yazoo albums, are the 'essential' Alison Moyet purchases. Also worth mentioning is the forthcoming Anne Dudley-produced covers album (due late summer 2004), which promises to be more than interesting. How fantastic it is to see this fine lady doing what she does best again, and seemingly loving it. To have a glorious voice is one thing - to have THAT voice AND be a brilliant, clever, witty lyricist - a rare talent.

And it has to be said - she looks rather sexy on the cover of Hoodoo, too.....;-)

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Thank heavens
This cd is my first pick of must haves. "Alf" can pack more of an emotional whallop in one lyric than any of the "divas" of today could put in to an entire album. If you enjoy a deep voiced, powerful female vocalist, you are going to LOVE Alison Moyet and this, of all her albums, is the BEST. She belts out this emotional roller coster with such passion she will haunt your cd player for years. Unlike her following solo releases, this one is soulfully earthy and mostly accoustic sounding. Very different from her electronica albums. ( not that they're bad, just different) Try it, you're gonna fall in love.