Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Norah Jones is part of a popular trend that's going on right now: putting a pretty girl behind a piano. I really expected more from Norah because of the ravishing reviews and Grammy nominations, I really did, but this CD turned out to be as tasty as a rice cake. Norah has "sultry" voice, but she lacks any kind of vocal range and doesn't display any kind of emotions throughout her songs. "Come Away With Me" starts off on a smooth note with "I Don't Know Why" and makes you think that you'll be in for something more, but after that song everything that comes after it just goes downhill. If you're not paying attention to the CD it would be hard to find out if a song has just started or ended because they all sound the same; there is nothing unique about any of them. I was hoping there would be some experimentation with certain sounds and that she'd have some East Indian influence in her music, but there is none. How is her music considered jazz and who had the nerve to compare her to Billie Holiday? After I listened to Norah's CD I listened to Billie's CD- immediately and thank goodness it was close at hand- and I realized that there is nothing similar between the two of them. While Billie was able to express emotions through an array of beats and melodies, Norah's "sultry" voice- along with the music- remains stagnant and monotonous throughout "Come Away With Me." I didn't feel relaxed or inspired at all, just bored and anxious. Sure, Norah wrote some of the songs, but that doesn't make her better than other *real* jazz greats like Billie and Etta like one reviewer tried to imply. It's not *what* you do but *how* you do it. Billie didn't write many songs, but it was her voice and feeling that she put into the songs that touched many people. Norah writes lyrics, uninspiring and dead lyrics, and puts no magic into them. While Norah Jones may want you to "come away" with her, she ultimately leads you nowhere. Don't believe the hype about this CD. It's definitely the most overrated album of the year. "Come Away With Me" has just tied with Sade's "Lover's Rock" CD for being just one long boring song. If you want to listen to REAL jazz, skip this floozy and get Billie Holiday or any of Sade's earlier work.