Meredith Brooks- Blurring The Edges (with the single "Bitch").

Meredith Brooks had a hit single (her only hit, I think) back in 1997 with Bitch:



I just picked up the album the single came from called Blurring The Edges

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blurring_the_Edges

and I was pleasantly surprised by it. It's not outstanding but it is totally solid throughout and makes for a nice listen which is more than I can say for a lot of other albums from the late 90's.

If you like Alt. Rock, give it a chance. Used copies are plentiful on Amazon Marketplace very cheaply if you don't want to pay full price for it.

I think I'm gong to have to start exploring the rest of her catalog.

She has a blog here:

http://www.kissingboothblog.com

and a website here (which apparently hasn't been updated in awhile... but probably because she hasn't done much musically lately):

http://www.meredithbrooks.com

 

Brooks was also in the Graces, Charlotte Caffey's post-Go-go's band.

They didn't do well, but I liked their almost hit:



Though listening to it now... it's not aged as well as I'd like!

 

BTW, when "Bitch" came out, my then-girlfriend loved it and was convinced that Brooks' album would be as big a hit as "Jagged Little Pill". I told her that albums as successful as "JLP" were insanely rare - "Blurring" could've gone platinum and still not sold one-tenth the copies moved by "JLP".

Nonetheless, my GF insisted it'd be as big a smash, so we bet on it. I even gave her good "odds": if "Blurring" sold 20% of "JLP"'s total, she'd win.

And I let her have 18 months to sell all those albums!

It took me a year and a half, but I eventually collected on that bet!

 

So what did you collect? what was the bet? Inquiring minds want to know. Don't leave us hanging.

 

Y'know, I don't remember! Probably just dinner or something like that. Sorry it's not that exciting!

I did offer to bet literally anything with my dad a couple of years ago. He insisted that Gene Kelly and Jerry the mouse danced together in "American in Paris", which I knew was incorrect.

I told him if he was sure, we should bet, and I'd bet absolutely anything. I'd shoot my dog in the head, burn down my house, cut off my dick and throw it into the river, whatever - I knew I wouldn't lose so what did I care?

 

I gave it a few listens, because the single was so great, and was disappointed. As I recall, the rest of the songs were much more in the alt-folk category than that pop-friendly "Bitch" had me believing.

 

There were two other singles from Blurring The Edges after Bitch, but I don't remember hearing them on radio or seeing videos for them on MTV:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blurring_the_Edges#Charts

She had a followup album released in 1999 with two more singles that did nothing and was promptly dropped from the label.

She's released a few more albums since then but without the major label support she's been relegated to the One Hit Wonder category.

 

This is nice, but Belinda's version is much better. IMO.

 

Well, at least she didn't confuse Meredith for being Alanis like a lot of people seem to. I swear, Bitch is mislabeled as being an Alanis song on YouTube and it used to be labeled that on the old Napster.

I guess I can see why people who weren't paying any attention might assume it's Alanis, but sheesh...

 

It's pretty clear Brooks was trying really hard to ride the Alanis bandwagon. "Bitch" couldn't be more of a copycat song if it tried - it's up there with stuff like Regina's "Baby Love" as one of the most blatant "soundalike hits" ever made...

 

Huh - I never realized Carlisle covered it! Just listened to it - it's okay, but I don't think it's a great version...

 

I bought it the day it came out....always loved it. She never really did it again....she made a few more records, I have them, they're "ok"....but, that first one was special.

"Stop" was a fave in the day.

Interesting note given the forum we are posting on....this is one of a handful of records I bought in the mid 90s that I thought "why do CDs sound so bad now?" See: loudness mastering.

 

My favorite Graces song is the folk-pop song Tomorrow. That one made it to a comp or two I made back in the day:



Actually, this may be my favorite song by either The Graces or Meredith Brooks solo.

 

I loved "What Would Happen" off of this album and still can't believe a song with that much heart stalled at number 46 on the charts.

 

Actually, all of Meredith Brooks' CDs are worth a listen.

 

Bitch video is good, very period.
Is she more a rocker Aimee Mann?