Vonda Shepard

Ally McBeal: For Once in My Life Featuring Vonda Shepard

For once in MY life...

Review Score:

(10/10)
Every once in a long while, I come across a CD on which every song is good. I am a music fan in every sense of the word; I buy albums constantly just to see what they're like. Sometimes, I'm pleasantly surprised. "For Once in My Life" is just one of those really good CDs. Although I really do like every song, I'm most partial to tracks 3-7. Vonda Shepard is a wonderful singer and her soulful rendition of the Bob Dylan classic "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" really does the original justice. I was considerably happy when my mother, a hard-core Dylan fan, was speechless after hearing Shepard's cover. The other covers on the album, such as "Chances Are" by Bob Seger (performed by Shepard and Robert Downey, Jr.) and "Every Breath You Take" by Sting (performed by Sting and Downey Jr. and featured on one of the most romantic series episodes ever on television) were lovely. "Chances Are" is a beautiful song, and Shepard and Downey Jr. brought it alive. The Sting/Downey Jr. duet left me "breath"-less. It is truly one of the most endearing songs of our time, a song which has been remade constantly but never loses its heart. Track 6, the original Shepard song "You and Me" is completely infectious and a very pleasant love song. Shepard's ability to make a simple love song play over in your head is really amazing. "You and Me" is deeper than some bubbly love ballad - its lyrics are very poetic and describe the emotions of feeling alone even in the company of others. Track 7, my personal favorite, is a song called "Snakes," written and performed by Robert Downey, Jr. Despite his personal troubles, Downey really is a true entertainer, gifted in music as well as the dramatic arts. "Snakes" is the best song I've heard in a while, mysterious and completely profound. I just can't seem to stop playing it! Downey's voice is distinctly smoky and almost shy, in a way, as if he wants to tell you something but is afraid of revealing too much. I'm just sorry that I don't know what he's saying, but the lyrics I've figured out so far are simple but unsettlingly beautiful. The album also features such motown classics as "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" by Al Green, "You're The First, The Last, My Everything" by Barry White, and "When the Heartache is Over" by Tina Turner. For once in MY life, I've come across a great CD. If soulful love songs appeal to you, "For Once In My Life" is a must have. I don't think I'll ever be able to turn it off.

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