Beki Hemingway

Item: Too Much Plenty
Author: Lisa Reid

Too Much Plenty

(1999)

Reviewed by Lisa Reid

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Label Salt Lady RecordsThe Phantom Tollbooth2000

rock roots rock

Beki Hemingway is back with a vengeance. Many have been eagerly awaiting her first full-length solo album since rinse. repeat. came out. Fans of either Hemingway or This Train will be thrilled with Too Much Plenty, and even those unfamiliar with either should consider giving this a listen.

Too Much Plenty is a good, old-fashioned rock 'n' roll album, with lots of electric guitar, prominent drums, and Hemingway's signature power alto on every track. As Huey Lewis would say, "The heart of rock 'n' roll is still beating," and this CD is proof.

From a lyrical standpoint, there are several songs dealing with a child's point of view, including "Make You Proud," in which Hemingway takes every child's view of wanting to please the grownups in her life. This Train fans will be happy to see "Mary Alice," which talks about a child's fear of parents fighting, on this collection. The delightful "Fort Bragg" reveals that Beki was that kid (didn't we all know a kid like this?) who always had the whole neighborhood at her house:

Everybody's playing in my yard
Everybody's playing in my yard
Everybody knows that my yard is the place
to play, my mom makes the best Kool Aid
Everybody's playing in my yard
Look at me, I'm popular

Other songs deal with much more adult issues, like the disturbing honesty of "Sinsick":

I only bat my eyelashes
To get you into bed
I only get you into bed
To get you off my back sometimes
And I only want you off my back
So I can do the things
That you don't approve of
But I need your approval all the time

Fans will recognize "Grip" and "Tippie Toe" from rinse. repeat. Production of these songs is a bit more slick on Too Much Plenty. The face is the same; it's just had a small facelift.

In short, if well-written, skillfully performed, deftly produced rock music is right up your alley, hie thee to http://www.pastemusic.com and buy Too Much Plenty.

4.5 tocks