If It Makes You Happy

Strong Enough	The Globe Sessions For some fairly shallow performers, there comes a time when their craft becomes a chore, when scribbling songs for the big follow-up album turns into a black-and-white deadline. Clever composers can almost disguise this ennui, burying it in a smarmy, sunshine-beaming mix. Key wor...	Everyday Is a Winding Road	C'mon, C'mon Sheryl Crow's first studio album in four years shows a woman if not on the verge of a nervous breakdown, then one who has gone a little off the rails and is in the process of pulling herself back on track again. For her past three studio albums, Crow has been known as the quintes...	Sheryl Crow Skeptics who attributed the success of Sheryl Crow's 1994 debut, Tuesday Night Music Club, to a combination of Crow's seductive good looks and a shrewd choice of collaborators have been effectively silenced by the range and depth of songs and performances on her self-produced, po...
Good Is Good, Pt. 1 The single is released with the album version of the title track and two acoustic versions of tracks from the album, 'Wildflower' and 'I Know Why' plus the video for Good is Good. The songs are distinctly personal yet have a broad and classic appeal. Universal. 2005.	Tuesday Night Music Club Sheryl Crow's proper debut--an earlier, slicker record was scrapped in favor of Tuesday Night--occasionally reaches too far in attempting Significance, as when the album opens by name-checking Aldous Huxley. Usually, though, Crow and her band of L.A. session and singer/songwriter...	Live from Central Park This is how a live album should sound--full of irony, crackling energy, and stellar guest pairings. Those who looked askance when Sheryl Crow--never a girl's girl--joined Lilith Fair for 1999 may develop a different perspective after hearing Central Park. After all, Lilith allowe...	Detours Sheryl Crow is set to release her sixth studio album, DETOURS. The album marks the return of producer Bill Bottrell, who previously worked with Crow on her breakthrough debut album Tuesday Night Music Club, which earned the singer three Grammy Awards, and sold more than ten milli...	Wildflower Tour: Live from New York Studio: Uni Dist Corp (music) Release Date: 12/05/2006

Cool Sheryl Crow!
Great hook, strong vocal performance and cool lyrics. Of all Sheryl Crow's fine singles "If it Makes You Happy" is simply the coolest. Taken from her 1996 album, which along with "The Globe Sessions" show Crow's most rocking side. This single also contains 3 non-album tracks which make this single a real great buy, even if you already have bought the album. The cover of Eric Clapton's "Keep On Growing" gives Sheryl and her band another chance to rock. I'll choose Crow's cover anytime to the original. "I'm Gonna Be a Wheel Someday" is a cover of a Fats Domino song. Quite relaxed performance that does not sound very much like anything else Crow has recorded. Doesn't sound like a Fats Domino track either. "No One Said it Would Be Easy" is a great 1994 live performance of one of the strongest songs of her first album.

Modern Day Rock Pop Classic
A recent rediscovery of Sheryl Crow's music has made me appreciate it more than I think I ever did. This time last year I was besotted with the woman, but then throughout this year as I explored different artists such as Bjork and Tori Amos, she kind of faded into the background. However, I popped in her self-titled sophomore album the other day and was thrilled to rediscover that the freshness of her music has survived until this very day from way back in the mid-90's. That second album followed the multi-platinum "Tuesday Night Music Club," and contained some of Sheryl's most recognisable hit singles, such as "Home," "A Change Would Do You Good" and "Everyday Is A Winding Road." However, there was one other song, which eclipsed all these and is probably Sheryl's second biggest hit to date after her classic debut "All I Wanna Do." That song is, indeed, "If It Makes You Happy." Although not a big hit in the charts, the song is somehow embedded into the public consciousness due to mass radio airplay around the globe. It seems everyone knows this song whether they want to or not. The song itself is an upbeat raw rocker with a chugging beat and chunky guitars. Sheryl's vocals are bitter and raw. Some like this, others don't. The song opens with the first verse, where Sheryl sings, "I've been long, a long way from home. Put on a poncho, played for mosquitos, and drank 'til I was thirsty again. We went searching, through thrift store jungles. Found Geronimo's rifle, Marilyn's shampoo and Benny Goodman's corset and pen." Sheryl then sings the bridge to the chorus, "Well OK, I made this up! I promise you I'll never give up." Sheryl then sings the classic chorus, "If it makes you happy, it can't be that bad. If it makes you happy, then why the Hell are you so sad?" Sheryl then proceeds to sing the second verse, "You get down, real low down. You listen to Coltrane, derail your own train, well who hasn't been there before? I come round, around the hard way. Bring you comics in bed, scrape the mould off the bread, and serve you french toast again." Sheryl then sings the bridge, "Well OK, I still get stoned. I'm not the kind of girl you take home." Sheryl then sings the second chorus, before a typical instrumental kicks in. After this, Sheryl sings, "We've been far, far away from here. Put on a poncho, played for mosquitos, and everywhere in between." Sheryl then sings the third bridge, "Well OK, we get along. So what if right now everything's wrong?" She then sings the chorus again over and over until it finishes. The only complaint I have of this song is that the first part of the chorus, "If it makes you happy!," is a little loud, especially when on the "Happy" bit! Apart from that though, this song is a modern day classic that I am sure radio stations will be playing for years to come! The video is great too, check it out!

Like it, Love it, or Hate it...
I'll be blunt. Sheryl Crow is one of my favourite female artists out there today. I understand why others might not like her style (or her voice for that matter) but to each their own... As for this particular song, it really blew me away. The harsh edge she brings to the lyrics, the raw energy she gives into this performance makes this song appear all too real for me. The 'screeching' (as some may call it) is overwhelming at times, but that's what I love about it. It's meant to overpower you... and it made me happy.

Crunchy Frog
Of course I like the single, that is the beauty of buying a single, you know you will like at least half the songs on it. Sheryl Crow is an artist that pushes her emotions through the songs and into your ears. I didn't buy it for "musicality" or to be wowed by tonal ranges or subtle inflection. I bought it because it made me happy.

You know what you're getting when you buy it...
I have read many reviews regarding Cheryl Crows voice and I must diagree with many of them. Admittedly, she does not have the amazing and inspiring voice of Celine Dion nor the glass shattering octave range of Mariah Carey (sp?), but that doesn't mean it doesn't work for her. I think it works well with the tone and flow of the background music. It's sassy, harsh and vibrato-less, but at least when she sings a note, she's dead on the money and stays there until she moves to a different note. I personally liked being jolted out of my seat when the mellow verse transitioned into the hard driving chorus. It's like some hot peppers in my otherwise bland omelette. If it's too wild for you, I am sure you can still find some Barry Manilo or James Taylor CDs.