RJ Chesney Review

A song in her heart -(or Mary Queen of Scotland)

This is my review of "A song in her heart" by Mary Kathleen Burke (or Mary Queen of Scotland, as I call her).

I fell deeply in love with Mary's voice the moment I heard it. It's a pure voice full of life, vulnerability, and sweet sadness. Her voice is traditional yet comtemporary, her style traditional Irish yet closely related to what we in the states call Americana. Call it what you will.... I call Mary's music Gorgeous!

Today my copy of " A Song in her Heart" arrived in the mail. I immediately downloaded the cd into my portable MP3 player, so I could drive around Hollywood and listen to the album from start to finish.... with 14 tracks the album is packed with A+ material....... Mary only wrote one of the songs , but she interprets this mixture of traditional folks songs and comtemporary songs so well, that it is hard to imagine anyone singing them besides Mary.

The sequence of the songs took me on a journey and when I got to my final destination and the final note, I was overcome............

I get in my car and turn onto Sunset Boulevard, the normally sunny sky is overcast and rain is falling lightly on my window shield..... appropriate weather I think, as i listen to this album from Scotland..... Mary starts the album with the traditional song "Black is the colour (of my true loves hair)", a song I have heard many versions of over the years, yet Mary brings it fresh to my ears........ I smile as I listen and drive through the California mist. I look up into the Hollywood hills above me and the second songs starts playing. Its a traditional song I have never heard before called "My True Love". Mary sings it so sweetly...... the touches of ache around the edges makes me feel as if I've known this song for a very long time....... With the mix of fiddle, piano and acoustic guitar its a lovely tune that pleases my ears and touches my heart......

As I pull into a gas station the third song comes on.. the song is called "Compared to you"..... I sit in the car at the gas pump, I am stopped......unable to move....... Tranfixed by this combination of Voice & Song, I begin to weep, Damn it Mary! Its only the third track and you have me crying like a newborn already........ I wait for the track to finish put the player on pause, compose myself , get out, pump my gas and return to the roads.......

Now I am on Hollywood Boulevard just blocks away from a place where something very tragic happened...... The very worst thing I have ever experienced...... not quite two years have passed......... "Compared to you" indeed, I think to myself........ "Rest Now, Sweet Angel" I say to the sky.......

The next song comes on and its a song I know well called "A Woman's heart". I originally heard Mary Black and Emmylou Harris duet on this song........ Emmylou is my Queen of Queens, and somehow even if its just for a moment Mary makes me forget Emmylou (Now thats something!)........ following this song comes another great song called "Power and Honesty" Mary's voice soars and soothes, her phrasing on this song is spectacular!!!! its a beautiful song........... one of the lines goes:

"If they ever feel the pain that brings them to the floor, I'll take it all, if I can...... until they hurt no more....... I find power in their honesty".......

The next song is a traditional song called "The Home I left behind" a song mary's mother used to sing to her when she was a child. With its theme of someone leaving home for a far off place, I feel deeply connected with this song and its one of the songs that makes me feel a kinship with Mary........ a woman I only know through song and cyberspace....

Damn you woman! I think to myself, this object of my affection, I feel so close to her, listening to this cd. Yet, I have a feeling my Mistress has a million other loves who will discover her charms and take her from me........ Lift her up and crown her Mary Queen of Scotland (though she is an Irish gal by birth and by heart).........

The next song comes on.... its called "James" and Mary dedicated it to her son, by the same name.........

One gets the feeling from her music, that Mary has gone down, hit rock bottom and then has risen victoriously to the suface......

I get the feeling this is not an album made by a victim, its an album made by a Victor, who has triumphed over adversity. You can hear it in her vocals..............

There is nothing ground breaking about this album....... though the musicianship is excellent , the song choice stellar and Mary has a great voice , but so do a dozen other Irish divas.......

What makes this album EXTRAORDINARY to me is the vulnerablility in the vocals and the loving care of the selection of the material.... Bravely Mary peels off her protective layer and presents these songs with honest dignity. If one of the songs were chosen for "commercial" reasons , I don't know which one it would be... I get the feeling this song cycle was chosen as if it was a life and death decision...... How painstaking it most have been to find the exact order of these songs.........

I could go on and on about this album, but I am going to jump forward a bit...... The next to last song on the cd is called "When my Morning comes" written by the amazing Iris Dement......... If you listen close to Mary you can hear a bit of Iris in there.... Makes me wonder what they would sound like together......

The rain is still falling, I turn onto Gower as the final song comes on....... Its called "Give me time" and from the first note it grabs hold of me. I have heard this recording before , but listening to it in the context of the album the song hits me like a ton of bricks...........

I listen to the lyrics:

"give me time , give me patience, give me reason, give me rhyme. Lost at sea , lost my presence, lost salvation , lost my mind..... Hard to breath, in this prison, hard to see you, I am blind, many roads I have walked on , I don't know if one is right.......

So goes the song and so goes my composure, as I pull into the parking space, I am overcome, once again I start to weep, and weep and weep...... the cd comes to an end and I sit there in silence and I think "Damn you woman, you have given me a gift of unbearable beauty"...........................

I compose myself and I head into the gym. I decide to listen to the album again as I work out........So with headphones on I go about my workout....... Then several songs into the second listen in the middle of the gym as sweat rolls down the bodies around me, tears well up then over flow and roll down my cheeks.... I feel the ground start to move "thats funny" I think to myself "I'm not on the stairmaster?????" ...... EARTHQUAKE !!!!!!! I run toward the exit........ I am the only one running for the door , everyone around me goes about their workout! the emotion builds as I run toward the exit. trying to hold back a tidalwave........... I make it to the parking lot.... I start to weep......weep some more........then I start sobbing........ and sobbing.....and sobbing...... "Such Beauty" I think to myself....... "Such unbearable beauty"......"Damn you Mary Queen of Scotland!!!!!! I 'll get you for this "............The end.......

Singer-songwriter-Guitarist-recording artist & Radio Presenter

Website Designed and maintained By Mary Kathleen Burke

Buy The Debut Album now ! " A song in her heart" online at www.greentrax.com and in all good music shops online and offline worldwide. Get yours today and support Mary's Music