Sometimes, in the manic climate of today’s popular music sphere it can be easy to forget how certain artists—and records—truly defined an era. Thankfully, Jewel Kilcher’s debut LP Pieces of You (1995) isn’t one of those albums that could ever be forgotten. In its original compact disc form, the project spanned fourteen tracks comprised of both studio and live recordings.
Thematically, Pieces of You is an engrossing song cycle about life and love as intimated by Jewel’s unique vocal and lyrical perspective. Released on Atlantic Records in early 1995, the long player went on to major commercial and critical renown, propelled by the hit singles “Who Will Save Your Soul,” “You Were Meant for Me,” and “Foolish Games.” Almost overnight, Jewel joined a distinct class of women who revised the female singer-songwriter script for the 1990s.
Jewel would keep recording music, her sonic identities compellingly shifting across albums such as Spirit (1998), This Way (2001), 0304 (2003) and many, many more—but Pieces of You has arguably remained her strongest statement of artistic intent for fans and pop music enthusiasts.
As such, it comes as no surprise that Craft Recordings is set to reissue the album on double-LP vinyl this Friday, February 15th. The vinyl release follows last month’s CD reissue and ropes in five additional songs that were featured only on the Japanese and New Zealand pressings of Pieces of You back in 1995. One can only hope that the remainder of Jewel’s discography will get the same treatment that this longstanding classic has received, as its peerless legacy deserves to be maintained for years to come.
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