Jewel’s personal history is quite intriguing. She grew up in the wilderness of Alaska on a 770 acre homestead that lacked running water, had no heat, only possessed a single outhouse, and her primary food source was anything her family could kill or can. She had a love for music at a young age– growing up she and her father would perform as a father-daughter duo in local taverns, cementing her love for live performances. Jewel’s vocal techniques were also significantly influenced by that upbringing. Her father taught her to yodel from a young age, and eventually Jewel would attend Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan to train in operatic singing. Both of those distinctive elements of yodeling and operatic voice would eventually come together to form the basis for her distinct and unique voice.
All of this led to her debut album Pieces Of You. Comprised of songs she wrote between the age of 16 and 18, the album vacillates between moving vignettes of lost love and somewhat vapid observations of American life that end up landing a bit too folksy even for a folk album. The album was actually a flop upon its first release in 1995, but after the one and only Bob Dylan asked Jewel to open for him during his 1997 tour, Pieces Of You took off and become one of the best-selling debut albums of all-time carried by lead singles like “Who Will Save Your Soul” and “Foolish Games”. The album is actually quite unique in that it is comprised of songs recorded in two locations– Neil Young’s Broken Arrow Ranch studio in Redwood City, and a collection of live performances from San Diego coffeehouse The Innerchange that features a live audience clapping after the end of each track. It’s all a bit jarring at first but eventually becomes a sort of guessing game you play with yourself before each song concludes to see if it’s a live or pre-recorded one (and for the record I nailed all but one of the live songs).
Standout Songs: “Who Will Save Your Soul”, “Foolish Games”, “You Were Meant For Me”, “Angel Standing By”
