I am a musician myself, and am pretty critical when it comes to music. But this CD has blown me out of the water. Vanessa Carlton has talent beyond her years. Every line of every song is profound, if you listen well enough. This CD will always be at the front of my favorites list. Song to Listen To...Twilight. Listen closely and you will realize exactly what she is singing about.

Be Not Nobody, the debut CD from piano pop sensation and ballerina Vanessa Carlton, actually makes for one whopper of an album. Her dazzling piano playing--along with lilting, jazzy vocals that are instantly recognizable--makes for a unique and radio-friendly style that couldn't be any more polished if it tried. Despite all of her hits, namely 2002's inescapable ballad "A Thousand Miles", Vanessa still has a firm grip on her craft to ensure that it doesn't become lost in mainstream chaos.

Her words are just as fleshed-out as her sounds. Of the twelve tracks, only three or four have a more depressing nature, but as a pop album that fact works out fine. "Ordinary Day", the fantastic, swelling opening song, tells Vanessa's tales of an unsuspecting lover who gave her the advice to "take my hand / Live while you can". Unsurprisingly, unrequited love and lovesickness play quite a role in her songs, adding a sprinkle of realism among the concoction of sensationalism and glittering piano melodies contained herein. "Rinse", for example, is a morose but fantastic account of a girl slowly driving herself insane over her unreturned feelings for a boy. It starts off almost rushed, but explodes into a tempest of guitar licks and desperate lines that lash out with nothing but the naked truth.

The low point here is probably "Prince", during which the album seems to be winding down into a rather lazy final 1/3, but it picks itself back up immediately with a cover of the Rolling Stones' classic "Paint It Black" and (the real gem here) "Wanted", which has a great deal of Vanessa's distilled voice unaided by instrumentation. She shows off a natural and viciously honest side of herself that is only exhibited once on the whole CD.

But through the whole thing, there is always the reassurance that Vanessa knows what she is doing and knows the right way to do it. After this album and her follow-up Harmonium exploded onto the music scene, there's no question about this artist's exuberance and, above all, just plain talent.

I usually buy music based on one artist's song. In this case, the song was 1000 Miles. I liked it the first time I heard it and my interest was rekindled when it was used in the movie 'White Chicks'.
After purchasing it and listening through it a time or two, I focused on each song as it played. The second song that has trumped 1000 Miles thus far is 'Paradise'. I've always appreciated an artist who uses a full orchestra and Vanessa is no exception. The piano and strings played in the first few seconds immediately grabbed my attention. Then came this innocent voice that quickly grew into a young woman in total control of a very compelling song. As a person quite a few years older than Vanessa, I feel hauntingly seduced by the maturity and control of this young womans voice.

So I decided to post that. Here it is:

1. Ordinary Day
2. Unsung
3. A Thousand Miles
4. Pretty Baby
5. Rinse
6. Sway
7. Paradise
8. Prince
9. Paint It Black
10. Wanted
11. Twilight

Okay, now on to the review.

This CD is pretty good I must admit. While at times Vanessa can come off as whiny, all of these songs (minus maybe two of them) sound so different it keeps you interested. Vanessa isn't the strongest lyricist but her words do the trick.

Highlights: Ordinary Day, Pretty Baby, Rinse, Paradise, Paint It Black and definitely Twilight which is probably the best track here. A Thousand Miles is good too but it isn't my favorite anymore.

Lastly, I would like to say although this release is close to stellar, her follow up (which flopped) Harmonium, is the better CD. I do recommend it over this one because of songs like Who's To Say, Afterglow, Private Radio, Half A Week Before Winter and She Floats. Certainly great songs.

But all in all, I believe that if you like pop music that isn't too poppy, and you're into something with some meaning, a lot of sadness mixed with loneliness and longing, and a unique feel and vibe for nearly every song, then you should get this CD. ^_^

4.5 stars.

This disc has great songs on it, but they are recorded in a very poor manner. You can actually hear the microphone input clip on parts of certain songs. This is solely the fault of the recording engineer. In other parts you begin to wonder if the other instruments are the feature and not Vanessa.

If you are listening to this CD on a boombox or some HTIB system, you may not ba able to hear what I hear (I have Classe front end components pushing B&W 802D speakers.) When I purchase a CD I expect recording quality better than what I can do in my basement!

I've heard Vanessa Carlton's "A Thousand Miles" on the radio but it wasn't until her second album released that had really begun listening to her music.I purchased Harmonium and was amazed at the lyrics of her songs and how she made the piano a subtle yet essential part of her songs.

Soon after purchasing Harmonium,I purchased Be Not Nobody.I had perceived the obvious growth in her lyrics and the topics sung compared to Harmonium,but her powerful lyrics and piano-playing had obviously been carried over from her excellent debut album.

My favorites include "Ordinary Day," "Rinse," "Paradise," and "Twilight." I do admit that some songs are harder to listen to than others,but you will always stuble on a song or songs like that on any album...I would think.

The album features some of the most mysterious lyrics that seem indecipherable at first,yet when you really listen,you perceive a song's simplicity and its message.

I'd recommend this album to anyone who has casually heard her songs on the radio and liked it.If you like that,you'll love what the entire album has to offer.

I had had Vanessa's Carlton Be not nobody for a little more than a year , and at first I really didn't care for it . It was too classical for me. Then I started forcing myself to listen to it and found it to be pretty good! I love all the songs on here. And Vanessa has such a powerful voice, you can't help but fall in love with this cd. Anyways the best songs on here are :
Ordinary Day, Unsung,Thousand Miles, Pretty Baby, Rinse ,Prince, Wanted , Twlight and then my #1 fave is Paint it black. I know she is not the orginal singer of that song , but she has outstanding vocals on Paint it black.
Really good cd. You need it I am telling You.

i absolutely love this album! i think eminem should totally make another album like this! in the last song he really gets the crowd going with his awesome lyrics. eminem is i white biggity beat box.
o'doyle rules

I think this album is okay. Some of the songs seem a little boring to me but I love "A Thousand Miles" and "Paint it Black". Both of these are the best songs. And her music is really good, and it doesn't have cursing in it like other songs. I would reccommend buying this CD!

It was in 2002, when piano player and singer Vanessa Carlton had her music fall upon the public's ears. Carlton's music and sound is that of Pop/Rock, with a heavy but perfect orcestration. Along with an orchestra, there are professional guitars, bass, and drum players. These performers are what makes Vanessa's sound so interesting. They are truly the backbone to Carlton's music. Vanessa herself has interesting musical traits as well. Her voice is all but unpleasent, and her musical knowledge of how to play her instrument rings throughout the entire album. With this debut release, Vanessa Carlton landed herself several appearances on compilation CDs and as part of the soundtrack to the television show Charmmed. A track to take a good listen to is that of Carlton's version of "Paint It Black", its awesome in her style and sound. The record is a well thought and well performed piece of work.

Vanessa Carlton, to me, is amazing.
She is full of talent, with a voice that is powerful, and driven by feeling.
All of her lyrics and songs on this c.d. were written by her with the exception of "Paint it Black", and I have not heard anything like her before.
Many of the beats are catchy, the music flows and cascades, and the words are definitely from her heart.
That is why you could never compare her to anyone else.
I have tried and failed to find anyone that comes near her, and she is my favorite artist.
She is herself, and doesn't try to be anyone else.
Rinse is my favorite song on the track because it has a nice beat, beautiful melody, and just is a wonderful song.
I love the lyrics because they are not your average
break-up or I'm-in-love songs.
They're way deeper, and you will not be dissapointed if you buy this c.d.
There's nothing like it!

Singer-songwriter Vanessa Carlton hit the Top 40 mainstream charts with her sophisticated "A Thousand Miles" and became one of the It-artists of the early 2000s. Her debut album Be Not Nobody may not contain anything nearly as listenable as that instant first single, but a couple songs come pretty close, especially "Ordinary Day" and "Pretty Baby." Carlton has a sweet, girlish singing style that isn't impressive but doesn't grate over a record as much as, say, Britney Spears can, but the orchestra-driven CD carries her somewhat bland delivery to new heights. The sophisticated pop/rock album is full of songs that are truly performed in an incredible fashion, despite if one of handful are radio-friendly. Still, it's a great try.

Vanessa Carlton in my opinion is underappreciated by many people, she is phenomenal and the public haven't really embraced her talents with open arms. She was dismissed as a one-hit wonder with the success of her debut single A Thousand Miles, but this album shows to me that she has a real talent. I was in total awe after listening to this CD, it is truly amazing. Vanessa has everything going in her favour for this album. I am heavily disappointed that her sophomore flopped so badly!! I loved White Houses!! Why did it flop after the success of this album?

Be Not Nobody is a mixture of emotions, it has some dark moments yet it has up-beat songs as well. I love how it is mostly strings and the piano, my two favourite elements in a song. This masterpiece starts off with Ordinary Day, it may not have been a huge hit but it's one of the best songs on the album. The strings make it seem lke an epic classical ballad.
Unsung is a rocked up blues like track. It shows that Vanessa can dabble in rock without losing those lovely strings or that piano of hers.

A Thousand Miles has Vanessa playing the piano like a maestro. This is the chief reason why this album went platinum in the US. The song is a classic pop song, and it's not manufactured pop either which makes it that much better. Pretty Baby is a nice slower track that really works for me. Vanessa's voice here is soothing and beautiful.

Rinse was the title of the album that was originally going to be released. This track may sound like another track coming up but it is still really lovely, she conveys alot of emotions. Sway is surprisingly happy. Some people call it a weak moment in the album, but how can it be when this album has no weak points? I love this track, phenomenal.

Paradise sounds like Rinse but it is such an epic ballad that talks about having one more day in paradise, hence the title.
Starting off with an experimental drum beat/riff, Prince could be mistaken for a experimental dance track. It is experimental for Vanessa but not an alternative dance track. I like it because it has some nice repetitive bits and then it all slows down. So it isn't all the same!! It's nice.

She doesn't do a whole album of original material, next is a Rolling Stones cover, Paint It Black. This track is an excellent cover, she evens incorporates some of Jagger's flair into the song. Wanted has a nice sort of crazed piano bit in it. In fact the piano sounds totally mental, however the song is so great. I like the lyrics and yes, the mental piano.
To round out this album Twilight has great expectations to fill, heck does it round out the album in style. Twilight is a great song and possibly the best on the album. It is full of angst yet of reconciliation as well. Lovely end.

I love Be Not Nobody, this album is phenomenal. It is one of my favourites, possibly my favourite. Because at the moment I have no firm favourite album. This though is amazing, how did she pull of such a masterpiece? Some people may think that she will never regain her popularity after her slump, but I believe in you Vanessa, you can do it!!

The music industry got a treat in a true songwriting talent called Vanessa Carlton. Her 2002 uber-smash "A Thousand Miles" should've won Song and Record of the Year, hands down; not only did she compose the tune herself (unlike Song of the Year winner Norah Jones -- she didn't even write her only significant single "Don't Know Why"), it pretty much summed up 2002 in its 3 minutes and 56 seconds track. "Ordinary Day" and "Pretty Baby" are decent if only tepid singles compared to the ubiquitous first, and the rest of the album, though impressive with its lush balladry and use of orchestral movements, is filler (but good filler). But the first Carlton single "A Thousand Miles" is worth this CD's weight in gold. Sadly, Vanessa Carlton has not released anything nearly as irresistible as her first single and thus has yet to redeem herself again. Nevertheless, Be Not Nobody is a beautiful, if sometimes boring (save for "A Thousand Miles" of course) debut from a much-talented girl.

Be Not Nobody is the child of Rinse, which was Vanessa's first c.d. but it was never released I believe because Vanessa wanted her songs to have more of a background sound so they continued to reshape it till it became Be Not Nobody. Her Rinse album held many good songs that did not make it on BNN, but she picked out many gems that were on Rinse. This c.d. was no dud when it came out, and it still is a great c.d. The songs on here are a bit more light- hearted than they are on her sophmore album Harmonium and have more of a radio- friendly vibe and I think that's why it was so popular over her sophmore album. Yet on her Harmonium she has more of a mature and stable sound, and a lot more intimacy, while on BNN it was a lot more commercial and her maturity sounds like it was just blossoming, which it was. That's one reason I love this album because it shows the woman Vanessa was becoming and it did sound like a promising future for her.
When Harmonium came though it was amazing how well she grew, and how much more stronger she was music wise. And BNN started out that journey for her. And I could hear the maturity in her break out on this album beautifully, like on the in- depth and somber Paradise, and the raw and emotional Wanted. I loved the songs and on Harmonium she has just further strengthened that side of her. The Top 40 fans will not follow her anymore, because all they want to hear more of is A Thousand Miles, but people should realize she has grown from that era to a more mature musician. She was great in the BNN era, totally, but she only grew better in Harmonium and she will further more grow and I see nothing but success. Vanessa is a talented woman that just keeps getting better and I cannot wait for her third album that she is working on right now. It should come out either early or late next year- no one is too sure yet. Look out next year though.
Be Not Nobody though started it all, and how influential and beautiful and emotional this album is just makes it an awesome album to have. The best songs on BNN are Ordinary Day, Unsung, Sway, Paradise, Paint It Black, Wanted and of course the ever famous Twilight. Prince is the only song I don't like on here, I never got into it. The rest though I enjoy hearing.

I highly recommend this c.d. if you're into piano- driven musicians and I also recommend her sophmore album Harmonium. Both albums are awesome to own, and Vanessa Carlton is an awesome musician to know- one of the best we have out there.

Spend a sticky summer afternoon in the great (cool) indoors, curled up on the couch with your cat or dog and one of these great reads.

Pet First Aid for Kids!
by Craig Jones
Think Popsicle sticks are for gluing tacky stick houses together and "mouth-to-snout" sounds like a fatal factory-farm disease? Think again! Learn how to make a feline splint and give canine CPR. Get out your stuffed animals and practice-your animal's life may depend on it!

Saving Emily
by Nicholas Read
Emily is a young, unique cow who senses that her happy life grazing with her mother is about to change. She's terrified of being branded, auctioned, and killed until Gina, a spunky animal lover, teams up with the new boy in town in a daring adventure to help Emily take charge of her life. If you've ever dreamed about rescuing an animal and finding him or her a home at a beautiful sanctuary, you'll love this book.

A Dog's Best Friend: An Activity Book for Kids and Their Dogs
by Lisa Rosenthal
Weave your pooch a soft pillow or rug, design matching bandanas, and bake "peanut butter yummies" and "sweet treats" that are so scrumptious, you'll be on your knees begging your dog to share!

For more cool books, visit the Children's/Young People's Section of the PETA Bookstore at PETA.org.

While it is earfood listening to the beautifully strung "Pretty Baby" , I am not too fond of dark depressing tracks such as "Paint it Black" and "Prince." Carlton's voice, however.. is suited for both gothic and inspirational. She finds a compromise in the last song, Twilight. This song, in and of itself, has some of the most beautiful lyrics i've ever heard... but the creepy tone of the song is rather depressing. Carlton has a beautiful voice, no doubt about it. And she is a prodigious piano player. She must do wonderful in the adult contemporary category. Although her second CD flopped, it is perhaps because there was much dissapointment in the other tracks on this album.. besides the buttered up singles which were released. All in all, a very good album.

Here's the story:

You get some training as a ballerina, except you can't cut the mustard, and any hope that you had for a show biz career in ballet dies. You parents know somebody in the music business. They get you an interview and pull some strings. You get some training on piano and write some very rudimentary songs about female angst. Somebody at some record company thinks it'll sell so they put a lot of money into production and promote the hell out of it. Even the title "Be not Nobody" (Which some A&R guy probably thought up) smacks of teenage naivette.

Anyway, the CD sells.

A year later, you put out another CD, and it bombs, big time. It seems like some big talent was in all actuality, a blow out.

What happened?!!!

While Vanessa Carltons second album flopped, this album flourished and for good reasons. She released the right singles and got support from the media. This album is more light hearted than her second and i find it easier to listen to.

Ordinary Day-5/5 this song is fabulous. If you turn the volume up louder you can really appreciate the piano in it. And for those of you who dont like her vocals on this song: You try to sing it. the chourus is a very difficult melody

Unsung-4.5/5 this song is really upbeat, sort of rocky. a nice change after ordinary day

A thousand miles- 5/5 her trademark song. a great tune and great piano, but of course if youve heard it a million times on the radio itll get old fast

Rinse- 5/5 this is a really fabulous slow song. it grows on you

Sway- 3/5 really repetative, gets old kind of fast

Paradise- 4/5 a really lovely song, but its also kind of sad. Again this one will grow on you

Prince- 4/5 This one is cool. Definitely a sudden change after the slow soft tempo of paradise

Paint it black- 5/5 I love this one. It reminds me of her second album with its gothic elements. But its so great with its differnt tempos (the only cover song on the album)

Wanted- 4/5 this is where you can tell her vocals need to be improved- near the end of the song its quite painful. But other than that this is a great song thats really well written

TWILIGHT- BEYOND5/5- THIS IS THE BEST SONG ON THE ENTIRE ALBUM, MAYBE EVEN THE BEST SHES EVER WRITTEN. THE LYRICS ARE UPLIFTING AND INSPIRING. THIS CAN RELATE, NOT ONLY TO A BOYFRIEND BUT ALSO TO A MOVING EXPERIENCE IN YOUR LIFE OR MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE HELPED YOU. NEVER, EVER SKIP THIS SONG. my only complaint is that she gives the strongest performance of the chorus too early in the song- the second time.

This album is really great. if you like ordinary day and a thousand miles you will NOT be disappointed.
*as you can probably tell, i think the purchase of the album is worth it just to get twilight
I reccommend Be not nobody instead of Harmonium, if you like vanessas pop tunes and positive messages

<3 a soft rock/pop music fan

Listening to Vanessa Carlton's debut album for the first time was one of the most memorable moments of my life. This is the type of album that is so good that you remember who you were with what you were doing, etc. the first time you heard it. I saw the traveling piano video for 1,000 Miles on MTV in the middle of the night and was hooked. Vanessa dares to be different, she has a gothic feel to her, she seems so in tune, so connected and plugged in to the spirit world. The song, Paradise is wonderful, so sad and beautiful. Fans of those who dare to be different will find Carlton's latest work extraordinary. Recommended for fans of songwriters such as Amos, Apple, Fugate, and Lavigne.

Slllick. Digital slick. Pro tools slick. There is a photo in this album's booklet of the artist herself sitting lost and bewildered on the studio floor while behind her, handlers put what looks like a 60-piece orchestra through their paces. That about sums it up. There's a breathy little girl singer in here, who can occasionally summon some power and tinkle on the piano on some catchy numbers. Then, the expensive producers take it and make it very digital and very slick while the hollywood strings punctuate right along. Good product? You bet. Great music? Um, well... it's so slick it might slip out of my memory like butter. Soon to be dated? Yes, and then I fear it will be hilarious. But it's fun for now. And hey, at least it isn't obscene filth like much of this kind of thing is these days.

I liked this CD, but the lyrics are a little odd. They don't make a ton of sense all the time, but the vocals are great. And the songs all improve on second listening. Paint it Black and Thousand Miles are easily the best songs on there.

this was not a good debut for vanessa carlton the songs are not good there is no point on this album lets hope she does a 2 cd and it has to be good

My work colleague lent me this CD and asked me to give it a listen and I would like it as he did. I normally don't range into female singers but I trusted my colleague's taste and listened to it a few nights ago. All I can say is WOW. I was hooked to Vanessa's angelic voice by the hit song 'A Thousand Miles'. She has a great voice, and the way she sings will get any pop listener interested. She is a young lady but she has so much talent and she is showing it to everyone in this first album release.
Other songs well worth the listen is 'Ordinary', and 'Wanted'. I am looking forward to her next album release.

This is Vannessa's best album yet! If she is reading this, i hope she notices that! It rocked my socks off! Everyone sais i have a good taste in music so I hope this review is VERY helpful.

All you music fans out there here my words, BUY THIS ALBUM AND COMPLETE YOUR MUSIC COLLECTION!!!!!!!!!!

I actually bought her second c.d. before her first one because although I listened to Ordinary Day and A Thousand Miles on the radio I thought those were her only hits so I didn't buy the c.d. thinking like a lot of other artists she would have no other songs worth hearing. When I bought her second c.d. Harmonium though and heard the songs on there I knew I had misjudged this woman and bought Be Not Nobody. I was never disappointed, just like I was not disappointed to buy her second c.d. This woman has talent and just cause she doesn't have the same voice that ten other women on the radio have does not mean her voice is not worth hearing because it is and I happen to love her voice because it is different and that's what we need difference in the music world since it appears so many other singers plays it safe and sing like everyone else because they know at least they'll get a few quick bucks by being like everyone else. Vanessa Carlton shows her true strength by being different and if she is not the most popular then who cares she's doing what she loves to do and refuses to be anyone but herself and I admire that greatly in singers.

Ordinary Day- A: Great song. It's very inspirational and light- hearted.

Unsung- A- : Good song at first I skipped it but then I kept hearing it and got totally into the song eventually. Very strong.

A Thousand Miles- A: Will always be a great song in my book.

Pretty Baby- B+: Good song I like it but she has much more powerful songs on the c.d. than this. Very lovely song though.

Rinse- B: This song is all right but not great. Much better songs on here than this one but not terrible.

Sway- A+- One of my favorite songs. Love it. Period.

Paradise- A- Very deep and lovely song.

Prince- C- The only song on here I skip. It's not a terrible song but I think it's the weakest one on here. I don't catch on to this song.

Paint It Black- A: Vanessa rocks out on this song and I think she does it well.

Wanted- A+: One of my most favorite songs as well. I love the piano on this and also the way Vanessa speaks. She rules on this song.

Twilight- A+: Probably my most favorite song by Vanessa ever. It makes me feel like even in the bright sun in the afternoon that it's truly twilight and I grow at peace regardless how stressed I am. The song is beautiful and the lyrics are profound.

I bought this on the strength of " A thousand Miles" and wasn't disappointed. The piano is beautiful, and the melodies lovely.
A great CD to put on when driving, late night dining, socialising or laying back on your bed with headphones.
" Ordinary Day" and " Pretty Baby" are other strong tracks, but really there are no songs that are bad.
This singer will develop and mature with each successive album, and I can't wait to hear more of her stuff!
Great debut from this very talented singer!
Thanks for reading

I was complaining loudly, replete with threats of violence for everyone involved, about Vanessa Carleton appearing on my TV screen dozens of times per day and butchering the early Rolling Stones. The first time I heard, I assumed it was comedy: a female teenage version of Bill Murray's lounge lizard. After seeing it several hundred times, I was forced to realize that the entire farce was serious.

My wife often repeats my critiques of the garbage that is taken seriously in contemprary American culture, and when she did so about that awful, grating commercial, a friend confessed that her daughter loves Vanessa Carleton. My wife expressed her sorrow and, following the training she has received from me, offered to help arrange an Intervention for the poor teenage girl to save her.

What was good was that my wife's friend borrowed her daughter's Vanessa CD and allowed us to hear it. I can truthfully say that the CD is as awful as the commercial for the cable TV giant. That she is very popular only serves to prove my point that contemoorary American culture (certainly that which apes Hollywood and Madison Avenue) is utterly perverse in almost every way and is mindlessly incapabale of discriminating between good and bad, much less between better and best.

I have one question: who are the parents of this girl? If such an act is not comedy, for it to have been promoted so throughly means that the teeny bop child in question must be part of some very powerful family, most likely one with major hold over corporate 'entertainment.'

It's amazing how they can play a single song by an artist over and over and over on the radio, when it's not nearly one of her best ones. People hear that one song, "A Thousand Miles" and almost instantly believe that all of her music is so happy-go-lucky and cheerful. When that's truely not the case when it comes to this album. Vanessa Carlton's music can become rather, dark, mysterious, fantacial, and sober, which is where the true beauty of this album comes out. Carlton posseses some very raw tallent and her beautiful, almost hypnotic lyrics along with swaying melodies almost puts you under a spell. Buy this album, and I guaruntee, you'll never look at Vanessa Carlton the same way again.

"Ordinary Day" - A very light and catchy tune that is perfect for an opening song. It sort of keeps your hopes high and keep your dreams in mind.

"Unsung" - I don't exactly know why, but this song really helps me gain confidence whenever I listen to it. Its bluesy melodie and rhythm keeps you alive, and can really leave your bones shivering.
"A Thousand Miles" - This song, although rather overrated, is still a good song. It gives me that urge to travel, and see more of the world. Vanessa's amazing pianist skills combined with an orchestra of violins sets a great hypnotic mood.

"Pretty Baby" - I don't really listen to this one much. I don't know why. It's such a great song. It's another very positive one, at that. It can always cheer you up a little aswell. Maybe my ambition and crave for darker things just can't understand it too well.

"Rinse" - This is where things first start darkening up. There's something about the way the piano notes are written that almost make you actually feel damp, or like it's raining. The lyrics leave it clearly that the song is about a love triangle. It's all very well composed.

"Sway" - This one also makes you feel almost like it's raining, for some odd reason. Not the best or most distinctive, but just a plain not bad song. The part really I like is the ending where the piano fades away, and you hear Vanessa's voice in three different keys. This demonstrates how hypnotically the album is written.

"Paradise" - Now here's a song I never get sick of. Infact, I learned myself to play the whole thing on piano, since I loves it so much. These are one of the very slow, soft songs that can make someone cry. It somewhat does remind you of a dying sunset on a tropical beach, with palm trees blowing in the wind. It teaches a lesson to keep intouch with reality, or else you'll never want to go back.

"Prince" - A very short, almost questionable song. The lyrics are rather repeatative until a certain point. In the beginning, it almost sounds like it's going to be a rap song with the back beats, until you hear vanessa play some chords on the piano, and you change your mind by then. And all of a sudden- the entire melodie and beat changes. It's almost like you can see the room getting darker, and as the run hides behind the cloud, everything seems sober. Until you hear her repeating the word, "willing" the beat gets faster, and louder, and louder, until it returns to where you first started off. The lyrics somehwat remind me of a Cinderella fairytale.

"Paint It Black" I've always loved this song by the stones, and Vanessa portrayed her own style of it perfectly! Suddenly, she doesn't seem like the happy, sweet little goody-girl she appears to be from far away.

"Wanted" - Piano. Pure, untouched piano. It gives you a break from all the backdrum beats with the bells and whistles so you can hear what Vanessa can really do. You can almost hear and feel her fingers pounding on the piano keys and this. The song is almost on a rollercoaster as it gets louder, then softer, then loud again. At the near end, you Vanessa sings much louder, and is almost crying - growling, if you will - the last of the words out, almost like she's yelling at you, or trying to wake you up. Then before you know it, the music comes to an abrubt stop, and the song is over.

"Twilight" - This last song, can make you feel happy and depressed at the same time. Beginning with the beautiful notes plucked on the harp, it really gives you that dark, cool feeling. Like you're lying down onthe grass, looking up at the night sky. I especially love the flutes at the end, where it feels almost like there's a giant eclipse.

Well, those are just my views of how I look at the songs on the album. So what, if Vanessa isn't exactly "cool". If you can appriciate pretty music, you can understand this album.

I had never heard of this young woman until I saw her on a TV commercial recently. I never watched the entire commercial until it had aired 4 or 5 times, and just assumed that she was an actress who was playing the role of a school girl who aspires to be a singer, but sings flat and nasally. Finally, I caught the end of the commercial and was amazed to find out that she actually is a recording artist. I then just had to give her a listen. She is certainly a talented pianist, but I hear better singing from school girls when I take my kids to the playground. About 30 seconds of that voice is all I can handle. Vanessa would be a good pianist for someone who can really sing, but, as a solo act, she simply falls flat. Her piano playing is so strong, I hope she gets a good vocal coach and "rounds out" as a solo artist. I'm not trying to be mean here and promise that I'll listen to her latest (Harmonium). She's young and capable of improving greatly in a short time. I sure hope she has.

It seems strange, but I keep thinking that Vanessa Carlton should team up with Something Corporate or something. They're nearly identical. Fake string harmonies with leading piano and some high pitched vocals. Not bad, mind you. But they sure do sound similar.

A lot of people tossing up reviews here think Carlton is a delightful, original singer who is truly talented. These people are wrong. If it weren't for her nasally, wooden voice droning on about babies, angels and other feel-good bits of laughable pop music nonsense, this CD might be good for muzak, but why have such low standards to start with? Like the spoiled daughter of the school principal whose overlong recital warbles on unchallenged while vastly more talented artists wait in the wings, this has gone on far too long. Recommended only if you're short on clay pidgeons.

I think that these are really good songs. i'm really impressed that she wrote most of them and plays piano on most of them. most of the songs are good, but on some of the slower ones she starts to rasp a little. Thousand Miles, ordinary Day, and Unsung are by far the best songs. She is a wonderful musician and songwriter but her voice.......

I work in an office with seven other women and we have to listen to MUZAK all day long. I hate it, and I hate listening to "A Thousand Miles" over and over and over again.

After seeing Vanessa Carlton play "A Thousand Miles" at last years' New England Patriots halftime show during Thanksgiving, I was ready to murder somebody. Even my nephew, Nathan, who is ten, said that Vanessa Carlton's music "was kind of sucky" and compared her with Bon Jovi, who he also called "a jerk".

What could have Vanessa Carlton have possibly been thinking when she wrote "A Thousand Miles"? Does she have any music training? That would be hard to beleive.

Anyway, I give "Be Not Nobody" one star because I used to think that anything would be better than listening to that b*tch Alanis Morrisette, but I guess I was wrong.

Thank You

I LOVE VANESSA CARLTON. I became obsessed with "A Thousand Miles" and learned to play it on piano just from playing by ear. Don't worry I'm not that obssessed anymore haha, but I will always enjoy the song. The whole album is pretty good, but some of the songs may be a bit boring.

"Ordinary Day"--A very beautiful song. Most definitely my second favorite song on the album. It is about Vanessa going through an ordinary day, but seeing an extraordinary boy who helps her through her day. It is a very beautiful song, and you will love it from the first listening. 5/5

"Unsung"--An OK song. After 2 or 3 listenings it kind of tends to grow on you a bit. It is about her trying to talk to this boy who just won't listen to her and wants everything his way, yet she goes along with him because she loves him. The music is pretty good, but overall the song is just OK. 4/5

"A Thousand Miles"--SO SO ADDICTING! This is the song that took over airwaves in 2002, and the song that made me love Vanessa so much. The piano is breathtaking to say the least, and the whole song is an absolute masterpiece. The chorus pretty much explains the meaning of the song ("If I could fall into the sky/Do you think time would pass me by?/'Cuz you know I'd walk a thousand miles if I could just see you...tonight/"). The video for the song is famous for the travelling piano. The best Vanessa Carlton song ever! 10/5 (Yes, 10--I just love the song!)

"Pretty Baby"--The original album version is pretty boring, but the new radio version kicks [...]. It is so much better than the album version, and the song that should have been on the original album. For the old version: 4/5; For the new version: 5/5

"Rinse"--I really do like this song. The piano is beautiful, and I think it is about a girl who became obssessed with this guy, only to find out that maybe he wasn't Mr. Perfect. She tries to "Rinse" him from her memory. A great song. 5/5

"Sway"--Another great song. I can't really explain it, but it is just a good song. Listen to a sample of it from this site to see for yourself. 4/5

"Prince"--The album filler. It really doesn't belong, and is pretty boring. I think this was included just to make the album longer. 3/5

"Paint It Black"--A remake of the Rolling Stones song. It is pretty good, but is not one of the album highlights. 3.5/5

"Wanted"--the piano on this song is very fast, and I love it! The vocals could have been better, though; towards the middle she just shouts the lyrics and it's kind of irritating. Overall it is a pretty good song. 4/5

"Twilight"--very beautiful and relaxing. It is one of the album highlights. 5/5.

This album was nominated for 3 Grammys, but she lost to Norah Jones, who is pretty boring. Vanessa deserved all 3 Grammys, but oh well. She is still very talented. I highly reccommend picking up this album. Worth it!