American singer/songwriter Anastacia has found tremendous success in Europe, Australia and Asia since her 2001 debut with great tracks such as “I’m Outta Love”, “Paid My Dues” and “I Can Feel You”, but has not been able to make a dent on her native country’s charts. The artist has been praised by Michael Jackson and Elton for her powerful voice despite her medical issue troubles. Her last album with new, original material was 2008’s Heavy Rotationand fans have been anxiously awaiting the release of her next project. To satisfy her hungry fans, Anastacia proved women could sing memorable rock anthems also with the release of It’s A Man’s World in 2012. The album features covers of songs from The Foo Fighters, Kings of Leon and U2 and showcases the artist’s show stopping voice.
The short, ten-track album kicks off with Anastacia’s rendition of Led Zepplin’s “Ramble On”, a classic 1969 rock song. Supported by what seems only to be an acoustic guitar at times, the artist allows her vocals to shine on the raw verses then picks up the energy once the chorus comes through. There is not much production, no pop sound, just a woman showing she can do everything a man can do. Perfect, simple opening.
I was afraid to learn the artist chose to cover The Foo Fighter’s “Best Of You” since the song is one of my favorite music moments of all time. The strong, empowering track is perfectly written, lifted me up when I was down and Dave Grohl always blew me away, but Anastacia gives the song a softer, more vulnerable tone which works well. It may not be as amazing as the original, but it comes in a pretty damn close second.
Everyone who loves music has heard Guns N Roses’ “Sweet Child O’ Mine”, or at least Sheryl Crow’s decent cover. Anastacia bravely gives the iconic rock song a go and I like to think she succeeds. Immediately, the artist’s unique vocals take center stage as she proves that she could front a successful rock-n-roll band if she wanted to. Nice to hear another artist try to tackle the memorable song.
The artist puts a different spin on one of The Rolling Stone’s most popular tracks. “You Can’t Always Get Want You Want” is a great song thanks to its inspiring, sing-along chorus and its political undertones. Anastacia is able to bring the same magical spark to the song and I would love to see her duet with the iconic band later on down the road. The last minute or so is powerful. Great from beginning to end.
U2’s beautiful, top ten hit “One” is next in line for female care and the artist makes the rock ballad her own with a powerful performance that does not deviate too much from the original. The song is perfect for Anastacia’s strong vocal range and she is able to maintain the emotion that Bono must have felt while he was recording the epic song. A great addition for the album.
Anastacia seems to not be afraid of a challenge as she takes on AC/DC’s “Back in Black”, one of the band’s most recognized hits. The song is a piece of history and unfortunately this is one of the album’s few missteps. Instead of a hard rock performance, the artist scales it back a bit which does not do the song or her abilities any justice. This version does not have as strong of a punch, it’s simply okay.
One of my favorite moments on the album comes from the artist’s cover of “Dream On” originally performed by Aerosmith. Released as the effort’s lead single, the track is epic to say the least. The verses are good, they will quickly grab the listener’s attention, but it all builds up to the powerful chorus where Anastacia finally lets go and gives it her all, especially towards the end. The notes she is able to hit prove why she is still around.
The latest rock hit to get the artist’s treatment is King of Leon’s Grammy Award-winning “Use Somebody”, released back in 2008. The instrumentals and production of the original version are kept intact to support Anastacia and the finished product is a nice recording that once again focuses on making sure the vocals steal the spotlight. It is interesting to know the song works as well coming from a female perspective.
No matter who covers Bon Jovi’s “You Give Love a Bad Name”, I am going to love it probably just as much as the original, see Blake Lewis’ American Idol performance. The statement stays true for Anastacia’s rendition. As soon as the intro begins, you know you are in for something good and the artist does not let you down. Nothing is worse than a woman’s wrath and the artist releases some angst on this number one smash.
The album closes with Anastacia singing Oasis’ “Wonderwall”. The version is raw, just like the original, and is a powerful performance to close the effort with. I’m sure it will be adored by critics and sums up the type of artist Anastacia really is. She has a distinct way of singing, something that separates herself from the rest of the crowd. “Wonderwall” is a beautiful, well-known song and the artist gave it the proper cover it deserves.
It’s A Man’s World unfortunately does not feature any original material from one of the most underrated artists to step into the recording studio, but Anastacia gives iconic rock tracks sung by men a needed and interesting female perspective. The artist shows off the powerful voice that warrants a music career and not once does she sound as if she is giving some half-assed, karaoke performance. Fans of AC/DC, The Foo Fighters, Aerosmith and The Rolling Stones will look at these versions as a job well done. Anastacia has just proved she is a rock star and is preparing fans for the next chapter in her career. The cover album receives an 87%.
Tracks to Hear: “Best of You”, “One”, “Dream On” and “You Give Love a Bad Name”
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