Forget You

Liner Notes

The Best of Sue Medley – 20th Century Masters: Millennium Collection

Sue Medley could belt it out with the best of them. One night at New York’s Madison Square Garden in 1992, the singer did just that, joining Eric Clapton, George Harrison and others on stage for the all-star “Bobfest” tribute and roaring through a couple of Dylan numbers in a memorable performance with heartland rocker John Mellencamp. Sue fit right in with the boys.

But Medley’s ace up her sleeve – and what really set her apart from the other female voices – was the way she could turn a vulnerable lyric into the most heart-wrenching ballad you’d ever heard. Tough and tender, sweet and seasoned. Over the course of two critically acclaimed albums in the early ‘90s, she combined those qualities to great effect, establishing herself as a formidable artist in the tradition of Southern-style belters like Bonnie Raitt and Melisa Etheridge.

Medley acquired that gritty style in the northern setting of British Columbia. Born in Courtenay, on idyllic Vancouver Island, she immersed herself in the Southern blues-rock bands like Little Feat and The Allman Brothers and decided to become a singer. Armed with a guitar and a piano education from her music-teacher mother, she quit school and began performing in bars. After playing folk, blues, jazz, Top 40 – even singing back-up in an Elvis tribute group – she finally settled on country-rock and began crafting her own sound. Sue’s assured songwriting shines through on this collection. Drawn from her 1990 self-titles debut and 1992’s Inside Out, it captures an artist at the peak of her powers. From moody rockers like “Blue Skies” to such bright, hopeful numbers as “That’s Life”, the debut album tracks, co-produced with Mike Wanchic (John Mellencamp) and featuring slide guitarist Sonny Landreth (John Hiatt), are brimming with confidence. Some were inspired by current events. The anthemic “Dangerous Times” was Medley’s emotional response to to the student uprising in Tiananmen Square. And many of the songs went on to dominate the airwaves. “Maybe the Next Time” the soaring ballad the closes this collection, won Medley a SOCAN award for its ubiquity on Canadian radio.

The tracks from Inside Out, co-produced again with Wanchic and boasting more Landreth fretwork, are equally strong. The bristling “Forget You” stands out as one of the best kiss-off songs of all time, while “Jane’s House” is a powerful rocker that deals with child abuse. Medley’s ability to craft love songs with universal appeal is amply demonstrated by the title track. “When the Stars Fall” another romantic number, was so catchy that it reached #2 on The Record – kept out of the top spot only by U2.

Three bonus tracks round out the Sue Medley story. The vibrant rocker “Don’t Look Back”, a studio outtake about busting out of small-town origins and making a mark, couldn’t be more autobiographical. The tough blues rock of “Keepin’ the Faith” a previously unreleased live recording, is equally apt: Medley has since bravely pursued both independent recording and a recreational pursuit as a trapeze artist. And this collection wouldn’t be complete without a nod to Bob. Having paid tribute to and once opened for Dylan it’s only fitting to include Sue’s rollicking version of “Like a Rolling Stone”, on which she does even his venerable classic sweet justice.

Nicholas Jennings

Nicholas Jennings is a music critic for Maclean’s magazine and author of Before the Gold Rush, an acclaimed history of the early years of Canadian pop.

Compilation produced by Paul St-Germain.
Co-ordinated by Diane Vivares
Digitally remastered and assembled by Brett Zilaha at Metalworks

Art Direction: Garnet Armstrong
Design: Joel Martin


The Best of Sue Medley – 20th Century Masters: Millennium Collection

Dangerous Times
(Medley)
from the Mercury album SUE MEDLEY
released in 1990

Forget You
(Medley/Steininger)
from the Mercury album INSIDE OUT
released in 1992

Don’t Look Back
(Medley/Valance)
previously unreleased recording from the INSIDE OUT sessions

Queen of the Underground
(Medley)
from the Mercury album SUE MEDLEY
released in 1990

Inside Out
(Medley/Steininger)
from the Mercury album INSIDE OUT
released in 1992

Like a Rolling Stone
(Bob Dylan)
previously unreleased.
Recorded live during the Sue Medley tour 1990-1991

When the Stars Fall
(Medley)
from the Mercury album SUE MEDLEY
released in 1990

That’s Life
(Medley)
from the Mercury album SUE MEDLEY
released in 1990

Jane’s House
(Medley)
from the Mercury album INSIDE OUT
released in 1992

Blue Skies
(Medley)
from the Mercury album SUE MEDLEY
released in 1990

Keepin’ the Faith
(Medley)
previously unreleased.
Recorded live during the Sue Medley tour 1990-1991

Maybe the Next Time
(Medley)
from the Mercury album SUE MEDLEY
released in 1990



Discography
1) Sue Medley (world-wide)
2) Inside Out (Canada)
3) Letters and Postcards (Australia)
4) Velvet Morning (Canada)
5) THE BEST OF SUE MEDLEY - 20th Century Masters Millennium Collection

Hit singles:
Dangerous Times, Maybe the Next Time, Inside Out, When the Stars Fall, Love Thing

Awards:
Two JUNO Awards, five WEST COAST Music Awards, two SOCAN Awards, DAWSON'S CREEK Music Awards: Best Female Artist/Best Song of the Year. (2001)

Major Tours:
Bob Dylan, John Mellencamp (Canada and U.S) Lyle Lovett, Steve Earle, Dwight Yoakam, Tom Cochrane, Susan Aglukark. Concert and club performances across Canada and U.S.

Major Performances:
The opening of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, FarmAid:Louisville,KY, Tribute to Bob Dylan: Madison Square Gardens, opening for John Mellencamp at the Filmore/San Francisco live on the Internet.

Major TV shows:
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, IN SESSION: VH1, DAWSON'S CREEK: Music used

Current Projects:
Recording a new album for release in the spring of 2013.

See Sue Live:
Performing live as a single, duo, and with her powerhouse band The Wasters.

Passions:
Music, friends and family.

Residence:
The beautiful, sea-side village of Comox, Vancouver Island, BC