Music Review: Taylor Swift Fearless Platinum Edition

Remember high school? Too long ago… don’t worry Taylor Swift’s album Fearless Platinum Edition will have you back at sixteen after a listen or two. Listening to the CD over and over again you quickly realize that her songs have a distinctive younger vibe about them. Teen angst, love and heartbreak play a central role in her songs. After a few songs you are brought back to the days of anxiously waiting for the will he or won’t he look at me in history class and to cliques where you don’t quite fit in and your crush is in love with the head cheerleader. Maybe I’m getting old but I feel like taking Swift aside and saying: Don’t worry little one it’ll get better, people grow up, cliques aren’t so important and the people that don’t give you the time of day aren’t worth your time. And boys…. Well they never change you just learn how to live with them. But what mothers always say about nice girls finishing first can be true – guys may date the promiscuous moody head cheerleader (that’s who the object of her affection is dating in “You Belong With Me”) but they don’t line up to marry her. You’ll have your time Taylor…

I do not doubt that Swift is a talented singer and song-writer. I’m in awe that someone her age can accomplish all of this and still seem so grounded. So I spent all day listening to this CD on repeat, mainly because I was at work and they’ve blocked a bunch of websites and I’m not sure I can log into Sirius’s web radio anymore. I don’t hate the CD after listening to it a half a dozen times. I find myself mouthing the words (I can’t sing at work I don’t want them to think I’m a weirdo). I actually like songs I didn’t like so much the first time more and more with each listen.

My favorites are: “You’re Not Sorry” (this is the country version, there is a second version on iTunes that she performed for CSI which is a bit more pop – both good), “Fifteen” (typical teenage angst over things that aren’t so important in the long run but seem so very important when you are fifteen), “Forever and Always” (I like the piano version), “White Horse”, and “You Belong With Me”.

I do wonder how Swift gets a boyfriend with all her songs that supposedly are about real people. If I was a guy I’d think twice about dating her for fear I’d end up “that guy” in her song.

Here is my only complaint and this is to the music industry in general. I absolutely hate the re-release of old albums with a few new songs and a DVD. I don’t know about you but I never look at the DVD’s. I don’t have the time or the desire to watch a concert I didn’t have the money or time to go to in person, I can watch music videos on YouTube and I don’t care about behind the scenes photos. I think a re-release is simply a ploy to make fans shell out more money for the same CD they already have and a cop out from making a new CD with all new songs. Plus in the case where I actually bought the version the first time I feel cheated. Hey, I got your CD the first time before it hit the Billboard Top 100, before you were headlining major concerts and now to repay me you’re going to release the CD again with new songs that aren’t on my CD? Really?? Ok I know I could go to iTunes or Amazon and buy the missing songs but that’s a pain and I’ll admit I’m a little old-fashion when it comes to singers I really like… I want the songs on a CD with the little booklet of lyrics and photos. If I wanted half of the songs I would have bought them online the first time around.