This came out in 2000 — or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
A few years back, Howard Stern’s celebrity-stalking guerrilla reporter Stuttering John asked Tracy Chapman, “Are you still in show business?” Ouch. Still, it’s not like she does much to disprove him.
After the hits Fast Car and Talkin’ ‘Bout A Revolution from her 1988 debut, Chapman hasn’t exactly burned up the pop charts. And the drab Telling Stories — her first disc in five years — won’t change that. In contrast to the sultry vibe of 1995’s hit single Give Me One Reason, these 11 low-fat latte meditations are quietly intimate and introspective. And, with the exception of the slightly groovy title track, pretty lifeless. Chapman can still craft a smooth, sweetly flowing melody; what she needs to remember is how to engage an audience. That is, if she wants to prove Stuttering John wrong.
