Crazy Flower: A Collection

1	You Are a Miracle 5:48
2	Chad Gadya 5:03
3	The Dove of Love 2:45
4	Away 4:35
5	Crazy Flower 4:10
6	Old Violin 4:10
7	The Treasure 5:42
8	Like a Wild Flower 2:47
9	Song Chases the Darkness Away 3:52
10	London 4:37
11	A Woman in a Watermelon 2:55
12	Amidst My Life 4:01
13	Signs 3:27
14	Take Me with You 4:24
15	I Shall Talk to You 2:53
16	Mother Used to Say 3:49
17	What Man Is He 5:25

Barnes & Noble

"The First Lady of Israeli Song" has confounded her adoring public for over 30 years by singing in Yiddish and advocating peace. But with over 50 albums to her credit, Alberstein has been Israel's musical conscience since she was 17 years old, and was a close ally of slain Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. This collection gathers her delicate, poetic songs with English translations, each limned with sorrow and lessons learned the hard way. Yet they also ring with optimism, and a hope that the mistakes of the past yield to a greater future for all.

All Music Guide

Chava Alberstein, arguably the premier female Israeli musician (aside from perhaps Ofra Haza), here releases a collection of songs on Shanachie for wider market release. The songs are partially traditional Jewish works, but more often contemporary works. Her voice is rather thick, and, as such, works well to accompany the largely Middle Eastern sound that her music embraces. The songs are all in Hebrew, for the purpose (paraphrasing Alberstein) of exposing the mostly English-speaking audience of the CDs to another language in song than they are generally used to hearing. She attempts to make use of the ancient and holy language in describing more mundane and secular occurrences. It works well, the throaty sound only helping. For someone wishing to look into contemporary Israeli music, this album wouldn't be a bad place to start, with one of the major forces. Adam Greenberg