But, but, but - The Second Time is classic Stevie ballad in the tradition of Landslide, Storms, Beautiful Child, and so on. Sorrowful, moving, dramatic, and honest. I cannot for the life of me get the hate for it.
As for Paper Doll, well, my first encounter had me thinking "OK, it's finally over." Takes Stevie at her lyrical and melodically most desperate and adds layers of total goofiness. I like it now, but only as an artifact of how close she and the Mac once came to total collapse.
|