Sarah Mclachlan Wintersongs

The Freedom Sessions is an album by Sarah McLachlan which was released on 6 December 1994 on Nettwerk in Canada and 28 March 1995 on Arista Records in the United States. The album consisted primarily of previously unreleased alternative versions and remixes of McLachlan recordings, plus a cover version of "Ol' 55" by Tom Waits. Many of the tracks were recorded during the same sessions as McLachlan's 1993 album Fumbling Towards Ecstasy. In subsequent live performances, some of these songs (most notably "Ice Cream" and "Hold On") were reworked to match the style in which they were played on this album. The album was released in two versions: a standard CD, and an enhanced CD containing CD-ROM bonus material including interviews and music videos. The album was one of the first major enhanced CD releases.

Sarah McLachlan's rich voice and haunting, polished songs make her one of my favorite singers, and one whose work I like from beginning to end, from 1989's Touch through Solace, Fumbling Towards Ecstasy, Surfacing, and Mirrorball, to 2003's Afterglow. McLachlan's 1998 appearance on the VH1 Storytellers program gave her the chance to perform a sampling of her songs to a small audience in an intimate setting; it's sure to please any fan of McLachlan's music, whether a devoted fan or a casual listener.

Although 1991's Solace made Sarah McLachlan a star in Canada, her international breakthrough arrived two years later with Fumbling Towards Ecstasy, a softly assured album that combined the atmospheric production of Pierre Marchand (a former apprentice – and evident disciple – of Daniel Lanois) with some of McLachlan's strongest songwriting to date. At the center of everything was her voice, an ethereal, lilting soprano that helped pave the way for Paula Cole, Lillith Fair, and a decade's worth of successful female songwriters. McLachlan utilized the crack between her chest and head voice, emphasizing the changing tones as her melodies climbed into the vocal stratosphere.

A largely forgotten album in the wake of Sarah McLachlan's mainstream success, Touch was the first album anyone heard from the singer. Only 19 at the time, McLachlan had years to go before she would become the seductive songstress of Fumbling Towards Ecstacy or the sensitive balladeer of Surfacing. Instead, she has more of an ethereal sound, enhanced by keyboards and a lush production that gives it a polished feel. Bringing to mind the '80s incarnations of both Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush, the songs here are moody pop tracks that showcase her incredible range more than anything else.

Although 1991's Solace made Sarah McLachlan a star in Canada, her international breakthrough arrived two years later with Fumbling Towards Ecstasy, a softly assured album that combined the atmospheric production of Pierre Marchand (a former apprentice – and evident disciple – of Daniel Lanois) with some of McLachlan's strongest songwriting to date. At the center of everything was her voice, an ethereal, lilting soprano that helped pave the way for Paula Cole, Lillith Fair, and a decade's worth of successful female songwriters. McLachlan utilized the crack between her chest and head voice, emphasizing the changing tones as her melodies climbed into the vocal stratosphere.

In the time it took her to release her first three proper albums, Sarah McLachlan put out nearly as much music as B-sides, singles, or stray tracks for compilations and soundtracks, leaving no easy job for fans wanting her entire output…

In 1996, before she had blown up into the AAA luminary she later became, Sarah McLachlan issued the first volume of Rarities, B-Sides & Other Stuff, which was a nice, albeit remix-heavy, collection of some of the Canadian chanteuse's harder to find material…

Live Acoustic (Nettwerk) is an EP by Sarah McLachlan. It was released on 31 May 2004 in Canada only. Four of the tracks were recorded live at a "Live from the Lounge" event with Ryan Seacrest for radio station Star 98.7 on 7 October 2003…

On the verge of breaking the mainstream with 1994's Fumbling Towards Ecstasy, McLachlan released this live concert as a limited edition EP to promote her North American tour. Taken mostly from Solace, these seven songs are beautiful, ambient tracks that are not complimented by their live setting…