Penelope Houston - Cut You (1995)

A curious disc in that it's more of a career survey than a collection of newly minted material, although all of these tracks were recorded shortly before the album was issued, as is the standard for new releases. Many of the songs were released in different versions on previous albums, some as long ago as 1988. This could be because it's Houston's first effort to benefit from major-label distribution, meaning that it will mark the first time that many listeners outside of the San Francisco Bay Area will be exposed to her material. That may make it a disappointment for those who've followed her career and have the original versions. But it's a solid set of melodic and inventively arranged folk-rock, with arrangements that differ from the originals in interesting ways that avoid redundancy. It also offers proof that Houston helped pioneer the melodic-yet-hard-hitting alternative rock currently mined by such performers as Liz Phair and Aimee Mann. Ironically, because of the timing of the release, it may be perceived as being just the opposite.