Sarah McLachlan's "Fumbling Towards Ecstasy" was released at the perfect time to reap the rewards of Lilith Fair

I did love this album, soundtrack to my life during the mid 90's.

"I Will Remember You" secured itself in 90s culture by closing out The Real World: London

I listened to this all the time back then too. Seems like ancient times when you had to listen to whatever music you had on CD, instead of playing virtually anything on demand like you can now.

I never liked “I Will Remember You”. Seems like it’s the song of hers that gets the most play today though.

I liked it barely then and not at all now. Next!

I've always preferred "Surfacing". It got me through a lot of bleak times, was the soundtrack to great times in my life, and the memories I associate with it are too many to count.

Sarah's output is wildly inconsistent but this album is FLAWLESS from first note to last.

This song was IT.

I bought the "Ice Cream" CD single

I love "Ice Cream". So simple, so beautiful.

She is stereotyped as a lesbian-interest singer, but in all my years of being a dyke I have never met one who likes her music.

Lmao same with most people. She’s an afterthought.

I liked Building a Mystery..and that sad dead dog song.

I can only take so much crybaby music. Would love to see a Celebrity Death Match with Joan Jett and Pat Benatar vs. Sarah McLachlan and Jewel.

I liked Fumbling Towards Ecstasy. It is the standout in her catalogue. Fear was a great song.

Most of her albums are, in my opinion, boring. Especially Surfacing, sorry R7. I do like Full of Grace from that album. I saw her perform that live when she toured FTE, so she was kicking that song around for awhile before putting it on Surfacing. The BT remix of I Love You is great, but I don't care for the album version. That was before every single ballad got the remix treatment, though.

OP, your timing is off. Fumbling came out in 1993. The first Lilith Fair was in 1997, and coincided with the release of Surfacing.

It could be argued that the success of Fumbling is what gave her the ability to put together Lilith For and to get Nettwerk to support it. That and the strong performance of her Fumbling tour with Paula Cole.

I would also add that when I saw the two of them during that tour, Paula's opening act was far more engaging than Sarah's show. She was energetic and engaging, had a cookie sheet and pickle barrel that were wired for sound, along with a miked mask that she used for vocal effects, and her cover of Jolene brought the house down.

Sarah sang well, but basically just stood still the whole show.

Lesbian music. Zzzzzzzzzzzz

Horribly overrated singer and songwriter who's maudlin work all sounds much the same. She was marketed as a faux-lesbian and feminist viewpoint artist, and therefore was, and still is, portrayed as a music goddess by the Canadian media. So sick of her.

*EGADS* does this take me back to a time and place when I too was a lost, wandering, soul and nary a day went by that this album didn't seem like the perfect Soundtrack to my life. Sarah's music might not be to everyone's taste, but I'm grateful that by writing, playing and producing (some) of her own music she helped usher in a New era of Singer-Song writers that Rock/Pop desperately needed. (What am I saying? Just look at the proliferation of Auto-tuned Disney-fied creations these days). And although ( thankfully), I have matured past my days of being the un-guided, self-wallowing youth I once was, I agree with others who commented that this album in particular was exceptional, and her voice, along with it clear as a bell. The last comment I'll make, is something I heard from an old friend who actually *made it* years ago (I'm jealous as Hell)- at least well enough to pay the bills- in the Music industry. He once told me that even though Sarah M. is well known for her "Lilith" Creation, she actually was a HUGE supporter of many up and coming Male singer-songwriters at the time and afterwards, especially in her own terf up North. Not too many folks know that. It's why she made the effort to do a lot of collaborative work with a lot of male artists along the way- and no you slimy bastards, I don't mean in Bed!

I got her autograph at a signing at Tower Records on the UWS in 1994 (I bought her Solace album to have her sign it, having not brought Fumbling with me). No one was there, but she was really sweet and chatted with me and my lesbian pal for a few minutes. Fumbling was just beginning to blow up big after a slow burn of word of mouth in the pre-Internet era.

When I think of her, it's not Lilith or the sad puppy commercials I think of, but the charming, mawkish girl not much older than us sitting at a table at a long-gone store, back when New York was realer, and we were younger.

Is that a ripoff of “Slouching Towards Bethlehem”?

In the late 90s, my radio station must have "Sweet Surrender" every hour.

Waving my lighter as I listen… 🔥

Fear was a masterpiece as was the one about her stalker Obsession?. Still love it. The rest? Eh, not really.

[quote] Is that a ripoff of “Slouching Towards Bethlehem”?

If it was, I'm sure Joni complained about it.

My favorite song of Sarah's is "Fallen" from the Afterglow album, 2003.

Surfacing would have been more of a breakthrough album than Fumbling.

One of Sarah's first singles

You're entirely entitled to your opinion, R16. "Surfacing" came into my life at a time when I needed it (about two years after it was initially released). It's been a favorite ever since. It's one of those albums I can listen to from start to finish.

R26, Fallen is my favorite too.

I agree that McLachlan's output is fairly uneven, but the live version of Ice Cream on "Mirrorball" is wonderful. In terms of remixes the Hybrid Super Collider mix of Fear, the William Orbit mix of Black and the Rabbit in the Moon mix of Possession are all great.

Though I loved it at the time, a lot of the 90s "chick music" doesn't hold up for me. Still love this album though.

[quote] Surfacing would have been more of a breakthrough album than Fumbling.

ahahahahahahhhhhaaaaaa.......no

Her songs are rarely played on the radio

I guess I'm in rare company on this thread 'cause I LOVE Sarah's music. I miss this era of music when singers could actually sing, play instruments and write thoughtful, earnest lyrics. I also miss when female singers could sing and play their instruments without having to strip or be half-naked on stage with a gajillion back-up dancers. Good Lord, I sound old.

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