Sadly, "Brand New Key" had sounded the death knell on
Melanie's commercial prospects.
Stoneground Words was in another class altogether -- a mature, intelligent and ambitious work, easily as good as most singer/songwriter fare of its time. Building on
Gather Me's better moments,
Melanie effectively shed her cuteness but didn't get cynical, either. The lyrics of "Summer Weaving," "Do You Believe," and "I Am Not a Poet" have a pretty, almost painterly quality, and
Melanie's ear for an interesting melody was at its strongest. Session heavyweights
Sal DeTroia and
Hugh McCracken, as well as the first-rate arrangements of
Roger Kellaway, ensure
Stoneground Words' status as an under-heard classic. What should have been a renaissance ended up a mere footnote to
Melanie's glory days.