(20 February 2000) Her career to date includes comedy, singing and songwriting.Robin Greenspan's first album, entitled Gardener of Eden (Bum'sRush Records (USA) RGGOE 726, 1999) is comprised of eleven alternativerock tracks featuring the artist's stunning and highly accessible vocalstyle. She wrote all the music and lyrics and The Turtles' Andy Cahan did the keyboards, acoustic guitar, programming and co-produced the album.

Robin is known to audiences as a stand-up comic and an actress andhas appeared on Comedy Central's Out There In Hollywood, Showtime's In Through The Door and has toured the US and Canada. Once the lead singer songwriter of her own band, Arms Akimbo, Gardener of Eden is Robin's debut solo album. Her critically acclaimed one-woman show Kickin' Hard played to sold-out houses at the HBO Workspace in Hollywoodand featured some of the songs from the album as does the stage playReal Girls which she co-wrote and starred in with Lacie Harmon. Other critics have described Greenspan's musicas "poetic," "provcative" and infectious" and her vocals as "a hybridof a more classically trained Tori Amos and Natalie Merchant." Whilewe agree with these comments, Robin's vocal work at times is reminiscentof Heart's Ann Wilson and Lana Lane (feature).

Lacie Harmon wrote, 'On Gardener of Eden the artist takes onmany topics from original sin on the title track to an exploration of themind of Janis Joplin on the haunting ballad, "Comfort".' The album openswith an alternative rock track, entitled "Lay It On The Line," lush with its instrumentals and striking with Robin's vocal work. The rockingballad "Wierd Love" is sylistically most similar to those Lana Lane hassung, and Robin's powerful voice soars above the instrumentals. By contrast, "October" has a slight country edge, much like we've heardfrom Heart during their career. Vocally stunning, the production quality of the instrumentation on the track is also excellent. The jazzinessof the piano sets the mood for "Measly Little Me" while vocal effectsalso add to the mood of the track. "Kickin' Hard" is an emotionallydelivered, vocally soaring, ballad accompanied largely by piano withother supporting instrumentals.

The album's title track is a highly accessible rocking track with thickkeyboards and lovely (at times multi-tracked) vocals created in a 10,000 Maniacs-style. "I'm Not Through" continues in a similar style with keyboardreplaced by guitar and crisp percussion. "Comfort" and "Don't Let Nobody"have a jazzy beat and are sung more deeply, the former in a slightly spoken style, with thick guitars underscored by keyboards. Reminscent ofsome of Kate Bush's most dramatic work, the short track "Psychic Power Shack" has lovely vocals and crosses over between jazz (with its tremendous big band sounding instrumentals) and alternative rock textures—highly accessible with a nice hook, the track will please many female vocal enthusiasts. The album closes with the soaring vocalof jazz-influenced "Optimistic"; multi-tracked vocals provide a greateffect as do the stunning instrumentals and highly notable guitar solo.

Be sure to visit Robin'smp3.com website. You can also hear soundbites of the tracks and order Robin Greenspan's Gardener of Eden at her website and even more atamazon.com. This is an album certain to please many female vocal enthusiastsand one worth a journey. Be sure to check out the soundbites online—a great listen!