Time*Sex*Love finds Mary Chapin Carpenter meditating upon middle age and looking back on her life sometimes with a sense of helplessness and sometimes with sadness, but always with poignant and thought-provoking insight.

She resigns herself to the swift passing of time and the inability to start again in the catchy "Simple Life" and sings "there's fast, slow, and stall- no reverse...be glad you made it". In the Beach Boys like/Beatlesque, "Maybe World", she cries, "What's the point of backward glances that lead me nowhere; I can't go back there."

Carpenter ruminates about lost love and opprtunities in the exquisite and heart-breaking songs, "What Was It Like" and "The Dreaming Road". "I feel like a big mistake that you managed to not quite make; I feel like a passing glance that you never gave a chance," she movingly sings in "What Was It Like", a song with heart-wrenching lyrics surrounded by a beautiful, haunting melody.

My only issue with this CD is that it may be too ambitious for anyone to pull off without stumbling- even the wonderful Mary Chapin Carpenter. I would have pared down the CD to ten or eleven songs and edited out some of the longer endings of some of the tunes.

This CD requires your careful attention, and, therefore, many of her fans will not appreciate its pensive, reflective mood. Take out a bottle of wine, light the fireplace and be ready to refect upon your own life in a way that only Mary Chapin Carpenter can make you do.

Mary Chapin Carpenter is a wonderful songwriter and performer and her work, while some may find a bit too laid back, eventually grows on you with repeated listens.

Unlike her work in the more popular COME ON, COME ON, this CD takes time to grow on you, but when it does, it somehow feels more like a unified whole than her other albums.

This is a great album to put on your Discman and take a long walk with on a crisp fall day. When you just want to relax and meditate about life.

"Simple Life", "Whenever You're Ready" and "In The Name of Love" are the stand-out tracks, but there really isn't a bad track on the CD, all leave their mark.

I saw Carpenter live at Wolf Trap last summer,and perhaps seeing her live is a good way to unlock the mystery of what she is all about. She isn't a flashy artist nor is she overly energetic in her delivery. Instead, she woos her listener with ease and a gentle coaxing instead of a loud bang. TIME SEX LOVE is not about any individual moment or anything flashy...it's more about the sum of its parts than any specific detail. Its more about what we don't know, the questions in life and not the answers.

Perhaps the crux of her message can be summed up by one of her more thoughtful lyrics on the CD.."accidents and inspiration lead you to your destination."

Carpenter believes in letting things happen..in the normal everyday flow of life. It can sometimes seem tedious to just sit back and relax and watch the clock tick, but Carpenter understands, and with her music helps us understand, that sometimes, the best things in life happen when we just sit back and let them.

Because this album keeps growing on me...

I have been listening to Mary Chapin Carpenter for almost two years now � and now I�m nineteen years old and find my love and respect for this extraordinary artist growing as her music comes home to me.

�Time*Sex*Love*� was a bit of a mystery for me when I first heard it � but then I thought about the title of the album and realised why! The songs did not strike me with the boldness of that �country sound� from what I had heard on previous MCC recordings, namely, �Come On, Come On�� Im a teenager and I love rock music � but I love this even more! I can�t define the style, because all the songs come down to �those� feelings. Country fans may call it �Country Re-Vapmed!�

�Time*Sex*Love*� has a 'mellow-feel' that will not appeal to everyone. It can be slow at times, but it is always honest. Such a thoughtful recording. It is bursting with passion, love and a little fear. The songs keep reminding me to enjoy my life, and� why worry? After owning this album for a month or so, I can positively say, in my opinion, that this is amongst Mary Chapin Carpenters finest work � musically, lyrically and where these songs take you. Don�t go looking, because the songs will find you when its time! Listen for the bonus recordings, five minutes into the final track � there�s a lot of laughter, followed by a beautifully moving acoustic track that pretty much says it all. Lovely.

I know that Mary has got such a loyal following of fans all around the world � but I still cant accept how little recognition this extraordinary artist has received from the �main-stream� music industry. BUY THIS and spread the word, because I think every home needs one for soul searching and happiness! Enjoy!....

A new studio release from MCC is always a cause for celebration, and I'm celebrating! Her wit, intelligence, and insight shine through every tune, and if this recording is a little more somber and laid-back than previous releases, it's full of enough surprises to satisfy any fan. Unusual combinations of instruments and her always provocative lyrics make every number a joy to listen to over and over again. There is no other performer like MCC, and her work just seems to keep getting better and deeper. Especially pleasing is the studio blooper (I LOVE her laugh!)and a warm, lovely bonus track. If you haven't already bought this recording-- well, WHY NOT?

I will get straight to the point. This is one of the best albums that I have bought this year. This woman has a gift that is so amazing, I wish everyone would give it a chance. Every song on this album tells a wonderful tale and it is told in a way that only an artist like MCC can. If you are into the rollicking tunes, you will only find a couple here. If you like albums that touch you and make you think about yourself and people around you-YOU WILL LOVE THIS ALBUM! It is a beautiful album from start to finish.