Children Running Through - Patty Griffin
User Score
8.6 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 45 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 39 out of 45
  2. Negative: 2 out of 45

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  1. BobN
    Mar 2, 2007
    10
    An incredible voice singing incredible songs.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  2. PatrickO
    Mar 6, 2007
    2
    Really sorta bland...
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  3. LeslieS.
    Aug 18, 2007
    1
    She is dreadful..saw her w John Prine last night..she screeched and was so horribly ill prepared as to both the one duet with Prine..too stoned to remember the words...real downer..what is he thinking? CD fair with superior production to compensate for a grating, nails on chalkboard voice...ugh.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  4. JonS
    Feb 14, 2007
    10
    This is the best record yet from a truly great artist. It's got all the bases covered - from the sneering rock of "Getting Ready" to the quiet folk of "Crying Over", from the bluesy "Stay On the Ride" to the soulful "Heavenly Day", from the countryish rock of "No Bad News" to the gospelly "Up on the Mountain", Patty does it all, and as great as she's been in the past, each style surpasses her previous efforts. Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  5. aprilk
    Feb 15, 2007
    10
    A woman with an amazing voice singing great songs. I hope lots of people will hear her.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  6. randyg
    Mar 13, 2007
    9
    I saw Patty perform the day before the album release in Charleston West Va (Mountain Stage)..Such a dynamic voice and truly an inspirational song writer. A very good CD is Children Running Through. As with ever Patty release you really have to listen to it many times---meanings change as you absorb the lyrics....not too many song writers have this "dilema".....
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  7. PatrickM
    Mar 20, 2007
    10
    I never heard of her before but after reading some good things I decided to listen to a few of clips of hers on I-tunes. They sounded pretty good, so I took a gamble and purchased her CD. Man, did that bet ever pay off! She is amazing! What a voice! She could sing one, two buckle shoe and she would still mesmerize. I'm hooked, and you will be too. Purchase this CD!
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  8. PamD
    Mar 22, 2007
    10
    Patty defines passion in the form of musical talent. This album only strengthens that definition.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  9. MattD.
    Mar 7, 2007
    10
    Patty Griffin has written great songs that others covered, but really has never had a clear artistic vision for herself. With Children Running Through, she brings a little from each of her albums into a cohesive whole. And she holds her own with Emmylou Harris on Trapeze. Her other albums were good, but this one should really make her career take off.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  10. CharlesC
    Mar 7, 2007
    8
    This is, without a doubt, the best album the Beatles have put out in a long time....
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  11. HarrisS.
    Dec 13, 2007
    10
    Best album of 2007 and Patty's best ever! Getting Ready just knocks my socks off.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  12. Freedy
    Feb 23, 2007
    10
    Anyone who gave this album a 6 needs to have their head examined. There is not a weak link on this album. Judging this as Patty's weakest album is like judging Van Gogh on his weakest painting. Even if this were the case, that the album was mediocre, it would be mediocre by Patty's standards, which, to say, means the disc is light years ahead of 99% of everything else out there. And this album ain't mediocre by a longshot. It gets a 10 pretty easily. Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  13. BlarkinS
    Feb 23, 2007
    5
    It sucks. The worst CD Patty has put out ever.....Silver Bell was MUCH better than this. "Staying on the ride" is a candidate for the worst song she has ever done but "Up to the Mountain" ranks down there as well. I do not get this album. Patty is playing someone else. She should just be happy playing Patty. She aint. They never are...until they flub, like this, and then come back the next cd. Long wait in-between..Dust off my "Silver Bell" Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  14. JolynnB
    Feb 25, 2007
    10
    Patty does it again! She is simply the BEST!
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  15. Zoe
    Feb 27, 2007
    8
    Not her best, but Patty Griffin's "not her best" is still awesom to behold. If there's a better, more accessible singer/songwriter in our times, I haven't heard him or her yet. With a couple of exceptions, these songs are less personal and more commercial than past efforts. For long time fans, that will be a disappointment. For the uninitiated, however, this may be the best CD they'll hear this year. Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  16. Scot
    Mar 10, 2007
    10
    First album I've heard from her....and an album I would recommend to anyone. Anyone rating it less than an "8" is eith nuts or an obsessive fan who "knew of her before she became popular". And I think she probably deserves a little more popularity...a great voice.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  17. DavidC
    Apr 25, 2007
    10
    Just amazing
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  18. Blair
    May 27, 2007
    10
    Amazing album. Her voice penetrates. Absolutely beautiful!
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  19. jyotirmayaDas
    Jan 25, 2008
    7
    "Childredn Running Through" is a beautiful album with subtle exquisite melodies and somber lyrics....It would even pass for a chamber-goth album if it weren't for Ms. Griffin's slight country twang. I listened to it lying down quietly, and there are so many things to absorb in the album. It needs maybe one or possibly two stronger songs, but that is just nit-picking. It is a lovely, beautiful record that would hold its own in anyone's CD or record collection. Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  20. ChuckM.
    Jan 6, 2008
    9
    Griffin's best synthesis so far of her varied talents. She still has a masterpiece in her, but this will do until the next one.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  21. ChrisH.
    Jan 7, 2008
    10
    This album means a lot to me - the first ten tracks are a revelation and the rest still ranks among the best songs I heard this year.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  22. [Anonymous]
    Dec 4, 2009
    5
    Big Patty fan, didn't care for this album. Of course, I long for the Living With Ghosts/Flaming Red era. Alas, this album is (agreed) short on melody and more sparse in its lyrics, unlike most Patty Griffin albums which are very relatable.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  23. Michael
    Feb 13, 2007
    9
    An eclectic mix from one of the best song writers. Her voice is mesmerizing and she brings warmth and meaning to each song. From start to finish, the album works to convey the changing nature we all go through in life.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  24. Charl
    Feb 14, 2007
    10
    The songs on this album are spectacular, sweeping and grand, Patty's stories can by turn entertain, amuse and absolutely break your heart. Combine that with the most beautiful and plaintive voice that finds and releases every subtle nuance in the songs and you have the makings of a masterpiece... Dare I say that this is what this album is? I think so!
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  25. BrandonS
    Feb 16, 2007
    9
    While I don't think this is her masterpiece, or her best album, it is nevertheless excellent and a worthy addition to her already stellar catalog. When looking back at this years down the line, I'm sure it'll be viewed as an essential album made by one of our time's finest performers in her prime.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  26. StevenC
    Feb 17, 2007
    6
    Really? Because I can't help but feel that this is Griffin's weakest album to date. Given her stated aim of doing an album of primarily formal exploration, I found the songs themselves were not only lacking in the kind person resonance and narrative depth we usually associate with her work, but formally and sonically unchallenging. There are, of course, some standout tracks, but I felt as though in the majority her vocals lack context, and the songs, as a result become somewhat flat and, on a distressing number of occasions, downright grating. Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  27. AdamB
    Feb 23, 2007
    10
    Don't question me.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  28. Marcus
    Jun 18, 2007
    5
    Am I the only one who finds this album completely melody free?
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  29. ChrisP.
    Jan 14, 2008
    7
    Listening to this record reminded me of Neko Case's "Fox Confessor Brings the Flood". I felt both of the albums create a very private atmosphere, but Case for me captures it so gracefully. I still enjoy this album very much. First time listener.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
Metascore

Universal acclaim - based on 13 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 13
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 13
  3. Negative: 0 out of 13
  1. Children Running Through is Patty Griffin's masterpiece thus far.
  2. Her most musically diverse and accessible album yet.
  3. Overall, this dynamic collection has something unexpected at every turn. [10 Feb 2007]