From: owner-believers-digest@smoe.org (believers-digest) To: believers-digest@smoe.org Subject: believers-digest V2 #145 Reply-To: believers@smoe.org Sender: owner-believers-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-believers-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk believers-digest Saturday, September 19 1998 Volume 02 : Number 145 In Today's believer's digest: ----------------- susanwerner.com ["Charlie Sweeney" ] Re: Billboard / LOTGSG [PBCMAC@aol.com] TBT and subtlety [MAUMUS@aol.com] new CD pros and cons [Loris1127@aol.com] Re: new CD pros and cons [Bill Page ] Time Between Trains [Bill Page ] Re: new CD pros and cons [meredith ] More Thoughts ... [Christopher Russell ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 18 Sep 1998 07:31:03 -4000 From: "Charlie Sweeney" Subject: susanwerner.com HI all, Carolyn Andre wrote: > didn't realize the *new & improved* susanwerner.com pages were up. > must have been so busy overanalyzing the new album that I missed the > announcement . Actually they are not quite ready for prime time yet, but go ahead and stop by. And the credit belongs to the whole web team: Marty Young Main Graphics Michelle Barton Additional Graphics Jeff Wasilko HTML help and (of course, the use of the server) Sherlyn Koo Lyrics Archive Clifford Maynes Textual Content (sounds dirty, doesn't it ;-) I just put the components together. These are the folks who manufacturered the components. Now I still owe you all a PFF story, and an opening night story, but I really have to step away from this computer for a day. I've been staying up late and getting up early (on the night of the 15th at Borders I had logged 5 1/2 hours sleep in the previous 72). But I will get to those stories this weekend. Stop by susanwerner.com and watch as we build! Charlie (=}===# HELP! owner-believers@smoe.org Send mail to believers@smoe.org Susan's CD's are available on your desktop at songs.com ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 18 Sep 1998 09:32:08 EDT From: PBCMAC@aol.com Subject: Re: Billboard / LOTGSG LOTGSG only sold 22,000 copies??? What a crime..... Paul HELP! owner-believers@smoe.org Send mail to believers@smoe.org Susan's CD's are available on your desktop at songs.com ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 18 Sep 1998 19:02:57 EDT From: MAUMUS@aol.com Subject: TBT and subtlety I've been reading all the pro's and con's of the TBT, and now I'm finally getting to hear it. Right this very minute I'm daydreaming with *Old Mistake* as my soundtrack. Even though it's only the second track and I have ten to go, I have to say it's the best CD Susan's released yet. I like the subtlety she's experimenting with now. Even though I love to hear her belt them out, this subtle change of style is very appealing. I remember hearing k.d. lang's *ingenue* back in 1992 for the first time. I had loved her in-you-face style and was surprised by this new sound. But I loved it. She pulled you in instead of smacking you over the head with bravado. Remember that commercial from the 70's (ok, I'm showing my age...) with the tag line, "If you want to get somebody's attention ... whisper..." Well, she has my attention. And I love it. "ingenue" was kd's big success. TBT has the potential to be Susan's big success. Subtlety, gets me every time. Now if she'd only come to my neighborhood every now and again... Cheryl (in Indiana) HELP! owner-believers@smoe.org Send mail to believers@smoe.org Susan's CD's are available on your desktop at songs.com ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 18 Sep 1998 21:08:26 EDT From: Loris1127@aol.com Subject: new CD pros and cons Hi everybody! My two cents worth on the subject: I tend to agree with the consensus that the arrangements and instrumentation are more 'trendy' than previous albums, certainly more than a live performance could ever be. I'm not so sure that this is a problem, tho. After all, do we want to see Susan forever relegated to 'non-commercial' radio - college staions and PBS? Don't we want to see her rewarded for all her hard work by being a mainstream success? I for one am tired of answering "what are you listening to? Never heard of her" comments. And Susan herself said, in the intro to "Baby Boomers" at Newport FF, that it has been a long hard climb! But the vocalizations could be fuller - I was plagued by a phantom resemblance to someone else - have'n't placed it yet. I guess you could call me a dedicated fan - when I finally got to hear the cd in full, there were only 3 songs (counting Vincent) that I had not heard in concert. We're planning a trip to the "other" Newport (NH) for that concert. Any NH, VT, Berkshires residents, this is a great small venue - seats maybe 300-400 and very nice acoustics. And by the way - if no one else has noticed - the Wright boys made planes - not the right ones. HELP! owner-believers@smoe.org Send mail to believers@smoe.org Susan's CD's are available on your desktop at songs.com ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 18 Sep 1998 22:11:48 -0400 From: Bill Page Subject: Re: new CD pros and cons At 09:08 PM 9/18/98 EDT, Loris1127@aol.com wrote: >And by the way - if no one else has noticed - the Wright boys made planes - >not the right ones. Hmmm...my copy of the the lyrics booklet actually says "wright." but certainly they weren't the "wrong" brothers :) BP HELP! owner-believers@smoe.org Send mail to believers@smoe.org Susan's CD's are available on your desktop at songs.com ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 18 Sep 1998 22:40:37 -0400 From: Bill Page Subject: Time Between Trains I like it! I really do! I've only played it through once (but the repeat button is on, so I'll hear it a lot more in the next few hours!), but I found it very representative of the Susan Werner I've listened to for the past 2 years. Maybe the fact that I've only seen her in concert once may keep my opinion of this CD on the more favorable side than some of you who have followed Susan for years, but I'm not disappointed at all. And I too would love to have an album of Susan Werner singing ballads in a jazz setting -- "Maybe if I Sang Cole Porter" is almost my favorite song by her. (no, I don't know what my favorite is) I like it! I really do! Bill "and tonight I also bought Ella, Sarah, and others singing Gershwin" Page HELP! owner-believers@smoe.org Send mail to believers@smoe.org Susan's CD's are available on your desktop at songs.com ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 18 Sep 1998 22:15:38 -0400 From: meredith Subject: Re: new CD pros and cons Hi! So far I've been happy to just sit here and let everyone else voice my opinions of the new album for me. :) I don't expect a studio album to mimic the live experience exactly; however, when someone has the incredible vocal talent Susan has, I do expect her to use it. She whispers her way through the entire album, and I find myself sitting there wanting to scream at the CD player, "SING, dammmit, SING!!!" I think if I hadn't been introduced to the new songs in concert, I'd like the album a lot more. But once you've been brought to tears by the sheer intensity of the chorus of "Like Bonsai", the relatively lackluster studio version just doesn't add up. Don't get me wrong -- I *love* the new songs and I will still drive all over the Northeast to see her play. I just don't expect to be listening to the CD all that much. I'll listen to live tapes of her recent shows instead. >But the vocalizations could be fuller - I was plagued by a phantom resemblance >to someone else - have'n't placed it yet. Shawn Colvin. That was my first reaction to hearing the album, actually. If I hadn't heard any of the songs before and stumbled across one on the radio, I'd put money on it being a new Shawn Colvin tune. I sincerely hope Susan isn't slammed by any critics for being a Colvin wannabe because of this. There's no way that could ever be the truth, but unfortunately if _TBT_ is your introduction to Susan's work, there's a good chance you could believe it. +==========================================================================+ | Meredith Tarr meth@smoe.org | | New Haven, CT USA http://www.smoe.org/~meth | +==========================================================================+ | "things are more beautiful when they're obscure" -- veda hille | | *** TRAJECTORY, the Veda Hille mailing list: *** | | *** http://www.smoe.org/meth/trajectory.html *** | +==========================================================================+ HELP! owner-believers@smoe.org Send mail to believers@smoe.org Susan's CD's are available on your desktop at songs.com ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 19 Sep 1998 03:00:09 -0400 From: Christopher Russell Subject: More Thoughts ... Such a great dialogue we've going here, Some responses to a number of points brought up by various members: I have no problem with Susan experimenting with forms, phrasing, breath, lyrics, point of view, arrangements etc. I love the fact that she allows her music to grow, evolve and change. I love the fact that she is so gifted as to work in many styles. I love that each CD is different. I love TBT. My concern is that in choosing to be soft, breathy, subtle, jazzy, and so on, she is leaving out what some in this group, myself included, consider to be her "Fingerprint" her "Stamp" on material and that is the strong, belting voice. I don't want Susan to struggle in relative anonymity any longer and I'm not sure that TBT will provide her with the recognition that she is clearly NOT anyone else out there. (Someone mentioned Shawn Colvin) I was heartened to read a statement from Bottom Line Records that spoke of a commitment to Susan as a developing artist and that they were not looking to big numnbers on TBT as validation. If they mean this that will be great. Someone wrote about "Respecting her Respect" and I most certainly do. What great Mentors Armatrading and the others must have been. But I also see them moving gracefully aside as this great new singing, composing, writing, performing talent comes into her own. Christopher PS Am I insane or can anyone else out there imagine Prince doing BRING 'ROUND THE BOAT? HELP! owner-believers@smoe.org Send mail to believers@smoe.org Susan's CD's are available on your desktop at songs.com ------------------------------ End of believers-digest V2 #145 ******************************* --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------- This has been a posting from the Susan Werner believers-digest To unsubscribe send mail to Majordomo@smoe.org with "unsubscribe believers-digest" in the body of the message