From: owner-ecto-digest@smoe.org (ecto-digest) To: ecto-digest@smoe.org Subject: ecto-digest V4 #26 Reply-To: ecto@smoe.org Sender: owner-ecto-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-ecto-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk ecto-digest Saturday, January 24 1998 Volume 04 : Number 026 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Re: ecto-digest V4 #23 [Land of the Blind ] Re: venturing into the unknown ["Chris Beckwith" ] Re: venturing into the unknown [Magenta <4dm@qlink.queensu.ca>] Re: "Joey" Pesci [Laura Clifford ] Re: venturng into the unknown [Magenta <4dm@qlink.queensu.ca>] Re: venturing into the unknown [Michael Colford ] RE: venturing into the unknown ["Bridges, Martin (Exchange)" ] Holly Cole in Boston [Michael Colford ] Re: "Joey" Pesci [Michael Colford ] Deanna Kirk [Valerie Nozick ] Re: Deanna Kirk [Riphug ] "In Between Dances" compilation [Riphug ] Re: Deanna Kirk [Dan Stark ] Re: Deanna Kirk [Paul Blair ] Re: Deanna Kirk [Neal Copperman ] _Lit From Within- compilation [Neile Graham ] Re: (harbinger) Lisa St. Ann on tour...... [Malanai Morningstar ] Re: Holly Cole; Sarah tix [Paul2k ] Re: Holly Cole; Sarah tix [Neal Copperman ] Re: this week's new releases [Neal Copperman ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 23 Jan 1998 01:29:35 -0800 (PST) From: Land of the Blind Subject: Re: ecto-digest V4 #23 Robert writes Lisa Loeb in 5 ways but I say just say no...it's easier...really, that baby voice ugh...oh well, I think that it is Low-eeb as in low eeb tide kinda thing...and although I agree with Valerie Nozick on people trashing artists that suddenly get lucky (and that folks is all it is) and get a few more listeners....good luck to those that got heard more to not sell out eventually.....there is a saying in the arts, if you make your art for yourself you'll be happy and maybe it will touch someone else...maybe not...if you start to follow the road of money, you will learn what sells and make your art closer and closer to it until your art is popular and no one will ever know what you could have made, not even you.... Valerie also says "Hell something made them popular"...haha yes it's called a BIG FAT HUGE MONEYED PUBLICITY DEPARTMENT and a BIG FAT RADIO PROMOTER and A BIG FAT POWERFUL AGENT etc...for those of us "unlucky" we know, we do it all ourselves but we can see the other side from where we stand outside...and don't you find someone like Celine Dion sings so sweetly, so empty, it's like a piece of candy when you are starving and I don't believe her and I don't feel any emotion and so I think of that when I think of comparing her to an Ani who is raw and full of passion and really, one got an agent that put her into a Disney movie and one is traveling around and singing to people...one writes her own songs and one has agents searching for just the right next sickly sweet hit for her which they buy with their big bucks...less valid...come on, sure it's less valid...I don't think it's the American public..you don't think they'd like Ani or Kate or Happy or Jane if they ever heard them?????...it's that they don't...and that is power and that is money. As for the question of what makes Meredith more commercial than Fiona or Sarah...hmmmm could it be the word BITCH used to draw attention to an average song and get folks all riled up (unbelievable in this day and age that it could still be so naughty to cuss..haha) just like Allanis's first hit said FUCK haha and where would any of it be without the shock value of 7th grade...guess that is where we all got stuck in music to think that is interesting. Maybe on my next album I'll say FUCK BITCH FUCK and I KISSED A GIRL, no wait, I FUCKED A BITCH, no that might put me in the rap catagory haha. And Meredith will have that one hit then a hit album if lucky (like where is Ruby?) and dissappear cause it just ain't there...and Fiona who is different like Jewel but still very young and very beautiful (like Jewel) will use that sexiness (like Jewel) and go on and do OK...but Sarah is a talented woman with a beautiful voice and writes lovely songs but is shy on stage and not that cute (not my taste talking but MTV) and so will go on and on with many loyal fans for a long time...I guess is that the dif between a STAR and an ARTIST.....and the point of "correlation between commercial and untalented" is really nothing more than HEARD or UNHEARD...the people decide but only between what they have heard. I trust that there are a lot of great listeners out there, it is just SO HARD to reach them without the money to pay the system. peace, from one who knows the "biz" from the other side, I remember what ecto stands for, Cyoakha. > Land of the Blind c/o NW New Music 3439 NE Sandy Blvd., Suite 266 Portland, Oregon, U.S.A. 97232 email lanblind@teleport.com http://www.teleport.com/~lanblind/ ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 23 Jan 1998 06:14:57 -0500 From: "Chris Beckwith" Subject: Re: venturing into the unknown I.D. <4dm@qlink.queensu.ca> wrote: > Interesting fact: Aimee Mann, during a European tour, once got so > tired of performing and so depressed that she apparently cut her > hand so badly that she couldn't play bass, but not enough to do > permanent damage (thank God for that). According to an interview with Brett Milano for the February 1996 "Pulse!" Aimee only contemplated the act. Here's the relevant quote: "There was one particular moment where I remember getting out my Swiss army knife and trying to calculate where I could cut my hand - so it wouldn't permanently damage me but it would make it impossible to play, so I could get myself off the tour. I knew the promoters would come down on me, I knew the band would come down on me, and I knew that the record company would think I was a major-league asshole - - and in fact, all those things happened. But I had my knife out and for a few seconds it didn't even enter my mind that this would be an irrational, problematic solution. Then I suddenly see this picture of myself and I say, 'Hold on. What am I thinking?'" Take care, Chris ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 23 Jan 1998 11:22:11 -0500 (EST) From: Magenta <4dm@qlink.queensu.ca> Subject: Re: venturing into the unknown > reasonably well made, but I could think of about 200 CDs I'd get first. > Perhaps the new Sundays "Silence and Static" would be a better option? Definitely, for those who haven't already. Harriet Wheeler's voice has agd *remarkably* well. The Sundays' songs still have a little bit of an unsettling quality to them in that they have extremely loose structures and the melody wanders a lot, but the sounds are great. "Summertime" is breezy without being 'too cute', "Cry" is beautiful, "Folk Song" is vintage Wheeler-Gavurin. Not the masterpiece that Blind was, but a very worthy release -- I don't get why the critics didn't like it. I.D. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 23 Jan 1998 10:55:06 -0500 From: Laura Clifford Subject: Re: "Joey" Pesci No - nowhere near the same guy. Although, the Joey Pesci we've been discussing did recently get a movie credit when "Voices Carry" was used in the small independent (and excellent) film "What Happened Was". At 03:06 PM 1/22/98 -0800, J. Wermont wrote: >Michael Colford wrote: > > Hey, I had a large crush on keyboardist Joey Pesci. > >Would this be the same Joe Pesci of films ("My Cousin Vinny" and others)? >I ask because I know a musician who had a band, can't remember how long ago >it was, maybe 20 years ago or so, and Joe Pesci was in fact in it. I think >he even played keyboards. So I'm wondering if it's the same guy. > >Thanks, > >Joyce > ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 23 Jan 1998 11:27:25 -0500 (EST) From: Magenta <4dm@qlink.queensu.ca> Subject: Re: venturng into the unknown > Chantal was at Lilith as well (last month's one-off concert in > Florida) and drew raves for her performance. Have you heard her > live? No. Unfortunately, the quality of her songs on Under These Rocks and Stones is too low, at least under my criteria. I don't think even Kathleen Hanna or Tori Amos can salvage that one through performance. You were right about Tara -- she writes too many ballads (Silence is about seven-eighths balladry). However, her live version of "Evidence" sounded great. I can see how she might not be all that dynamic a performer (inexperience, perhaps playing acoustic guitar and standing there). But her voice does it for me, and her lyrics are more interesting and certainly fit Tara's music much more than Kreviazuk's to her own. > personality to an audience. I haven't really heard Holly enough to > form a solid opinion, though I briefly skimmed through "Stuff" at > Tower Records' listening station yesterday. Tough arrangements and booming production really helped McNarland, whose debut Sour Pie was much less catchy, less well written, and suffered from its low-fi homemade sound. Worth getting -- but it *is* possible that some listeners may getr annoyed at McNarland's occasional lapses into nasal singing. "Water" is the track that avoids any of that, and the chorus to "Numb" kicks the overrated Alanis Morissette right into the gutter. People might be getting tired of my constant criticism of Morissette, but that probably comes of the fact that she's been touted as this angry rocker, but her lyrics are really just immature with the occasional ability to find a hook (eg. "An older version of me/Is she perverted like me". I.D. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 23 Jan 1998 11:59:57 -0500 (EST) From: Michael Colford Subject: Re: venturing into the unknown On Thu, 22 Jan 1998, Greg Bossert wrote: > i dunno what happened to Janet's sony contract, alas. nor did i hear > the "single radio cut" -- any copies of that floating around? Sorry about the vagueness of that remark. I couldn't remember the title of the song yesterday, but I do today! It was called, "Dirigible," and it was very much in the Tribe vein, only heavier, with more crunchy guitars. I really liked it, but I never got a copy of it. - -------------------------------------------------------------------- Michael Colford | Reading Public Library Head of Technical Services | Reading, Massachusetts colford@noblenet.org | *North of Boston Library Exchange* - -------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 23 Jan 1998 16:58:00 -0000 From: "Bridges, Martin (Exchange)" Subject: RE: venturing into the unknown Renee Canada wrote: > Okay, I am picking six Cds to purchase that have been recommended over > the > years to me, so I was wondering if anyone wanted to give me any > critical > feedback on the artists: > 'Til Tuesday(so I can hear more of Aimee Mann) > I picked up a 'Til Tuesday retrospective last time I was in the States, just to see what Aimee was like in her earlier days. The first impression was of the terrifying 80's hairdos on the back cover!! Aimee had this huge bouffant! The music was much less striking - a bit bland and thin for me. Maybe it needs a little more time to gel. I saw Aimee in a small pub in London a year or two ago and it was a brilliant (unannounced) spontaneous performance. Wish she'd tour over here more often. I love 'Whatever' - it's well up on my list of favourite albums. However, although I like a lot of the songs on 'I'm with Stupid', the album as a whole doesn't work as well for me. Cheers, Martin ************************************************************************ ******** * Martin G Bridges - Consultant, Communications Division, Logica UK Ltd. * * Tel. +44 171 637 9111 http://www.logica.com email: bridgesm(at)logica.com * * All opinions expressed are mine, but may be shared. * ************************************************************************ ******** ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 23 Jan 1998 09:25:40 -0700 From: Neile Graham Subject: Re: venturing into the unknown Magenta wrote: >You were right about Tara -- she writes too many ballads She is someone I found so bland in recording that I can't listen to her. The ballads and prettiness get on my nerves, and the disc flew in and out of my collection. I still have a cassingle that I listen to occasionally. >Tough arrangements and booming production really helped McNarland, whose >debut Sour Pie was much less catchy, less well written, and suffered from >its low-fi homemade sound. Worth getting -- but it *is* possible that >some listeners may getr annoyed at McNarland's occasional lapses into >nasal singing. "Water" is the track that avoids any of that, and the >chorus to "Numb" kicks the overrated Alanis Morissette right into the >gutter. Wow. I disagree--I think _Sour Pie_ was much more consistent (easier because it's shorter) than the album. I love the whole EP and some of the tracks on the album. "Water" is a great song, though. >People might be getting tired of my constant criticism of Morissette, but >that probably comes of the fact that she's been touted as this angry >rocker, but her lyrics are really just immature with the occasional >ability to find a hook (eg. "An older version of me/Is she perverted like >me". Yeah, and she only has two angry songs (three if you count the hidden a cappella song). They were the only three songs on the album I could bear to listen to, because the rest seemed to me to be her channeling Sheryl Crow, whose music I never liked. If you want to hear a real angry woman in rock who can do the angry thing and still carry an incredible hook, listen to (Canadian!) Dalbello, in particular her most recent release, _Whore_. That album knocks all of those angry-young-woman-in-rock albums right out of the water. In my opinion the only people who can stand up on that particular pedestal with Dalbello are Patti Smith and PJ Harvey. - --Neile - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Neile Graham ..... http://www.sff.net/people/neile ..... neile@sff.net The Ectophiles' Guide to Good Music .... http://www.smoe.org/ectoguide - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 23 Jan 1998 12:39:04 -0500 (EST) From: Michael Colford Subject: Holly Cole in Boston Any Boston ectophiles going to see Holly Cole at the Paradise tonight? - -------------------------------------------------------------------- Michael Colford | Reading Public Library Head of Technical Services | Reading, Massachusetts colford@noblenet.org | *North of Boston Library Exchange* - -------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 23 Jan 1998 12:30:16 -0500 (EST) From: Michael Colford Subject: Re: "Joey" Pesci On Fri, 23 Jan 1998, Laura Clifford wrote: > No - nowhere near the same guy. Although, the Joey Pesci we've > been discussing did recently get a movie credit when "Voices > Carry" was used in the small independent (and excellent) film > "What Happened Was". I LOVED this film! It stars one of my favorite actresses, Hal Hartley alum, Karen Sillas. Very disturbing tale about two co-workers who have their first date in Sillas' character's apartment. Sillas and writer/director Tom Noonan are the only people to appear. I forgot about "Voices Carry" in that film. > At 03:06 PM 1/22/98 -0800, J. Wermont wrote: > > > >Would this be the same Joe Pesci of films ("My Cousin Vinny" and others)? > >I ask because I know a musician who had a band, can't remember how long ago > >it was, maybe 20 years ago or so, and Joe Pesci was in fact in it. I think > >he even played keyboards. So I'm wondering if it's the same guy. The Joey of 'til tuesday was in a band called My Hip (if I recall correctly) before he joined up with Aimee and co. But I'm pretty sure he played bass in that band. - -------------------------------------------------------------------- Michael Colford | Reading Public Library Head of Technical Services | Reading, Massachusetts colford@noblenet.org | *North of Boston Library Exchange* - -------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 23 Jan 1998 13:24:14 -0500 From: Valerie Nozick Subject: Deanna Kirk Does anyone know anything about Deanna Kirk? I'm listening to her cd, "Mariana Trench" right now, and it is *beautiful*! It's on the soft side of ecto, lots of ballads -- good music to go to sleep to. :) In fact, it almost sounds like Broadway-types of ballads, and her voice sounds classically trained (at least to my ears). Then again, I'm listening to her cover of "Song of Bernadette" right now. :) This is probably for the folks who like Julee Cruise and Sarah Brightman. ==> Valerie ps. It's pretty cool where I got this CD from. I was looking through the cd collection of a coworker at my new job, and he had Susan McKeown and the Chanting House in his collection! Needless to say, now we're trading CDs furiously. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 23 Jan 1998 15:22:41 EST From: Riphug Subject: Re: Deanna Kirk In a message dated 1/23/98 1:42:57 PM Eastern Standard Time, valerie@smoe.org writes: << Does anyone know anything about Deanna Kirk? I'm listening to her cd, "Mariana Trench" right now, and it is *beautiful*! It's on the soft side of ecto, lots of ballads -- good music to go to sleep to. :) In fact, it almost sounds like Broadway-types of ballads, and her voice sounds classically trained (at least to my ears). Then again, I'm listening to her cover of "Song of Bernadette" right now. :) This is probably for the folks who like Julee Cruise and Sarah Brightman. >> Yes! I met Deanna when she opened for Jane Siberry here in Cincinnati this past December. Here's what I wrote about the show: <> Her CD's are available through Borders or CDNow and the URL for Deanna's webpage is: http://www.blackbirdusa.com/deanna.html Definitely worth a listen!>> If you haven't heard her before, I know you'll be pleased! ;-) Jill :D ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 23 Jan 1998 14:59:43 EST From: Riphug Subject: "In Between Dances" compilation I was talking away with Brian Wilson this afternoon and together we made = a new=0Adiscovery (although it appears that it's been around for a few ye= ars):=0A=0A<The= Official Loreena McKennitt Home=0APage=0A=0AYes, I'll be ordering it= ......along with a couple of other more obscure=0ALoreena CD's. ;-)=0A=0A= Jill :D=0A =0A ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 23 Jan 1998 16:08:09 -0500 From: Dan Stark Subject: Re: Deanna Kirk Valerie wrote: >Does anyone know anything about Deanna Kirk? I have her "Mariana Trench" CD. I have to say I have never felt inclined to spend a lot of time with it, although the first track, "Sail On," is a gorgeous, solo piano-vocal piece that is a real standout. I also like about half of the rest of the CD, but I'm not sure what it is about some of Deanna's songs that fail to draw me in. They're very well performed but I think maybe she's a bit quieter or folky than most of the artists I tend to prefer. I find Deanna's vocals and style reminiscent of Cowboy Junkies in places, and the Junkies are another band whose individual songs I like more than their albums in their entirely. Anyway, as I flip through the CD again while writing this, I must say she is a talented vocalist and songwriter, and this is a pretty solid album. While I prefer Deanna's songs in a mix, I think there are others here that would go nuts for this CD from start to finish. I don't know anything about her, but I'll bet she'd be great to see live. Dan ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 23 Jan 1998 18:33:40 -0500 From: Paul Blair Subject: Re: Deanna Kirk Dan wrote that he thinks he'd prefer Deanna's individual songs more than her albums in their entirely, and continues: > I don't know anything about her, but I'll bet she'd be great to see live. I heard Deanna opening for Jane Siberry at Christmas in New York and enjoyed her set enough to give her a mention here. "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" was particularly fun. I've been seeing "Where Are You Now" featured on listening stations at Tower and was pleased to find that at least "Mr. Grinch" doesn't lose for being recorded. Otherwise I'm inclined to think I'll agree with Dan's sentiment about individual songs vs. albums, but I'll have to wait and see. - --Paul ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 23 Jan 1998 18:32:42 -0500 (EST) From: Neal Copperman Subject: Re: Deanna Kirk On Fri, 23 Jan 1998, Valerie Nozick wrote: > Does anyone know anything about Deanna Kirk? > This is probably for the folks who like Julee Cruise and Sarah Brightman. On Fri, 23 Jan 1998, Dan Stark wrote: > I don't know anything about her, but I'll bet > she'd be great to see live. She was indeed a fine opener for Jane on this last tour. I was impressed with her show, though not bowled over. I prefer Dan's Cowboy Junkies comparison to Valerie's, though I'm a new convert to the Junkies myself. Their wonderful live show was more compelling than Deana Kirk's, but hers had a quiet power. I recently picked up the second disc ("Where Are You Now") and have really been enjoying it. It's only had a few spins in the week I"ve owned it (which for me is actually pretty impressive), but it's got a lot of standout tracks and is quite consistant. Plus, you've got the Grinch cover to buy it for, and the liner notes combined with the lyrics made the concert standout "Take down the Kasbah" make sense. She reminded me a bit of Holly Cole in her older mode (but with a little less umph), and Jane's jazzier approach (without all the quirkiness). I bought all the Holly Cole I didn't have at her show last week, and listened to Girl Talk (her first? album from around '90 - sorry, I'm at work now, no disc). I was surprised how much I enjoyed it. I thought perhaps her style wouldn't have gelled yet, but I found her song treatments to be unique and catchy. I'm looking around to listening to the others I bought (um, whatever comes after Girl Talk, and the new one). Val - did you manage any Sarah tix for yourself? Neal ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 23 Jan 1998 19:30:06 -0600 From: Neile Graham Subject: _Lit From Within- compilation Riphug wrote: < Subject: Re: (harbinger) Lisa St. Ann on tour...... Arrgh, she's not coming near here?? Same as you, Jill, I was in Borders cafe in Bloomington, IN without even knowing she'd be there. I listened to her set, and loved it. I got to talk to her afterwards, and found out she'd be in York St. Cafe in Newport that weekend, so I went there to see her too. :) Just call me a groupie! Malanai On Thu, 22 Jan 1998, Riphug wrote: > I first saw Lisa St. Ann, not knowing the first thing about her, when she > played a free concert at the Cincinnati Borders store. Then I bought her two > CDs and had her sign them. She's really nice and talented......I hope you'll > give her a listen when she's in your area. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 23 Jan 1998 23:48:29 EST From: Riphug Subject: Re: _Lit From Within- compilation In a message dated 1/23/98 9:15:45 PM Eastern Standard Time, neile@sff.net writes: << Along the same lines, _Lit From Within_, from Nettwerk, which benefits Canadian rape relief crisis centers, came out at about the same time (1995). Has Sarah, Veda, Kristy Thirsk from Rose Chronicles, and some pieces from well-known Canadian poets. >> yep, I've got that one, Neal ;-) What can you tell me about a Canadian compilation called "Women & Songs", which I just ordered from A&B Sound? From the track listing I found, it appeared rather similar to "In Between Dances." Any other good compilations (especially Canadian artists) you can recommend? Jill :D ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 24 Jan 1998 01:32:13 EST From: Paul2k Subject: Re: Holly Cole; Sarah tix In a message dated 98-01-23 18:51:43 EST, elan@access.digex.net writes: > bought all the Holly Cole I didn't have at her show last week, and > listened to Girl Talk (her first? album from around '90 - sorry, I'm at > work now, no disc). I was surprised how much I enjoyed it. I thought > perhaps her style wouldn't have gelled yet, but I found her song > treatments to be unique and catchy. I'm looking around to listening to > the others I bought (um, whatever comes after Girl Talk, and the new one). As far as i can tell, Girl Talk is followed by Blame it on My Youth, then Don't Smoke in Bed, Temptation, It Happened One Night, and finally Dark Dear Heart. I don't know of any other albums she has. I've been spinning 'em all a lot since the concert...can't wait until she comes back to Baltimore :) > Val - did you manage any Sarah tix for yourself? I'm not Val, but i will say that i managed to get some Sarah tix. I was at work when tix went on sale, and i tried Protix first, and they told me to try ticketmaster, so i tried calling them for 10 minutes....then i jaunted over to Hecht's to purchase them in person since the phones were busy. I didn't have enough cash on me to buy the 4 tickets i needed, so i applied for a Hecht's card and got approved in 5 minutes :) I ended up purchasing the tickets around 10:30 and got row C of the second section of seats, which would put me about 25 rows back from the stage. Not bad, considering that a guy who was waiting when Hecht's opened at 10 got seats around 15 rows from the stage. I'm still holding out for comp tickets through my radio station, though ;) 35 bucks is really expensive, though. *sigh* Susan Werner in a week! WOOHOO! Paul ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 24 Jan 1998 01:42:47 -0500 (EST) From: Neal Copperman Subject: Re: Holly Cole; Sarah tix On Sat, 24 Jan 1998, Paul2k wrote: > I don't know of any other albums she has. I've been spinning 'em all > a lot since the concert...can't wait until she comes back to Baltimore :) When and where is Holly playing in Baltimore? Lotsa good upcoming shows though... Lisa Cerbone - free, tomorrow (Sat) at Wyatt's in Fell's Point and again on Monday, with Vyktoria Pratt Keating and someone I won't abuse anymore at Iota, and again with her band on Friday at Iota. Christine Lavin, Feb 1 at the Gordon Center Patty Griffin on the 12th at the Metro Cafe (if you can stand to return). Paula Cole on the 14th at 9:30 Club Freakwater on the 15th at Iota Bela Fleck on the 24th at Hopkins, while Fiona Apple plays 9:30 On the 27th, The Nields are at Rams Head while Cheryl Wheeler is at the Birchmere. And on the 28th, the Nields are at the Birchmere. That's it for the Baltimore/Washington concert announcements Neal np: Katell Keinig - Jet ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 24 Jan 1998 01:34:30 -0500 (EST) From: Neal Copperman Subject: Re: this week's new releases On Wed, 21 Jan 1998, J. Wermont wrote: > Neal Copperman wrote (about Disappear Fear): > > On the other hand, most of her purely political songs carry little weight > > with me. From my brief time on the df list (about 5 years ago), I was > > surprised to learn that "Washington Work Song" consistantly was listed as > > people's favorite df song. It, and other songs like it, are also quite > > popular in concert, and though I've found them passionately performed and > > sometimes quite catchy and melodic, I've never found any of them moving > > or inspirational. > > Maybe this says more about you than about Sonia's music itself. I don't > mean anything bad by that, btw - it just sounds like you aren't moved by > songs that have a political message, in the same way that you are moved > by personal revelations, insights, or portraits of people or situations, > in music. This is true about opinions in general. They say as much about the person who's stating the opinion as they do about the event, product, idea, ... that is being commented upon. So sure, all my opinions about music say something about me. They are all based on my response to the work that someone else has created. They are only relevant to anyone else if they think they can glean something about their reactions based on mine (or, I guess, as a psychological profile of me, though I don't claim that's of notable interest to anyone). That's why I always say you shouldn't be bothered by people who criticize your favorites. It's just their opinion, and if you don't like it, remember that they are wrong :) As for the politics thing, I freely admit to having a stronger preference for songs about emotions than politics, though I like plenty of songs that aren't in either category. However, I think a lot of that is a reflection on the songs available, as well as a reflection on me. There's a reason that political songs make up a relatively small portion of the music out there. I don't think a pop song lends itself as easily towards inteligent political thought as it does to more visceral, emotional impact. It's hard to cover the various angles of politics in a standard song structure, make it clever and catchy, and not oversimplify the issues. Some people pull it off, but in my experience, it's a pretty rare trick. Plus, another difficulty with political songs is the content themselves. Perhaps I'm unimpressed with many of the songs I've heard because I disagree with the politics behind it. I don't think that's the case, since there are plenty of songs I've heard that I like, that I don't agree with. Continuing the disappear fear example - a concert highlight for years has been their cover of Phil Och's Is There Anybody Here. I've never heard the original, but the song is catchy, and the harmonies were excellent. Live, and even on the album, it's the best type of anthem song. It's stirring and emotional. But when I listen to it, I'm always kept from fully enjoying it by the lyrics, or more specifically, the point of the lyrics, since the lyrics are well crafted. So maybe I have to take back what I said above. The song is pretty well put together except, for me, the politics itself. > I enjoy both, so I can be quite moved by a good political song, > although bad political music doesn't do much for me. But then again, bad > personal songs don't thrill me, either. Well sure, by definition, any song, on any subject, that you define as good will be effective for you. I just didn't think Sonia's political songs were her best work, and even when they worked well enough lyrically and musically, I didn't find them particularly insightful. Are you defending any of her songs? Or just political songs in general? (Or, I guess, just good political songs) And what political songs have you found moving? I too don't mean anything negative by these questions, I'm just curious. Neal np: Katell Keinig - Jet ------------------------------ End of ecto-digest V4 #26 *************************