From: owner-navy-soup-digest@smoe.org (navy-soup-digest) To: navy-soup-digest@smoe.org Subject: navy-soup-digest V7 #84 Reply-To: navy-soup@smoe.org Sender: owner-navy-soup-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-navy-soup-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk navy-soup-digest Wednesday, October 13 2004 Volume 07 : Number 084 In This Digest: ----------------- re: Reviews ["Tab Siddiqui" ] Re: ongoing dialogue [songchicky ] Re: eye mag Day One review (by Tab) [bisontentacle ] Re: ongoing dialogue [Vicky ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 12 Oct 2004 05:24:49 +0000 From: "Tab Siddiqui" Subject: re: Reviews Aimee wrote: >and tab, i'm sorry my response to your review was offensive. i've >read/seen your work and value your opinion (i should have made that more >clear)...i was just taken aback. perhaps it's my fierce "fan" loyalty, >or tunnel-vision...i'm a little perturbed with negative criticism in >general...not specifically your review. wasn't 'offensive' at all, actually -- those of us who write for a living thrive on any and all feedback, negative, positive, or otherwise. criticism is *supposed* to be a jumping-off point for conversation and debate. Coz wrote: >I'm not saying those who've complained are in need of these lessons. "complained" is the wrong word -- i haven't seen any evidence of people 'complaining' here, whether in the reviews that were posted, or from the folks on the list. several folks seem to also keep going back to the whole, 'well, artists change and grow -- those of you that don't like it just can't accept that' thing. which is disingenuous -- the reason i brought up the fact that i am a longtime Sarah Slean fan is to point out that i've followed her music for a long time, and will CONTINUE to do so. by giving her 3 stars and pointing out that i, as a critic, happen to find the record overproduced, i'm not saying the music isn't worthwhile or the shift in sound is a bad thing. in fact, if you go back to read the review, it says: - - "Slean's songwriting remains as sharp as ever..." - - "...it's admirable that she's trying to stretch her sound into more rhythmic territory ..." unfortunately, there's only so much one can say in under 200 words. i think those of us who find the record 'overproduced' (to use that rather nebulous term) basically mean that we'd like to hear more of her beautiful voice and piano. and what's wrong with that? let's get one thing straight -- all of us on this list clearly love Sarah Slean's music, am i right? it pained me to have to give a record of hers anything less than a perfect review -- anyone who knows me knows that. but my job as a critic is to call it as i see it. in hindsight, i would have given the record an extra half star, but probably wouldn't have changed much, if anything, of what i wrote. i think the 'new' sound, if one wants to call it that, is going to sound absolutely *incredible* live. i'm convinced of it. might not work for me on a record, which is a totally different kind of listening experience, but you can bet i'll be first in line for her upcoming hometown show. and that's pretty much all i've got left to say on the subject. cheers, - - tab. _________________________________________________________________ Take advantage of powerful junk e-mail filters built on patented Microsoft. 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Premium right now and get the first two months FREE*. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 12 Oct 2004 09:44:01 -0400 (EDT) From: songchicky Subject: Re: ongoing dialogue i've really been enjoying this dialogue too, and i must say that i really respect Tab for her review. it's very hard to find music writers who can put their personal feelings about an artist aside and express an honest and objective opinion. i know how much Tab adores Sarah, so the fact that she didn't just give the cd 4 or 5 stars, but actually expressed some displeasure at some aspects at the record, makes me respect and attach more credibility to her reviews. just my two cents. hope everyone's having a great thanksgiving. peace&love, tanisha. tanishataitt.ca Debut album coming Fall '04. - --------------------------------- Post your free ad now! Yahoo! Canada Personals ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 12 Oct 2004 11:18:37 -0400 From: bisontentacle Subject: Re: eye mag Day One review (by Tab) one time at band camp, Kristilyn Robertson (kristilynrobertson@yahoo.com) said: >I mean, it's not like Sarah wasn't involved in the making of the CD. >She is listed as one of the producers, played a ton of instruments (and >new ones at that - timpani, guitar). I'd almost have to believe that >she was in the studio during the making of the CD. I just don't >understand what the fuss is about it being overproduced. Sarah *was* >there during the making of it, she obviously was involved in the >production, and she did release it to stores. well, an artist can be involved in their own overproduction, can't they? overproduction is not necessarily the result of only over-zealous, hit-oriented, label-directed producers. which gets into the definition of overproduction. is it pretention? is it hit-oriented hooks? is it obfuscation? something else? personally, i think it's a bit of the latter two items: when a song is tailored for chart success or obscured by the musical choices made for it, then it's "overproduced". (i confess, however, to having a high tolerance for, at least, the latter component.) >What's wrong with respecting her in that she wanted to put out >something different? there's a difference between repsecting artistic decisions and liking the result. i don't think tab and those who don't like the production values on _day one_ disrespect slean but they clearly aren't thrilled by what she has produced. woj ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 13 Oct 2004 00:18:27 +0900 (JST) From: Vicky Subject: Re: ongoing dialogue I have to agree with Tab. I've been a fan since Universe, it was that sound that I fell in love with. I felt the other albums to follow, Blue Parade and Night Bugs, really captured what I loved of her music but in a more expanded way. Always with her voice and piano feeling like the driving force behind the music. When I first listened to Day One, I was relieved that Sarah hadn't caught that nasty mainstream bug that I hear has been going around in the industry for a while, forcing new artist to come down with a horrible case of conformitis. But I do agree with Tab that her beautiful voice does not stand right out there on centre stage with a few humble instruments to back her up as I'm used to hearing. I still love it. The lyrics are as poetic as I'm used to, but Tab, my first reaction when I heard the CD from start to finish was as follows "Oh, I like what she's done with California in the studio version, but is this CD actually that musical she's been talking about writing?" I still love Sarah, I still cannot wait until the next time I am able to see her live, but Tab hasn't lost her fan status just by writing an honest opinion, which I felt I had to come out here and say that I mostly agree with. Vicky __________________________________ for your loved one http://pr.mail.yahoo.co.jp/pinkribbon/ ------------------------------ End of navy-soup-digest V7 #84 ******************************