Awful schmaltz from Annie Lennox (Christmas)

Subject: Awful schmaltz from Annie Lennox
From: GUEST, Richard Bridge
Date: 27 Nov 10 - 05:30 PM

I just heard the TV ad for the Annie Lennox Xmas Album.

OMFG.

A woman who was a musical icon, one of the finest singers of her period - reduced to singing that crap.

A tragedy of Greek dimensions.

Subject: RE: Awful schmaltz from Annie Lennox (Christmas)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 27 Nov 10 - 05:38 PM

Well, Richard, I was prepared to disagree with you because I love Christmas carols and I like Annie Lennox, but you may well be right in this instance. The album is A Christmas Cornucopia, and you can get previews and information at http://www.annielennox.com/. You can listen to the album on Spotify. More at YouTube.
"Overproduced" is the first word that comes to my mind. Still, it has a certain charm....
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Awful schmaltz from Annie Lennox (Christmas)
From: Leadfingers
Date: 27 Nov 10 - 05:42 PM

I expect that she will make money from it . which would seem to be the whole idea

Subject: RE: Awful schmaltz from Annie Lennox (Christmas)
From: Arthur_itus
Date: 27 Nov 10 - 05:52 PM

Annie Lennox. How dare you knock her Richard!

Subject: RE: Awful schmaltz from Annie Lennox (Christmas)
From: katlaughing
Date: 27 Nov 10 - 05:55 PM

Not exactly what I expect from her nor from the songs, but I guess it works in a strange way. She sounds as though she's really stretching which makes her tough voice sound even rougher, imo. Not a bad thing, it works for her well-known repertoire, but it's very different for a carol. I wouldn't call it awful and I didn't hear anything terribly over-produced, unless it's what they did with her voice. It is kinda schmaltzy, though.:-)

Subject: RE: Awful schmaltz from Annie Lennox (Christmas)
From: GUEST, Richard Bridge
Date: 28 Nov 10 - 03:13 AM

Arthur - I love her standing repertoire and admire her singing, and would certainly not call her voice "rough" or "tough" - but for years I would have loved to knock her (snigger). Indeed I still think she looks rather fine.

That's why this album is such a tragedy.

Subject: RE: Awful schmaltz from Annie Lennox (Christmas)
From: GUEST,cs
Date: 28 Nov 10 - 03:33 AM

Oh dear. Especially not digging the crudely phrased latin -
in-eix-elsiys Daey Oaw!

Subject: RE: Awful schmaltz from Annie Lennox (Christmas)
From: GUEST,Suibhne Astray
Date: 28 Nov 10 - 06:28 AM

I referenced this elsewhere a wee while back - specifically the Folk-Image Heavy video for God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen which is as real / authentic as anything the Revival has to offer in this respect. My wife's a big Annie Lennox fan & we listened to the album in the car yesterday about our folky business, along with Peter Bellamy's Maritime England Suite. Both were suitably enchanting especially as we ended up in the Trafford Centre digging the Xmas Vibe in the bleak winter depression - came away with series two of Being Human on DVD...

Let Nothing Ye Dismay!

Subject: RE: Awful schmaltz from Annie Lennox (Christmas)
From: GUEST,cs
Date: 28 Nov 10 - 06:40 AM

Bach organ music is what I like listening to for that Xmas vibe thing, glass of sherry while prepping the dinner.. Eh!

Subject: RE: Awful schmaltz from Annie Lennox (Christmas)
From: GUEST,Jim Knowledge
Date: 28 Nov 10 - 06:53 AM

I `ad that Annie Lennox in my cab the other day. She looked well brassed off about something. She was reading that SAGA magazine, `er cropped `air was standing up for glory and `er face was a picture of `igh dudgeon.
I said, " What`s up Annie? That Mudcat giving your Christmas album only two outa ten?"
She said, " Nah Jim. That SAGA magazine. You wouldn`t Adam and Eve it.
In the interview I told `em I looked forward to going grey. They got it all arse about face and said I wished I was a lesbian!!"

Whaddam I Like??

Subject: RE: Awful schmaltz from Annie Lennox (Christmas)
From: GUEST,DWR
Date: 28 Nov 10 - 07:24 AM

It's all in the 'ear of the beholder'; what one person loves, another thinks is crap.

I remember a discussion from several years ago about The Gift by Stephanie Davis. We got the full range of opinions about it. Some loved it, some hated the sentimentality.

Personally, I probably won't bother to listen as I don't particularly care all that much for her music anyway. *** OK, I figured that I best listen to the music from the links provided by Joe before consigning it to the rubbish heap.

I found the track samples inoffensive at worst and I quite liked some of them well enough to listen attentively if I heard them on the radio. Personal Favorites -- Universal Child , her own contribution, and See Amid The Winter's Snow .

Buy it? No. Not my style, but I imagine it will sell well. We'll see.

Like Joe, I really like Christmas music, and have a fairly large collection. My all time favorite Christmas album is We Three Kings by the Roches. Richard is free to dislike it intensely if he so chooses. (Shockingly, I see it is apparently Out of Print now, and is priced at anywhere from $30-$150!!! at Amazon. I paid less than $10 some years ago.)

Quote from Annie found at Amazon, where the majority of the reviewers gave it 4 or 5 stars, though some gave it one.

"All the income that I earn from Universal Child will be paid to the Annie Lennox Foundation." The Annie Lennox Foundation, the stars own charity, raises money for charitable projects supporting and educating women and children in Africa with HIV/AIDS.

"I've known these songs, these carols all my life, I've sung them since I was little," says the songwriter and singer of The Holly And The Ivy, Silent Night, The First Noel and other, less-widely-known songs such as Il Est Ne Le Divin Enfant, and Lullay Lullay. " They're just in me. They're a huge part of my life. So it's not an arbitrary selection. Those relationships with those pieces of music were there intrinsically before I approached the recording."

Subject: RE: Awful schmaltz from Annie Lennox (Christmas)
From: raymond greenoaken
Date: 28 Nov 10 - 01:23 PM

"I've known these songs, these carols all my life, I've sung them since I was little," says the songwriter and singer of The Holly And The Ivy, Silent Night, The First Noel and other, less-widely-known songs such as Il Est Ne Le Divin Enfant, and Lullay Lullay. " They're just in me. They're a huge part of my life. So it's not an arbitrary selection. Those relationships with those pieces of music were there intrinsically before I approached the recording."

Aye, well she would say that, wouldn't she...? This is me being cynical so that you don't have to. I'd wager that, what, ten years ago, neither AL nor any other pop celeb dishing out a Festive Favourites selection would have felt the need to justify it in these earnest terms. That they do nowadays shows, I think, how the once unfashionable folkie notion of rootedness and connection has now become a cultural commonplace. Our work is done!

Subject: RE: Awful schmaltz from Annie Lennox (Christmas)
From: MAG
Date: 28 Nov 10 - 01:43 PM

I love the tune for Lullay Lullay, so I'd be curious to hear what she did with it. Universal Child I liked; the video for Merry Gentleman was downright embarassing.

Subject: RE: Awful schmaltz from Annie Lennox (Christmas)
From: GUEST,Bi-Polar Bear
Date: 28 Nov 10 - 01:45 PM

Our work is done!

Those relationships are common to all peoples & all musics; you'll hear jazzers, Fall fans, Elvis Impersonators and even Barry Manilow disciples speaking in similar terms. It's only Folkies who make a religion out of it & claim exlusivity to such righteous rootedness, however so remote the chances with respect of the letter o' the 1954 Definition. I can't sing Silent Night without blubbing anyway, so deep are the associations, even for an athiest such as myself who might still be found at Midnight Mass feeling a true sense of such tradition; nigh 2,000 years anyway if they sing the gospel in Latin.

Subject: RE: Awful schmaltz from Annie Lennox (Christmas)
From: Smedley
Date: 28 Nov 10 - 01:56 PM

Annie Lennox always strikes me as being in the 'more talent than taste' category.

Subject: RE: Awful schmaltz from Annie Lennox (Christmas)
From: Little Hawk
Date: 28 Nov 10 - 02:26 PM

Wait till you hear Chongo Chimp's new Christmas jazz album, "Play It Again, Chongo"...

Then you really WILL have something to agonize about, Richard.

Subject: RE: Awful schmaltz from Annie Lennox (Christmas)
From: Greg F.
Date: 28 Nov 10 - 02:27 PM

Isn't Christmas SUPPOSED to be typified by schmaltz??

Subject: RE: Awful schmaltz from Annie Lennox (Christmas)
From: Greg F.
Date: 28 Nov 10 - 02:28 PM

And rampant consumerism, of course.

Subject: RE: Awful schmaltz from Annie Lennox (Christmas)
From: Little Hawk
Date: 28 Nov 10 - 02:47 PM

No one will ever surpass Bob Dylan's recent Christmas album. ;-) The thing you gotta love about ol' Bob...he's too ragged sounding for it to be schmaltz.

Subject: Annie Lennox Christmas CD
From: Chris B (Born Again Scouser)
Date: 10 Dec 10 - 06:24 AM

Ken Bruce on Radio 2 has been playing tracks all this week from Annie Lennox's CD of Christmas Carols. Absolutely gorgeous - and I can't stand the woman.

Subject: RE: Annie Lennox Christmas CD
From: GUEST,Suibhne Astray
Date: 10 Dec 10 - 06:27 AM

Did you miss the other thread, Chris? Looks like Mudcat are unanimous in their fevered folk outrage!

Awful schmaltz from Annie Lennox (Christmas)                     

Subject: RE: Awful schmaltz from Annie Lennox (Christmas)
From: GUEST,Hmmm
Date: 10 Dec 10 - 08:30 AM

I was minding my own business when something came out of the speaker at me and harmed my ear. It was the most aggressive caterwauling I've heard since my neighbor's cat was put to sleep. I did a google search under "Annie Lennox is terrible" and here I am. Thank you for hating. Someone has to do it.

Subject: RE: Awful schmaltz from Annie Lennox (Christmas)
From: theleveller
Date: 10 Dec 10 - 08:35 AM

One of my greatest musical heroines - what a sad comedown. Put on Eurythmics Greatest Hits to take away the nasty taste.

Subject: RE: Awful schmaltz from Annie Lennox (Christmas)
From: Little Hawk
Date: 10 Dec 10 - 11:48 AM

Has Tom Waites done a Christmas album yet?

Or Marylin Manson?

Damn shame that Kurt Cobain never did one, isn't it?

Subject: RE: Awful schmaltz from Annie Lennox (Christmas)
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 10 Dec 10 - 12:24 PM

Suibhne wrote:

I referenced this elsewhere a wee while back - specifically the Folk-Image Heavy video for God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen which is as real / authentic as anything the Revival has to offer in this respect.


I looked at the video when Suibhne first posted a link. I admit to being intrigued by it in a strange way. To say however that it's 'as good or authentic as anything the revival has to offer' is stretching it way beyond me though.

The whole thing is strange and unnatural sounding, a rehearsal video on you tube shows why: everything in it is electronically generated or processed. As for folk inspired, it reminded me strongly of Malicorne's use of the 'orgue a voix' during the eighties and their droning with epinette des vosges and dulcimer and then another half a dozen layers added for effect.

And don't give me the 'but they have a hurdy gurdy in the clip'. No they don't they have a box with a handle, a hole where the wheel should be. It's all a bit pretend and make belief. But what the heck, it's christmas.

Subject: RE: Awful schmaltz from Annie Lennox (Christmas)
From: GUEST,DonMeixner
Date: 10 Dec 10 - 01:18 PM

I would listen to Annie Lennox sing the Syracuse, NY phone book.

Don

Subject: RE: Awful schmaltz from Annie Lennox (Christmas)
From: GUEST,glueman
Date: 10 Dec 10 - 01:44 PM

There's no need for the drum on God Rest Ye, none at all. Still far from the baddest, she'd have to get past Crosby and Bowie's Drummer Boy and every Christmas record Cliff ever made to be in the mix.

Subject: RE: Awful schmaltz from Annie Lennox (Christmas)
From: GUEST,S O'P (Astray)
Date: 10 Dec 10 - 02:18 PM

It's all a bit pretend and make belief

i.e. as real / authentic as anything the Revival has to offer in this respect.

Subject: RE: Awful schmaltz from Annie Lennox (Christmas)
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 10 Dec 10 - 03:07 PM

That's a matter of opinion.

Subject: RE: Awful schmaltz from Annie Lennox (Christmas)
From: meself
Date: 10 Dec 10 - 03:24 PM

Question: is the lyric "In Bethlehem, in Israel" a recent PC innovation? I've always known it as, "In Bethlehem, in Jewry" ....

Subject: RE: Awful schmaltz from Annie Lennox (Christmas)
From: MAG
Date: 10 Dec 10 - 03:31 PM

I find I walk out of any place where "Little Drummer Boy" is playing --

I too would listen to (almost) anything she sings --

Subject: RE: Awful schmaltz from Annie Lennox (Christmas)
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 10 Dec 10 - 05:24 PM

Love is a stranger in an open sledwho brings us gifts while we are all in bed
He's jolly and he's fat and he's wondrously poised
He's comical and glad and keeps a list of all the good girls and boys
And I love him(uh)
and I need him(ah)
and I want him so it's a tradition...aaa-uhnnh

Subject: RE: Awful schmaltz from Annie Lennox (Christmas)
From: George Papavgeris
Date: 10 Dec 10 - 06:37 PM

Well, I'll just have to differ - I liked her on Andrew Marr's show and looking at the tracklist there are many carols I love. I like people experimenting and breaking away from "established norms" and I thought it would make a nice change from the Westminster Choir's album of the same carols that I have - those harmonies and the church organ are getting samey in my ears after 30 years. So I ordered it. It hasn't arrived yet, I'll let you know what I think of it when it does. However, I need to point out something that seems to have been missed, judging from the posts above:

The proceeds of this album are all going to her charity (of some 20 years standing) for HIV/AIDS women and children. So, schmalz or not, the intention at least is decent and I won't mind giving my money for that.

Subject: RE: Awful schmaltz from Annie Lennox (Christmas)
From: Jack Campin
Date: 10 Dec 10 - 07:27 PM

Sounded to me like an unusually good karaoke system with an average pub-karaoke singer at the mike. And a website design by Thomas Kinkade.

Subject: RE: Awful schmaltz from Annie Lennox (Christmas)
From: Little Hawk
Date: 10 Dec 10 - 10:22 PM

With security provided by Chongo Chimp. And damn good security at that!

Subject: RE: Awful schmaltz from Annie Lennox (Christmas)
From: GUEST,Ralphie
Date: 11 Dec 10 - 01:49 AM

Please excuse me....But I have no idea what relevance this "Chongo Chimp" has to any thread on this board?
What is a "Chongo Chimp" anyway???
Is it supposed to be "Funny"? "Enigmatic?" "Surreal?"
Hey, whatever...It must be a Yank thing..
Us Brits will ignore.....

Subject: RE: Awful schmaltz from Annie Lennox (Christmas)
From: Lizzie Cornish 1
Date: 11 Dec 10 - 03:03 AM

Most of 'The Brits' on this board a right pain in the Christmas Arse, to be honest, imo....

Long live Chongo!!

Annie's Christmas CD?

Wonderful!!!!!!!!!!

How LOVELY to hear someone like Annie coming out with Christmas Carols, showing the young people that you can still be 'cool' and sing Carols!

I love her voice, but far more than that is Annie's Spirit which has always shone out.

Richard, I doubt you'd have enjoyed your fantasy with her, because she's a gentle heart that cares about the whole darn world, children in particular.   She gave birth to a stillborn child many years back and that changes you inside forever, although she was a very spiritual person even before that happened.

'Universal Child' sums it all up really, the true 'Spirit of Christmas' and I hope this CD raises loads of money for her various charities...

She's an angel, in more ways than one..

Long Live Annie....and Chongo! :0)

Subject: RE: Awful schmaltz from Annie Lennox (Christmas)
From: Lizzie Cornish 1
Date: 11 Dec 10 - 03:14 AM

Whooohoooo! This is GREAT!

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen a la The Imagined Village :0)

Subject: RE: Awful schmaltz from Annie Lennox (Christmas)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 11 Dec 10 - 04:04 AM

"Yank thing," Mr. Ralph? "Yank thing"????

This Chongo Chimp character is pure Canadian. Nothing to do with Yanks. Not at all, at all.

-Joe Yank-

Subject: RE: Awful schmaltz from Annie Lennox (Christmas)
From: melodeonboy
Date: 11 Dec 10 - 08:24 AM

I suppose it is what it is - a superannuated pop singer singing carols!

However, as George pointed out above, full marks to her for donating the money to charities.

Subject: RE: Awful schmaltz from Annie Lennox (Christmas)
From: MAG
Date: 11 Dec 10 - 02:45 PM

um,superannuated ??

like Bonnie Raitt ??

Joan Baez??

as long as they can sing (and boy they can), more power to 'em

Subject: RE: Awful schmaltz from Annie Lennox (Christmas)
From: theleveller
Date: 11 Dec 10 - 03:03 PM

"Most of 'The Brits' on this board a right pain in the Christmas Arse, to be honest, imo....!

As I know you like to be inclusive, Lizzie, I'm assuming you include yourself in that rather sweeping statement. :)

Subject: RE: Awful schmaltz from Annie Lennox (Christmas)
From: theleveller
Date: 11 Dec 10 - 03:06 PM

Turns up Miracle of Love to block out the shmaltz.....

Subject: RE: Awful schmaltz from Annie Lennox (Christmas)
From: Lizzie Cornish 1
Date: 11 Dec 10 - 05:24 PM

"As I know you like to be inclusive, Lizzie, I'm assuming you include yourself in that rather sweeping statement. :) "



Not this time, levels... :0)

I actually prefer the American and Canadian sense of humour to the holier than thou, up their own arse, British one these days...

The Yanks and the Canucks so often make me chuckle with laughter, whilst some of the Brits make me despair...

Subject: RE: Awful schmaltz from Annie Lennox (Christmas)
From: GUEST,erbert
Date: 12 Dec 10 - 12:51 AM

I don't know if I'll get round to hearing any of it, so will keep an open mind
I'd anticipate a similar listening experience to last winter's Sting CD "If On A Winter's Night"
which was not entirely that bad.

What I have been listening to and enjoying despite their reported posh elite personal backgrounds
[or perhaps it could only have been created because of such a privileged milieux ??]
is "Joy To The World" by Pink Martini -
a retro kitsch upper class American Band, delivering exquisite nostalgic easy listening sounds
I just can't resist.

yeah.. life's full of surprising contradictions... !!!???

Though the most very special CD for my xmas is "The Holly Bears The Crown"
by The Young Tradition with Shirley and Dolly Collins;

now which box has it been stored in the last 12 months..??

Subject: RE: Awful schmaltz from Annie Lennox (Christmas)
From: mikesamwild
Date: 26 Dec 10 - 08:06 AM

The BBC TV announcers described the track and video on Christmas Eve as 'quiate pagan, just because it had some people walking through the snow and green holly leaves . So has AL been chastised as singing pagan songs?

I love her voice and didn't mind the CD , better than Sting's 'Surl ceake'

Subject: RE: Awful schmaltz from Annie Lennox (Christmas)
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 26 Dec 10 - 10:48 AM

A truly wonderful CD with great production. Incidentally, the 3 kings (wise men) apparently came from Yorkshire - coming from the east riding on camels!!!

Subject: RE: Awful schmaltz from Annie Lennox (Christmas)
From: GUEST,DonMeixner
Date: 26 Dec 10 - 10:57 AM

Superannuated? I had to look that up as it isn't a term used around my neck of the woods very often.. I wasn't sure what it meant. I had assumed that because the first half of the compound word was "Super" it could only mean extra specially good. Annuated isn't in the Webster's on-line dictionary so I guess it means to be given another or more years(Annual) or it means ..for many years.. In that case Annie Lennox has been super for years and will be for years yet to come. Her voice continues to enthrall.

I had hoped by now we would be less concerned about age when it comes to a persons skill and talent as an entertainer or a chronicler of music, lore, and history. There are any number of members of this forum who I suspect are older than I who can sing and/or perform rings around me and I travel miles to hear them when I can. Kendall Morse for one.

Give credit where it is due.

Don

Subject: RE: Awful schmaltz from Annie Lennox (Christmas)
From: George Papavgeris
Date: 27 Dec 10 - 01:03 AM

Well, I now have had three listens-through and I have to say that I don't agree with the title of this thread. The CD is very well produced, and Annie's arrangements very interesting overall, except for two that I did not like: The French one ("Il est ne") and another one which escapes my mamory at the moment (rightly). But the remainder were very good indeed, and Annie's voice has a nice earthy quality which I feel suits the songs much more than the pompous cathedral-choir manner or old-time crooner styles which I have grown to dislike over the years.

So, there - well worth my money, I feel, and the whole family enjoyed the album.

But Christmas album of the year for us has been another one, by Belshazzar's feast: Frost Bites. Every track a gem, and the mood suits the season brilliantly. Get it!

Subject: RE: Awful schmaltz from Annie Lennox (Christmas)
From: melodeonboy
Date: 27 Dec 10 - 04:37 AM

Don: I wasn't using the word "superannuated" to mean old! A good proportion of the artists that I pay good money to see are older than Annie Lennox. Pinetop Perkins, who I saw in July this year, is over 40 years older than she is! I was using it in the sense of "outmoded" or "no longer valid or fashionable", and in relation to the expression "pop singer".

Given that the primary function of a pop singer is to "shift units", and the premise that Annie Lennox's core audience is, if not at, then fast approaching, the pipe and slippers stage of their life cycles, and her ability to shift units is therefore greatly diminished, I think it's fairly accurate to refer to her as superannuated in this context.

Given the ephemeral nature of the pop industry, the expression could probably be used for artists who are much younger than Annie Lennox.

I hope that clarifies things! :)

Subject: RE: Awful schmaltz from Annie Lennox (Christmas)
From: Arkie
Date: 27 Dec 10 - 01:42 PM

So is the general consensus if you do not like Christmas music you will not be impressed by the Annie Lennox Christmas recording. If you do like Christmas music you just might like Annie's interpretations?

Subject: RE: Awful schmaltz from Annie Lennox (Christmas)
From: C-flat
Date: 27 Dec 10 - 02:03 PM

I think Annie Lennox has always been a fabulous talent in need of direction. Always at her best in collaboration, she seems not to have the "instinct" for what works and what won't. This looks clumsily commercial and yet, a few minor tweeks and she could have been applauded for tapping into another vein.
That said, there's a hell of a lot worse being released this, and every other xmas, so maybe it's unfair to judge her on her own past.

Subject: RE: Awful schmaltz from Annie Lennox (Christmas)
From: melodeonboy
Date: 27 Dec 10 - 02:20 PM

"So is the general consensus if you do not like Christmas music you will not be impressed by the Annie Lennox Christmas recording. If you do like Christmas music you just might like Annie's interpretations?"

Unfortunately, it's not quite that simple, Arkie. I really like well-sung Christmas carols (and, indeed, sing them myself), whereas anything "Christmassy" by Paul McCartney, Cliff Richard etc. makes me feel positively queasy. There are probably others who think the opposite! It depends on what sort of Christmas music you like!

Subject: RE: Awful schmaltz from Annie Lennox (Christmas)
From: GUEST,erbert
Date: 27 Dec 10 - 03:06 PM

My mrs sank the best part of a bottle of fizzy pink wine in the front room;
and danced and sang her tits off to a Brenda Lee CD of early 60's Xmas recordings..
then slumped on the sofa to sing carols and hymns with Elvis..

While I was stuck in the kitchen cooking up xmas dinner...

.. that's the kind of xmas she likes..


Btw, She wasn't too impressed when she saw Annie Lennox perform
some of her new xmas CD on telly earlier this month..

Subject: RE: Awful schmaltz from Annie Lennox (Christmas)
From: Irene M
Date: 28 Dec 10 - 01:58 PM

Whatever.
At least you can hear the words!