Review: Bad, Good and Marvelous

Subject: Bad, Good and Marvelous
From: Escamillo
Date: 18 Aug 02 - 04:17 AM

Looking askance at the TV while working, tonight I found a show at Film+Arts Channel. I would like to share my impressions.

1) A mountain of expensive electronic equipment apparently driven by a band called Placebo. Strange sounds, a melody line always decaying to a spoken grunt, a girl literally eating a mic. There was some lyrics but I couldn't understand a word. Sour expression, anticipating the effect that their music is supposed to have in the audience.

2) Trisha Yearwood in a duet with another female singer and a pianist, in a delicious rendering of "I feel I'm going home", supposedly country song. Smooth voices, plenty of expression. But (Alas) if they own those beautiful voices, then WHY don't they use them in their plenitude, why that nasal effect in high notes, that softening of the brightness that they surely have ? Yes I know, country is not Puccini, but the sound is the sound, and a bright voice is a bright voice, even in a romantic or melancholic song. There's no need to degrade a voice to appear more popular or more folky. Or am I wrong ??

3) Ladysmith Black Mambazo : ten black male singers doing unbeleivable things. (Remember their song at the end of the movie "Moon walker" with Michael Jackson? - the only part I enjoyed). South African Spirituals and songs with incredible harmonies (I swear they are simple harmonies but I'm unable to analyze them), producing a continuous pleasure from the first to the last note, rythms that awake our most hidden ancestral emotions, and an attitude of absolute joy. If the others were applauded, the Mambazos were acclaimed by an audience who reacted as if they were not a simple condescendent public for a TV show. Phenomenal.

And where am I requesting an opinion ? Point 2, if you like.

Un abrazo - Andrés

Subject: RE: Review: Bad, Good and Marvelous
From: Genie
Date: 18 Aug 02 - 05:22 AM

Escamillo, I can't comment on "Placebo," and I can take Trisha Yearwood or leave her, but Ladysmith Black Mambazo is (are?) awesome!! I have a videotape of Paul Simon's African Concert, with Joseph Shabalala ( I love that name!) and the guys doing their dance while they sing. Just love watching that tape. They just light up the room and reach down and find whatever joy and energy you've got hidden down there somewhere.

I know you wanted an opinion on Point 2 -- and I'm inclined to dislike overstylization of one's natural voice in order to fit a genre --, but I'm afraid I have a stronger opinion on LBM.

Genie

Subject: RE: Review: Bad, Good and Marvelous
From: GUEST
Date: 19 Aug 02 - 03:11 AM

Could be that they haven't learnt to use the bright tones high up, and don't realise they could.

Subject: RE: Review: Bad, Good and Marvelous
From: kendall
Date: 19 Aug 02 - 10:21 AM

One's personal opinion can not be wrong.

Subject: RE: Review: Bad, Good and Marvelous
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 20 Aug 02 - 06:15 AM

Oddly enough, for an old codger like me, I quite like Placebo. Having seen them in concert twice with my daughters and listened to lots of their music I find them to be quite original and musicaly talented. But what do I know? Apaart from the lead singer ain't a girl, Escamillo, he's a lad called Brian Molko!

Trisha Yearwood I don't know well enouh to comment on. What I have heard on the radio sounds OK though.

Ladysmith Black Mambazo I like in small doses. I heard one or two songs on my 'world' station on spinner and bought an album on the strength of them. I found though that after 20 or so minutes I began to loose interest and the songs began to get a little 'samey'.

Cheers

Dave the Gnome