http://blogcritics.org/ A sinister cabal of superior bloggers on music, books, film, popular culture, politics, and technology - updated continuously. en Copyright 2005 by the authors Sun, 1 Jun 2003 13:21:27 EDT http://backend.userland.com/rss Blogcritics.org custom software http://blogcritics.org/archives/2003/05/30/102039.php#comment-10315 Which brings to mind more than one good Simpsons show where the National Anthem was mangled to death by a singer who put their own "spin" on it. Sad thing is, take the microphone away from Whitney or her ilk and there's nothing. 10315@blogcritics.org Sun, 1 Jun 2003 13:21:27 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2003/05/30/102039.php#comment-10314 Which brings to mind more than one good Simpsons show where the National Anthem was mangled to death by a singer who put their own "spin" on it. Sad thing is, take the microphone away from Whitney or her ilk and there's nothing. 10314@blogcritics.org Sun, 1 Jun 2003 13:21:21 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2003/05/30/102039.php#comment-10308 I enjoy a good "belt" if the singer knows where to place it and doesn't overuse it. It seems to me that a lot of second rate singers have to crank up the volume when the softer note they're trying to maintain starts to get a little ragged. What really drives me crazy is apparent inability of contemporary singers to leave the original melody line ALONE. The swoop and wooble all over the place, uh, making the song "their own", I guess. I think, like cranking up the volume, it is often used to cover the inability to keep in tune for more than a couple of seconds. Sometimes this get so out of control that the original song is almost recognizable. 10308@blogcritics.org Sun, 1 Jun 2003 10:51:29 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2003/05/30/102039.php#comment-10238 I am sooooo with you on this one. The state of music today is like a nightmare that you cant wake up from. Trash gets promoted and good singing just doesnt grab the youth anymore. Because of the poor quality of music being produced I have found a monstrous amount of songs from the past that have kept me more than happy. Try RELAX TRAX or HOUSE or JAZZ on SPINNER.COM. It reminds me of whats really out there beyond the RIAA music cartel. 10238@blogcritics.org Fri, 30 May 2003 12:46:15 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2003/05/30/102039.php#comment-10233 That's the thing with today's "singers" - they make up for emotive ability with volume, which is analogous to the popularity of very flashy, but useless items (gold emblems on your Toyota, anyone?) Not to mention the use of software both in the studio and live to correct an out-of-tune singer. It's really sad, because there are countless numbers of people who can't understand what actual talent is - someone who possesses actual musical ability and can truly sing as opposed to someone who simply sings. But that's what people treasure these days - not necessarily someone who "wows" them with their prowess but someone who makes them feel like they too could do it. It's the "everymanization" of, well, everything. 10233@blogcritics.org Fri, 30 May 2003 12:06:12 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2003/05/30/102039.php#comment-10230 Hahaha YES!! That was a hilarious In Living color sketch. Dude, nice post. I laughed hard. People came to my cubicle to investigate. Rock on. 10230@blogcritics.org Fri, 30 May 2003 11:54:51 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2003/05/30/102039.php#comment-10225 it's called "herniated overemoting"....i wish i had made that up, but i read it somewhere (in reference to michael bolton). which reminds me, anybody remember the old In Living Colour/Jim Carrey sketch where he plays Michael Bolton?...and his head explodes? heh.... 10225@blogcritics.org Fri, 30 May 2003 11:22:08 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2003/05/30/102039.php#comment-10223 Nice one David, thanks and welcome. I totally agree that when it comes to non-rock singing, quiter is almost always better. I like Whitney much better than Mariah, though - there seems to ba a lot more there, at least when she's singing. 10223@blogcritics.org Fri, 30 May 2003 11:13:02 EDT