Hard News by Russell Brown

Read Post

Hard News: Review: Lana Del Rey, 'Born To Die'

230 Responses

First ←Older Page 1 3 4 5 6 7 10 Newer→ Last

  • Steve Barnes,

    The problem does not lie with the artists, whether they be producers, arrangers, engineers or writers and performers. The problem is, as always, the accountants and Lawyers. Those that see the price but not the value, the money but not the meaning.

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to nzlemming,

    Could you work this up into a guest post? With links? Serious.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes,

    Anyway, I'm going to the pub.

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • bronwyn,

    I don’t quite understand why they keep sticking her out there in bare-bones live TV settings to perform songs that are bloody difficult to carry off live without a production.

    I'd like to respectfully disagree with the fact that they are difficult songs to sing live; yes the recorded versions are layered with, well, layers of sound, but there's nothing about the vocal lines that is particularly difficult; she could have sung them with a guitar or piano accompaniment and they would have been great. It's the Celine Dion/Christina Aguilera/Mariah effect where singers think they have to jump up and down octaves and constantly show off their vocal range.

    Half her problem with performing them live is that she just simply isn't enunciating very well. She basically mumbles through quite a lot of her lyrics, (watch her mouth, it's barely open half the time) which is stylistic I know, but doesn't help when it comes to hitting the right notes.

    And here my ends my one and only post ever about LDR.

    And since someone mentioned kd lang, if you've never seen this, please do watch this lesson in performing live and making sure the lyrics are understandable: her version of Hallelujah

    tamaki makaurau • Since Nov 2006 • 86 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to nzlemming,

    We now return you to your regularly scheduled programme, "Hipsters we have known"

    hipsters love pdfs
    #oldskool

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • nzlemming, in reply to Russell Brown,

    As in looking at the nature of the documents and their release? 'Cos I'm not hugely able to actually review all the content (100 papers ~89MB!) ;-)

    Yeh, but it will be for next week.

    Waikanae • Since Nov 2006 • 2937 posts Report Reply

  • nzlemming, in reply to Sacha,

    hipsters love pdfs
    #oldskool

    Even the blind ones?
    #trollbait

    Waikanae • Since Nov 2006 • 2937 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to bronwyn,

    Half her problem with performing them live is that she just simply isn't enunciating very well. She basically mumbles through quite a lot of her lyrics, (watch her mouth, it's barely open half the time) which is stylistic I know, but doesn't help when it comes to hitting the right notes.

    And here my ends my one and only post ever about LDR.

    Having listened to some gig recordings on Soundcloud, I have to agree that she isn't a great singer and does the wrong things when she sings. I'm somewhat surprised they sent her out there without a voice coach.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to nzlemming,

    As in looking at the nature of the documents and their release? 'Cos I'm not hugely able to actually review all the content (100 papers ~89MB!) ;-)

    No, just the former. Asking you to review all the content would be a bit cheeky.

    Yeh, but it will be for next week.

    That'd be great.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • nzlemming, in reply to Russell Brown,

    No, just the former. Asking you to review all the content would be a bit cheeky.

    Whew. I'd hate to fight it out with Keith for bragging rights!

    Waikanae • Since Nov 2006 • 2937 posts Report Reply

  • Islander, in reply to bronwyn,

    I’ve loved Lang’s singing since 1978 (when I first heard it, in a student flat in Otago)
    and Cohen’s words from not long after…Cohen kind of talks his songs, but Lang makes them soar-
    thank you so much for posting this!
    It was the song we sang at my sister’s funeral in 2007, so it is emotionally involving on a lot of levels-

    Big O, Mahitahi, Te Wahi … • Since Feb 2007 • 5643 posts Report Reply

  • Jackie Clark, in reply to bronwyn,

    She is magnificent, isn't she?

    Mt Eden, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 3136 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to nzlemming,

    couldn't possibly expect government agencies to meet basic access standards..

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • bronwyn,

    I am sure that I've read somewhere (that I can't find right now) that Mr. Cohen has said that her version of that song is his favourite, even more than his own interpretations.

    tamaki makaurau • Since Nov 2006 • 86 posts Report Reply

  • bronwyn,

    Oh sorry that last post was meant to be a reply to you Islander, but something went awry in the posting...

    tamaki makaurau • Since Nov 2006 • 86 posts Report Reply

  • Islander, in reply to bronwyn,

    No worries! It was just so good to hear - and Mary Emma (my 4th sibling) would've loved it- rather better than the "Hard Luck Choir" or Leonard's version which is what we had while she was cremated.

    Big O, Mahitahi, Te Wahi … • Since Feb 2007 • 5643 posts Report Reply

  • Lilith __,

    Jeff Buckley’s cover is my favourite version:

    So sweet and gentle. Cohen's own delivery of this song I've never much liked!

    Dunedin • Since Jul 2010 • 3895 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes,

    Oh, come on.
    Let's get real here....

    Lenny now, at the age of 70 ish, has to travel the world singing for his supper thanks to the powers that be in the industry that left him with very little considering what he gave us.
    In my mind I live in his Mansion, whether it be on a hill or not.

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • DexterX,

    Lana Del Rey it is Ok - but I have enough other great music to catch up on that is less derivative.to pay her any mind.

    When you listen to someone who can sing and then go back and listen to some hack singing “pop” the difference stands out.

    Where one sings or when one is a singer making the effort to possess good diction regardless of the idiosyncrasies of ones vocal timber or stylistic moves is something that my ears appreciate. If we are "talking" about great singers favs of mine are Peggy Lee, Patsy Cline, and Billie Holiday who have a quality of voice and diction to the standard that KD Lang maintains.

    It is the combination fo singer the song an dhte passion in hte performance:.

    “Blue, blue windows behind the stars,
    Yellow moon on the rise,
    Big birds flying across the sky,
    Throwing shadows in our eyes”

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1224 posts Report Reply

  • nzlemming, in reply to Steve Barnes,

    Being real, he has to do it because his manager ripped him off, not the "powers that be".

    There's a fascinating insight into the redoubtable Kelly Lynch here, in the comments.

    Waikanae • Since Nov 2006 • 2937 posts Report Reply

  • JacksonP, in reply to Lilith __,

    Jeff Buckley’s cover is my favourite version:

    +1

    I've been learning his version on guitar since his 1996 concert at the St James . 16 years! Probably have the bridge riff worked out by the time I'm fifty.

    I tend to play it when I hear sad news.

    Auckland • Since Mar 2011 • 2450 posts Report Reply

  • Lilith __, in reply to JacksonP,

    I've been learning his version on guitar since his 1996 concert at the St James . 16 years! Probably have the bridge riff worked out by the time I'm fifty.

    Too early to book a seat at your 50th-birthday concert? ;-)

    Dunedin • Since Jul 2010 • 3895 posts Report Reply

  • Tom Ackroyd,

    For a lesson in how a good production (Eno) can get transformed into something that is utterly-unlistenable-to, and regardless of what you think of the music, go to iTunes and listen to "Hurts Like Heaven" on Coldplay's Mylo Xyloto.
    I can't conceivably believe this is what it sounded like before mastering.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 159 posts Report Reply

  • JacksonP, in reply to Lilith __,

    Too early to book a seat at your 50th-birthday concert? ;-)

    I wish it was, but sure.

    I can't conceivably believe this is what it sounded like before mastering.

    It does sound better on Later with Jools. Actually, it almost seems they put the chipmunk filter on the final version. Unless the YouTube syncing speeds it up?

    Auckland • Since Mar 2011 • 2450 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes, in reply to nzlemming,

    Being real, he has to do it because his manager ripped him off, not the "powers that be".

    What is a manager if not "a power that be"? A manager sure ain't no artist. Unless, of course, they are "Rip off" artists.

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

First ←Older Page 1 3 4 5 6 7 10 Newer→ Last

Post your response…

Please sign in using your Public Address credentials…

Login

You may also create an account or retrieve your password.