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Jon McClure slams Leona!! |
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#101 |
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James Blunt.
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#102 |
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So, lets say that a particular artist sang in a way that you liked and had a song that you liked but was written by a professional song writer, would you prefer to listen to someone performing their own work badly or to the song you actually liked?
I find that some people are so wrapped up in their desperate search to appear "credible" that they would actually not admit to liking, or just not listen at all to, a song which wasn't written by the performer. I'd write more but Alrightmate put it so much better than I could. Quote:
That's a bit of a loaded question. I don't think that anybody minds at all if a performer does a cover (or collaborates)....now and again.
But if somebody becomes famous by JUST doing covers, and JUST performing other people's material, then there's nothing there. They aren't an 'artist' and their only talent on display is to sing to somebody else's tune. Simon Cowell's tune in this instance. It's just formula stuff, boring, no innovation, just tried and tested, heavily promoted marketing, and safe techniques. That to me isn't what music should be about. I personally won't admit to liking Leona Lewis songs, not because I'm 'desperate' (Why would I be desperate?) to search to be credible,...but simply because I don't like them. To try to answer a part of your question directly, I would actually prefer to listen to somebody else performing their own material badly. I bet you simply can't get your head around that concept can you? ![]() Not compared to a song that I like, which was a loaded question, but in comparison to formula driven music. Some people don't rate talent based on the perfection and precision of the notes that are played, or whether a song is sung pitch perfectly without mistakes, but based on creativity, innovation and genuine feeling. Some people, myself included, are quite happy to accept some work performed badly if it's good enough. As long as people are inspired to create their own stuff I'm also even quite happy to take the crap that comes along with that, as it inevitably would now and again. Rough production values, raw sound, dodgy vocals. To some people that's not necessarily a problem in itself, and hardly the be all and end all. In this current decade it appears that too much emphasis is placed on perfection. Where blandness and soul deprived music is automatically celebrated as 'Amazing' or 'Genius' above music which may be rougher but have something about it. I'm not saying that high production values are a bad thing, far from it. I like some music which has high production values but isn't necessarily the media's flavour of the month. But it's just that there appears to be a current snobbery towards music that doesn't have the highest production values. Pre-the year 2000 there was a lot of music which may have been performed with a looser style where the singing couldn't possibly have been described as being sung well going by today's lofty standards. There was rawness and roughness to a lot of great music before the year 2000. Hip Hop (Not now,...but a long time ago), Punk, Oldskool Hardcore(Rave), Indie, Electro, Trip Hop, early 90s guitar bands. Can you imagine Ian Brown from 'The Stone Roses' getting anywhere today according to current music industry standards dictated to us by the likes of Simon Cowell and the like? Rough scratchy drums, very analogue sounds, accidental feedback, fingers heard sliding over guitar frets, were seen as an asset, not as a detriment. You make it sound as though it's a good thing to have a song written for you by a 'professional' song writer. As though that word 'professional' has some sort of bench-mark of quality or kudos attached to it. Like you've got a head start in the race for quality because you've got a 'professional' person helping you.Leona Lewis/Simon Cowell music has nothing to it. I don't care how many 'professional' songwriters or 'professional' producers are involved. A clinically perfect hummable tune does nothing for me in itself. It's probably that same professionalism and perfection you use as a means to celebrate that music which is probably the very reason why it kills it for me. It's ironic that Leona Lewis's album was titled 'Spirit' because to me that music has none. |
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#103 |
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Can someone please answer why it seems to me that Leona always gets the brunt of all this criticism for not creating the majority of her own work while people like Shayne Ward and Leon Jackson never get criticised? Every time someone criticises either of those for the same reason they get told to "give them a break because they are young lads." To me that seems to translate into "I fancy them so shut up."
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#104 |
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Quote:
Can someone please answer why it seems to me that Leona always gets the brunt of all this criticism for not creating the majority of her own work while people like Shayne Ward and Leon Jackson never get criticised? Every time someone criticises either of those for the same reason they get told to "give them a break because they are young lads." To me that seems to translate into "I fancy them so shut up."
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#105 |
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Quote:
Can someone please answer why it seems to me that Leona always gets the brunt of all this criticism for not creating the majority of her own work while people like Shayne Ward and Leon Jackson never get criticised? Every time someone criticises either of those for the same reason they get told to "give them a break because they are young lads." To me that seems to translate into "I fancy them so shut up."
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#106 |
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Wouldn't you want to hear Leona's own music though?
Even just out of interest to see if she's got the chops to cut it with her own creative ability? That's why the greats like Elvis, MJ, Streisand, Dion use songwriters. These people have multi decade careers because the songwriting never dries up. |
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#107 |
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The Spoon,......we appear to be speaking at crossed purposes for the most part because essentially I agree with quite a few of your points. Even the bit about the Arctic Monkeys which I am sceptical about (Them, not what you said).
But you seem to have also distorted and twisted what I was saying by stating that record sales are the best objective measure of popularity. That's all,well and good, but it's irrelevant to what I was saying. It's kind of distorting the original point, because what I was saying was that popularity is no measure of quality. The point I was making was that many people point you to popularity polls and record sales figures in order to prove that they are proof of the quality of that music. You're kind of doing it yourself, falling into the trap of obsessing over record sales and popularity. Other people, myself included, keep trying to say that popularity is not the same thing as quality. That's why I said that posts in every thread about Leona Lewis which point to record sales or popularity polls are irrelevant when speaking of quality. Popularity is not a measure of quality. You say that if you said the Arctic Monkeys are a bit shit, then people would point you to their record sales. From what I've read on threads I honestly don't think that they would do that. I honestly believe that they wouldn't fall back on record sales figures and would definitely stick to discussing the music. There have been many music acts that I've liked who have been very successful, but never have I tried to use record sales figures in order to prove the quality of their music, not even once. It wouldn't even cross my mind to do that. ![]() anyhow, Leona is just one singer I like, but nowhere near my favourite - this month my favourite group is the Staples Singers - 1960s-70s Stax soul/gospel/funk. next month it will probably be Beverley Knight again. January it was Cher. what a fickle lot us music fans are... |
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#108 |
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I didn't mean to misrepresent you - personally, I don't think sales are a measure of quality either. with something as subjective as music/singing, it is very difficult to discern a measure to distinguish between acts if they sing in tune!
anyhow, Leona is just one singer I like, but nowhere near my favourite - this month my favourite group is the Staples Singers - 1960s-70s Stax soul/gospel/funk. next month it will probably be Beverley Knight again. January it was Cher. what a fickle lot us music fans are... ![]() Thanks for this honest and fair post that I'm responding to as well. We probably agree on lots of things. It's just that with this Leona Lewis thing we simply differ in taste. I think you can probably tell that it's not Leona herself that I'm having a go at, and that the weight of most of my criticism is aimed more towards the machine behind her. Personally I would like to see what she would do if she was allowed to create her own material and perform her own material. At the moment that's not really possible, although I believed that she asked Simon Cowell if she could put some input into her album. How much input she was allowed is questionable. I'd guess not that much. Personally I think that Leona is a very good singer. It's just that when words like 'talented' and 'artist' are applied to her, it often appears to be said in relation to her actual material as though it's her music and her songs. Maybe this is a reason why she didn't win a Brit Award, and other acts possibly won some due to creating their own material, whether that material is any good or not. (Not that the Brits mean much anyway). Maybe that's why Rihanna also missed out too.
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#109 |
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It's okay, no problem. I could tell that it was just accidental.
![]() Thanks for this honest and fair post that I'm responding to as well. We probably agree on lots of things. It's just that with this Leona Lewis thing we simply differ in taste. I think you can probably tell that it's not Leona herself that I'm having a go at, and that the weight of most of my criticism is aimed more towards the machine behind her. Personally I would like to see what she would do if she was allowed to create her own material and perform her own material. At the moment that's not really possible, although I believed that she asked Simon Cowell if she could put some input into her album. How much input she was allowed is questionable. I'd guess not that much. Personally I think that Leona is a very good singer. It's just that when words like 'talented' and 'artist' are applied to her, it often appears to be said in relation to her actual material as though it's her music and her songs. Maybe this is a reason why she didn't win a Brit Award, and other acts possibly won some due to creating their own material, whether that material is any good or not. (Not that the Brits mean much anyway). Maybe that's why Rihanna also missed out too. ![]() |
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#110 |
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Who's John McClure?
What exactly did he say? I'm not a big Leona fan (her style isnt my cup of cha), but she is talented, I did really like two songs she sang (incidentally, both are cover versions) - the moving "Run" and "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face", she sings those well IMO
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#111 |
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Quote:
Personally I think that Leona is a very good singer. It's just that when words like 'talented' and 'artist' are applied to her, it often appears to be said in relation to her actual material as though it's her music and her songs.
Maybe this is a reason why she didn't win a Brit Award, and other acts possibly won some due to creating their own material, whether that material is any good or not. (Not that the Brits mean much anyway). Maybe that's why Rihanna also missed out too. ![]() interpretation is also a creative skill though - Cream's interpretation of Robert Johnson's "Crossroad Blues" as "Crossroads" is masterful - changing the guitar sound from country blues to the later 'Chicago-blues' guitar sound (of Freddie King - hear his "Going Down" and say you don't think it's Clapton in Cream era on guitar!) same for singers - Janis Joplin's interpretation and singing of (?Gershwin's) "Summertime" is amazing - the guitar having an almost Bach-like soloing on the lead riff before Janis comes in with her "just smoked 150 cigars" voice that rasps the notes perfectly to complement the simple-sounding sophistication of the musicians. brilliant! perhaps if people distinguished between the creativity of song-writing and interpretation then she might seem more 'telented'. it's unfortunate that for many, their dislike for her is based on perhaps irrelevent considerations (1) that she won a TV show, (2) she sings in a 'big' style that reminds them of certain divas and (3) Simon Cowell likes and mentors her (and profits by her success). I still like "Bleeding Love" and think it is very well executed - providing that she gets material like that which suits her tone and range, she should be a success. it would do her career a lot of good to part ways with Cowell, as she would lose her biggest handicap - the association with TVs "Mr Smug". |
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#112 |
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Quote:
Who's John McClure?
What exactly did he say? I'm not a big Leona fan (her style isnt my cup of cha), but she is talented, I did really like two songs she sang (incidentally, both are cover versions) - the moving "Run" and "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face", she sings those well IMO ![]() |
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#113 |
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I wonder if I like those songs Leona sings because I like the SONGS, or because of Leona, or both. Both are very good (TFTEISYF is a classic) and Leona brings something new to Run, its unique hearing a woman sing it
![]() Not everyone writes their own songs, the greats like Sinatra, MJ, Elvis etc didn't... though I agree with the sentiment if Leona can play piano or whatever, and is a good writer, why doesnt she try it, or is she bound by Simon? |
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#114 |
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'artist' does imply some personal creativity, otherwise the person is in effect a 'technician' - which is why so many first rate singers end up doing studio work or work as backing singers - some backing singers are better than the act they support (Hope in XF springs to mind!)
interpretation is also a creative skill though - Cream's interpretation of Robert Johnson's "Crossroad Blues" as "Crossroads" is masterful - changing the guitar sound from country blues to the later 'Chicago-blues' guitar sound (of Freddie King - hear his "Going Down" and say you don't think it's Clapton in Cream era on guitar!) same for singers - Janis Joplin's interpretation and singing of (?Gershwin's) "Summertime" is amazing - the guitar having an almost Bach-like soloing on the lead riff before Janis comes in with her "just smoked 150 cigars" voice that rasps the notes perfectly to complement the simple-sounding sophistication of the musicians. brilliant! perhaps if people distinguished between the creativity of song-writing and interpretation then she might seem more 'telented'. it's unfortunate that for many, their dislike for her is based on perhaps irrelevent considerations (1) that she won a TV show, (2) she sings in a 'big' style that reminds them of certain divas and (3) Simon Cowell likes and mentors her (and profits by her success). I still like "Bleeding Love" and think it is very well executed - providing that she gets material like that which suits her tone and range, she should be a success. it would do her career a lot of good to part ways with Cowell, as she would lose her biggest handicap - the association with TVs "Mr Smug". |
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#115 |
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I just find Leona competent, but unexciting.
sounds like that's how you feel about Leona. |
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#116 |
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I felt that about the band "Sky" - I almost fell asleep during their concert - they were all master musicians, but I didn't feel that they had any passion - cleverness yes, passion no.
sounds like that's how you feel about Leona. |
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#117 |
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Kylie doesn't write her own material, nor does Mark Ronson.
![]() Mark Ronson at least does something creatively though, even if he is working around somebody else's song. |
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#118 |
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Lol, fair point.
![]() Mark Ronson at least does something creatively though, even if he is working around somebody else's song. She cowrote some tracks with Saleem Remi as did Amy Winehouse http://youtube.com/watch?v=V2srkkzX2UI |
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#119 |
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I think it's her interpretation of songs that I find disappointing and I think the last line I've bolded from your post sums it up. Her songs are well executed but lack the vital ingredient that makes a great singer - I just don't believe what she's singing about. If you are going to be a divaesque performer, the emotion of your delivery is all important. It's got nothing to do with her being a reality show contestant. Lemar and Will Young have completely transcended that stigma. I just find Leona competent, but unexciting.
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#120 |
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The problem with many solo artists is the blurring of the lines when it comes to production and writing. How much does the last Amy Winehouse album owe to Mark Ronson and his sound? How much do new flavours of the month Adele and Duffy owe to the co-writers they were hot-housed with for a couple of years by their record companies ahead of their albums?
It is also well established that record companies have often insisted on artists being given co-writing credits when they've had little or no input into the writing process. Yet conversely some non-writing artists can bring a huge amount to the recording and production process without getting the credit for the work put in. As such blanket statements regarding certain artists rarely sit comfortably as the truth regarding true input is a moveable beast. |
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#121 |
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'artist' does imply some personal creativity, otherwise the person is in effect a 'technician' - which is why so many first rate singers end up doing studio work or work as backing singers - some backing singers are better than the act they support (Hope in XF springs to mind!)
interpretation is also a creative skill though - Cream's interpretation of Robert Johnson's "Crossroad Blues" as "Crossroads" is masterful - changing the guitar sound from country blues to the later 'Chicago-blues' guitar sound (of Freddie King - hear his "Going Down" and say you don't think it's Clapton in Cream era on guitar!) same for singers - Janis Joplin's interpretation and singing of (?Gershwin's) "Summertime" is amazing - the guitar having an almost Bach-like soloing on the lead riff before Janis comes in with her "just smoked 150 cigars" voice that rasps the notes perfectly to complement the simple-sounding sophistication of the musicians. brilliant! perhaps if people distinguished between the creativity of song-writing and interpretation then she might seem more 'telented'. it's unfortunate that for many, their dislike for her is based on perhaps irrelevent considerations (1) that she won a TV show, (2) she sings in a 'big' style that reminds them of certain divas and (3) Simon Cowell likes and mentors her (and profits by her success). I still like "Bleeding Love" and think it is very well executed - providing that she gets material like that which suits her tone and range, she should be a success. it would do her career a lot of good to part ways with Cowell, as she would lose her biggest handicap - the association with TVs "Mr Smug". Then you have to consider how much of that vocal interpretation is down to Leona herself, how much control she had, and how she was directed to sing the songs. It's hard to imagine her being allowed to do what she wants, so I'd imagine that there would be a lot of control over the entire input of what she sings that would get put onto a record, down to every last little vocal trill that sounds so casually spontaneous. I don't see anything wrong with doing a cover, or performing somebody else's song....now and again. But when it's all the time and that's all that they do then it feels like a ripoff to me when that act is being sold to me as some 'talented artist' who is 'world class'. I like many acts who have done covers. But they established themselves by building their career by creating their own songs, and the music that was born from their own creative abilities made them stand up in their own right. Their career wasn't based on standing on the shoulders of the musical giants who preceded them. I'm sure that The Beatles or David Bowie did covers, but the core of their career was built on what they created themselves. I remember Gareth Gates popping up on TV recently, forgotten what it was, but he said that he wanted to provide some of his own input into songs, but he just wasn't allowed. He said that he thought he'd be performing with other musicians and would get the opportunity to jam with them, and they'd be working together collaboratively, but instead, he said the work ethic was that he'd turn up, go into a sound booth, sing his song on his own, then pack up and go home. I think it's right what you say that people shouldn't be judging her ability based on her just winning a TV show, or because they have a personal prejudice about her personality, but I don't think that most people do that. But having said that, although I don't believe Leona herself deserves anger directed at herself for winning that TV show, I think that TV show in itself is more than just a TV show, and I think people who criticise that TV show often have valid reasons due to what that TV stands for and what it contributes to music. Leona is probably a lovely person, but she is a representative of the X Factor so although it may appear that a lot of people 'hate' her, I think it's more the case that many people are actually having a go at The X Factor through her. This is the risk people take when they rely on shows like this to help give them a leg up in their career. When you see fans of the show saying that Simon Cowell is a music expert, then it really is just like a red rag to a bull. ![]() People will react to that, and Leona will rightly or wrongly get caught in the crossfire even if she is just an obedient puppet who just does what she's told. Like you say it would be better if people made the distinction between musical creativity and interpretation. But they don't, because the show put paid to that itself by blurring that line of distinction. It was the show itself over many weeks who kept repeating these memes that people repeat even now to this day, months after the show has finished. Even now people defend Leona Lewis by using the same quotes that originally came out of Simon Cowell's own mouth. 'World Class'? Simon Cowell was the person who started that meme. It was from his own mouth where that started. If he didn't start it off and keep propagating that meme then people wouldn't be repeating it now. Do people usually refer to great acts as 'world class'. No, not really, they don't describe them as 'world class' at all. It's just a meme that comes part and parcel with Leona Lewis, it's a term that is attached to her due to promotional techniques. It's a psychological trick that works on people. People tend to do one of three things when they defend or support Leona Lewis.....'Talented Artist'....'World Class',....'Credible Artist' and ....'Look at the record sales'. Sometimes if an act has spiky hair, or something about their appearance, they even try to promote them as 'Different'. ![]() These are repeated themes which the X Factor ram down the throats of their audience almost every single week, sometimes more than once in a single show. They attach these 'virtues' to their acts and to themselves to give themselves kudos. Never, ever, will the X Factor promote themes such as 'Creativity', 'Innovation', or 'Originality' It just never happens, and never will. You'd think that they would be virtuous assets for a musical act, but no they are not what The X Factor want to promote. If they did then that was a show that I missed. It's amazing how much power a TV show can over people over the course of just three months. You say that you still like 'Bleeding Love'. That's fine, I don't intend to try to stop you liking it. It has a tune, it's sung well, it's a conventional pop song with nothing unusual about it, it's functional and does it's job. If you enjoy it than carry on enjoying it, I'm not going to even try to stop you doing that. Like you said in your first post though, many backing singers are often excellent, some even better than the act they support. So to me Leona is just another technician. I say 'just' but I don't want to undermine that because it's still a skill and an ability, but she's just another musical instrument, just used like a producer might want to use any other particular instrument like a violin or a guitar. Leona is just like a musical instrument which can be an option from a palette of other musical options available to the producer. She's just there to be played (in more than one sense of the word) like a session guitarist may come into the studio to pick up a guitar and play it. |
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#122 |
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Never, ever, will the X Factor promote themes such as 'Creativity', 'Innovation', or 'Originality'
Just on this point, I've always wondered what way established rock/metal singers would fair if they walked anonymously onto the X-Factor?Would Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden make the cut? Would Axl Rose of Guns N' Roses be shunned? Would Freddy Mercury be allowed his chance to shine? And would Ronnie James Dio be given any airtime at all? ALL OF THOSE SINGERS ARE IMMENSELY TALENTED! Yet it is HIGHLY unlikely that ANY of them would make it past the first-round of the X-Factor. Leona fits the mould for what brand the X-Factor wants to push. [On a side note, I'm enclosing some YouTube videos of the aforementioned artists just so anybody who wishes to debate with me can make an informed judgment. 'Tears Of The Dragon' - Bruce Dickinson solo work - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szDnELHjLsc 'Sweet Child O'Mine' - Axl Rose with Guns N' Roses - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-AYAv0IoWI 'Holy Diver' - Ronnie James Dio - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkysjcs5vFU Y'all know what Freddy Mercury sounds like. I'm interested in hearing honest opinions as to whether people believe these acts would have made it anywhere on the X-Factor. They all have indisputably good voices, but their unique styles and the fact that they don't fit the mould suggests that they would be shunned by Cowell.] |
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#123 |
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Yes, all fair points. Except I'd say that a singer's creativity in singing somebody else's songs differently is spurious. They are working around a structure, music and chord progressions that is already there laid on a plate for them. It's like doing a musical version of dot to dot.
Then you have to consider how much of that vocal interpretation is down to Leona herself, how much control she had, and how she was directed to sing the songs. It's hard to imagine her being allowed to do what she wants, so I'd imagine that there would be a lot of control over the entire input of what she sings that would get put onto a record, down to every last little vocal trill that sounds so casually spontaneous. I don't see anything wrong with doing a cover, or performing somebody else's song....now and again. But when it's all the time and that's all that they do then it feels like a ripoff to me when that act is being sold to me as some 'talented artist' who is 'world class'. I like many acts who have done covers. But they established themselves by building their career by creating their own songs, and the music that was born from their own creative abilities made them stand up in their own right. Their career wasn't based on standing on the shoulders of the musical giants who preceded them. I'm sure that The Beatles or David Bowie did covers, but the core of their career was built on what they created themselves. I remember Gareth Gates popping up on TV recently, forgotten what it was, but he said that he wanted to provide some of his own input into songs, but he just wasn't allowed. He said that he thought he'd be performing with other musicians and would get the opportunity to jam with them, and they'd be working together collaboratively, but instead, he said the work ethic was that he'd turn up, go into a sound booth, sing his song on his own, then pack up and go home. I think it's right what you say that people shouldn't be judging her ability based on her just winning a TV show, or because they have a personal prejudice about her personality, but I don't think that most people do that. But having said that, although I don't believe Leona herself deserves anger directed at herself for winning that TV show, I think that TV show in itself is more than just a TV show, and I think people who criticise that TV show often have valid reasons due to what that TV stands for and what it contributes to music. Leona is probably a lovely person, but she is a representative of the X Factor so although it may appear that a lot of people 'hate' her, I think it's more the case that many people are actually having a go at The X Factor through her. This is the risk people take when they rely on shows like this to help give them a leg up in their career. When you see fans of the show saying that Simon Cowell is a music expert, then it really is just like a red rag to a bull. ![]() People will react to that, and Leona will rightly or wrongly get caught in the crossfire even if she is just an obedient puppet who just does what she's told. Like you say it would be better if people made the distinction between musical creativity and interpretation. But they don't, because the show put paid to that itself by blurring that line of distinction. It was the show itself over many weeks who kept repeating these memes that people repeat even now to this day, months after the show has finished. Even now people defend Leona Lewis by using the same quotes that originally came out of Simon Cowell's own mouth. 'World Class'? Simon Cowell was the person who started that meme. It was from his own mouth where that started. If he didn't start it off and keep propagating that meme then people wouldn't be repeating it now. Do people usually refer to great acts as 'world class'. No, not really, they don't describe them as 'world class' at all. It's just a meme that comes part and parcel with Leona Lewis, it's a term that is attached to her due to promotional techniques. It's a psychological trick that works on people. People tend to do one of three things when they defend or support Leona Lewis.....'Talented Artist'....'World Class',....'Credible Artist' and ....'Look at the record sales'. Sometimes if an act has spiky hair, or something about their appearance, they even try to promote them as 'Different'. ![]() These are repeated themes which the X Factor ram down the throats of their audience almost every single week, sometimes more than once in a single show. They attach these 'virtues' to their acts and to themselves to give themselves kudos. Never, ever, will the X Factor promote themes such as 'Creativity', 'Innovation', or 'Originality' It just never happens, and never will. You'd think that they would be virtuous assets for a musical act, but no they are not what The X Factor want to promote. If they did then that was a show that I missed. It's amazing how much power a TV show can over people over the course of just three months. You say that you still like 'Bleeding Love'. That's fine, I don't intend to try to stop you liking it. It has a tune, it's sung well, it's a conventional pop song with nothing unusual about it, it's functional and does it's job. If you enjoy it than carry on enjoying it, I'm not going to even try to stop you doing that. Like you said in your first post though, many backing singers are often excellent, some even better than the act they support. So to me Leona is just another technician. I say 'just' but I don't want to undermine that because it's still a skill and an ability, but she's just another musical instrument, just used like a producer might want to use any other particular instrument like a violin or a guitar. Leona is just like a musical instrument which can be an option from a palette of other musical options available to the producer. She's just there to be played (in more than one sense of the word) like a session guitarist may come into the studio to pick up a guitar and play it. It's quite shocking to read what Gareth wrote about the experience. Certainly sounds like song production by numbers and TBH, you can see why Steve Brookstein could not get along with the X Factor 'creativity' machine. I'd hoped that they might have moved forwards from those early days and they did take their time with Leona's album. However, her album certainly has that overly produced, aimed-at-everyone sound to it. She may not come into her own until she can break away from her current management team. |
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#124 |
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Inactive Member
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 2,260
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Quote:
Then you have to consider how much of that vocal interpretation is down to Leona herself, how much control she had, and how she was directed to sing the songs. It's hard to imagine her being allowed to do what she wants, so I'd imagine that there would be a lot of control over the entire input of what she sings that would get put onto a record, down to every last little vocal trill that sounds so casually spontaneous.
Very few artists get full artistic control over their output. They all have to please the record company who are paying the bills and as such are at the whim of producers and mixers who are shipped in to work on the albums and mold the sound. In that way Ms Lewis will be little different to most artists. |
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#125 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 35,432
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Yes, all fair points. Except I'd say that a singer's creativity in singing somebody else's songs differently is spurious. They are working around a structure, music and chord progressions that is already there laid on a plate for them. It's like doing a musical version of dot to dot.
Then you have to consider how much of that vocal interpretation is down to Leona herself, how much control she had, and how she was directed to sing the songs. It's hard to imagine her being allowed to do what she wants, so I'd imagine that there would be a lot of control over the entire input of what she sings that would get put onto a record, down to every last little vocal trill that sounds so casually spontaneous. "Right now at the end, I want you to belt one note and then go higher followed by a few runs and then into your high register. Follow that with a trill here and a high "keep" note and we're done!" I don't see it personally. You're not giving her much credit at all. She has said numerous times that she has a quiet self-confidence and knows what she wants. Yeah she probably won't get much say in writing songs but I think the way she sings she will get a lot of say in. It's her voice, she knows what sounds good and what she is capable of. She knows what notes she can hit and for how long etc. |
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