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04 April 2007
I've never really liked Alanis Morrisette.Until now.
I saw this earlier in the week and it hurt my soul. I refuse to be subjected to its horrors a second time. Alanis is a creature of pure evil and should be sent back to the Netherworld forever.
Love it. Alanis is a genius, often badly misunderstood. Her genius as a composer will withstand the decades -- many contemporaries thought Cole Porter was simply popular, lowbrow entertainment too. Time has shown of course that he is America's best composer.
Man, remember when the Black Eyed Peas were a sort of post-Arrested-Development, Native-Tongues-lite group? Really smiley, kicking those b-grade-Good-Life rhymes, singin' and dancin' in a manner seemingly calculated to win over festival attendees, college audiences and other large groups of undiscerning white people? 'Joints and Jam'? It didn't seem like the good old days then, but, yeah, time makes fools of us all.
"... Time has shown of course that he is America's best composer. ..."
Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn are gonna be so pissed. And if this ever reaches the Gershwin boys, well I wouldn't give 2 cents for your future lifetime earnings...
Her genius as a composer will withstand the decades
Especially when one considers how thin the playing field is for great Canadian composers. Gordon Lightfoot, Geddy Lee, Roger Whittaker (British, but Canadian in his soul), whoever wrote Red Maple Leaves,um, did I say Geddy Lee?
(Actually a tricksy attempt to find out who the great Canadian composers are.)
I don't know enough about Alanis or Fergie to like them or dislike them.
Although...
I think some of Fergie's songs are meant to be a little tongue-in-cheek. Take the song London Bridge for instance. You can't help but to laugh at the lyrics. Especially the last line.
Well balls to you lot, I like Alanis. I'm not sure about this, though - is it a viral thing for something; has she got a new album coming out that this is getting the press interested in, a tour, a book, something else? The timing seems strange and I'd love to know what the point is, assuming the point is something more than talking about Alanis.
Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn are gonna be so pissed. And if this ever reaches the Gershwin boys, w
they're all cool, but they all have to kneel in front of Cole Porter and, of course, Harold Arlen and Aaron Copland, sorry. That's the Trinity of American composers.
Ellington, Strayhorn, the two Bernsteins (Lenny and, of course, Elmer), et al -- they all come after the Trinity. they're not even in the same league.
(it's a bit like insisting that DeKooning or, say, Warhol or Liechtenstein is the best American painter of the 20th Century. When of course they're giants -- but they all come after Rothko).
I'd disagree with you on Dylan, but like I said YMMV, and Dylan worked with superior musicians (Mike Bloomfield, the Band, Al Kooper, Pig Robbins) so that gave him a big advantage.
It was the head-butt that got me. Science Girl said she could hear me laughing from upstairs. Say what you want about Alanis, but at least she's got a sense of humor.
...and I will! NOMEANSNO, who kick ass at Ramones covers (as The Hanson Brothers - beer! hockey! Ramones!). DOA, who kick ass.
Miss Carolyn Mark, the (terrible) hostess. (Baby's got one big regret, / one big regret, it's true: / I'm more in love with this cigarette than I'll ever be with you.) Be sure and check out her recipe for "roasted tomato and red pepper soup with white beans and kale". Stompin' Tom Connors. More Canadian than Canada itself!
There's also Diana Krall and The Cowboy Junkies who are good, but don't really do anything for me.
Let us not forget Spirit of the West for the Celtic feel, and the power that is Voivod.
What - a conversation on Canadian muscians and no one's mentioned Avril or Sum 41? You should all be ashamed especially as Avril and Deryk (sp?) are married and will surely produce one or more of the finest muscians known to mankind.
As I'm telling some friends via email: For maximum effect, I recommend watching some of it the first time with the sound muted and *wondering* what it sounds like.
As we used to say down South, Ms. Morrisette cleans up right nice. I've underestimated her on more than one level, it seems...
photo by splunge
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