Wynton Marsalis - Live at the House of Tribes
John Hiatt - Live from Austin
James Mcmurtry - Childish Things
Aaron Neville - Nature Boy: the standards album (what a voice! what a voice!! why didnt my ears hear his silky vibrato before?)
Souad Massi - Mesk Elil (ditto exclamation.)
Robert Glaspar - Canvas (outstanding young jazz pianist)
John Hiatt - Crossing Muddy Waters (still in package)
December flavor
A friend of mine goes to see Aaron perform Live at every opportunity. I finally saw him singing, relative to New Orleans and Katrina. She had described the anachronism of his voice with his physique and physical appearance. I finally saw what she meant. I was used to hearing him and love his voice, but I'd never really seen him, as far as I could remember. You'd never dream it to see it.
Yet, look at the depth and timbre of Leonard's voice in relationship to his rather slight, lithe build.
Love the unexpected. Unlike Aaron's, though, Leonard's voice speaks to that face.
Yet, look at the depth and timbre of Leonard's voice in relationship to his rather slight, lithe build.
Love the unexpected. Unlike Aaron's, though, Leonard's voice speaks to that face.
I have seen Aaron Neville twice in concert - in New Orleans this year and in Central Park 2 years ago - but I could not really appreciate him at the time. Sometimes things click at a certain time and you wonder why you did not "hear" it before.
While I used to like deep voices before these days I much prefer light, clean, smoke-free voices (except for a couple of classical singers).
This being a Leonard Cohen forum I wont give my opinion of his voice for fear of bodily injury to my person.
But for me Johnny Cash's voice is dull, plodding and heavy as opposed to Willie Nelson's voice that is light and can soar like an eagle. It can also sear through your heart and mind.
There is much you can do with a light voice (if you're talented enough to manipulate it, not everyone is.) There is not much you can do with a heavy voice except to dutifully sway with the tune. It may be the reason the best parts in an opera go to the tenor voice.
All this is just my personal preferences and opinions.
p.s. Talking of voices that dont speak to the face....you heard Mike Tyson's voice. Its really high pitched.
While I used to like deep voices before these days I much prefer light, clean, smoke-free voices (except for a couple of classical singers).
This being a Leonard Cohen forum I wont give my opinion of his voice for fear of bodily injury to my person.
But for me Johnny Cash's voice is dull, plodding and heavy as opposed to Willie Nelson's voice that is light and can soar like an eagle. It can also sear through your heart and mind.
There is much you can do with a light voice (if you're talented enough to manipulate it, not everyone is.) There is not much you can do with a heavy voice except to dutifully sway with the tune. It may be the reason the best parts in an opera go to the tenor voice.
All this is just my personal preferences and opinions.
p.s. Talking of voices that dont speak to the face....you heard Mike Tyson's voice. Its really high pitched.
That's interesting reasoning on your more recently acquired preference for higher voices. I can appreciate it for what it says, including the many delights of the high, light, crisp, clean voices [I think of Loreena and others, in the female realms, though not Rufus in the male ~ as, at least thus far, I've not heard him "manipulate" it well enough]; even though I don't share in your perception of lower voices being confined to swaying dutifully with the tune. The power of the lower voice is in its reaching the depths, as opposed to soaring the heights like an eagle. Leonard is fortunate in that his words are the vehicle for transcendance.
Still, I know what you mean about suddenly noticing something, as though for the first time, and really liking it.
True on Mike Tyson. Do you suppose that had anything to do with him beating his wife or biting off a chunk of his opponent's ear? [Just wondering
.]
So, did it click with you regarding Aaron since New Orleans, or at that concert? Hopefully, it was at the time. Ironically [well, maybe not, but in a way, it seems so], my friend is the one who took me to the airport to go to Hydra this summer, and picked me up afterward. We listened to her cd of Aaron both times. Sang along, too
. His voice is quite like an angel's, isn't it ~ if one were to imagine how a male one might sound 
.
I was relieved that he was somewhere touring when Katrina hit, so didn't need to contend with getting out. He was still hard hit, though. Our poor New Orleans is really suffering. I'm afraid it's going to be years before you can go and enjoy drinking that Hurricane. So much seems irrevocably changed. I'm glad you got to go last year.
Don't worry. I already know what you think of Leonard's voice [we've been there before], and I'll just guess that others [who haven't] can guess just by what you've written here
.
~ Lizzy
Still, I know what you mean about suddenly noticing something, as though for the first time, and really liking it.
True on Mike Tyson. Do you suppose that had anything to do with him beating his wife or biting off a chunk of his opponent's ear? [Just wondering
.]So, did it click with you regarding Aaron since New Orleans, or at that concert? Hopefully, it was at the time. Ironically [well, maybe not, but in a way, it seems so], my friend is the one who took me to the airport to go to Hydra this summer, and picked me up afterward. We listened to her cd of Aaron both times. Sang along, too
. His voice is quite like an angel's, isn't it ~ if one were to imagine how a male one might sound .I was relieved that he was somewhere touring when Katrina hit, so didn't need to contend with getting out. He was still hard hit, though. Our poor New Orleans is really suffering. I'm afraid it's going to be years before you can go and enjoy drinking that Hurricane. So much seems irrevocably changed. I'm glad you got to go last year.
Don't worry. I already know what you think of Leonard's voice [we've been there before], and I'll just guess that others [who haven't] can guess just by what you've written here
.~ Lizzy
A Neville clicked for me gradually but I think I first liked his singing when I heard his contribution to the Gospel covers album of Dylan. So my favorite Dylan album is not by Dylan at all. Time changes everything.
Actually I used to love LC and Johnny Cash's voices and try to ape it in the shower. Time changes everything.
LC's voice I think is at its best in the two live albums - Field Comander Cohen and in Live 1994.
I still like deep voices and I love a few of them. But mostly I prefer lighter voices.
Actually I used to love LC and Johnny Cash's voices and try to ape it in the shower. Time changes everything.
LC's voice I think is at its best in the two live albums - Field Comander Cohen and in Live 1994.
I still like deep voices and I love a few of them. But mostly I prefer lighter voices.
and try to ape it in the shower.
~ True enough. So do I, but not with the same results.Women singing Cohen ~ the best of both worlds for you?
That's ironic on your favourite Dylan album
, especially with your having been such a Dylan fan. Aaron's voice is almost like having female backup.A lot of things do change over time. It just happens that my preference for Leonard has not. I guess we have a paradigm difference in that, as for you, everything seems to change. Perhaps, it'll be cyclic like fashion, and you'll eventually come back around to preferring Cohen, Cash, and Dylan's other albums. Maybe, when you're in your 70s
.As a matter of fact, I've been trying to decide which cd to start with to try [once again
] to introduce someone to Leonard's music. I've been thinking Field Commander Cohen, as it is just so splendid ~ voice, music, other performers, all of it. ~ Lizzy
-
linda_lakeside
- Posts: 3857
- Joined: Mon Sep 13, 2004 3:08 pm
- Location: By the sea, by the sea, by the beautiful sea..
I never had a problem with Neville's voice, it was his 'treatment' of his choice of material that made it impossible for me to listen for long.
Although, from what little I've heard from her, I'd say it's a safe bet, you'll be sauntering, not swimming.
Linda.
I guess it can't get much better than that, can it? OK, it's on my list. Don't forget, though, the Amazon River, is just a push away from the banks.Souad Massi - Mesk Elil (ditto exclamation.)
Although, from what little I've heard from her, I'd say it's a safe bet, you'll be sauntering, not swimming. Linda.
Kush,
he did Ain't No Cure For Love on Tower of Song, and it seems Song of Bernadette - didn't hear that one, but it's listed on The Files.
Neville Brothers performed Bird On The Wire, in that movie Bird On A Wire. Was he in Neville Brothers, or just a coincidence?
Back to December flavour, I forgot the CD which is my new favourite last couple of months, Alicia Keys' Unplugged. I really think the future is hers. Everybody seems to forgot that Norah Jones; in any case, I didn't hear her songs in air more than half year now. Second album apparently was a failure, from today's perspective.
he did Ain't No Cure For Love on Tower of Song, and it seems Song of Bernadette - didn't hear that one, but it's listed on The Files.
Neville Brothers performed Bird On The Wire, in that movie Bird On A Wire. Was he in Neville Brothers, or just a coincidence?
Back to December flavour, I forgot the CD which is my new favourite last couple of months, Alicia Keys' Unplugged. I really think the future is hers. Everybody seems to forgot that Norah Jones; in any case, I didn't hear her songs in air more than half year now. Second album apparently was a failure, from today's perspective.
Leonard Cohen Newswire / bookoflonging.com (retired) / leonardcohencroatia.com (retired)
I don't know... I kinda prefered the second CD to the first...
Anyway... Added to December playlist - John Cale's Black Acetate. I wasn't blown away by his last Hobo Sapiens like most of the critics were... So I'll give his new one a spin or two... Also: Last two albums by Merle Haggard.
Anyway... Added to December playlist - John Cale's Black Acetate. I wasn't blown away by his last Hobo Sapiens like most of the critics were... So I'll give his new one a spin or two... Also: Last two albums by Merle Haggard.
never could stand that dog...
Linda....hearing Aaron Neville's 'treatment' is like somebody stuck a super-sensitive microphone in the breeze that captures each compression and rarefaction of the sound waves emanating from his vocal chords and travelling though the air. But from personal experience I know that its an acquired taste.
Souad Massi was described in a review as "she keens like a sub-Saharan griot". But you're more likely to find her keening away by the banks of the Nile, not the Amazon.
Tom..thats right thanks for the correction- its ain't no cure for love. Yeah he's one of the Neville Brothers, i think there are 3 of them.
I really liked Merle Haggard's Unforgettable and Haggard like Never Before. I dont have his latest one.
Souad Massi was described in a review as "she keens like a sub-Saharan griot". But you're more likely to find her keening away by the banks of the Nile, not the Amazon.
Tom..thats right thanks for the correction- its ain't no cure for love. Yeah he's one of the Neville Brothers, i think there are 3 of them.
I really liked Merle Haggard's Unforgettable and Haggard like Never Before. I dont have his latest one.
They're really good, if you're into his music. Check out these songs if you like:
From Roots
If You've Got the Money
From If I Could Only Fly
Wishing All These Old Things Were New
From Roots
If You've Got the Money
From If I Could Only Fly
Wishing All These Old Things Were New
never could stand that dog...