(no subject)

[taffimai]

BBC music's review of John's new album, "Another Side"

Ouch. Poor John.

Comments

[vae]

OW.

And I can't even say I disagree with most of it.

[taffimai.livejournal.com]

I can't either, alas. Well, I might not plunge to my death to escape it, but ....

*sigh* If Sony decides to do the other two albums in the deal, I really hope they'll either clean house on the production team or make them live albums. I can't imagine John wouldn't put more soul into the performance in front of an audience.

[vae]

It has been post-productioned to hell and back, really. Even in snatched sessions between filming and appearances and working on the book, I can't believe that John didn't put more emotion into those recordings.

[taffimai.livejournal.com]

I don't know, it feels a lot like his Reflections from Broadway album to me. I'm just not sure that John's a studio artist.

[fandom-me.livejournal.com]

That's almost exactly my response.

[taffimai.livejournal.com]

I know. I wish I could disagree, but .... *sighs and hopes for a live album next time*

[fandom-me.livejournal.com]

I don't dislike it, honestly. I have it. It's mixed in with my other forty-something John songs. And I really, really. It's not bad. It's just. John's got a whole lot of heart and soul that aren't in this and more than annoying me, i think it makes me sad.

[taffimai.livejournal.com]

You know, my mix of John songs ia almost all live recordings. I have to say, none of his studio stuff is all that good. Swings Cole Porter is okay, but compared to the songs from live performances? No comparison.

[fandom-me.livejournal.com]

That's very, very, true. Hell, even his Dancing performance of Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic is better than the recorded one.

And I don't usually LIKE live.

[taffimai.livejournal.com]

As was his lottery performance of You're So Vain. Yeah, I'm usually not a live fan either, but it seems to be only time John sparks, when he's got people to play to.

[fandom-me.livejournal.com]

Dammit, I missed the lottery preformance. But yeah. I think he needs the energy or something. Which is supposition, but reasonable seeming.

[taffimai.livejournal.com]

Well, we can't have that. Here, have John.

[fandom-me.livejournal.com]

I JUST FOUND IT AND HOMG that wink and grin.

[taffimai.livejournal.com]

*fans you* Nice, huh?

[fandom-me.livejournal.com]

I'll be outside cooling off.

...I don't normally respond like that to much of anything, but WOW.

[taffimai.livejournal.com]

How do you think I feel? I'm gay and I respond to him!

[fandom-me.livejournal.com]

REALLY CONFUSED? HE's just. It's gotta be the charisma. Also what I'm missing in the album.

[taffimai.livejournal.com]

*flails* Damn the confusing charismatic boy.

[dameruth.livejournal.com]

Well, *he's* gay, too. That makes it really interesting . . . XD (Not that I should talk, since I also find him teh hawt, utterly hopeless as that is.)

RE: live vs. studio, I've known several musicians, and they all affirm that they're *very* different types of performances. Some folks are good at one, some at another. I know one of my fave regional bands, the Clumsy Lovers are vastly better live (though their new "Smart Kid" album finally starts to approach the quality of their live work).

[taffimai.livejournal.com]

Does him being gay really matter?

[dameruth.livejournal.com]

Naaah, not for squeeage. I just get friends teasing me sometimes for being such a fan, commenting on the hotness levels, etc. ("You know he's gay, right?") Well, duh. He's also *married* (or at least civil-partnered), which is equally noteworthy.

I mean, it's not like anyone ever thinks about *seriously* hooking up with the object of celebrity squeeage. Well, not anyone remotely sane, anyway. (Why am I suddenly thinking about that creepy Brent Spiner stalker lady from "Trekkies"? o_O)

[taffimai.livejournal.com]

Yeah, very much so.

[miriam-heddy.livejournal.com]

Sorry to butt in here, but I was just watching that performance you linked, and I realized that yeah, it matters, in that the way that I hear the songs changes. When he's singing and is alone, I imagine him singing to and about a man.

And also, it makes some songs change. Like his performance of "Anything You Can Do" with Ruthie Henshall, which he performs such that the song deconstructs masculinity as much as femininity...

Anyway--gah--nobody should be that pretty. He's just... Superman.

[taffimai.livejournal.com]

Oh, no, I get that. And agree. But we were talking about people teasing her for being attracted to a gay man, and I was wondering why his being gay mattered since it's not like celebrity crushes are ever expected to come to anything.

[tx-cronopio.livejournal.com]

Ouch indeed!

[taffimai.livejournal.com]

Yeah. I mean, I don't think the reviewer's wrong, but man that was harsh!

[cheesygirl.livejournal.com]

"Energy saving ballads"

*snerk*

Oh dear.

[taffimai.livejournal.com]

*tries not to be amused and fails* Yeah, that was witty.

[lonelybrit]

I would feel more sorry for John but to be fair the review is not against him as a performer, it's just re-iterating what a lot of folks have been saying the past week or so: too over-produced, all emotion edited out of it.

And yes, the review did also make me laugh, in particular the last sentence.

I've heard a couple of his songs from over the years, and I do prefer his live pieces to those recorded in the studio. Give John an audience and he sparkles, but ask him to perform to a microphone and whilst technically it will be spot on, it will be rather soulless.

Well, bad production team, bad stylist; team Barrowman have had better weeks, still I've no doubt they'll be on track at some point, hopefully sooner rather than later.

[taffimai.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the review is fair, if a bit harsh. The "poor John" bit comes in because it's so clear how much he wanted people to like the album.

[lonelybrit]

Yep, in that sense I do feel very sorry for him because he's obviously been itching for a while to get back in some way to his musical roots rather than just watching/judging. Shame it had to be a bit of a squib. But that said, it is good he's following up with concerts - it's far more suited to his talents and I'm sure he'll shine once he's properly back on a stage :)

[taffimai.livejournal.com]

Very true. *grin* And I'm sure he'll have a blast doing them.

[fridge-buzz-now.livejournal.com]

Oh, poor John. Even though what I heard was pretty bland. He's got such a beautiful voice, I'm sure the next album will be great.


*writes down "all-singing, all-dancing (on ice and dry land), Glaswegian-American bidialialectal pansexual and saviour of the Universe" for future reference*

[taffimai.livejournal.com]

Hee, yes, that's a great description.

[hellenebright.livejournal.com]

Well, that's an ouchie. But the reviewer is scrupulously fair - it's the album production he's savaging, not John as a person.

And he's right. There's about 1000 times more heart and soul in the impromptu performance of "Anything Goes" that John and the dancehall swing band did for the Torchwood#12 outtakes than there is in the whole of this album.

I suspect he'll do better with them live though. As others have said, I think he needs an audience.

[taffimai.livejournal.com]

Oh, I know it's fair. And I don't disagree, I just feel badly for John. I'm sure he knows how to deal with bad reviews at this point in his career, but it's still got to sting.