(no subject)

[taffimai]

This is my official, "it's xmas eve and I'm Jewish and bored" post. If you are also Jewish and bored, consider this your invitation to play in comments! (If you're not Jewish but still bored, you can have a Jew-for-the-day pass and come play too.)

Oh, and to all who are celebrating, have a wonderful holiday.

Comments

[stlscape.livejournal.com]

I'm not convinced John is a studio performer.

I agreed with you until I got the Just So CD. This is a studio album, and apparently John was recording his part by himself. Admittedly, it's a musical and not just a collection of songs, and he's playing a (musical) part and not just singing a collection of unrelated songs, but I like it very much.

For the most part, I agree with your comments on Another Side. Leaving aside the post-processing that was done with a steamroller as well as the elevator-music arrangements, I definitely prefer his voice when he's singing as if he's doing a performance and not as if he's singing to someone in the same room (and trying not to blast them out). I'm not so sure it was the poor song choices so much as how he chose to present them. IMHO, his voice is much better when he's supporting with his diaphram. (And I definitely think that his "I've got 15 minutes free now, so let's record something" schedule was a factor in the mix.) I had intended to give the album to a friend at Christmas, to introduce her to JB, but after hearing it decided against that idea.

[taffimai.livejournal.com]

I think he could do studio work with the right team around him and someone to manage him (I think some of the arrangements resulted from them giving John too much creative control.) I mean, "Swings Cole Porter" wasn't bad. But I don't think it comes as easily to him as performing in front of a crowd.

Yeah, I'd recommend "Swings Cole Porter" for your friend, if you want to give her a JB album. If you just want to introduce her to JB, the Jerry Herman Gala was fabulous.

[stlscape.livejournal.com]

Yeah, Swings is probably the album I'll use. I think it'll keep her attention long enough to listen all the way though once, and that'll be enough to hook her. I'm not sure she'd listen all the way through the JH Gala. (She lives 12 hours away, so I need something that'll work long distance on a busy person that doesn't spend a lot of personal time on her PC.)

From what I've heard/read/seen in videos, I agree that an audience makes a definite difference. And, yes, I also think allowing him a bit less control (or a far more constructively critical beta audience) would result in a (IMHO) better end product. I'm hoping that with this album, he'll have gotten the whole "another side" out of his system and that his next albums will be closer to what we're used to hearing him sound like.