Spoiler-Chris Isaak-Christmas!

[takenbythesky]

Originally Posted by Johnny Stew

You know what it is, David? I think sometimes I'm a bit of an oddball in the fan community.

I don't fit it in with the group of fans who think Stevie is the second-coming of the Virgin Mary, and I don't fit in with the fans who feel the need to make snide comments about every little hand gesture and metaphysical reference.

I want to discuss the songs with thoughtfulness and intelligence... I get bored with the "Stevie is the greatest poet to ever live!" stuff. Yeah, it's great to hear that so many people love her music as much as I do... but where's the rational discussion?
But I also get bored with all of the "Hooo-ey! That song's a big steaming turd! Stevie can't write anymore to save her soul!" type comments too.

Something somewhere inbetween would be nice. Which is why I always enjoy your posts so much. When you like what she's done, you ruminate on it in a well-articulated and thoughtful manner. And when you don't like something she's done, you express your opinion on it in the same fashion.
Nothing seems to be disproportionate. The good and the bad get equal attention.

Same here...Despite the relative "worshipfullness" of my previous post. When she's good, she's very, very good. When she isn't, she isn't good. Just like any other artist.
-Justin

[amber]

Originally Posted by takenbythesky

Same here...Despite the relative "worshipfullness" of my previous post. When she's good, she's very, very good. When she isn't, she isn't good. Just like any other artist.
-Justin

- It's funny that you understood. I knew you would.

[Serrart]

Originally Posted by takenbythesky

Same here...Despite the relative "worshipfullness" of my previous post. When she's good, she's very, very good. When she isn't, she isn't good. Just like any other artist.
-Justin

Yup, definitely.

Romy

[strandinthewind]

Originally Posted by takenbythesky

Same here...Despite the relative "worshipfullness" of my previous post. When she's good, she's very, very good. When she isn't, she isn't good. Just like any other artist.
-Justin

ITA - and my point is the term "good" is subjective. Again, many like Sister Honey - many do not. Does that make it good or bad. Well, it depends on the person you ask BUT - I think everyone, well almost everyone - agree that like any artist, when Stevie's on she's on and when she is not she is not. Personally, I like almost all of her songs even the ones I do not like (e.g. That Made Me Stronger) - I can still see a glimmer of brilliance - to me, in that song, it is " . . . tell the shadows of my soul to stay back" So, I, too, take the good with the bad, call it as I see it, and think the wjole package is FAR greater than the sum of the parts

[The Tower]

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

Personally, I like almost all of her songs even the ones I do not like (e.g. That Made Me Stronger) - I can still see a glimmer of brilliance - to me, in that song, it is " . . . tell the shadows of my soul to stay back"

There's not a single thing I like about "The Nightmare". There are a couple others, too. But not many!

[strandinthewind]

Originally Posted by The Tower

There's not a single thing I like about "The Nightmare". There are a couple others, too. But not many!

Touche' Touche'

[takenbythesky]

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

Personally, I like almost all of her songs even the ones I do not like (e.g. That Made Me Stronger) - I can still see a glimmer of brilliance - to me, in that song, it is " . . . tell the shadows of my soul to stay back" So, I, too, take the good with the bad, call it as I see it, and think the wjole package is FAR greater than the sum of the parts

Exactamundo!
-Justin

[dissention]

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

ITA - and my point is the term "good" is subjective. Again, many like Sister Honey - many do not. Does that make it good or bad. Well, it depends on the person you ask BUT - I think everyone, well almost everyone - agree that like any artist, when Stevie's on she's on and when she is not she is not. Personally, I like almost all of her songs even the ones I do not like (e.g. That Made Me Stronger) - I can still see a glimmer of brilliance - to me, in that song, it is " . . . tell the shadows of my soul to stay back" So, I, too, take the good with the bad, call it as I see it, and think the wjole package is FAR greater than the sum of the parts

I think that the big reason I'm not a big fan of a lot of her later work is because, for me, something about her writing started to awry in the late eighties and the songs became much less relatable than they were before. I think she's at her best when there's a large sense of ambiguity to her songs. When she started to write songs like "Ghosts," "Two Kinds of Love," "That Made Me Stronger," "Sweet Girl," "Silver Girl," "Welcome to the Room Sara," and others along those lines, the songs became less universal and too personal in detail for me to enjoy very much. I know that I, personally, really have no desire to know how Stevie's depends on her music like a husband or how she talked to her famous friend last night. I don't know the woman, and never will, so it just strikes me as TMI and it begins to cloy. Others like that stuff and more power to them if they enjoy it, but I enjoy her work that doesn't explicitly refer to herself and her career and her dinners with friends about her songwriting. I can't get into them because I have a hard time relating. I like Silver Girl because it's quite vivid, but I don't enjoy it on the same level as something like Sable On Blonde because I'm not a girly-girl, I'm not lost in a hardcore world, and I don't have or look like a million bucks. It may just be me, but I listen to those songs and really don't give a fiddler's fig. Unfortunately, that's the turn her writing took and I don't enjoy it as much as I did before. I think she's a master at taking incredibly personal feelings and emotions and writing them into songs everyone can relate to, but I think she lost a bit of that over the years. Doesn't mean she can't be good when she wants to be because she can still knock her material out of the park, but I think it's come to point where for every fabulous song she records, she records a stinker to go along with it. Maybe she's run out of ideas or maybe I'm just a cold prick with no empathy or emotion, who knows. But those are the reasons I, personally, don't enjoy her new material that much.

[Johnny Stew]

Originally Posted by dissention

I think that the big reason I'm not a big fan of a lot of her later work is because, for me, something about her writing started to awry in the late eighties and the songs became much less relatable than they were before. I think she's at her best when there's a large sense of ambiguity to her songs. When she started to write songs like "Ghosts," "Two Kinds of Love," "That Made Me Stronger," "Sweet Girl," "Silver Girl," "Welcome to the Room Sara," and others along those lines, the songs became less universal and too personal in detail for me to enjoy very much. I know that I, personally, really have no desire to know how Stevie's depends on her music like a husband or how she talked to her famous friend last night. I don't know the woman, and never will, so it just strikes me as TMI and it begins to cloy. Others like that stuff and more power to them if they enjoy it, but I enjoy her work that doesn't explicitly refer to herself and her career and her dinners with friends about her songwriting. I can't get into them because I have a hard time relating. I like Silver Girl because it's quite vivid, but I don't enjoy it on the same level as something like Sable On Blonde because I'm not a girly-girl, I'm not lost in a hardcore world, and I don't have or look like a million bucks. It may just be me, but I listen to those songs and really don't give a fiddler's fig. Unfortunately, that's the turn her writing took and I don't enjoy it as much as I did before. I think she's a master at taking incredibly personal feelings and emotions and writing them into songs everyone can relate to, but I think she lost a bit of that over the years. Doesn't mean she can't be good when she wants to be because she can still knock her material out of the park, but I think it's come to point where for every fabulous song she records, she records a stinker to go along with it. Maybe she's run out of ideas or maybe I'm just a cold prick with no empathy or emotion, who knows. But those are the reasons I, personally, don't enjoy her new material that much.

I can totally understand that. I don't necessarily relate to some of the songs either... no famous friends here!
Though, as I've said, I definitely relate to "Ghosts," and the idea of depending on music for the comfort a husband would normally provide.
But I don't really have to relate to a song to love it. I don't relate to Madonna's "Promise To Try," which is about her mother dying when Mo was a little girl, but I still love it.

Don't get me wrong, I see where you're coming from... the songs that you relate to, or that are more ambiguous and open for interpretation, are the ones that you enjoy more. It makes it more personal for you. That's true for me too.
But I do also love those moments when the song or lyric is like an uncensored page from Stevie's diary, and I get a glimpse into the loneliness of a middle-aged woman isolated by her fame. Even if there's no way I could ever relate to that.

Maybe it's the voyeur in me!

[David]

This has been a fine, fine thread, filled with drama & passion & thoughtfulness & rumination & hallucinogens! We ledgies have nothing to be ashamed of. We have done a beautiful job. When they make fun of us on other forums around town, we can -- & should -- hold our heads high & bask in the knowledge that our discussions are frequently better than theirs.

[macfanken]

Originally Posted by David

When they make fun of us on other forums around town, we can -- & should -- hold our heads high & bask in the knowledge that our discussions are frequently better than theirs.

They make fun of us?

[amber]

Originally Posted by macfanken

They make fun of us?

mainly just you... Just kidding, of course.

[ShangriLaTroubl]

Ok I know this thread is totally OT now..but I just gotta say I STILL havent seen the Stevie and Chris Isaak christmas thing..is anyone gonna post it online? I have to see it before christmas

chris

[WelshWitchPMD]

Don’t read if you don’t want to know what happened!




Ok the special finally aired in Rhode Island. Chris came out and said who tonight guests were going to be. When he announced Stevie the place went wild with applause. Clearly there were a lot of Stevie fans in the house.
Some of the songs that he performed were kind of slow and just not my cup of tea. He did a duet with Michael Bueble (SP) who I have never heard before. He was ok nothing that special. They did the Christmas song together and one more that I can’t remember.
Chris did do a few rocking tunes including one that he said he wrote called “ Hey Santa”.
Later in the show Brian McKnight joined Chris. Chris introduced Brian as being very talented. Guess what? He was right. Brian played piano in a jazz style and he also did a duet with Chris. I believe that they sang “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas”. I did not know that much about Brian but I was impressed.
The last guest was of course Stevie. Chris introduced her as a ‘new talent and to remember her name” They sang “Santa Claus is Coming To Town.” Stevie was really getting into it. This was one of her best performances in a while IMHO. The crowd loved it. Yes, the first few notes of Rhiannon were played when SN came on the stage. Stevie found it amusing.
The finale was “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” and all of Chris guests joined in on that one. That was pretty good. Rodney the Maltese also has a cameo in the special. He belongs to Sheryl Louis who is part of both Stevie’s and Chris’ management.

There was a phone# to order the DVD as Brian J mentioned but I have not ordered it yet. Maybe Wednesday.

[strandinthewind]

I got my ordered copy last night - SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE