Conference marvin::uk_music

    Can agree with you re the Indigo Girls - I was very impressed with
    their first album (haven't heard the new one yet).
    
    Tanita Tikarum's first album is good, but it is a little "samey" after
    a  while - her voice could use a little more variety in sound now and
    then.
    
    Michelle Shocked is someone I have been meaning to listen to for some
    time now. I'd better add her to my "CDs to get" list..
    
    Keith

    
  > Neneh Cherry (formerly of early '80s band Rig Pig and Panic) released

    Couldn't be Rip Rig and Panic could it?
    
    Personally I really dislike this kind of music, so I find it very
    difficult to be objective about her quality as a performer. At times
    she sounds good, but on the whole I'd reckon her as average.
    
    You've concentrated mainly on the solo singers rather than lead
    singers of groups, which I think is a shame as the really good
    voices are often found fronting groups (Annie Lennox for one and
    I can think of other voices, but I can't remember the groups they
    front!) rather than turning out tired rehashes of Joan Baez songs!
    
    I think these, on the whole, dreary singers (singing about how terrible
    their wasted lives have been. Yawn...) are a fad of our time and
    will disappear in a short time.
    
    One or two may survive and I must admit to thinking that Tanita
    Tikaram is a bit different to the rest (although she may not be
    any better). The best one, though, I think you missed. I can't
    remember her name now, but she did 'Happy Ever after' and has one
    of the most haunting voices I've ever heard.
    
    Mark

    Re .2
    
    Ah, one of the people I was thinking of was Corinne from Swing Out
    Sister.
    
    Mark

    Also to be added to the list are Suzanne Vega and the matriarch
    of the bunch, who is only just breaking through (to those of us 
    too busy to listen previously) with her most current album...
    Bonnie Raitt.
    
    Sue

    I agree whole heartedly with the comment on Bonnie Raitt.
    
    What a voice, great guitarist. Not really hyped over here so it's
    a pity that her latest album is not exactly her best.
    
    Others of my favourites....
    
    My #1 of all time is  Joni Mitchell.
    
    Evolved from Folk through Jazzy to almost electronic psuedo disco
    and still maintains that great voice and brilliant lyrics.
    
    During the 80's female artists that I really like are :
    
    Rickie Lee Jones  - Great songwriting, vivid lyrics and unique vocal
    			style.
    
    Carmel	      - Lady oozes class, and writes own material.
    
    I agree with Nanci Griffths although as she is my wife's favourite
    as the moment I am beginning to get switched off after hearing 'Storms'
    for the thousandth time this week. And it's only Monday.
    
    I concur with Mary Margaret O'Hara, Maria McKee and Toni Childs.
    
    One artist that I have only just acquired the new album is :
    
    Melissa Etherridge (sp)
    
    Her album "Brave and Crazy" is superb.
    Basic guitar group sound, she plays 12-string, strong vocal style
    and raunchy.
    The more plays, the better it gets. I will be getting her previous
    album at some stage.
    
    All for now.
    
    Iain
    
    
    

    Re:
>>            <<< Note 577.2 by CURRNT::SAXBY "Isn't it 5.30 yet?" >>>
  
>>    You've concentrated mainly on the solo singers rather than lead
>>   (singers)...turning out tired rehashes of Joan Baez songs!
>>    I think these, on the whole, dreary singers (singing about how terrible
>>    their wasted lives have been. Yawn...) are a fad of our time and
>>    will disappear in a short time.

>>      Mark

      Mark,
           I take you've heard *all* of the above named albums and singers.
      If (I'm not sure about this) you're basing your remarks on T
      Chapman's work or Michele's "Anchorage" then I'd agree that the
      sentiments are `Take me now Lord!' -type.

      However to compare Mary M. O'Hara's "Not be Alright" to a "tired
      rehash of Joan Baez songs" is a bit like saying that Bobby Goldsboro's
      "Honey" inspired Richard Hell and The Voidoids ('77) to write "Love
      comes in spurts" (!)

      You definitely have the wrong end of the shtick! Ditto with Toni
      Childs and Laurie (arthouse-creeper) Anderson. It might sound like
      Joanie after she's had a particularly hard night down at The Chelsea
      Hotel with Dylan.

      What's it like where you work ??

      "California Dreaming on such a Winter's Day" huh ??	     

      - Tim
      

    BTW Mark, the last note is not to be taken as some kind of _half_
    `personal attack' on your taste and I hope Keith doesn't come down
    heavy on me for it (serious `smilie' -;)

    - Tim
    

    
    No offense taken.
    
    I must admit my comments were aimed specifically at the two women
    you mention (esp. Tracey Chapman!). Much as you weren't attacking
    my taste, I didn't mean my comments as an attack on yours. I was
    really trying to highlight the point that you picked the 'solo
    singer songwriter' element (regardless of their different styles)
    of the many very good women singers around at the moment.
    
    Wouldn't it be a boring world if we all liked the same thing!
    
    Mark 

RE .4-.8

Oh no, we have an outbreak of extreme tolerance and politeness!!

� Wouldn't it be a boring world if we all liked the same thing!

Wouldn't it be a boring world if we were all very nice to each other.

Concerning the singers, I think Mark Saxby's taste leaves a lot to be desired
;-), whilst I'm not too fond of Tracy Chapmans singing and songs. I do like
Michelle Shocked a huge amount, and wouldn't mind getting her other albums
(other than 'Short Sharp Shocked')

Right boys, shake hands and get rude and insulting!!!

Mark.

    Markie my man, iffen you wanna get `rude and insulting' (your term) then
    flit across the NET to SOAPBOX where I'm assured you'll find the
    Hothead Flower children holding forth on all kinds of stuff from the
    pollution in Boston harbour to the hidden meaning of The Eagles
    "Desperado". (No I didn't say they were a tasteless shower!) 

    And you could look again at the first and second personal names I used
    in here after Christmas. It's not *always* a great idea to get
    "r & insu.." - I can assure you of that. Even if you're in paroxyms of
    rage.

    - Tim

Hey, hey, hey. I was only joking.

Mark's reply that I quoted was very similar to another pacifying reply I once
wrote.

Shake hands ?

    
    Re Mark
    
    Up yours!
    
    
    
    
    Insulting enough ? :^) See you tonight!
    
    Mark

    Re. .2 (Mark Saxby).  The female who sang HAPPY EVER AFTER is Julia
    Fordham, a one-time member of Marie Wilson's backing band, The Wilsations.

    She has released two albums, JULIA FORDHAM (1988) and PORCELAIN
    (1989).  I wholeheartedly agree that she has a brilliant, haunting
    voice, and would unreservedly recommend either of these two albums
    to anyone who appreciates the decent female singer-songwriter type.
    
    Only sorry that I missed her live performance a couple of Sundays
    back on the DLT show.  Heard she was ace!!

    
    Yes, of course, I've been wracking my brain over that one all day!
    
    Thanks for putting me out of my misery. I've not got any of her
    albums (yet), but I definitely intend to get some of her stuff.
    
    Mark

    'Happy ever after' was sung by Julia Fordham who clearly deserves
    a place in this note for her eponymous debut album and second album
    "Porcelain". 

    Along a similar Jazzy/Bluesy vein, I'd also include Sam(antha) Brown.
    
    Cheers,
    	George

    Boy, I start answering a note and got preempted before I finish.
    Gotta learn to type faster!
    
    Slowhand George

    Please listen to the `Like A Prayer' LP by Madonna.  You probably hate
    everything you've heard previous, and you might hate the singles off
    this LP.  But belive me it's good and has intelligent lyrics (i.e. Not
    about love - except for the track with Prince).
    
    Please try it.  If you were to ignore everything previous to this and
    this were her fisrt LP, and she didn't have the body or reputation that
    she does, then you would place her in the same category as Michelle
    Shocked of Tracy Chapman.  Well perhaps!
    
    
    
    MattyB

    
    Re. 19
    
    99 Luftbaloonen!
    
    I hated this record until I heard the original in German, the same
    was true of Rock me Amadaus (or whatever it was called). Some records
    are a lot stronger in their original language, it's a shame that
    very few (except Ca Plan Pour Moi! :^)) achieve success in that
    form here.
    
    Mark

Re: -1
Mark,

>>>    99 Luftbaloonen!
>>>    
>>>    I hated this record until I heard the original in German.

	I have "Name of the Game" by Nena & think that it's great (if simple),
esp for �1.99!  I've also heard it in German & it works better for me in 
English.  Does anyone know of other English versions of her(/their) albums?
I'm NOT going to pay full price for it though.

RE:  M� O'Hara's "Miss America".  I'd just like to put a note of caution on this
one.  Admittedly, I've only played it once, but it doesn't do much for me (yet).
The reason I do this is that I'll usually try out any praised/uncritized music
that I hear about in here.

	I like Nanci G & Suzanne Vega, but do the Bangles not get a mention?
I only really like "Everything", but I think it's great!  What about Gloria E?

-Brian.

    There are 2 U.K. released Nena albums, the one with 99 balloons,
    and the one that was a real failure in the charts....Aparently there
    are loads of German albums released by Nena though...
    
    Juju
    xxxx