6th February - Adele vs Duffy
Laura Marling wins. And I know about these things.
So, it was great being away most of January, and also only half paying attention to music things these days. It meant that I didn't know who Adele or Duffy are though since seeing the vids I remembered catching Adele on Jools Holland and thinking 'mmmh very accomplished' and 'mmhh wonder if they've asked her to lose weight, the poor girl, this year's Alison Moyet, she'll be fighting off the stylists and cry at night'. (Incidentally, I find body maps of tattos a' la Winehouse, more gross than size 18, so don't hang me on this one).
So, as I was told by friends to go see Duffy but found out it's all sold out, it was time to check these two out on youtube/myspace. From a marketing point of view I totally get it. And I thought it was genius to film Adele inside a car so you could mostly only see her face. But from a musical point of view it was dire. You mean this is what's being hyped? More retro sounding girls? I weep. I wouldn't know who'll fare better. Probably Adele has the better songs but Duffy is more immediate and it can only help that she looks like a scruffed up pammy anderson. If she was too polished the Brits wouldn't buy her. But I wouldn't buy either.
I was however played Laura Marling back in Oct/Nov. when I hooked up again with a former lover who has something to do with her. It's a good sign when the person who plays you the music has an enraptured look on his face when listening to tunes he's by now heard hundreds of times. Of course I thought Laura was also very retro (not Dusty but folksy) and when I looked her up, she too was tasty looking and only 17, thus making her even more of a marketable find. But ... the songs are so much more ... unique. You just have to trust me on this one. So it was a hard choice choosing a family committment last Friday over going to see a tiny gig of hers in Soho on the night of her 18th b'day. But I made the choise, and that was that. Only after, reading some ecstatic review on the Independent only compels the 'Oh no, I totally missed a good one here'.
It will never be the same after those early gigs that you remember forever. Like missing Oasis up at King Tut's back on the days McGee had just signed them or Nirvana at Waterats or wherever it was that year they first played in London, just days before everyone named them as their favourite band. Ok, I can still turn over in my head some Smith's second gig at Hacienda or Pop Group at the Scala, but they've gotten really blurred over the years. Like, the other day, I was on FB as you do and stumbled upon a 400 plus collection of photos posted by various people who'd gone to the Mud Club in '83/84 and therafter. I was not in any. In fact I don't remember any of us ever taking a camera there but, more to the point, as I looked at all these kids, the only people I could recognise were the major players involved (Philip Sallon, Boy George, Marylin, Fat Tony etc) and none of the punters. In fact I couldn't remember who I went with if not by working out who were my friends over a longer span in early 80's. Memory definitely gets wiped out. It doesn't matter, it's largely irrelevant and I do have diaries if I really care to check, but not even a photo? The two Anita's at least had the required gelled up hair and I had some very favourite Bodymap togs. Someone should have photographed us surely?
Sigh....
So, it was great being away most of January, and also only half paying attention to music things these days. It meant that I didn't know who Adele or Duffy are though since seeing the vids I remembered catching Adele on Jools Holland and thinking 'mmmh very accomplished' and 'mmhh wonder if they've asked her to lose weight, the poor girl, this year's Alison Moyet, she'll be fighting off the stylists and cry at night'. (Incidentally, I find body maps of tattos a' la Winehouse, more gross than size 18, so don't hang me on this one).
So, as I was told by friends to go see Duffy but found out it's all sold out, it was time to check these two out on youtube/myspace. From a marketing point of view I totally get it. And I thought it was genius to film Adele inside a car so you could mostly only see her face. But from a musical point of view it was dire. You mean this is what's being hyped? More retro sounding girls? I weep. I wouldn't know who'll fare better. Probably Adele has the better songs but Duffy is more immediate and it can only help that she looks like a scruffed up pammy anderson. If she was too polished the Brits wouldn't buy her. But I wouldn't buy either.
I was however played Laura Marling back in Oct/Nov. when I hooked up again with a former lover who has something to do with her. It's a good sign when the person who plays you the music has an enraptured look on his face when listening to tunes he's by now heard hundreds of times. Of course I thought Laura was also very retro (not Dusty but folksy) and when I looked her up, she too was tasty looking and only 17, thus making her even more of a marketable find. But ... the songs are so much more ... unique. You just have to trust me on this one. So it was a hard choice choosing a family committment last Friday over going to see a tiny gig of hers in Soho on the night of her 18th b'day. But I made the choise, and that was that. Only after, reading some ecstatic review on the Independent only compels the 'Oh no, I totally missed a good one here'.
It will never be the same after those early gigs that you remember forever. Like missing Oasis up at King Tut's back on the days McGee had just signed them or Nirvana at Waterats or wherever it was that year they first played in London, just days before everyone named them as their favourite band. Ok, I can still turn over in my head some Smith's second gig at Hacienda or Pop Group at the Scala, but they've gotten really blurred over the years. Like, the other day, I was on FB as you do and stumbled upon a 400 plus collection of photos posted by various people who'd gone to the Mud Club in '83/84 and therafter. I was not in any. In fact I don't remember any of us ever taking a camera there but, more to the point, as I looked at all these kids, the only people I could recognise were the major players involved (Philip Sallon, Boy George, Marylin, Fat Tony etc) and none of the punters. In fact I couldn't remember who I went with if not by working out who were my friends over a longer span in early 80's. Memory definitely gets wiped out. It doesn't matter, it's largely irrelevant and I do have diaries if I really care to check, but not even a photo? The two Anita's at least had the required gelled up hair and I had some very favourite Bodymap togs. Someone should have photographed us surely?
Sigh....
posted by Lisa Taylor @ 3:54 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home