Shoot your idols - Adele at the Beeb

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  • Ian Thumwood
    Full Member
    • Dec 2010
    • 4183

    Shoot your idols - Adele at the Beeb

    Tuning in for "HIGNFY" tonight I found that this had been delayed by a "special" to celebrate the singer Adele who has a new CD out this month. As someone who is not in to pop music and a music fan who has read a lot about her as well as hearing some almost hagiographical praise of her two previous discs I was totally under-whelmed. In fact, I knew "Skyfall" having seen the film and thought that this was a pretty corny and naff song, the lyrics for which must have the likes of Cole Porter turning in his grave.

    Although I expect a treacly mish-mash of middle of the road pulp, I was really staggered at how poor the quality of her songwriter was. I think she has a good voice but it is pretty limited musician. The music all sounded the same and wasn't the least moving or interesting in any aspect. It is a bot depressing to hear something as crap as this lauded so much. The reviews on amazon are suggestive that she is some kind of major artist but I just don't see it . Maybe if you thought that Cilla was the bees knees (stand up Nicola Sturgeon) it would be possible to detect a sense of superiority but anyone coming from a broader background or wider taste will struggle to see what the fuss is about. Granted that she has a "live" band behind her yet even they weren't doing a great deal from a musical perspective. Are non music fans snapping up this disc or a gullible public unwilling to challenge the perceived opinion of such "experts" as Graham Norton. I am perplexed.
  • Lat-Literal
    Guest
    • Aug 2015
    • 6983

    #2
    Originally posted by Ian Thumwood View Post
    Tuning in for "HIGNFY" tonight I found that this had been delayed by a "special" to celebrate the singer Adele who has a new CD out this month. As someone who is not in to pop music and a music fan who has read a lot about her as well as hearing some almost hagiographical praise of her two previous discs I was totally under-whelmed. In fact, I knew "Skyfall" having seen the film and thought that this was a pretty corny and naff song, the lyrics for which must have the likes of Cole Porter turning in his grave.

    Although I expect a treacly mish-mash of middle of the road pulp, I was really staggered at how poor the quality of her songwriter was. I think she has a good voice but it is pretty limited musician. The music all sounded the same and wasn't the least moving or interesting in any aspect. It is a bot depressing to hear something as crap as this lauded so much. The reviews on amazon are suggestive that she is some kind of major artist but I just don't see it . Maybe if you thought that Cilla was the bees knees (stand up Nicola Sturgeon) it would be possible to detect a sense of superiority but anyone coming from a broader background or wider taste will struggle to see what the fuss is about. Granted that she has a "live" band behind her yet even they weren't doing a great deal from a musical perspective. Are non music fans snapping up this disc or a gullible public unwilling to challenge the perceived opinion of such "experts" as Graham Norton. I am perplexed.
    Yes.

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    • Barbirollians
      Full Member
      • Nov 2010
      • 11694

      #3
      I think her work is patchy - Someone Like You on the other hand is a great song and fully deserves its popularity

      Comment

      • Lat-Literal
        Guest
        • Aug 2015
        • 6983

        #4
        And there's some sort of Dylan cover of course which is "alright".

        But I find her charmless.
        Last edited by Lat-Literal; 21-11-15, 13:46.

        Comment

        • ahinton
          Full Member
          • Nov 2010
          • 16122

          #5
          My computer is a Dell; I never switch it off except when rebooting but at least I could do so...
          Last edited by ahinton; 21-11-15, 11:41.

          Comment

          • ferneyhoughgeliebte
            Gone fishin'
            • Sep 2011
            • 30163

            #6
            Originally posted by Lat-Literal View Post
            Yes.
            - so glad Ian posted; like him, I hadn't knowingly heard Adele before, but had encountered the reputation. "Underwhelmed" is exactly how I felt - not a bad performer, by any means, but nothing particularly outstanding and nothing (for me) to justify the universal adulation I'd heard. (I'll seek out Someone Like You on Barbi's recommendation, though.)
            [FONT=Comic Sans MS][I][B]Numquam Satis![/B][/I][/FONT]

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            • verismissimo
              Full Member
              • Nov 2010
              • 2957

              #7
              I was thinking of popular singers from previous generations who were equally beguiling and Perry Como came to mind...

              Comment

              • french frank
                Administrator/Moderator
                • Feb 2007
                • 30301

                #8
                Coincidentally, I heard Adele's Hello yesterday on YouTube, while trying to discover what Playlister was actually offering to fans of popular music (compared with classical). The video had passably good acting, the situation depicted has been presented (once or twice!) before ('Sorry for breaking your heart', 'Sorry for everything that I've done'): but at the base of the appeal it seems to be the combination of an attractive woman emoting in a way that many (younger) people will identify with, or want to engage with.

                Musically, it doesn't seem to be very original, strings, piano. Strong voice, bit of soul, falsetto … She puts it over very well, but as with a lot of popular music, the performer and the story seem to be the main attractions.
                It isn't given us to know those rare moments when people are wide open and the lightest touch can wither or heal. A moment too late and we can never reach them any more in this world.

                Comment

                • Nick Armstrong
                  Host
                  • Nov 2010
                  • 26538

                  #9
                  I always thought her mannered, chesty, smeary vocals ("Skwy-FWAAALL"...) were the only blot on that otherwise terrific Bond film, and I avoid that title sequence, and her, like the plague.
                  "...the isle is full of noises,
                  Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not.
                  Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments
                  Will hum about mine ears, and sometime voices..."

                  Comment

                  • teamsaint
                    Full Member
                    • Nov 2010
                    • 25210

                    #10
                    Originally posted by Caliban View Post
                    I always thought her mannered, chesty, smeary vocals ("Skwy-FWAAALL"...) were the only blot on that otherwise terrific Bond film, and I avoid that title sequence, and her, like the plague.
                    good news, she has banned the elpee from streaming outfits, so avoiding her new music should be easy enough.


                    you'd think........


                    Nobody in the pop/rock world seems to have anything to say any more.one of the pleasures of the contemporary folk scene is that there seems to be some kind of content to the lyrics, from time to time.
                    I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed or numbered. My life is my own.

                    I am not a number, I am a free man.

                    Comment

                    • ferneyhoughgeliebte
                      Gone fishin'
                      • Sep 2011
                      • 30163

                      #11
                      Originally posted by teamsaint View Post
                      Nobody in the pop/rock world seems to have anything to say any more.
                      This is (I hope) just one of those "passing trends" - after the Adele experience last night, I kept thinking of the contrast with Amy Winehouse; now there was a distinct and genuine talent that surpassed the hype.
                      [FONT=Comic Sans MS][I][B]Numquam Satis![/B][/I][/FONT]

                      Comment

                      • teamsaint
                        Full Member
                        • Nov 2010
                        • 25210

                        #12
                        Originally posted by ferneyhoughgeliebte View Post
                        This is (I hope) just one of those "passing trends" - after the Adele experience last night, I kept thinking of the contrast with Amy Winehouse; now there was a distinct and genuine talent that surpassed the hype.
                        I'm sure that plenty of people in the pop rock world do have something interesting to say, I just get bored waiting to hear it, and move on , I'm afraid.
                        I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed or numbered. My life is my own.

                        I am not a number, I am a free man.

                        Comment

                        • verismissimo
                          Full Member
                          • Nov 2010
                          • 2957

                          #13
                          Originally posted by ferneyhoughgeliebte View Post
                          This is (I hope) just one of those "passing trends" - after the Adele experience last night, I kept thinking of the contrast with Amy Winehouse; now there was a distinct and genuine talent that surpassed the hype.
                          Oh yes!

                          Comment

                          • Nick Armstrong
                            Host
                            • Nov 2010
                            • 26538

                            #14
                            Originally posted by ferneyhoughgeliebte View Post
                            This is (I hope) just one of those "passing trends" - after the Adele experience last night, I kept thinking of the contrast with Amy Winehouse; now there was a distinct and genuine talent that surpassed the hype.
                            Oh dear. I found her really annoying too...

                            "...the isle is full of noises,
                            Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not.
                            Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments
                            Will hum about mine ears, and sometime voices..."

                            Comment

                            • teamsaint
                              Full Member
                              • Nov 2010
                              • 25210

                              #15
                              Originally posted by Caliban View Post
                              Oh dear. I found her really annoying too...

                              I just thought she was OK.
                              Music seemed pretty unremarkable , her style was fun ( if that sort of thing is of interest), but then I always was pretty picky about pop music.
                              I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed or numbered. My life is my own.

                              I am not a number, I am a free man.

                              Comment

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