Did anyone here ever hear Winehouse's first album, FRANK, released in 2003, when she was only 20 years old? I'm sorry, but Lady Day fixation aside, there's absolutely no denying that she had a voice to be reckoned with, coupled with a powerful mix of brashness and sophistication. Track down a live recording of her from this period and I just can't believe you wouldn't be impressed with the genuine talent, whether you like her music or not. I just don't get the hatred, really, becase it's not like she's some talent-free, label manufactured thing. Heard without the hype long before it was released in the US, BACK TO BLACK struck me as a pretty impressive piece of work, and still does. Sorry she's become a train wreck, and hope she gets straightened out - like your pals The Eagles did, Bob, even though they should've know better in the '70s - but that doesn't change the quality of what's been recorded. bob wrote: Winehouse and Spears had good tech people in their corner. Talent? Nothing that I can descern that wouldn't be possible with production, Autotune, editing, and support people. There is so much better available without the idiotic self-induced baggage. Papparazzi? Satan? All they have to do is wave to them and pose for pictures...they'll go away. Sean Penn wouldn't even have a bloody profile if he didn't punch one occasionally. The mainstream music business used to run on music...now, it runs on notariaty and Perez Hilton. The beneficiaries of this paradigm are a joke...and most of them can afford the panties they forget to wear everytime a photographer is involved. bob Rick McCall wrote: I'm with Michael on the vocal thing with Amy - no doubt, she has pipes, even though her chosen genre isn't my favorite. For me, it is just too big of a hill to climb to get past her complete train wreck of a life. It is impossible to separate the two. That doesn't mean I'm unwilling to admit she has great talent. It is just so discouraging to watch her (and others, like Britney, who I've never liked musically) descend into the pit of hell in front of the world. For what it's worth, I've about decided that the paparazzi are Satan. At least the ones who would surround Britney's car at every traffic light while she clings to the last vestige of her sanity. Simply subhuman. -----Original Message----- From: audities-owner@smoe.org [mailto:audities-owner@smoe.org] On Behalf Of Mike Bennett Sent: Monday, February 11, 2008 8:03 AM To: audities@smoe.org Subject: Re: Amy Whinehouse wins BEST NEW ARTIST Michael -- Your post seems to feed into John's point. Almost every negative post I've read on Audities about Amy Winehouse has been a quick putdown. I've never read anyone who has explained why she is not worthwhile. While her live performances swing wildly, on disc, I think she's a fantastic singer -- her tone, her phrasing, her range -- all terrific. She truly engages with her material. Moreover, she's an ace songwriter, with lyrics that are sometimes witty and often quite perceptive. Mike Bennett Blog: http://blog.myspace.com/mrhonorama Record reviews and more at http://fufkin.com Find out about Chicago shows: http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/chicagopopshowreport/ > Date: Mon, 11 Feb 2008 05:48:58 -0800 > From: govango@yahoo.com > Subject: Re: Amy Whinehouse wins BEST NEW ARTIST > To: audities@smoe.org > > --- John Micek wrote: > > I can't understand the acrimony displayed toward this woman. Everyone > > kvetches about the lack of authenticity in modern pop music, and > > someone comes along with a great voice and a great look and she just > > gets miles of stick. Make up your minds, kids. > > Personally she does zilch for me. There is plenty of authenticity > on pop music. I just don't see any in her or her music. Hopefully > the clock is ticking closer to 15:00. > > michael > > > ____________________________________________________________________________ ________ > Looking for last minute shopping deals? > Find them fast with Yahoo! Search. http://tools.search.yahoo.com/newsearch/category.php?category=shopping _________________________________________________________________ Climb to the top of the charts! Play the word scramble challenge with star power. http://club.live.com/star_shuffle.aspx?icid=starshuffle_wlmailtextlink_jan --------------------------------- Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your homepage.