Reply #80: You quote TMBG in your sig line, and think Sheryl Crow is a...

[Whitacre D_WI]

...good songwriter?

Her stuff is bland pap. The kind of stuff Neil Sedaka used to write (and now we're full-circle to "Having My Baby").

I agree with you that Phish is comprised of very talented instrumentalists. However, their songs are entirely devoid of (what can tritely be described as) SOUL! Not to mention, their lyricist (at least on their earlier stuff -- I haven't heard Phish since about '93) is abominable.

I was specifically thinking of "Kiss from a Rose" when I listed Seal. I actually don't mind "Crazy" nearly so much -- I mean, it was overplayed in the day, it's a dreadful earworm, and again -- no passion; but it's not nearly so treacly.

Sting? Sorry, I can't think of anything good to say about Sting. I don't even like most Police songs. He WAS wonderfully creepy in "Dune," I'll give him that.



I like sentiment if done right, if it feels honest. I don't like songs that are written in an attempt to stir sentiment, however -- I like those that are written FROM sentiment within the composer.

And I see where you are going trying to support female musicians. Make sure to give props to those female visionaries who have been unfairly maligned over the years -- Yoko Ono, Lydia Lunch (the Teenage Jesus and the Jerks record is brilliant). Not to mention such women as Kim Gordon, the folks in Sleater-Kinney, Neko Case -- critical darlings, yes, but still widely unknown.

Then again, plenty of "critical darlings" are crap. Just ask Random Koolzip. *ducks*