The Latest From Susan Boyle

[Guest LadyC]

why did it shock people that she sang so well? i don't think it had anything to do with her appearance. it certainly didn't for me.

it had to do with two things...

1st, the way she presented herself. she comes out there on that stage acting kinda crazy LOL... describing her hometown, losing her train of thought, scratching her head, then finally getting the words out that it was a collection of villages... shaking her hip, then rotating her hips like she's doing the hoola hoop, acting like a feisty teenager. the public sees so many of these auditions where someone comes out on stage acting "odd", and then they open their mouths to sing and become the laughing stock on the next morning's news program.

secondly, it was the way simon and the judges were acting towards her, rolling their eyes. their initial impression IS contagious, whether we want to admit it or not.

if we had watched her walk onto a stage acting professional to audition for a broadway play, or the mormon tabernacle choir, or anything other than britain's version of american idol, i don't think anyone would have been surprised to hear her sing so beautifully.

[Guest yod]

Luciano Pavarotti, Celine Dion, Lady Ga Ga, Pink, Barbra Streisand.....how am I doing?

well I don't know about that?!?

I think those are all beautiful people. How dare you say they are old and ugly!?!

here's the deal with the entertainment world, imo:

People need a story.

That's why we will waste all of our time in front of a boob-tube, or go to the theatre, or listen to a certain band, or read a certain author/book, or watch Glenn Beck, or whatever, etc, etc, etc....

If the story makes you laugh even a little, you will keep coming back to the story teller of your choice for more stories. I mean, sitcom comedies haven't been funny for a while but they're still making 'em, ya know? What's with that anyway?

Someone did a study and found that there were only about 37 stories. Every story comes from these basic root ones with different dressing.

Susan Boyle is the ugly duckling story and that's why you guys like her. If she was beautiful with that same voice and had no story, you would have never heard of her.

But add a story about being an old virgin who never got an honest chance in life until now and she's got this sympathy mojo magnifying her talent level (for a short time to a fickle public)

But like Cinderella she rises to be noticed and adored! This is a dream a lot of people want to relate to....so they do.

And I seriously don't understand why people get so invested in any singer? What do they really do to help the world? Its a song and it's over...bang. And what's the big deal about who is singing it?

In my old age I'm turning into my dad who could drive all the way to Mexico and back without ever turning on the radio or playing music. I can only remember him liking 3 different artists his whole life. Merle Haggard, Ray Price, and Hank Williams.

Hmmm....come to think of it dem are some purty dang good 'uns. ::::spits tobacco::::::

Anyway...just rambling.

[Guest LadyC]

merle haggard, awesome.

ray price, ok, but not my type.

hank williams, YUCK.

sorry, never could stand him. now where is david alan coe in your list?

BUT.... susan boyle has an incredible gift, and she should be using it. she has oodles of talent, and i'm surprised that some of you think she needs more vocal training because she hit a couple of sour notes in the first couple of lines. good grief, she could run circles around most singers who've been famous for generations.

[Guest yod]

i don't think anyone would have been surprised to hear her sing so beautifully.

oh c'mon...she's boring

[Guest LadyC]

nope, nothing boring about that voice. it's mesmerizing. different strokes for different folks, i guess... YOU like hank williams!

[Guest yod]

nope, nothing boring about that voice. it's mesmerizing. different strokes for different folks, i guess... YOU like hank williams!

you're the one with country gospel on your signature.

"Praise The Lord, I Saw The Light" is still the biggest country gospel song in American history.

Hank was extremely prolific for his short life. He lived the songs he wrote and it killed him early.

But that's passion....and a story.

[Guest LadyC]

yep, i created the country gospel for my mom. she likes it. i figured other people would too. i like country music, i like country musicians who sing hymns and worship music, but i just never liked hank williams. his voice IRKS me. and ray price? well, his voice bores me.

so like i said, it's all a matter of personal taste. for me, susan boyle has such an incredibly beautiful voice that she makes me want to listen to the type of music she sings... and that is nothing short of a miracle.

[nebula]

why did it shock people that she sang so well? i don't think it had anything to do with her appearance. it certainly didn't for me.

it had to do with two things...

1st, the way she presented herself. she comes out there on that stage acting kinda crazy LOL... describing her hometown, losing her train of thought, scratching her head, then finally getting the words out that it was a collection of villages... shaking her hip, then rotating her hips like she's doing the hoola hoop, acting like a feisty teenager. the public sees so many of these auditions where someone comes out on stage acting "odd", and then they open their mouths to sing and become the laughing stock on the next morning's news program.

secondly, it was the way simon and the judges were acting towards her, rolling their eyes. their initial impression IS contagious, whether we want to admit it or not.

if we had watched her walk onto a stage acting professional to audition for a broadway play, or the mormon tabernacle choir, or anything other than britain's version of american idol, i don't think anyone would have been surprised to hear her sing so beautifully.

You're right - but again that goes back to appearances.

There was nothing glamorous about her appearance.

[nebula]

oh c'mon...she's boring

I think her songs are boring.

But I thought - at least with the first song - that her performance of said boring song was stunning.

For her finale, she seemed more nervous, and I think that's why she went off key. But as she kept singing she began relaxing and got back into her rhythm, so to speak.

That being said, she didn't draw out the emotion of the song "Memories" from me that it normally does. But that's the difference between performing a song and emoting a song.

Let me explain it this way: back in the 80's there was a Christian group called Harvest. One of their songs went like this:

It's not often I feel like lifting my hands in worship

It's not often I feel like singing songs of joy

But so often I'm reminded of His ways and how He's so faithful

So I'll offer Him this sacrifice of praise

All that is in me, all that I am

There's nothing I withhold from Him

All that is in me, all that I am

Will glorify the Lamb...

Now, as the lead singer sang this song, you could feel the groaning of his heart with the words. You could hear this as a prayer. It drew my heart to groan and cry out in prayer as well with it.

But one day in college, I heard a girl sang this song during a church service. Instead of singing it as a prayer, she sang it as a declaration to the people. Instead of praying the words, she was making statements about the words. You could tell this in how she was performing the song (looking directly at the people and such) and how her voice fluctuated the notes and such.

To me, it completely killed the song.

So, anyway, that's what I mean by performing the song rather than emoting the song.

[nebula]

here's the deal with the entertainment world, imo:

People need a story.

That's why we will waste all of our time in front of a boob-tube, or go to the theatre, or listen to a certain band, or read a certain author/book, or watch Glenn Beck, or whatever, etc, etc, etc....

Hmmmm . . . I believe that to be part of it, but I do not believe it is all of it.

Some people also just enjoy people exhibiting a talent.

I mean, why else go to an art gallery?

Or why watch that show that is a competition between fashion designers (Project Runway, I think it is)? I watched a season of that with my bro and his then fiancee. It intrigued me to see what they would come up with, but the "story" aspect of it (aka, the drama) really began to get on my nerves.

So, that's what I mean about enjoying the talent.