Suzanne Vega, off of her album Nine Objects of Desire. This live video from the Jools Holland show isn't as good as the album version, which was produced by her then-husband Mitchell Froom and was difficult to reproduce live, but good enough. Suzanne is the epitome of cool. You get the notion that she never raises her voice, ever, just slides the cool right through even when talking about some sweet sexy loving. She has referred to this trait of hers obliquely in interviews where she notes that even as a child and a teenager she was reserved and polite even when she was in trouble and that wasn't the best way to be, but she's not one of those artists who goes out and bares all so we never get the details.
Perhaps if she'd been a splashier person instead of being so reserved and private she would not have disappeared from public perception so fast after her initial splash with Luka and Tom's Diner. On the other hand, her cool intellectual music probably would never have been more than a passing fancy for the average American anyhow, given we're talking about the same public that adores Ted Nugent and elected George W. Bush at least once...
-- Badtux the Music Penguin
Suzanne Vega has two Top 10 hits. Ted Nugent has none. So there is indeed some justice in the world.
ReplyDeleteActually, Shrub was appointed by the Supreme Court in 2000, after stealing Florida. Then, in 2004, he stole Ohio. It is almost beyond doubt that OHIO voting machines were rigged
ReplyDeleteI don't believe Shrub was EVER elected president.
JzB the shrub clearing trombonist
Jazz, if you count the people who voted by not voting (which was effectively a vote for George W. Bush), GWB won quite handily. Yes, Florida/Ohio were stolen, but there would not have been the ability to steal it if the non-voters had come out and voted for GWB's opponent. But they had no problem with GWB being President. Meaning, the majority of Americans either wanted GWB as President, or had no problem with him being President. If that isn't collective national stupidity, I don't know what is.
ReplyDeleteDr. Sardonicus, indeed Teddy Boy hasn't had any single song that sold as well as Suzanne's two hits (can we call her a two hit wonder?). But if you count albums sold over the course of a career Teddy beats Suzanne quite handily, because he talks to the lowest common denominator, while Suzanne's songs are typically cool, intellectual, dense with meaning.
BTW, has anybody noticed that my favorite female singers all seem to be redheads?! Huh. Funny how that works out...
- Badtux the Numbers Penguin