The Goat Pen

Damn. So effortless. I see David's got a head of hair there.

It's me Karen wrote:When I heard her sing last year, I was was sick to my stomach. That most beautiful voice was ruined. She had the world by the ass...

Her most recent interviews (like over the last two or three years) should've been a red flag. Even in the interviews you could hear a raspiness to her voice.

I also think that effected George Carlin over time (who admitted that he experiment copiously with drugs). If you'll recall, his voice was very clear and fluid when he was in his early years, and then by the time he hit about his late 40s, he developed a deep raspiness that became even more pronounced over subsequent years (except, ironically, a couple of years before his death; his voice actually seemed to change to throaty and muted, as if he was talking with fluid in his lungs).

Hizzy III wrote:

It's me Karen wrote:When I heard her sing last year, I was was sick to my stomach. That most beautiful voice was ruined. She had the world by the ass...

Her most recent interviews (like over the last two or three years) should've been a red flag. Even in the interviews you could hear a raspiness to her voice.

I also think that effected George Carlin over time (who admitted that he experiment copiously with drugs). If you'll recall, his voice was very clear and fluid when he was in his early years, and then by the time he hit about his late 40s, he developed a deep raspiness that became even more pronounced over subsequent years (except, ironically, a couple of years before his death; his voice actually seemed to change to throaty and muted, as if he was talking with fluid in his lungs).

I didn't think about that with George Carlin, but now that you mention it...

All voices have their sell-by date. That said, I think that behind the power moments she was a well-trained singer (notice the quiet spots in "I Will Always Love You") and could have done excellent work as a mature artist.

I'll admit that while I wasn't "into" a lot of her stuff, when she came on the radio or whatever, I paid attention. I did a crash course on remedial late-period Whitney:

"It's Not Right But It's Okay"



"I Didn't Know My Own Strength" (harks back to the sunshiny therapy R&B of her DX7 days)

Yeah I was always more a fan of Whitney's voice, moreso than her music. I've never been one who took to power ballad singers, though. Never was a Celine Dion, Whitney nor Mariah fan, as far as content...even though I recognize the talent.

Same here. It wasn't Whitney's voice, particularly in the early days, as much as it was the style of music that was mated with her voice not resonating. But it's not a unique viewpoint held by people in my age and social demographic. There came a point, even after maybe just five years into her career, where the folks at Arista as well as members of her management team felt that she wasn't really getting her due as an R&B singer and so they tried to get writers and producers who could add more "soul" to her musical offerings.

The work she did with Babyface in the mid-90s or so was pretty good but it didn't transcend globally as well as did her early pop joints.

BTW, I came across jazz guitarist Pat Martino's "Midnight Special", a track off his 2011 CD "Undeniable." Nice, jazz club flow to it, where you can just grab you a little taste, sit back and bob your head for seven or eight minutes. I've always felt him to be an underrated jazz artist--but then again, jazz artists, in general, aren't nearly as popular as they were 35-40 years ago.

Also, having drummer Jeff "Tain" Watts as part of your quartet is never a bad move. Brother can get wicked with a pair of sticks.

Jeff Watts been killing it since before he started playing with Branford.

I'm excited for Houston's Robert Glasper (or maybe he's from Dallas, either way) album coming out the end of the month. He and Badu collaborated on a vocal version of Mongo Santamaria/John Coltrane's "Afro Blue" that I'm just loving.

Ye and Hov mash with Woody Allen's "Paris At Midnight"...

[youtube]aHgi2inz6ok[/youtube]

[youtube]nFg7-4vBPWM[/youtube]

RIP BIG

[youtube]Z8Rur693_7A[/youtube]

[youtube]ktDeFS8KZPs[/youtube]

On some relationship shit...

[youtube]EinRUnqXGxc[/youtube]

I miss that dude. I had a convo with one of my peeps this past week on whether Jay-Z would've been Jay-Z if Biggie lived. I don't know whether to say the argument was inconclusive, or that we're still arguing it. Either way, nothing was/is close to being settled.

Jon Mayer took a Meters funk classic and did it properlike.

[youtube]vEqZbDRj64U[/youtube]

Dot, new Nas. If you're not feeling this, then give up your rights to wine it out with a shorty.

Bklyn wrote:Dot, new Nas. If you're not feeling this, then give up your rights to wine it out with a shorty.

stupid nice, feels like a classic

Youngin' Chris Turner reduz Sly Stone and Musiq...

[youtube]Ro9WMK61Y88[/youtube]

So sweet and soulful.