HOT & FRESH OUT THE KITCHEN

I had noticed that all of my previous posts have featured music from the not too distant past, but I do listen to the current stuff.

Here is some new music of interest:

CHRISTINA AGUILERA - BIONIC

To be honest, I have not heard the whole record, "BIONIC - DELUXE (Explicit)" yet but what I have heard, I haven't been overly excited about. I think she is moving in a direction she doesn't need to go and others are already doing and are doing much better. She should be doing music that showcases her amazing voice and not buries it under heavy electronic sounds and vocal distortions. Lead the pack, don't follow it. You deserve and can do better, Xtina.

Here is one of the better tracks off the new record that features M.I.A.:

Elastic Love - Christina Aguilera


JAMIE LIDELL - COMPASS

This is the sixth CD from British soul singer, Jamie Lidell who hasn't gotten nearly enough attention on this side of the Atlantic. You can hear all of the different musical influences in his work but he combines classic r&B with throbbing electronic rhythms to create his unique sound.

This is my one of favorite songs off of "Compass": I Wanna be Your Telephone .

LEELA JAMES - MY SOUL

R&B songstress, Leela James has returned with that sultry voice with a new record, "My Soul" and I am glad she's back. I have been a fan since her first CD, "Change Is Gonna Come" (2005) and I hope her latest brings her all the proper accolades she truly deserves.

Check out this track: Tell Me You Love Me

And finally, the new video by Lady Gaga for her latest single, "Alejandro". With it's thinly veiled homage to the video images of Madonna, the video's highlights are Gaga's awkward dancing and the overt sexuality which comes across as derivative and a little desperate.

At over eight minutes, it is bit too lengthy for a music video and the extra time adds nothing and feels self indulgent. Lady Gaga seems like she has gotten to a point where she feels she has to top each new video, making it more grand and outrageous and it's really not always necessary. Maybe her next video should simply be her sitting at a piano, just singing. That would be truly shocking.

DONE. REDONE.

Songs are open to interpretation and so artists always try and take a beloved song and do their own version of it.

Sometimes, but not too often, a singer can recreate a song and make it even better than the original but usually, we either get a pleasant and harmless take of the song or a really bad and painful rendition.

So, I'm going to present the original version of a few songs and then a remake of the song and say which one I prefer.

Here we go:

Done: "Young Hearts Run Free" - Candi Stanton - (1976)
Young Hearts Run Free.mp3

Redone: "Young Hearts Run Free" - The Swell Season - (2010)
Young Hearts Run Free.mp3

This is really no comparison because nobody could possibly top Ms Stanton's version of this song, which is one of my all-time favorites, but I have got to give props to Glen Hansard. He gives us a passionate, acoustic take of this song and he is secure enough not to feel the need to change any of the pronouns. I think he's a great singer and I really like what he did to the song.
This song was done as part of Levi's Pioneer Sessions and here Mr. Hansard explains why he chose to record this song:



Done: "What a Fool Believes" - The Doobie Brothers - (1978)
What a Fool Believes.mp3

Redone: "What A Fool Believes" - Aretha Franklin - (1980)
What a Fool Believes.mp3

I have always loved how Ms Franklin has taken many songs made popular by other artists and completely re-imagined them and made them her songs. She did it again with the Doobie Brothers' hit song and while she gives it her spin and it is a fun and interesting version, it doesn't really come close to the pure, simple, and soulful quality of the original.

Done: "Don't Speak" - No Doubt - (1995)
Don't Speak.mp3

Redone: "Don't Speak" - Leela James - (2005)

Don't Speak.mp3

"Don't Speak" is one of my favorite songs from No Doubt and Ms James decided to tackle this rock ballad and gave it nice R&B groove. While both versions are very similar in feel and I really admire what Ms James did to the song, but I have to say that I prefer the original by a slight edge. I guess because I know that Gwen Stefani wrote the song based on her personal experience with her ex-boyfriend, bass player, Tony Kanal that I am connecting more with her version.