Is Amy Winehouse talented?

[twilsbach]

Slate article todayWhy Amy Winehouse is not just a celebrity train wreck.http://www.slate.com/id/2184209

[onoffon]

Quote:also, I have to completely disagree with the Koby Bryant analogy. Basketball is a game with a clear cut winner and loser.Well...I disagree with you. As great as Kobe is, the Lakers have sucked the last couple of years. It has nothing to do with winning and losing. My analogy has to do with physical ability - sheer greatness at what he does. He was born to do what he does. I like musicians who were obviously born to do what they do - not those who are created by media hype and promotional dollars.Sorry if you disagree with me - it's only my opinion...I probably have a different view of music than many since I was raised by one of the greatest bassists in jazz history. He and his friends amazed me every time I heard and saw them and they influenced me to demand greatness in the music I listen to...

[vermeer]

Quote:I'm thinking that maybe the bigger issue under this is:Do we expect musicians and singers to be able to do anything special musically?You know, I've read all the posts in this thread and here's my analysis: every single one of us is secretly comparing ourselves to her wondering what she's got more than we do. Basic artistic jealousy 101. Or as Morrissey said it best in "We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful" : We hate it when our friends become successful,We hate it when our friends become successful.Oh, look at those clothes,Now look at that face it's so old,And such a video,Well, it's really laughable,Ah hahahaha etc.We hate it when our friends become successful,And if they're northernThat makes it even worse andIf we can destroy themYou bet your life we will destroy them.If we can hurt them, well,We may well.It's really laughable,Ah hahahaha etc.You see, it should have been me.It could have been me.Everybody knows, everybody says so.They say, "Oh, you have loads of songs,So many songs,More songs than they can stand --Verse, chorus, middle eighth break"Just listen,"La la la etc."---------------------------I said "touche"

[horacejesse]

Talent would just get in the way. We don't need that sh*t around our entertainment. What do you want to do, saddle a good addict with talent? Talent would actually hold back many of these people named in this thread.In the age of reality entertainment the ability to crack a fart at will is now a talent. If you can do it in front of twenty thousand hoarse and stoned fans, you are a genius.Wasn't Cobain the guy who sh*t on stage a few times to the delight of his following? Maybe I have him mixed up with one of the other geniuses. Apologies in advance to all Cobain disciples if I have made a mistake. He may have only urinated at the adoring throngs.

[geo]

My two cents, she might be talented but who can tell... thousands of singers got better pipes, she don't belt them out, I can barely understand her, my age must be showing cause what people look to as an edge I see an artist who doesn't respect their art or their fans or themselves... just how many shows has she cancelled lately... I'll tell ya, just about all of them. Listened on line, she won't get a dime outa me... Geo

[horacejesse]

Personna is a great star maker. As human beings the extreme draws our interest more than the ordinary. Some people just have a personna that compels. Sometimes it is the rebel/misfit in them that wins fans. If Pat Boone had passed the bong a little more he might have had a bigger career.

[ggalen]

Hey, I think Pat Boone had a huge career...a tiny bit before my time, but from what I have read, he was a huge star.The Amy Winehouse question really highlights the divide between people who believe there is such a thing as great music that only a few can achieve......and those that believe that banging 1 chord on an out-of-tune guitar with emotion is equally as good as Beethoven's 5th Symphony in every possible way.

[edteja]

It is interesting that entertainment and musicianship (or musical greatness) overlap so much, yet are such different things. Von is right when he says it isn't the competition. And the fact that Leonard Cohen or Bob Dylan says something about performance, but not about writing. I think that for me, part of the joy a great musician gives me is that none of it comes from a producer, but out of the soul and talent of the musician. I suspect that Aretha would have been great (and successful) even if I had produced her albums. And Liam, come on, you know it was Micky who really carried the vocals for the Monkees.

[ddusty]

Quote:...and those that believe that banging 1 chord on an out-of-tune guitar with emotion is equally as good as Beethoven's 5th Symphony in every possible way.Eureka! Glenn has summed up 3 pages of threads with this 1 sentence!There are people that I will call "virtuosos". There passion for music will be centered around amazing playing. whether it was Rush, Yes, Chick Corea, Yngvie Malmestein or many other amazing players. The Great playing is what drew them into the music.Then there are the "artists". the people who were drawn to the abstract end of the music. How a song tells a story and how it toys with your emotions.All of us are a little bit of both, and there are plenty of musicians that can do both of these things (and they are usually revered i.e. Hendrix)I do understand why people have a problem with pop stars, but there is a place for them in the music world.I think we can all agree that unfortunately the place they currently hold in music today is larger then it should be.Rob

[Casey H]

Quote:Guys,After a certain age (hey I'm there too ), it's natural to rail against today's artist and long for those of our youth. Rock'n'roll hasn't changed, it's just that we cannot stand the noise and the gimmicks anymore . Frankie Avalon, Pat Boone, The Monkeys...Common it wasn't all about talent and pipes in the old days VermeerHey, watch it!! I am a huge, die-hard Monkees fan!! The Monkees really shined when they went into the studio and did exactly what Don Kirshner told them to do. But the performances they cranked out were quite good IMHO... they had talent. No, they were not a "real" rock band. But vocals like on Pleasant Valley Sunday (Mickey) and Daydream Believer (Davy) were very good and there was no pitch correction back then. At least they COULD sing.I agree that every generation doesn't "get it" as to what the talent is of the next generation. I had aunts and uncles that swore the Beatles were nothing but noise and good music had died.BTW, one of the good things for me from being a parent of teens and loving music is I got to listen to a lot of newer music. There is a lot of great rock music still being made and I enjoy tunes on my iPod by Something Corporate, The Frey, The All American Rejects, American Hi-Fi, Nickelback, Blink-182, Panic! At The Disco, and many more... Although I've read some here don't agree I think "Superman" by Five for Fighting is a classic. "Panic!" has some incredibly creative and unique music that kicks butt. The language leans a bit "R" rated at times but the creativity is awesome. Casey