Which Patricia Barber album floats yer boat?

I find Barber boring actually. I feel Barber records are for ''audiophiles and gear lovers'' mainly as the sonics are usually pretty good, and show a wide range of what audiophile tricks can be performed with most audio gear.

I for one, find her quite boring on a musical, vocal, and emotional level. Come tho think of it, Diana Krall and SNorah Jones have the same dulling effect on me. And it's not that I do not like female vocals, I do, and I enjoy a wide variety. It's like classical music, everyone starts with the Pachelbel Canon as their first taste, and the accompanying sense that ''hey, I'm an expert now! '' but when you REALLY start scratching beyond the surface, there is a World of talent out there, and you are reminded that the most famous are not necessarily the best. It's all a matter of taste of course....I wanted to respond as I for one am getting a bit tired of all the Barber discussions that come up everywhere, on the Web and in printed mags, everytime audiophilia is discussed.

paulburke
You are certainly entitled to your opinion. Music appreciation is obviously a very personal phenomenon.

Personally I do not find Barber or Krall boring. I find them true artists. Jones, however, is starting to seem like a one-act performer to me although I still enjoy her work somewhat. And yes, thank goodness, there are many other wonderful female performers to tantalize our senses.

Given all of the attention each of subject artists are receiving it will be interesting to follow them and see if they fall prey to the "commercial big-buck music business art killers" (dumb phrase, I know). Or, will they remain artists. Or, will they survive the commercial music-biz pressures and stay true to their art but still burn out talent wise. I really hope they all succeed and continue making real art available for our listening pleasure.

It's a hard, hard business.

We can all name some of the true artists who have survived the BIG music business. Both Van Morrison and Joni Mitchell come to mind for me as I write this. I find performers like Morrison and Mitchell not only artists but heros.

My wife and particularly I listen to a lot of music every day. I have been in the music business (admittedly some time ago)and I worked 16 years in Manhattan advertising businesses, spending mucho time in recording studios with artists. I have approx 5000 lps/cd/tapes in my collection including many wonderful female artists. (Yea for me ... the point is I am speaking my opinion from what may be a decent reference point.)

Still, it all comes down to personal taste.

Her rendition of "Summertime" on her Distortion of Love album is haunting for a late night listen. My wife is not a fan of hers........It doesn't matter, I only have one chair in my listening room.

Sit, I do agree with you, and I am the last one to suggest that Barber and Krall are not true artists, they are. It is just that their particular art form leaves me with no emotion whatsoever, and frankly, if I was to use an example, I would say that Krall is somewhere along ''commercial'' art, where Barber in probably half way. As for Joni Mitchell, now SHE is a true definition of a true artist, and miles above Barber AND Krall. She is in a completely different league, and I doubt she would ever do a car commercial (Chrysler), like Krall did. This has no effect on her music of course and on her talent as a pianist and vocalist, but still, she bores me. While I'm on the subject of Diana Krall, I find it useless that they always try to picture her as a sexy, feminine fox, when in fact she is far removed from this herself. In this last respect, Barber imagery is much smarter, leaving us with blurry images so that we can concentrate on the music and make up our own mind about it. Still, Barber is of course very talented, if -again- boring to me. As always, a matter of taste, so I would never knocked them for trying hard at getting my attention. They already got my money, as I own cd's of both Barber and Krall - can't say I haven't tried, but they just don't do it for me musically speaking.

Every month or so I go through the music threads looking for something I may want to add to my collection...sometimes I hit the jackpot.

One thing you do notice very quickly, our musical tastes are all over the map...a good thing I'd say, something for everyone.

Joni Mitchell, nothing she has recorded flips my switch as an album buy?...Not even "Blue", she may have made a few songs that I liked over the years...I think?

Dave