The Hideous Cult of Oversouling

[SEAWOLF97]

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finally somebody understands why I dislike American Idol

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-eskow/christina-aguilera-and-th_b_819979.html

a sample of the article:

To me, the horrific part of Christina Aguilera's rendition of the National Anthem -- and "rendition" is an apt term for it, because she kidnapped the song and shipped it out to be tortured -- was not her mangling of the words, but her mangling of the tune itself: to paraphrase the great Chuck Berry, she "lost the beauty (such as it is) of the melody until it sounds just like a (godawful) symphony."


This is the same grotesque style -- 17 different notes for every vocal syllable -- that has so dominated the pop and R&B charts for years. Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston are relatively minor offenders, but singers like Aguilera -- who admittedly possesses a great instrument -- just don't seem to know when to stop, turning each song into an Olympic sport as they drain it of its implicit soul, as if running through the entire scale on every single word was somehow a token of sincerity.



It's called melisma -- the bending of syllables for bluesy or soulful effect -- and what's creepy about the way it's used now is that it perverts America's true genius for song, as evinced by its creators in the world of gospel and R&B, like Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin.
You will hear more of this tonsil-twisting insincerity -- to your eternal sorrow -- if you watch any episode of American Idol.

The great Jerry Wexler -- who produced both Ray and Aretha -- coined a great term for it: "oversouling." He described it as "the gratuitous and confected melisma" that hollows out a song and drains it of meaning. Wexler, who knew more about soul than any producer before or since, said:
"Time and again I have found that flagrantly artificial attempts at melisma are either a substitute for real fire and passion or a cover-up for not knowing the melody... Please, learn the song first, and then sing it from the heart.

So, for the record (literally as well as figuratively): oversouling does not mean "too black." Quite the opposite: oversouling, whether you like the term or not, is a kind of vocal minstrel-show, a theft of real feeling in the service of corny show-biz. It is a failure of artistic taste. It can be committed by rock-and-roll guitarists, opera singers, actors, and painters, but these days it's most spectacularly--and frequently--thrust into our consciousness by singers. We all enjoy what speaks to us, so if you prefer Christina Aguilera to Aretha Franklin--or Michael Bolton to Otis Redding--Godspeed."

[1audiohack]

I stand right beside you on this Brother. I just don't like the vocal gymnastics, as said it saps the soul of the tune.

It really aggravates me when it is done to our National Anthem. I would honestly prefer to hear someone sing it with a sincere heart and a lacking voice.

[MikeBrewster77]

What a great article -- thanks for sharing!

I think (as the author discussed in a roundabout sort of way in his postscripts) that over-souling is an unfortunate choice of phrase. Albeit not his own, it still is a bit "charged" and I'm not so sure wholly reflective of the phenomenon he was trying to describe. That is, I don't know if I believe that you can have too much soul per se, but you damned sure can try too hard to fake it.

For me, the ultimate question with a performance is are you adding to the work in a positive way that brings it alive true to its message, or are you detracting from it in order to showcase yourself first, thus relegating the music to a vehicle solely intended to demonstrate your own perceived talent? I'm all for interpretation in delivery -- it's often what takes written words and notes and translates them to palpable emotion -- but please keep it credible! Something like the referenced rendition of the National Anthem is the functional equivalent of over-acting on the stage or screen; it's affected, distracting, and takes away from the work as a whole, obscuring it to a nearly unrecognizable caricature of itself.

Interesting enough, this whole discussion is quite analogous to the questions of sound reproduction we so often discuss here. Does the equipment take away from the music, add to it (in an unfavorable way, typically) or simply accurately reproduce the intended end result? Aguilera's rendition was essentially like taking a classic performance and running it through a highly EQ'd, simulated surround-sound system with speakers that look something like this: http://www.audioheritage.org/vbulletin/showthread.php?7477-Ad-Of-The-Day&p=305631&viewfull=1#post305631

The sad part is she actually does have a pretty incredible voice. But as Clark has mentioned on several occasions, a great instrument in the service of garbage (or perhaps more specifically in this case, in the service solely of its owner) ...

[Allanvh5150]

Maybe she could have sung somthing with a bit more substance.......

[hjames]

AWESOME!! Thank you for the HuffPo link!

Maybe they are just trying to prove they are not autotuned,
but its a gawd-awful caterwallin' indeed!


.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-eskow/christina-aguilera-and-th_b_819979.html

a sample of the article:

To me, the horrific part of Christina Aguilera's rendition of the National Anthem --
was her mangling of the tune itself: to paraphrase the great Chuck Berry, she "lost the beauty (such as it is) of the melody until it sounds just like a (godawful) symphony."

This is the same grotesque style -- 17 different notes for every vocal syllable -- that has so dominated the pop and R&B charts for years. Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston are relatively minor offenders, but singers like Aguilera -- who admittedly possesses a great instrument -- just don't seem to know when to stop, turning each song into an Olympic sport as they drain it of its implicit soul, as if running through the entire scale on every single word was somehow a token of sincerity.

[Krunchy]

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finally somebody understands why I dislike American Idol
:D :applaud: I think we are all on the same page with this.

I couldnt agree more with the article, to this day I think I have watched maybe 3minutes & 23 seconds of american idol , I just cant do it, I think star seach had a little more integrity (didnt watch that either). Between AI and guitar hero (the game) I wonder what kind of "musical offerings" will be coming forth from this generation. I hope that what came out of the 60s & 70s (those two decades just for example & not just in the rock genre) was not just a musical fluke, an event that may happen every couple of hundred years. I'm waiting for the next wave truly great music to come crashing down on me and immerse me in something totally unexpected..with Soul, I hope I dont have to wait too long.


What a great article -- thanks for sharing!

I think (as the author discussed in a roundabout sort of way in his postscripts) that over-souling is an unfortunate choice of phrase. Albeit not his own, it still is a bit "charged" and I'm not so sure wholly reflective of the phenomenon he was trying to describe. That is, I don't know if I believe that you can have too much soul per se, but you damned sure can try too hard to fake it.

For me, the ultimate question with a performance is are you adding to the work in a positive way that brings it alive true to its message, or are you detracting from it in order to showcase yourself first, thus relegating the music to a vehicle solely intended to demonstrate your own perceived talent? :yes:

I'm all for interpretation in delivery -- it's often what takes written words and notes and translates them to palpable emotion -- but please keep it credible! Something like the referenced rendition of the National Anthem is the functional equivalent of over-acting on the stage or screen; it's affected, distracting, and takes away from the work as a whole, obscuring it to a nearly unrecognizable caricature of itself.
The sad part is she actually does have a pretty incredible voice. But as Clark has mentioned on several occasions, a great instrument in the service of garbage (or perhaps more specifically in this case, in the service solely of its owner) ...

Well said Mike, these people are technically proficient & have the gifts (a good voice lets say) but they have no soul.
I hear driblets of this kind of music when visiting the outer world and it just bugs me, I just dont have exposure (by choice) to todays "music".
Kind of reminds me of guitar players that go on and on but never really say anything worth while, they can play incredibly fast runs up & down the neck but it does not speak to the heart.

[richluvsound]

We have singers for sporting events too. The difference being , that after about 3 chords the fans are singing in unison . Now thats a national anthem ..... 40,000 people singing the same thing ... you would have to be deaf not to be moved . Every hair on your body tingles !

[1audiohack]

We have singers for sporting events too. The difference being , that after about 3 chords the fans are singing in unison . Now thats a national anthem ..... 40,000 people singing the same thing ... you would have to be deaf not to be moved . Every hair on your body tingles !

That's how it should be!

[hjames]

We have singers for sporting events too. The difference being , that after about 3 chords the fans are singing in unison . Now thats a national anthem ..... 40,000 people singing the same thing ... you would have to be deaf not to be moved . Every hair on your body tingles !
Yup,
You'll Never Walk Alone!:D

[Hoerninger]

Yup,
You'll Never Walk Alone!:D
Yes, this is well known. :)
___________
Peter

[SEAWOLF97]

You'll Never Walk Alone!

My son relished the thought of big city living ....now that he's in London,
your quote shows what is now a negative for him.

Been enjoying S.Stills all week....I like his vocals , tho he prolly would not have made the cut at AI :eek:

[cooky1257]

Yup,
You'll Never Walk Alone!:D

That made me smile. I had no idea my team and it's fans' anthem was this widely known, truth be told that song inspires more chest thumping pride than God save the Queen;-)

[Ducatista47]

We have singers for sporting events too. The difference being , that after about 3 chords the fans are singing in unison . Now thats a national anthem ..... 40,000 people singing the same thing ... you would have to be deaf not to be moved . Every hair on your body tingles !
We USA minions were musically dragooned from the start with our anthem. It is the most difficult one to sing in existence. A couple of high notes make its rendition something no amateur with an ordinary voice looks forward to.

Macy Gray, some years ago, was a low point. The stupid cow didn't even know the words. The most refreshing I have ever heard was a teenage girl at an arena football game in Green Bay, Wisconsin. She sang the notes on the page and had a wonderful voice.

[SEAWOLF97]

Macy Gray, some years ago, was a low point. The stupid cow didn't even know the words. The most refreshing I have ever heard was a teenage girl at an arena football game in Green Bay, Wisconsin. She sang the notes on the page and had a wonderful voice.

I think there is at least one even lower point...

Roseann Barr at a SandyEggo game ...:eek::eek::eek:

[SEAWOLF97]

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just like my American Idol Idols :bouncy:

[mikebake]

Strikes at a young age.
http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/soulful-girl-sings-original-piece/20yumcy7?q=Soul+Sing&rel=msn&from=en-us_msnhp&form=MSNRLL&gt1=42007&src=v5%3Ashare%3Afacebook

[JeffW]

I stand right beside you on this Brother. I just don't like the vocal gymnastics, as said it saps the soul of the tune.

It really aggravates me when it is done to our National Anthem. I would honestly prefer to hear someone sing it with a sincere heart and a lacking voice.

Listen to something like the Marine Corps Band (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4mVkMi03nI) play it.

If you are going to sing it, sing to this cadence and tempo. There will be no time for gratuitous flourishes, start adding some extraneous wailing and get left behind.

[Allanvh5150]

National anthems should all be dumped. As far as being musical they are pretty much all at the bottom of the pile. The Italian anthem is a bit out of the ordinary though.....

Allan.:)

[richluvsound]

National anthems should all be dumped. As far as being musical they are pretty much all at the bottom of the pile. The Italian anthem is a bit out of the ordinary though.....

Allan.:)

Not Yours though .... the Haka ! hope thats the correct spelling :D

[Allanvh5150]

Our national anthem sucks big time! The haka........well........that is just offensive!

Allan.

[richluvsound]

Allan,

I'm sorry ,but I equate The Haka with the ALL BLACKS ...your national rugby team and true WORLD champions of that sport.

I thought a national anthem was about a nations identity ... Perhaps I'm not privy to the internal politics that has prompted your response , again ,please accept my apologies.


Rich

[Allanvh5150]

Hi Rich, You were not being offensive. I meant that the Haka was offensive. As for the All Blacks being the national team, most of the time the playes are not even from New Zealand. :)

[richluvsound]

All good here , thanks .

Rich

[SEAWOLF97]

.
just got home from shopping .... on those crummy little store ceiling speakers they had something
(a song ??) going , "one less lonely girl,one less lonely girl,one less lonely girl,one less lonely girl,one less lonely girl,one less lonely girl,one less lonely girl,one less lonely girl"....doubt if it would have been any better on real speakers :eek:

(it was really bad "sound on sound" with the same repeating lyric ..feeling nauseous...uggg )

even worse than AI warbling...:eek::eek::eek::eek:

LATER: that was such a traumatic experience that I HAD to find out who was responsible...
It was the Beaver...that little Canadian terrorist ....where is GWB to declare war on Canada , now that we need him ??

official lyrics:

There's gonna be one less lonely girl
One less lonely girl
There's gonna be one less lonely girl
One less lonely girl

One less lonely girl
One less lonely girl
One less lonely girl
There's gonna be one less lonely girl
I'm gonna put you first
I'll show you what you're worth
If you let me inside your world

There's gonna be one less lonely girl
One less lonely girl
One less lonely girl
One less lonely girl
There's gonna be one less lonely girl

[hjames]

Screw that repetitious garbage - you needs something with genuine ear worms in it ...

Bruno Mars - "Grenade"

Easy come, easy go
That's just how you live, oh
Take, take, take it all,
But you never give
Should of known you was trouble from the first kiss,
Why were they open?
Gave you all I had
And you tossed it in the trash
You tossed it in the trash, you did
To give me all your love is all I ever asked,
Cause what you don't understand is
I’d catch a grenade for ya (yeah, yeah, yeah)
Throw my hand on a blade for ya (yeah, yeah, yeah)
I’d jump in front of a train for ya (yeah, yeah , yeah)
You know I'd do anything for ya (yeah, yeah, yeah)
Oh, oh
I would go through all this pain,
Take a bullet straight through my brain,
Yes, I would die for ya baby;
But you won't do the same

No, no, no, no
Black, black, black and blue beat me till I'm numb
Tell the devil I said “hey” when you get back to where you're from
Mad woman, bad woman,
That's just what you are, yeah,
You’ll smile in my face then rip the brakes out my car
Gave you all I had
And you tossed it in the trash

You tossed it in the trash, yes you did
To give me all your love is all I ever asked
Cause what you don't understand is
I’d catch a grenade for ya (yeah, yeah, yeah)
Throw my hand on a blade for ya (yeah, yeah, yeah)
I’d jump in front of a train for ya (yeah, yeah , yeah)
You know I'd do anything for ya (yeah, yeah, yeah)
Oh, oh
I would go through all this pain,
Take a bullet straight through my brain,
Yes, I would die for ya baby;
But you won't do the same

If my body was on fire, ooh
You’ d watch me burn down in flames
You said you loved me you're a liar
Cause you never, ever, ever did baby...
But darling I’ll still catch a grenade for ya
Throw my hand on a blade for ya (yeah, yeah, yeah)
I’d jump in front of a train for ya (yeah, yeah , yeah)
You know I'd do anything for ya (yeah, yeah, yeah)
Oh, oh
I would go through all this pain,
Take a bullet straight through my brain,
Yes, I would die for ya baby;
But you won't do the same.
No, you won’t do the same,
You wouldn’t do the same,
Ooh, you’ll never do the same,
No, no, no, no

(He did a slowed down version on the Grammys show - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwjcH0fmzaA)

Or hunt down Cee-Loo Green - THAT man has some serious R&B/Soul crooner chops to him -
his voice is just awesome ... Even in a song like "Forget You" - such amazing pipes!!




.
just got home from shopping .... on those crummy little store ceiling speakers they had something
(a song ??) going , "one less lonely girl,one less lonely girl,one less lonely girl,one less lonely girl,one less lonely girl,one less lonely girl,one less lonely girl,one less lonely girl"....doubt if it would have been any better on real speakers :eek:

(it was really bad "sound on sound" with the same repeating lyric ..feeling nauseous...uggg )

even worse than AI warbling...:eek::eek::eek::eek:

LATER: that was such a traumatic experience that I HAD to find out who was responsible...
It was the Beaver...that little Canadian terrorist ....where is GWB to declare war on Canada , now that we need him ??

official lyrics:

There's gonna be one less lonely girl
One less lonely girl
There's gonna be one less lonely girl
One less lonely girl

One less lonely girl
One less lonely girl
One less lonely girl
There's gonna be one less lonely girl
I'm gonna put you first
I'll show you what you're worth
If you let me inside your world

There's gonna be one less lonely girl
One less lonely girl
One less lonely girl
One less lonely girl
There's gonna be one less lonely girl

[richluvsound]

R&B = ROMANTIC BOLLOCKS , " baby,i'd die without you !" ..... co-dependent horse shit , wife-beaters
motto ! :D

Jesus , I'm an opinionated shit !

Rich

[hjames]

R&B = ROMANTIC BOLLOCKS , " baby,i'd die without you !" ..... co-dependent horse shit , wife-beaters
motto ! :D

Jesus , I'm an opinionated shit !

Rich


he he he what'cha really think, Rich??

'Course there's always Cee Loo Green and his catchy "f-you and F- her too"

Catchy stuff with outrageous lyrics -
ya don't REALLY have to "catch a grenade for ya" ... but its still a hoot!

Its musical, danceable, and beats the hell out of that misogenistic pimp and Ho rap-crap ...