learnedax: (sephiroth)
learnedax ([personal profile] learnedax) wrote2003-10-27 10:16 pm

(no subject)

Having just recently yet again argued this point, I went back and listened to the source material for re-analysis. So, if you think the Indigo Girls version of Romeo and Juliet is better than the Dire Straits one, I understand that it's a purely subjective choice, and I now see why you think that. But you're still wrong.

The benefit that IG imparts is a much higher level of vocal passion, and it is a fair criticism that Mark Knopfler is not the most expressive of singers. However, the advantages offered by DS are as follows: first, Mr. Knopfler actually manages to hit the notes cleanly, which gets him points over IG in my book. Second, the musical accompaniment in the DS version is unquestionably better; Mark's a guitar god and he is in fine form here. Third, and perhaps most important, the non-wailing laconic style that DG employes captures the worn-out melancholy of the song vastly better than the emotional breakdown that IG offers.

Yes, it does seem pedantic to beat this to death here, but given how many people seem to disagree with me I thought I'd centralize.

[identity profile] its-just-me.livejournal.com 2003-10-28 01:31 am (UTC)(link)
You ARE on crack!! Amy Ray makes that song into what it's SUPPOSED to sound like. The Dire Straights couldn't keep up with her passion and catharsis for the song. As far as i'm concerned they walked through the whole performance. There ya go - my two zuzim.

[identity profile] its-just-me.livejournal.com 2003-10-28 01:38 am (UTC)(link)
I also want to point out that Amy Ray makes this song into the heart wrenching passion it's supposed to be as opposed to the bubble gum style that the Dire Straights have sung. I mean really - it sounds like a less that passionate ballad by Woodie Guthrie!

[identity profile] learnedax.livejournal.com 2003-10-28 06:26 am (UTC)(link)
You're so entirely wrong. It's not "supposed" to be the way Amy Ray sings it because Mark Knopfler is performing his own song. Besides, he says very clearly that he can't do a love song the way it's meant to be. (IG changed this to "the way you sang it to me", which in context makes NO SENSE.)

[identity profile] its-just-me.livejournal.com 2003-10-28 01:24 pm (UTC)(link)
But that's exactly what I mean. Obvioulsy he has no passion in his soul to get out what he wrote. It took the deep emotion of Amy Ray to make that garbage anything but a tired old ballad that was just one twang short of a country song.

As far as context - "The way you SUNG to me" was in perfect context, basically inferring that Juliet had sung a song to him at one time.

Don't forget - you are one who thinks 'campii', and 'octopi' are words (wink) so don't be picking on my lesbian singers just because your breeder brain can't make heads or tails of proper English!

In truth though, favoritism aside - I did listen to the knopfler version this morning before I commented, and I honestly and ernestly hated that song until it was remade. It sounds like a drugged out, Bob Dylan/Woodie Guthrie folk song to me, completley betraying the lyrics and what they should sound like. Amy Ray really hit the emotion and catharsis they way they needed to be for this song. They also redid Bob Dillons, "Tangled Up in Blue", and Gladys Knight's(?) Midnight Train to Georgia" and both artists gave them praise for taking their song to a new level. I agree completely. I have no knowledge of what Knophler thought of their rendition of his work.
(deleted comment)

Takes off wig and puts down gold

[identity profile] its-just-me.livejournal.com 2003-10-28 02:02 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm so lost as to what you're trying to say with you're opening paragraph - need more detail

SUNG is what I can recall in this old brain of mine as what the LYRIC said - I don't think she used SANG.

Campi isn't a word either, nor is Octopi, or Platypi. After the conversation at Pennsic I indeed checked these out with a few dictionaries. It's greek and not latin for the latter two.

As for my own spelling - FEH! Deal with it!

So, in other news - Thanksgiving - if you two are stuck - there's room for you two at my table this year

[identity profile] learnedax.livejournal.com 2003-10-28 01:55 pm (UTC)(link)
You shouldn't have opened this can of worms...

The line follows "I can't do the talk/like the talk on the TV", and originally refered to being unable to live up to a fairy tale vision of romance. The revisied line implies that the singer can't respond in kind to Juliet's love, which makes no sense given that she is rejecting and apathetic towards him.

Also, it's SANG, because SUNG would be the past perfect.
Also, campi (not campii, that would be the plural of campius) and octopi are proper latin plurals and widely accepted in English.
Also, the name of the band is Dire Straits, not Straights, the latter again not making any sense.
ext_267559: (The Future)

[identity profile] mr-teem.livejournal.com 2003-10-28 02:55 pm (UTC)(link)
bubblegum? garbage? Sheesh!

The two renditions are delivered with distinctly different moods.

Knopfler's Romeo is in despair, still trying to understand why after all they had done together Juliet can just dump him without a backward glance. It's a wolf howl of anguish at the lady that lit his night. He'll recover--he's working through depression now and onto acceptance.

Ray's Romeo is ten decibels short of cutting himself. You can feel the knife that Juliet stuck into his ribs in her voice. This is a Romeo still in deep in anger. I don't know if a male singer could do that and not turn into Stanley Kowalski.

[identity profile] its-just-me.livejournal.com 2003-10-28 06:12 pm (UTC)(link)
I have no idea how one gets deep depression from the first singer. He sounds as if he's taken a liberal dose of Thorizine, yes, but he realy sounds like he just doesn't care about what's happening.