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Vanessa Carlton => General Vanessa Carlton Discussion => Topic started by: itsthefiveofus on October 28, 2007, 07:22:22 pm
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Ok so I got this on a google/yahoo alert.. its just really mean... thoughts?
http://blogcritics.org/archives/2007/10/28/093110.php
Concert Review: Vanessa Carlton "Bites" Las Vegas Festival
Written by Daryl D
Published October 28, 2007
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The Bite of Las Vegas is an annual event held at the Desert Spring Park at Spring Mountain and Durango in Las Vegas, Nevada. This year felt as good as the rest. The birds were singing as the kids played. The green grass swayed to the left, then right, then back to the left. The sun was shining like the heavens above. All seemed perfect until a has-been pop act, known as Vanessa Carlton, walked on stage. I have to give her credit for taking away the audience’s attention, if only for a short while. It was as if everybody was waiting for her to play her 2002 mega-hit, “A Thousand Miles.” It was the second to last song and as one can predict, everybody walked away after they got their cheap thrill of a concert moment.
Don’t get me wrong: “A Thousand Miles” is one of the best singles released this decade. I would have to say it’s probably one of the five best, but it’s been hard to compile a list since good music is a rarity this decade. But one good song among more than thirty others doesn’t make a great pop artist. Being an expert at playing the piano may make one a great pianist, but not a pop musical act that can move an audience.
It’s also quite obvious that Vanessa Carlton didn’t learn, from Mariah Carey. Being able to hit almost every note – within two seconds at times – does not make one a great singer if the notes she hits make no emotional connection to the lyrics she is singing.
Five years ago, critics hailed Vanessa Carlton as the act that would save us from the hottest three pop acts at the time: Britney Spears, Janet Jackson and Madonna. It’s not that these three acts have a whole lot in common, but since they’re female artists who use their sexuality, they not only get ignorantly lumped together, but are put into the “no talent” category among the musical elite. You see, to be taken seriously as a female pop star, you have to dress in jean shorts and masculine outfits. You also have to play an instrument and pretend to be poetic. Then, the musical elite will love you.
Vanessa Carlton fit the perfect model for the musical elite: she didn’t lip-sync like Britney Spears nor did she welcome the gay community like Madonna and Janet Jackson did. The only sexually provocative thing she did was wear tight jeans or jean shorts. To the musical elite, the tight jeans didn’t matter as long as it wasn’t a tight or short skirt.
Judging from Vanessa’s horror act at The Bite of Las Vegas, she didn’t learn much from another female act once adored by the musical elite, Jewel, who screwed her career up by taking herself way too seriously. Jewel’s once great music turned into psychobabble. To make things worse, she wrote a cheesy book of poetry.
Vanessa Carlton seems to be going in that direction but, unlike Jewel, doesn't have any charisma to make her audience forgive her. Before introducing a new song called “Heroes and Thieves,” Vanessa swayed her head from side to side and proceeded to tell us that this song was inspired by a walk through Central Park. Trying to create a poetic picture, she told the audience that it was raining one day and she decided to take her shoes off and walk through the park (for those who care, she did stress she didn’t get any diseases). Somehow, she received an “epiphany” about “heroes and thieves” in her life and then realized that we need the “light and the dark.” Thank you, Vanessa!
Some people in the audience chuckled. I didn’t. I fantasized about running up on stage, spitting at Venessa (and telling her it's poetic rain), breaking her piano keys and throwing them at her face. Before I could entertain this nasty thought any longer, Ms. Carlton made a mistake on the chords and said, “Pretend that didn’t happen.” I wished we could have pretended this concert never happened.
After “Heroes and Thieves,” Vanessa Carlton snobbishly said, “Okay, should I just get the song out of the way now?” knowing the only reason people were still listening was to hear “A Thousand Miles.” The audience sang along as she started the song. Vanessa looked thrilled as if she just won the lottery. But she probably wasn’t thrilled when people departed – similar to the way cats depart when they see mice – when she sang her encore, “Home.” Hopefully, that’s where Vanessa Carlton headed after the show.Vanessa Carlton should teach the music industry a lesson: although audiences are fed up with bubblegum female pop stars, trying to push a singer who can play piano and hit different vocal high notes won’t change anything unless she can make a connection between the piano bars she is pushing, the high notes she is hitting, the lyrics she is singing, and the audience she is playing to. Vanessa Carlton has rarely made this connection and her two most recent albums, Harmonium and Heroes & Thieves, have not even been certified wood. There’s a reason for this and it’s not because audiences don’t appreciate good music.
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That's terrible.
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"Some people in the audience chuckled. I didn’t. I fantasized about running up on stage, spitting at Venessa (and telling her it's poetic rain), breaking her piano keys and throwing them at her face. Before I could entertain this nasty thought any longer, Ms. Carlton made a mistake on the chords and said, “Pretend that didn’t happen.” I wished we could have pretended this concert never happened.
After “Heroes and Thieves,” Vanessa Carlton snobbishly said, “Okay, should I just get the song out of the way now?” knowing the only reason people were still listening was to hear “A Thousand Miles.”"
~
Who the FUCK does this reviewer think they are? They need to sit the fuck down, the only one acting like an elitist music snob is the fucking reviewer. Jesus christ, what a bunch of horseshit.
I want to run up to that reviewer, and as they're typing at their computer and finally make a mistake, I'll break their fingers and just say, "Awh, see, mistakes won't kill you."
What a douche bag. :|
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I left him a comment where the review is posted -
"I love how you shoot yourself in the foot repeatedly in your article and allow yourself to not be taken seriously by acting like an ignorant moron throughout your entire piece of immature garbage that you call writing. The only snob here is you. Get over yourself and stop wasting people's time.
You're not even good at being "sarcastic" if that's what you're trying to call it, you're just retarded."
Other people that left comments seem rather unimpressed with him as well. lol Everyone should bash him! Haha.
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Obviously that person missed the entire point of WHO Vanessa is. V is not characterized by ATM, although bajillions of people will assume that. V isn't TRYING to be a pop superstar, she is who she is.
Insulting this dude will just make us as fans look like asshats, so I wouldn't suggest that, but sometimes stuff like this isn't even worth our time.
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Obviously that person missed the entire point of WHO Vanessa is. V is not characterized by ATM, although bajillions of people will assume that. V isn't TRYING to be a pop superstar, she is who she is.
Insulting this dude will just make us as fans look like asshats, so I wouldn't suggest that, but sometimes stuff like this isn't even worth our time.
That guy deserved it though, there's a difference between writing a negative review and acting like a complete jack ass. :?
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Obviously that person missed the entire point of WHO Vanessa is. V is not characterized by ATM, although bajillions of people will assume that. V isn't TRYING to be a pop superstar, she is who she is.
Insulting this dude will just make us as fans look like asshats, so I wouldn't suggest that, but sometimes stuff like this isn't even worth our time.
That guy deserved it though, there's a difference between writing a negative review and acting like a complete jack ass. :?
I am going to head over and give him my two cents, but in a constructive way.
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What a douche.
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How could anyone take that 'article' seriously? It was like some random guy's blog, bitching about an artist he doesn't like, for basically no reason. And at one point her name was spelled "Venessa". That guy is an idiot.
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It took me forever to write this, haha.
I think in your article you are missing the entire point of who Vanessa Carlton is and where she is musically. Most people will associate her with A Thousand Miles and assume that she will always strive to make music like that. Much to the contrary, the majority of Vanessa's work delves into very much an adult contemporary or Hot AC context, with much of the music being fairly abstract or open to interpretation.
Vanessa has always been pretty strong about her sound and not wanting to change the way she does music to sell records. That is what a lot of the content on Heroes & Thieves is about, how there has been a lot of pressure on her to change her sound to sell records but she hasn't done it.
Vanessa is happy with who she is and where she is musically. There are a lot of people who have really enjoyed her musical growth as she has grown from Be not Nobody to Harmonium to Heroes & Thieves.
Just because Vanessa has trended away from the formula which is considered her commercial success doesn't mean she can't relate to a crowd or she sucks or whatever interpretation you want to have about her. She relates to HER crowd, the type of people that dig her music. When she opened shows for Stevie Nicks, she received many positive reviews, as her style of music fits more of the old school model many fans who would come to see Nicks appreciated.
As fan I'd like to see Vanessa get a lot of respect from the masses, but I know there won't be another song like ATM from her that the masses will eat up. And if that is true, maybe she won't ever get another platinum record. However, if she doesn't compromise who she is and still makes music she is proud to release, she probably will be happy with that, and as a fan I will be too.
I'm sorry you weren't feeling her show, and while it is your right to write what you did, I don't think it appropriate to try and trash someone like you did simply because you were disappointed with their show.
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Some people in the audience chuckled. I didn’t. I fantasized about running up on stage, spitting at Venessa (and telling her it's poetic rain), breaking her piano keys and throwing them at her face. Before I could entertain this nasty thought any longer, Ms. Carlton made a mistake on the chords and said, “Pretend that didn’t happen.” I wished we could have pretended this concert never happened.
LMAO
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It took me forever to write this, haha.
I think in your article you are missing the entire point of who Vanessa Carlton is and where she is musically. Most people will associate her with A Thousand Miles and assume that she will always strive to make music like that. Much to the contrary, the majority of Vanessa's work delves into very much an adult contemporary or Hot AC context, with much of the music being fairly abstract or open to interpretation.
Vanessa has always been pretty strong about her sound and not wanting to change the way she does music to sell records. That is what a lot of the content on Heroes & Thieves is about, how there has been a lot of pressure on her to change her sound to sell records but she hasn't done it.
Vanessa is happy with who she is and where she is musically. There are a lot of people who have really enjoyed her musical growth as she has grown from Be not Nobody to Harmonium to Heroes & Thieves.
Just because Vanessa has trended away from the formula which is considered her commercial success doesn't mean she can't relate to a crowd or she sucks or whatever interpretation you want to have about her. She relates to HER crowd, the type of people that dig her music. When she opened shows for Stevie Nicks, she received many positive reviews, as her style of music fits more of the old school model many fans who would come to see Nicks appreciated.
As fan I'd like to see Vanessa get a lot of respect from the masses, but I know there won't be another song like ATM from her that the masses will eat up. And if that is true, maybe she won't ever get another platinum record. However, if she doesn't compromise who she is and still makes music she is proud to release, she probably will be happy with that, and as a fan I will be too.
I'm sorry you weren't feeling her show, and while it is your right to write what you did, I don't think it appropriate to try and trash someone like you did simply because you were disappointed with their show.
Nicely put.
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Obviously that person missed the entire point of WHO Vanessa is. V is not characterized by ATM, although bajillions of people will assume that. V isn't TRYING to be a pop superstar, she is who she is.
Insulting this dude will just make us as fans look like asshats, so I wouldn't suggest that, but sometimes stuff like this isn't even worth our time.
That guy deserved it though, there's a difference between writing a negative review and acting like a complete jack ass. :?
exactly, that was just what i was going to say.
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I found this comment real classy:
Actually, I am a former A&M (Vanessa's former label) promoter. There is a reason she left our label and it's not because she wanted to. We had NO use for her. She was a complete snob and couldn't face the fact she was a one hit wonder. She also thought of herself as "smart" but she was more ditsy than Paris Hilton.
Vanessa probably knows or has an idea who this is. I hope she's enjoying the "newfound" success she's having at her new label. Her album came out two weeks ago. Too bad only about ten people bought it and they're all posting here!
:roll:
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I found this comment real classy:
Actually, I am a former A&M (Vanessa's former label) promoter. There is a reason she left our label and it's not because she wanted to. We had NO use for her. She was a complete snob and couldn't face the fact she was a one hit wonder. She also thought of herself as "smart" but she was more ditsy than Paris Hilton.
Vanessa probably knows or has an idea who this is. I hope she's enjoying the "newfound" success she's having at her new label. Her album came out two weeks ago. Too bad only about ten people bought it and they're all posting here!
:roll:
oh jeeze that was kinda ....... oh well its just one person who really does ot like her for every one person who does not like her theres 10 that do =] which adds up!
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:roll: Oh, I TOTALLY buy that he is/was a promoter or promo guy. Most of them are a dime a dozen, and about as disposable as shirts. And when they answer a third-rate blog, it makes one wonder what work they're really doing. My guess? Watching Judge Mathis.
So this reviewer doesn't get it. So what? There is no one artist that everyone gets, not even The Beatles or Beethoven or you name it. Criticism of my fave artists used to make me nuts, but now I could not care less if someone else likes something I like or not.
Dan/NS
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She is obviously worth more than the time of day to them.
Next Reviewer!
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OMG what the fuck is this shit, and then that comment from a "former A&M promoter"!
The reviewer is just a cynic asshole, must be frustrating. Suffer along!
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:roll: Oh, I TOTALLY buy that he is/was a promoter or promo guy. Most of them are a dime a dozen, and about as disposable as shirts. And when they answer a third-rate blog, it makes one wonder what work they're really doing. My guess? Watching Judge Mathis.
So this reviewer doesn't get it. So what? There is no one artist that everyone gets, not even The Beatles or Beethoven or you name it. Criticism of my fave artists used to make me nuts, but now I could not care less if someone else likes something I like or not.
Dan/NS
The only reason it upsets me is because of the people reading it. He can hate her all he wants, but when people read that, they're not going to want to check out her new music. Lots of people just can't think for themselves!!
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:roll: Oh, I TOTALLY buy that he is/was a promoter or promo guy. Most of them are a dime a dozen, and about as disposable as shirts. And when they answer a third-rate blog, it makes one wonder what work they're really doing. My guess? Watching Judge Mathis.
So this reviewer doesn't get it. So what? There is no one artist that everyone gets, not even The Beatles or Beethoven or you name it. Criticism of my fave artists used to make me nuts, but now I could not care less if someone else likes something I like or not.
Dan/NS
The only reason it upsets me is because of the people reading it. He can hate her all he wants, but when people read that, they're not going to want to check out her new music. Lots of people just can't think for themselves!!
I get you, but it's not as if he is some kind of uber-critic who has credibility. 30 years ago, there were critics with names that had some kind of pull or following. Today, we have dickheads with laptops that blog. Whoop-de-doo. That page probably has less hits than the Jets defensive line.
She's had great writeups in major publications. This one means nothing.
Real music fans---whom I believe comprise 99% of her audience---will not take this seriously.
Dan/NS
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He's not Perez, that's a fact!
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I DO think Vanessa takes herself too seriously sometimes, but guy is delusional if he thinks it doesn't bug her to have to play the ONLY song she is known for. Anyone would have that reaction.
Is this actually a review or just some guy blogging about a concert he went to? Weiiiiiiird.
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"Don’t get me wrong: “A Thousand Miles” is..."
:lol:
We're ALL get HIM wrong, right?
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It’s also quite obvious that Vanessa Carlton didn’t learn, from Mariah Carey.
Even I know there's not supposed to be a comma after "learn".
Since when has Vanessa only worn jean shorts (don't think I've ever seen that anyway) or jeans with masculine clothes?
Lol yeah she's a real tomboy in her Victorian-inspired outfits.
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:roll: Oh, I TOTALLY buy that he is/was a promoter or promo guy. Most of them are a dime a dozen, and about as disposable as shirts. And when they answer a third-rate blog, it makes one wonder what work they're really doing. My guess? Watching Judge Mathis.
So this reviewer doesn't get it. So what? There is no one artist that everyone gets, not even The Beatles or Beethoven or you name it. Criticism of my fave artists used to make me nuts, but now I could not care less if someone else likes something I like or not.
Dan/NS
The only reason it upsets me is because of the people reading it. He can hate her all he wants, but when people read that, they're not going to want to check out her new music. Lots of people just can't think for themselves!!
I get you, but it's not as if he is some kind of uber-critic who has credibility. 30 years ago, there were critics with names that had some kind of pull or following. Today, we have dickheads with laptops that blog. Whoop-de-doo. That page probably has less hits than the Jets defensive line.
She's had great writeups in major publications. This one means nothing.
Real music fans---whom I believe comprise 99% of her audience---will not take this seriously.
Dan/NS
Exactly. We shouldn't pay this guy any attention at all. How happy would you be if you were some random blogger and suddenly you realised loads of people had read your article (no matter how bad it is)? Your head grows. So let him write all he wants.
The A&M guy thing is HILARIOUS. I'm SO sure it's real. :roll:
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It’s also quite obvious that Vanessa Carlton didn’t learn, from Mariah Carey.
Even I know there's not supposed to be a comma after "learn".
Since when has Vanessa only worn jean shorts (don't think I've ever seen that anyway) or jeans with masculine clothes?
Lol yeah she's a real tomboy in her Victorian-inspired outfits.
LOL. She's a regular Sinead 'O Conner in those Victorian dresses. I noticed that comma too. Nearly tore me apart to read it, considering I write novels and stories for a hobby.
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That's is so MEAN !!!! and I love Jewel....
Poor Vanessa, really hope she won't pay any attention to this !
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Wow.
What a terrible, shitty, immature and lackluster review.
This lame excuse of a dried chunk of dogshit deserves a nice swift kick in the ass.
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Did this person see the VC or an someone else? I mean I've seen her twice live and I FELT the emotional connection....
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Wow I'm sorry but that article is so funny! I mean it's kinda entertaining to see someone make fun of her. It's not like this guy's opinion matters.
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ya i got this article from a googlee alert a few days ago, and i didnt post it because it was soo bad :(
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"Hopefully, that’s where Vanessa Carlton headed after the show."
Granted, the article is TERRIBLE, but that line kinda made me chuckle....
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This is just ridiculous! I have seen V perform 5 times and every time she has connected with the audience. In fact, I would say she connects with the audience more than any artist I have ever seen live. That is were she flourishes as an artist. I enjoy the live concerts more than her CDs. So, I have no idea how he could ever say this!
Second, that A&M guy is crazy! V as stupid as Paris?!?! All you have to do is listen to them in interviews and the answer to that is clear. If he is for real, I'm sure he is just spouting off because of the line in NF "Go on, take away my record deal, I don't need it." It is like she is giving A&M the finger again...and I am sure they are not happy about it, to put it nicely!
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If he is for real, I'm sure he is just spouting off because of the line in NF "Go on, take away my record deal, I don't need it." It is like she is giving A&M the finger again...and I am sure they are not happy about it, to put it nicely!
^^That is so true :lol:
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i want to cry. that was one of the worst things i have ever read about her. what an asshole.
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He probably just tried to shag her and she brushed him off or something...anybody wanting to write something THAT vitriolic makes me suspicious.
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That article really pisses me off. I would give him a piece of my mind, but what's the use? Nowadays REAL music isn't appreciated anymore. Look at all of the super-talented artists who don't sell half as many copies as the more popular, "talented artists" like Kanye West, Britney Spears, and Soulja Boy or whatever the fuck his goddamn name is. Vanessa, Patty Griffin, Tori Amos...all of these women have more talent in one little finger than those other shitbags put together, and yet their albums barely make it into the top 30 on the Billboard Chart, while Soulja Boy can say "Supasoak that...Supaman...YOU!!!!" and shoot to number 1. People don't know what real music is anymore, they can't recognize talent or substance, and it's obvious they don't care.
Sorry to turn this into a rant, but I've been thinking about this for a while now, and it's truly sickening.
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That article really pisses me off. I would give him a piece of my mind, but what's the use? Nowadays REAL music isn't appreciated anymore. Look at all of the super-talented artists who don't sell half as many copies as the more popular, "talented artists" like Kanye West, Britney Spears, and Soulja Boy or whatever the fuck his goddamn name is. Vanessa, Patty Griffin, Tori Amos...all of these women have more talent in one little finger than those other shitbags put together, and yet their albums barely make it into the top 30 on the Billboard Chart, while Soulja Boy can say "Supasoak that...Supaman...YOU!!!!" and shoot to number 1. People don't know what real music is anymore, they can't recognize talent or substance, and it's obvious they don't care.
Sorry to turn this into a rant, but I've been thinking about this for a while now, and it's truly sickening.
Although I think Kanye West is one rapper that truly does have talent, I agree with you.
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That article really pisses me off. I would give him a piece of my mind, but what's the use? Nowadays REAL music isn't appreciated anymore. Look at all of the super-talented artists who don't sell half as many copies as the more popular, "talented artists" like Kanye West, Britney Spears, and Soulja Boy or whatever the fuck his goddamn name is. Vanessa, Patty Griffin, Tori Amos...all of these women have more talent in one little finger than those other shitbags put together, and yet their albums barely make it into the top 30 on the Billboard Chart, while Soulja Boy can say "Supasoak that...Supaman...YOU!!!!" and shoot to number 1. People don't know what real music is anymore, they can't recognize talent or substance, and it's obvious they don't care.
Sorry to turn this into a rant, but I've been thinking about this for a while now, and it's truly sickening.
Although I think Kanye West is one rapper that truly does have talent, I agree with you.
same here, Kanye West does have talent but a lot of todays musicians don't even deserve the title musician.
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How exactly is Kanye West talented? He raps. He doesn't need a good voice. He needs good lyrics and his lyrics aren't exactly masterpieces anyway.
EDIT: Ok, I am aware this might piss some people off. :lol:
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It’s also quite obvious that Vanessa Carlton didn’t learn, from Mariah Carey. Being able to hit almost every note – within two seconds at times – does not make one a great singer if the notes she hits make no emotional connection to the lyrics she is singing.
I don't get that bit... Mariah and Vanessa have completely different singing styles... Vanessa doesn't sing with the "vocal gymnastics" style that Mariah does... so what does that mean...? :?:
Also, at the bottom of the page, it says "Personal attacks are not allowed.".... isn't that what the aricle is? An attack? The writer even shares a fantasy of physically attacking Vanessa and her piano. Lol. :lol:
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That is one of the most terrible things i've ever heard! it is so mean! How can you just say that about someone, its so wrong. Vanessa Carlton is a wonderful singer! i actually liked hearing the story about her inspiration for heroes and thieves. I think that the article was most likely stretched by some low life who is jealous of Vanessa Carlton's stunning voice, ability to play the piano, and her beauty.
Whatever, people are entitled to their opinions, so heres mine..........VANESSA CARLTON IS HE BEST SINGER/SONGWRITER EVER!!!!!!!!!
:D
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Also, at the bottom of the page, it says "Personal attacks are not allowed.".... isn't that what the aricle is? An attack? The writer even shares a fantasy of physically attacking Vanessa and her piano. Lol. :lol:
i know i totally agree this writer is seriously messed up!
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I think we should find this person.
And get his/her picture
and post it in all of the topics in this forum. haha and if anyone ever seems him/her...we should spit on HIM/HER.
I think that anyone who spends money on a Vanessa Carlton ticket and doesn't like her is stupid.
haha
you're only making her money.
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what an idiot.
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It's just a blog, not a professional review. Note "Venessa."