New article, kind of bad...

[itsthefiveofus]

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
See also:
» Product Review: The Roland VG-99, The Arsenal Of Guitarocracy
» Music Review: Nightwish, Visions of Atlantis, Epica and After Forever
» Win American Gangster Soundtrack and More!

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.

[Martin.]

That's terrible.

[portions.for.foxes]

"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. :|

[portions.for.foxes]

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.

[B]

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.

[portions.for.foxes]

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.  :?

[B]

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.

[Jophess]

What a douche.

[PianoGirl4444]

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.

[B]

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.

[remixx]

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

[PianoGirl4444]

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.

[amberbeads]

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.

[B]

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:

[itsthefiveofus]

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!