i just don't understand why, if vanessa's piano is boring and juvenile and you have to spice it up and do it better than her, she has a record deal and you guys don't.
I'm working on a record deal, FYI. I'm thinking about sending my demo to David Foster, who I love to death. He's a very talented producer who's one of the music industry's biggest giants. I KNOW for sure he's gonna be impressed with me b/c his style is similar, except the stuff he composes is more complex and spontaneous, which is why he's been so successful all these years. I wouldn't describe him as 'famous', but he is well-known and his resume of the great artists he's worked with over the years is pretty impressive [AND long]. But if he rejects it, then I'll understand. Just meeting the man would be good enough for me. If you want advice about how to survive in the mainstream world of pop music, then he's the man that could tell you nothing wrong, b/c he's been in the music biz for 35-40 years. He definitely makes a lot sense to me. Maybe V should consult with him and recieve constructive critisism from him, trust me, we'll all see improvement w/ her career [like jsbachsonata was saying]. But I guess she has too much pride for that.
Anyway, about Van, the problem is that most of her songs have a certain meter to them [except a few, like Papa]. There's the intro [sometimes], 1st verse, chorus, 2nd verse, chorus, bridge and/or instrumental break, then the chorus once or twice, then the ending. I guess it's the way it goes in popular music. It's nice that Van likes being different and being herself, but it's not gonna work, much less win you a Grammy in the cruel, bigshot mainstream popular world. If there's one thing I've learned is that to get along in life, you have to establish balance and learn to compromise. Don't mess all over everyone, but don't let yourself go lacking at the same time. Just look at Alicia Keys [who I'm also a big fan of; her new LP just ain't comin' out fast enough for me], who's won [I forgot how many] Grammys. She co-writes and produces w/ her producer/bf Krucial Keys, a few friends and others, but she also writes some of her stuff by herself, but it doesn't take away from how talented she truly is, or from the fact that she can just sit down and just sing and play and be just as entertaining to watch.
I don't whine about how 'unpopular' Van is; I have no problem with that. For starters, it has to be 'written in the stars' or your destiny to be a mainstream artist. V complains about how mizundastood she, her music, musciainship, and artistry is by the record execs, and how cutthroat the music industry is, but that's ALWAYS how it's been, and that's never gonna change any way you work it. Moreover, she brings it on herself by not doing anything about it by making her stuff more commercial [if if weren't for Ron Fair and the other producers, her sound and songs wouldn't've improved]. V's debut is more mainstream, but her sophmore is more Indie and Indie-sounding to me. I'm not suggesting V compromise and sell out like all the other kooky female singers/actresses out there, but she does need to stretch herself out some if she wants to stick out more. But on the other hand, classy artists, no matter how talented they are, will be in the minority most of the time [a la Leann Rimes and Josh Groban, a coupla of the best, not to mention my favorite, vocalists of all time]. It's not fair that these people don't get as much recognition for their talent as many of the lesser-talented more popular mainstream artists, but that's the way it is. It takes a lot to impress the music industry, much more the general public.
I know no one's perfect, but I heard V on 'Nice to Meet You; the Making of Harmonium' slightly boast about how good her sophmore was. That may have been true to her fans, but what may be good to YOU may not be to someone else. When I first bought the record back in 1/05, I didn't really like most of the songs up there, but after 3 weeks [around the time I took it back to Wal-Mart b/c I needed the $$$], I loved every song up there.
Elicia
