From Ken Levine:
It’s time to step back. Time to think of new approaches. Maybe a new pace. Less might be more. Same with the halftime show, by the way. Instead of an extravaganza that only Wayne Newton could love, how about putting Adele at mid-field, give her a mic, and let her blow away the world by just singing? You’ll have a better show and you won’t blow out the electricity in three states.
Yes!
ReplyDeleteThe only thing more boring than Beyonce's half time cardio-workout was the power outage.
ReplyDeleteShe can sing well enough, in that overblown howling and embellishing style that refuses to let any lyric stand on it's own that is so important to today's "divas", but you'd never know it from this bit.
Her main concern seemed to be whether or not she was whipping her hair around enough.
Alas, Mr. Levine is longing for the days when Sarah, Carmen, Dinah and Nancy stood still in the spotlight and simply sang beautiful songs. Me too.
Adele is the Lone Ranger these days, I'm afraid.
TWB
Not hardly is Adele, who is rather limited, alone is actually using her voice...it's just that mediocre melisma junkies are held up as goddesses, particularly if they are also mediocre dancers and rather average-looking in the right way. Melody Gardot is emerging as a potent commercial as well as artistic singer/musician, for example, and Stefani "Gaga" Germanotta can certainly sing (another unimpressive dancer, and too obsessed with spectacle, too, but demonstrating real talent when she battens down). Hell, Sade's not dead nor retired, yet.
ReplyDeleteI too am bored by the spectacle of Super Bowl halftimes. Louder and more expensive and more extravagant are apparently better for attracting advertising dollars. Let's face it -it all comes back to money.
ReplyDeleteThanks Todd for mentioning the great Melody Gardot. I'll stick to real concerts (Nancy Wilson gives a great show) and Austin City Limits for music, and use Super Bowl halftimes the way the good Commissioner meant - as a potty break.
You guys sound like a group of grumpy old men (not you, Patti) sitting on the porch with your argyle socks and your Garands.
ReplyDeleteI'm probly older than any of you, and, just for the record, I liked the halftime spectacle. Pretty decent game, too. I liked the Paul Harvey monologue for RAM trucks and I liked the Sketchers and VW ads and...oops, be right back. Damned kids raising hell on my lawn...HEY!!