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Topic: Christina Ag. and the Anthem... just one man's opinion |
Herb Steiner
From:
Briarcliff TX 78669, pop. 2,064
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Posted 6 Feb 2011 3:38 pm |
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The girl has singing chops for pop and rock music, no lie. And she's hot, okay. But the National Anthem is a composition, not a folk song. And in this writer's opinion, not to be trifled with.
I refer to the adding of trills and melismas to notes that should be hit spont on, a technique most prominently used in country by Reba Mac. Pretty much every country diva called upon to Anthem-up hits their 15 seconds of fame on the word "brave."
Christina managed to muck up every 4th measure. I still love this country and the anthem, regardless.
Old man out.
_________________
My rig: Infinity and Telonics.
Son, we live in a world with walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with steel guitars. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Weinberg? |
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Archie Nicol R.I.P.
From:
Ayrshire, Scotland
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Posted 6 Feb 2011 3:51 pm
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I'm not watching, but friends on Facebook are saying it was pretty rough. This is my favourite. Performed before they became the baddies.
click here
Arch. |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Ben Lawson
From:
Brooksville Florida
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Posted 6 Feb 2011 4:00 pm
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| I was listening in the car and Herbster I agree. This song should not be used to display ones vocal acrobatics. It would have been nice if she got the words right also even though I may have not understood them through to warbelling. |
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Pete Burak
From:
Portland, OR USA
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Posted 6 Feb 2011 5:01 pm
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| I heard Pedal Steel on the Super Bowl ad that used Elton Johns Tiny Dancer. |
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Jim Peters
From:
St. Louis, Missouri, USA, R.I.P.
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Posted 6 Feb 2011 5:44 pm
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Archie, thanks for that, beautiful! jp
_________________
Carter,PV,Fender |
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Richard Sinkler
From:
aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana
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Posted 6 Feb 2011 5:45 pm
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Yup, pretty bad. Apparently, she also screwed up the words. From Yahoo News:
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ARLINGTON, Texas – Christina Aguilera flubbed a line as she belted out the national anthem at the start of the Super Bowl Sunday night.
When she was supposed to sing the line "O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming," she instead repeated an earlier line, with a slight variation.
She sang "What so proudly we watched at the twilight's last gleaming," which is the same line from earlier in the song but with the word `watched' instead of the word `hailed.' |
_________________
Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, Recording King Professional Dobro, NV400, NV112,Ibanez Gio guitar, Epiphone SG Special (open D slide guitar) . Playing for 55 years and still counting. |
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Mark van Allen
From:
Watkinsville, Ga. USA
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Posted 6 Feb 2011 5:45 pm
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I'm with you, Herb. I was listening after my pre-Superbowl Dobro gig... and had to just get in the car and go home.
There seems to be an increasing perception that female vocals need to be overblown, overdone, and overly syllabic. And yes, Reba's been getting away with it for years. |
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Eddie D.Bollinger
From:
Calhoun City, Mississippi
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Posted 6 Feb 2011 6:17 pm
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| Well put, Herb. Our Anthem deserves better treatment. |
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Steinar Gregertsen
From:
Arendal, Norway, R.I.P.
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Posted 6 Feb 2011 6:43 pm
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| Mark van Allen wrote: |
There seems to be an increasing perception that female vocals need to be overblown, overdone, and overly syllabic. |
Can't stand it. It strikes me as a desperate "LOOK AT ME!! LOOK AT ME!!" cry for attention with no respect whatsoever for the music they're there to perform.
_________________
"Play to express, not to impress"
Website - YouTube |
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Jerry Overstreet
From:
Louisville Ky
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Posted 6 Feb 2011 7:31 pm
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My observation as well Herb. But it's not just pop, it's the sort of stuff that permeates the entire music nation. What's really sad is that so many people think that's the standard everyone has to pursue.
Just listen to the crowd cheer her on. They think it's great. |
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Barry Blackwood
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Posted 6 Feb 2011 7:42 pm
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| Agreed, Herb. This is not a pop song - this is our NATIONAL ANTHEM. It will ALWAYS be more important than whoever sings it, a fact obviously lost on the last couple of generations …... |
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Ken Lang
From:
Simi Valley, Ca
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Posted 6 Feb 2011 7:53 pm
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It seems to me that over the last maybe 10 years, each singer has added their own -isms- to the song and each rendition gets worse and worse. The singers are trying to outdo each other with what changes they can make. This will lead to someone singing an entirely unrecognizable version and some critics calling it the best ever.
Just sing the damn song as it was written.
_________________
heavily medicated for your safety |
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Stu Schulman
From:
Ulster Park New Yawk (deceased)
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Posted 6 Feb 2011 7:56 pm
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Christina,Hated it!Hated the Black Eyed Peas,I would've paid ten bucks for an in tune note...Bring back Janet Jackson's mishap! 
_________________
Steeltronics Z-pickup,Desert Rose S-10 4+5,Desert Rose Keyless S-10 3+5... Mullen G2 S-10 3+5,Telonics 206 pickups,Telonics volume pedal.,Blanton SD -10,Emmons GS_10...Zirctone bar,Bill Groner Bar...any amp that isn't broken.Steel Seat.Com seats...Licking paint chips off of Chinese Toys since 1952. |
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Stu Schulman
From:
Ulster Park New Yawk (deceased)
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Jeff Garden
From:
Center Sandwich, New Hampshire, USA
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Posted 6 Feb 2011 8:34 pm
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Hey Herb, your post got me to thinking about my WWII vet Dad who sadly passed away last year. He was a real easy going guy but there were two things you didn't do (1) wear your ballcap backwards unless you're a major league catcher and (2) mess with the national anthem. Think he might have had some sound advice  |
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John Macy
From:
Rockport TX/Denver CO
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Posted 6 Feb 2011 10:03 pm
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One of my friends refers to this as having a vowel movement....
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John Macy
Rockport, TX
Engineer/Producer/Steel Guitar |
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Mike Neer
From:
NJ
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Posted 6 Feb 2011 10:09 pm
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Very unhappy with this performance, but honestly I didn't expect much from her. There have been several notable performances of the anthem, but I prefer a heartfelt plain vanilla reading.
If you've ever seen American Idol auditions, even the absolute worst singers auditioning default to melisma abuse, whether they can hit the pitch or not.
Stevie Wonder, as great as he is, some time in the late 80s succumbed to the over-melismatization (is that even a word?) of the people he influenced (Boyz 2 Men) and went on a campaign of trying to outdo them. It was painful.
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Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Earnest Bovine
From:
Los Angeles CA USA
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Posted 6 Feb 2011 11:39 pm
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| I'm not sure this even deserves a (dis)Honorable Mention in the long history of extra special Star Spangled Banners. (ref YouTube etc) |
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Leslie Ehrlich
From:
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
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Posted 7 Feb 2011 12:02 am
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The only people I've heard who can get that 'melisma' vocal technique right are good old-fashioned black gospel singers. 
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Sho-Bud Pro III + Marshall JMP 2204 half stack = good grind! |
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Tony Prior
From:
Charlotte NC
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Posted 7 Feb 2011 1:51 am
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the good news, for me, we timed it perfectly, we didn't turn the game on until the kick-off, !
From the previous weekend of playoffs we just got so burned out with the analysis we decided to not listen to or watch an pre-game activities. Including Christina..
So, when we turned the game on, it was right at the coin toss so we missed everything leading up to the kickoff
on purpose...
sorry for Christina's dilemma oh..also didn't watch any half time show...blah blah blah...
Singing the NA at the SB is an immediate HERO
or ZERO . I read on the net that she muffed the words as well
One day these performers will get it...that it's about the song..not them... Oh well, next year we can only hope for the return of Tiny Tim..
t
_________________
Emmons L-II , Fender Telecasters, B-Benders , Eastman Mandolin ,
Pro Tools 12 on WIN 7 !
jobless- but not homeless- now retired 9 years
CURRENT MUSIC TRACKS AT > https://tprior2241.wixsite.com/website |
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Jack Stanton
From:
Somewhere in the swamps of Jersey
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Posted 7 Feb 2011 4:37 am
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Herbster,
Right on the money, as usual.
It's bad enough they muck with it, but it particularly drives me bug crap when they don't even end on the correct last note! |
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Mitch Drumm
From:
Frostbite Falls, hard by Veronica Lake
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Posted 7 Feb 2011 5:01 am
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Melisma has become the rankest form of affectation. It’s just another indicator of the state of pop music—along with deafening sound levels, high-tech gizmos, the nearly complete disappearance of diction, and general histrionics.
Proving yet again that having no talent is not enough. It’s a pity so many are drawn to the “entertainment” bidness, you should pardon the expression.
I have this weird idea that taste and discretion will make a comeback—as a fad. Kinda quaint, but I’m still looking forward to it.
Older man out. |
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Jeff Agnew
From:
Dallas, TX
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Posted 7 Feb 2011 5:05 am
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As a former military musician, I found this deeply offensive. I can handle botched lyrics; stuff happens. But this was the aural equivalent of dragging our flag on the ground. We have flag etiquette, perhaps we need anthem etiquette.
As Tony above and thousands on the 'net have pointed out, it's about the anthem. It's not about the singer. It's not about drawing attention to yourself or showing off your vocal prowess. More to the point: Do not ever, <i>EVER</i>, say "Thank You!" after you finish, as Christina did. Proof positive that she thought it really was all about her and her performance. Apparently she believed the thunderous ovation after the anthem was for her, and not trivial things like honoring our country, our history, or God forbid the actual events those lyrics described.
I don't know who started this trend of turning a sober, respectful activity into a self-centered, celebrity-driven event, but I'd pay to have them drawn and quartered. |
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