Music review
Apr. 21st, 2009 09:01 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
avevale_intelligencerSo, tonight we finally sat down and listened to Playing Rapunzel's CD Abseiling For Beginners. It was well worth the wait.
I should first of all declare an interest, in that both members of the group are dearly beloved elective family and give excellent hug. But even had I never heard of them in my life, this would still be one of the most beautiful, flawless recordings in my possession. Mich's piano playing is truly amazing, and I want her to do all my keyboard work from now on. Both ladies' voices are sweet and true and full, and their enunciation is perfect. The Countess remarked that she could hear every word, which is seldom the case these days. The arrangements are nicely balanced and subtle in their variation, but never sound "samey."
There are so many wonderful songs here, but I have to single out here their rendition of my own "Mina's Song." When DJ Bass and I recorded it for "Wassaliens"--and I should mention that she did a wonderful job--I subverted it into a sort of torch songy thing. I just had this vision of prim and proper Mina Harker getting up from the piano, grabbing a microphone and tearing off her crinolines to reveal a sparkly cocktail frock. PR do it straight, and it actually works better, and it got me. Now I'm a fairly in-touch-with-his-emotions kind of bloke, and some things make me well up every time--I fancy the late Arthur Mullard could do it with Stan Rogers' "Lies," to name but one--but it's not that easy to make someone cry with his own lyrics. Mich and Marilisa managed it. Well done, ladies.
I can't think of a single negative thing to say about this recording. The Countess wondered if the eclectic choice of songs might make it hard to categorise, but to me that's not a bug, that's a feature. This is a jewel among filk albums, and stands comparison with the best of mainstream recordings as well. If you haven't heard Playing Rapunzel, I think you're missing out on something very special.
I should first of all declare an interest, in that both members of the group are dearly beloved elective family and give excellent hug. But even had I never heard of them in my life, this would still be one of the most beautiful, flawless recordings in my possession. Mich's piano playing is truly amazing, and I want her to do all my keyboard work from now on. Both ladies' voices are sweet and true and full, and their enunciation is perfect. The Countess remarked that she could hear every word, which is seldom the case these days. The arrangements are nicely balanced and subtle in their variation, but never sound "samey."
There are so many wonderful songs here, but I have to single out here their rendition of my own "Mina's Song." When DJ Bass and I recorded it for "Wassaliens"--and I should mention that she did a wonderful job--I subverted it into a sort of torch songy thing. I just had this vision of prim and proper Mina Harker getting up from the piano, grabbing a microphone and tearing off her crinolines to reveal a sparkly cocktail frock. PR do it straight, and it actually works better, and it got me. Now I'm a fairly in-touch-with-his-emotions kind of bloke, and some things make me well up every time--I fancy the late Arthur Mullard could do it with Stan Rogers' "Lies," to name but one--but it's not that easy to make someone cry with his own lyrics. Mich and Marilisa managed it. Well done, ladies.
I can't think of a single negative thing to say about this recording. The Countess wondered if the eclectic choice of songs might make it hard to categorise, but to me that's not a bug, that's a feature. This is a jewel among filk albums, and stands comparison with the best of mainstream recordings as well. If you haven't heard Playing Rapunzel, I think you're missing out on something very special.
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Date: 2009-04-21 11:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-04-22 01:47 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-04-22 05:59 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-04-22 09:49 pm (UTC)One day soon, hopefully...