Journal: News & Comment

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Wo-wo-wo-wo-wo-wo-woaaaah...

Doc Searls wrote some good commentary about the Alicia Keys concert he just saw:

Alicia put on a nice, big, well-produced show. We enjoyed it. But I was hoping it would be great, and it wasn't. She seems to have one song [...] the same song you hear lots of talented young female vocalists sing when you hit SCAN on the car radio. It's the song all of these girls turn "The Star Spangled Banner" into when they sing it at ball games, working 50 notes into the word "wave." It's a gospel thing, but it seems to be more about showing off than about showing soul.

Alicia has soul, no doubt about it. But not as much as she'll have when she hits 25, 35 or 45 [...] she'll be a much better artist and performer after she's done with her turn as a blockbuster. She'll also have a lot more to sing about.

Last month my wife and I went to see Neil Finn, who used to head Crowded House and, before that, play guitar in his brother Tim's band Split Enz. He's probably better than he's ever been, now that he's 44.

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