Taylor Swift

[MirrorMask]

No love for Betty? I think it's one of the very best songs on Folklore.

Also another song I love on Evermore is No body, no crime, one of the catchiest of the bunch.

[KevShmev]

No love for Betty? I think it's one of the very best songs on Folklore.

Also another song I love on Evermore is No body, no crime, one of the catchiest of the bunch.

I like both of those a lot! In fact, had I kept listing songs from both albums, both likely would have been the next mention from their respective albums.

On the flip side, while I like the song, I don't genuflect to Willow like the average loyal Swiftie out there does , but, again, it's a good song.  I like the opening track from both albums, The 1 and Willow, but both are pretty low on the list when I start randomly choosing songs from either album to play.

[MirrorMask]

Yeah, I'd say both albums start with a good song that isn't however among the very best, and they're followed by a far superior song.

[KevShmev]

Agreed.  The song Evermore would have been a favorite had Taylor done all of the vocals in that one.  As perfect as Justin Vernon's vocals were on Exile, they feel a bit out of place in the Evermore song.  The vibe and Taylor's soft vocal is just lovely, and then when he comes in, I feel that the song loses a lot of its luster.

[nobloodyname]

Did you see what Steven Wilson's album of the year was? Folklore.

https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/17857339268491735/

[KevShmev]

Did you see what Steven Wilson's album of the year was? Folklore.

https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/17857339268491735/

Any way to copy and paste that? I am not on Instagram and you have to log in to see it.

[Bolsters]

I'm logged in and still can't get anything. I think it expects me to be on the mobile app instead of using a browser on my laptop.

[nobloodyname]

It was a link to the story. If you search for Steven Wilson in Instagram, it'll come up. Anyway, here's the relevant screen grab (click to see the full version).

[KevShmev]

It was a link to the story. If you search for Steven Wilson in Instagram, it'll come up. Anyway, here's the relevant screen grab (click to see the full version).

 

In the meantime, if you want to see a fantastic performance by an artist on top of their game, I give you this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OB4wxpglkhY

Amazing.

[Stadler]

That chorus...  I've often said that "Wildest Dreams" is the perfect pop song. 

[nobloodyname]

I read some criticism of ME! a few days ago in this thread. You are ALL WRONG! It's a brilliant pop tune and our golden retriever likes dancing to it with us

[KevShmev]

That chorus...  I've often said that "Wildest Dreams" is the perfect pop song.

It's pretty damn great.  Anyone who knows me knows I am a sucker for a good pop song, and she has got tons of them.  And I think her uncanny knack for writing great vocal melodies is a big reason why she is having success across multiple genres.  Regardless of whether her music is dressed up with country twang, pop sheen or folk/indie rock mellowness, you can strip most of her songs down to the bare bones and what you are left with is a song with strong melodies and great hooks. It's why she can take tons of her songs and play with them live with just her voice and her acoustic or piano and they still work.

I read some criticism of ME! a few days ago in this thread. You are ALL WRONG! It's a brilliant pop tune and our golden retriever likes dancing to it with us

Haha, I am sure I will revisit it at some point. It was definitely catchy, but when running through the Lover songs, it just didn't pass the sniff test compared to songs like the title track, The Archer, Death by a Thousand Cuts and Cruel Summer (how in the world was this NOT a single??).

[KevShmev]

Anyone else catch her Miss Americana documentary on Netflix?

I watched it tonight and really enjoyed it.  She is just so darn likable, down to earth and relatable.  I am sure some would watch it and say, "aw, the poor millionaire gets upset sometimes," as if having a lot of money makes real emotions and problems go away, but like the one song says, haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate. hate...

[NoseofNicko]

You’re really becoming a big fan, huh? Not that there’s anything wrong with that, I get it.

[KevShmev]

Seems like it. I always say that how much I like a song or an artist or an album can be demonstrated easily by how often it finds its way into my CD player (or the 2020 equivalent, like my iPhone or iTunes), and I find I listen to her as much as anyone these days.  The new albums by Steven Wilson, Transatlantic and LTE are all getting regular, frequent plays with me, but Taylor is staying strong and still getting as much attention in regards to playing time as those three records.  I almost always have a default artist, meaning one that for example when I get into my car to go somewhere, if I cannot think of anything specific I want to hear at that moment, I just go to my default artist at that point in time (Rush, Dream Theater and Porcupine Tree have all had long stretches of being my default artist).  Right now, Taylor Swift is my default artist.  Select songs from Red through Lover are all heavy in the rotation, but Folklore and Evermore continue to dominate. 

[Stadler]

Anyone else catch her Miss Americana documentary on Netflix?

I watched it tonight and really enjoyed it.  She is just so darn likable, down to earth and relatable.  I am sure some would watch it and say, "aw, the poor millionaire gets upset sometimes," as if having a lot of money makes real emotions and problems go away, but like the one song says, haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate. hate...

I'm not usually one to resort to identity politics issues in situations like this (read any of my P/R posts for proof of that) but with her, I can't help but think it's gender related.  Bruce Springsteen shows his human side, and people are screaming for him to run for President.  The guy is top-five richest rock stars, estimated at more than a half a BILLION dollars, and yet, he's an everyman.   Taylor shows her emotional side and "spoiled rich girl".   I know she's got a long way to go before we're discussing legacy, but she's perhaps America's greatest female artists right now (no, Queen Bee, you've got to put a couple more Lemonades out there first) and should be accorded at least a modicum of the respect that comes with that.

[KevShmev]

Anyone else catch her Miss Americana documentary on Netflix?

I watched it tonight and really enjoyed it.  She is just so darn likable, down to earth and relatable.  I am sure some would watch it and say, "aw, the poor millionaire gets upset sometimes," as if having a lot of money makes real emotions and problems go away, but like the one song says, haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate. hate...

I'm not usually one to resort to identity politics issues in situations like this (read any of my P/R posts for proof of that) but with her, I can't help but think it's gender related.  Bruce Springsteen shows his human side, and people are screaming for him to run for President.  The guy is top-five richest rock stars, estimated at more than a half a BILLION dollars, and yet, he's an everyman.   Taylor shows her emotional side and "spoiled rich girl".   I know she's got a long way to go before we're discussing legacy, but she's perhaps America's greatest female artists right now (no, Queen Bee, you've got to put a couple more Lemonades out there first) and should be accorded at least a modicum of the respect that comes with that.

I know this is coming from a new fan who is still in the honeymoon phase, but it feels like her legacy is now set in stone.  Regardless of how meaningless the Grammys are to many of us, they mean a lot to the masses, and winning them always looks great on your resume - had DT won either they were nominated for last decade, there would have been much rejoicing amongst the fans and the band would have been thrilled - and with three Album of the Year wins, she a) is now only one of only four artists to do that, b) is the first and only woman to do it, and c) did it with three albums that are completely different from one another.  That is legacy defining.  Now, I am not saying the Grammys alone are doing the job, when you factor in everything else and then add that to mix, it just feels like her status as a legendary songwriter in popular music is inarguable at this point. 

[Stadler]

Sidebar:  I watched a repeat of a Saturday Night Live episode from 2014, hosted by Seth Rogen and with Ed Sheeran as the musical guest.   Both Taylor Swift and Zooey Deschanel made cameo appearances during Rogen's monologue.  At the end, when the host thanks the cast and guests, they were all waving and the camera caught Taylor and Zooey talking then hugging.   It was like the cosmos all aligned.   All that awesome in one specific location; I'll bet the local seismometers measured a ripple in the firmament.     

[KevShmev]

Sidebar:  I watched a repeat of a Saturday Night Live episode from 2014, hosted by Seth Rogen and with Ed Sheeran as the musical guest.   Both Taylor Swift and Zooey Deschanel made cameo appearances during Rogen's monologue.  At the end, when the host thanks the cast and guests, they were all waving and the camera caught Taylor and Zooey talking then hugging.   It was like the cosmos all aligned.   All that awesome in one specific location; I'll bet the local seismometers measured a ripple in the firmament.   

Haha, just checked out that clip and poor Zooey looked like a munchkin standing next to Taylor (who loves wearing heels to make herself look even taller).

I read a new article today on Taylor's re-recording and thought the part I have italicized below the link was interesting.

https://www.inc.com/justin-bariso/taylor-swift-was-stripped-of-her-lifes-work-her-response-was-a-master-class-in-emotional-intelligence.html

But there's one more important piece of the puzzle. While Swift doesn't own the masters of those early albums, she does own the publishing rights, or the copyright for the composition (the musical arrangement and lyrics) of the songs--in many cases because she wrote the songs herself.

This is significant because as the owner of publishing rights, Swift can veto use of her (original) songs when it comes to commercial use, such as in films, TV shows, advertisements, and just about anything else--in effect requiring anyone who wants to license her music to use the new versions, which she owns.

Assuming that is true, that is major leverage, and if I am interpreting it correctly (and please correct me if I am not), she can pretty much prevent Shamrock Capital (who now owns the masters to her first six albums) from leasing her songs out to anyone for commercial use, thereby preventing them from maximizing their ownership of the masters.  This is one of the more bad ass flexes I have seen in quite some time in the music industry. 

[Stadler]

And good for her.  While I understand the legalities of licensing, and it is what it is, if you CAN position yourself in a way that gives you leverage, nothing wrong with that.   Maybe with all this current talk of "role models" and such, the young girls coming up can learn a thing or two that the music business isn't just about batting eyelashes, saying shocking things, and working with Max Martin.

[KevShmev]

I had never really heard of Max Martin, but I googled him and holy crap that guy has had quite a career.  When you look at all of the monster pop stars with whom he has worked and the massive hits of which he was a part, it makes you wonder if he has a knack for bringing out hooks.

[XeRocks81]

Sidebar:  I watched a repeat of a Saturday Night Live episode from 2014, hosted by Seth Rogen and with Ed Sheeran as the musical guest.   Both Taylor Swift and Zooey Deschanel made cameo appearances during Rogen's monologue.  At the end, when the host thanks the cast and guests, they were all waving and the camera caught Taylor and Zooey talking then hugging.   It was like the cosmos all aligned.   All that awesome in one specific location; I'll bet the local seismometers measured a ripple in the firmament.   

Haha, just checked out that clip and poor Zooey looked like a munchkin standing next to Taylor (who loves wearing heels to make herself look even taller).

I read a new article today on Taylor's re-recording and thought the part I have italicized below the link was interesting.

https://www.inc.com/justin-bariso/taylor-swift-was-stripped-of-her-lifes-work-her-response-was-a-master-class-in-emotional-intelligence.html

But there's one more important piece of the puzzle. While Swift doesn't own the masters of those early albums, she does own the publishing rights, or the copyright for the composition (the musical arrangement and lyrics) of the songs--in many cases because she wrote the songs herself.

This is significant because as the owner of publishing rights, Swift can veto use of her (original) songs when it comes to commercial use, such as in films, TV shows, advertisements, and just about anything else--in effect requiring anyone who wants to license her music to use the new versions, which she owns.

Assuming that is true, that is major leverage, and if I am interpreting it correctly (and please correct me if I am not), she can pretty much prevent Shamrock Capital (who now owns the masters to her first six albums) from leasing her songs out to anyone for commercial use, thereby preventing them from maximizing their ownership of the masters.  This is one of the more bad ass flexes I have seen in quite some time in the music industry.

Which probably explains why she herself promoted on social media one commercial and a recent animated movie trailer that featured some of the re-recorded songs.  She approved those and more importantly "forced" them to use the new ones which was probably more than fine for the people who made that commercial and movie.

[KevShmev]

Oh, I am sure she will use her power to try and ensure that any use of songs from her first six albums in any commercials, trailers, etc. going forward come from her re-recordings, as would anyone else in her position.  And her fanbase is so large and fanatical that once these re-recorded songs are on streaming services like Spotify, I am sure many will make sure to only stream the "new" old versions, especially if the rest are as faithful to the originals as Love Story, which I thought sounded nearly identical, outside of her voice sounding older and more mature.

[XeRocks81]

especially if the rest are as faithful to the originals as Love Story, which I thought sounded nearly identical, outside of her voice sounding older and more mature.

at first I expected her to re-arrange or re-interpret the songs, so I was a little surprised when  Love Story (taylor's version) came out and I could barely tell the difference.  But now I understand that's really notwhat this is about,  she's literally replacing them so the point IS for them to be identical down to the tiniest details.  And honestly I don't have a problem with that in this case.

[KevShmev]

She released a "new" old song that is coming out on Taylor's Version of Fearless:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFjJs6ZjPe8

I didn't have high expectations because of the era it was written, but I like this quite a bit.  Great melodies and that chorus will get stuck in your head.  And it even rocks a little at times.

[MirrorMask]

Indeed, heard it yesterday, it's very catchy!

[nobloodyname]

Great melodies and that chorus will get stuck in your head.

Stuck in my head after one listen

[KevShmev]

Of course...because it is catchy?

I heard the snippet of the new Fearless (the song) earlier, and then checked out the original.  The improvement in her vocals over the years is glaringly apparent to me now.  I know she was accused by some of being a bit pitchy in her younger years, and I can see why.  To her credit, she heard the criticism and made a conscious effort to improve her singing and did so.  She has much more control over her voice now. 

[nobloodyname]

I'll pick up this re-recording on CD, if it's going to be available on that format. The original is one I don't own so more than happy to support her.

Edit: it is indeed available on CD. Purchased

[MirrorMask]

So I finally got around to watch the Lake Pond Sessions, the "movie" where she plays the entire Folklore album in a cabin in the woods.

Wow. Just wow. Amazing presentation that enhances even more the album!!! I love this kind of stuff, and it's one of the reasons I love "folk" music - I mean, all music I like is enjoyable already as it is, but with - and I use the term in a very broad and generic sense - "folk" music, you can immerse yourself even more in the atmosphere, in the odd instrument, in the time or place the mood of the music suggests. For example, I'll always be able to enjoy Iron Maiden or Dream Theater wherever I am, but hearing folkish or irish music when you're in Ireland is a whole another level (just a random example, I don't need to be in Scotland to enjoy Maiden's The Clansman, but I like when music and geography collide).

So an already beuatiful and very atmospheric album gets brought to a whole another level when played in an intimate setting, alternated with explanations about the songs,  the lyrics meaning and the decisions behind the creative process. It's beautifully filmed and all the songs are good as the album version, if not even more.

Bruce Springsteen did a similar thing for his Western Stars album - this acoustic record, whose title lets you easily understand that it deals with western themse and imaginery, was played in its entirety in an ancient barn for a selected list of guests, and just like The Lake Pond Sessions, every song is followed by a brief introduction and explanation for the next one. This kind of musical + visual presentation is rare and it's great to see it happen. Absolutely lovely move from Taylor with this one, I wish she'd do the same for Evermore, maybe in a winter setting!

[KevShmev]

I would love to see her do all of Evermore in that kind of environment as well. In a perfect world, she would do that, and then release the Folklore and Evermore live things together as a package Blu-ray deal, but I get the sense that her interest is low in releasing physical products of that type of stuff. Her Reputation concert that was recorded has been on Netflix for a while, so she is probably content with releasing them to streaming services and leaving it at that.

But yeah, those live versions of the Folklore songs are something else.  I always thought My Tears Ricochet was one of the lesser songs on it, and then I saw that live version.    That song works better with just her lone lead vocal, rather that the studio version which has a lot of double tracking and background embellishment vocals, and the performance she gives is just gut-wrenching.

[Stadler]

So I finally got around to watch the Lake Pond Sessions, the "movie" where she plays the entire Folklore album in a cabin in the woods.

Wow. Just wow. Amazing presentation that enhances even more the album!!! I love this kind of stuff, and it's one of the reasons I love "folk" music - I mean, all music I like is enjoyable already as it is, but with - and I use the term in a very broad and generic sense - "folk" music, you can immerse yourself even more in the atmosphere, in the odd instrument, in the time or place the mood of the music suggests. For example, I'll always be able to enjoy Iron Maiden or Dream Theater wherever I am, but hearing folkish or irish music when you're in Ireland is a whole another level (just a random example, I don't need to be in Scotland to enjoy Maiden's The Clansman, but I like when music and geography collide).

So an already beuatiful and very atmospheric album gets brought to a whole another level when played in an intimate setting, alternated with explanations about the songs,  the lyrics meaning and the decisions behind the creative process. It's beautifully filmed and all the songs are good as the album version, if not even more.

Bruce Springsteen did a similar thing for his Western Stars album - this acoustic record, whose title lets you easily understand that it deals with western themse and imaginery, was played in its entirety in an ancient barn for a selected list of guests, and just like The Lake Pond Sessions, every song is followed by a brief introduction and explanation for the next one. This kind of musical + visual presentation is rare and it's great to see it happen. Absolutely lovely move from Taylor with this one, I wish she'd do the same for Evermore, maybe in a winter setting!

I don't remember who it was, but someone here actually - and sincerely - called her "this generation's Bruce Springsteen".  I think they were on to something, myself. 

[KevShmev]

Never underestimate the power of relatable lyrics.  With Bruce, even though he was never the guy that he often is portrayed as, his lyrics are ones to which many can relate. Same goes with Taylor, and the lengths she goes to to connect with fans is something to behold, making her even more relatable. 

[XeRocks81]

listening to one of her big commercial hits You Belong With Me (Taylor's Version)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwp8Ur6tO-8

Honestly if someone played this for me and told me it was the original I'd believe it.   Since she started in Country she used to put on a kind of twang in her voice that she didn't naturally have, no too pronounced but it was definitely there, that she eventually stopped doing and she did again for these new versions.

[KevShmev]

Even though that early material isn't overly to my liking, I liked a few of the songs I checked out from the new release on YT, so I said what the hell and bought the whole thing on iTunes.  Not that she needs my money, but I wanted to support this endeavor.

And the more I think about it, the more I think she is trying to get the Carlyle Group (the current owner of the original masters) to say uncle, cut their losses (or lack of profits), and sell them all back to her with a deal that is all to her liking.  I mean, think about it, it would have made the most sense with something like this to give the public in re-releases in chronological order, but, no, she began with her 2nd album, Fearless, her first Album of the Year at the Grammys, which is already proving to be a massive success.  Throw in the clip of the new Wildest Dreams that was in that trailer a few weeks back, and this is her coming charging out of the gate with this whole project by laying an immediate smackdown.  I think she is fully prepared to re-record them all as planned (if she has not already), but I think she'd be thrilled with a Taylor-friendly deal that gives her total control of the original masters as well.  She could then still re-release everything she has already re-recorded along with the originals and other from the vault stuff from other eras in large packages for all of the Swifties out there.  Whether the Carlyle Group will tap out and give in remains to be seen, but they can't possibly at this point be expecting to make the profit they were expecting when they made this investment.