Jesus Was a Crossmaker - Rachael Yamagata

[Lynnefromlyn]

PLEASE CHANGE YOUR DESCRIPTION this is a Judee Sill's song, the Hollies are just one cover version. This lass's voice is ok but the overly lush, syrupy backing really detracts from the beautiful song. Simplify, simplify.

[CurriedUnicorn]

Hey, great version but it's NOT a Hollies track - original is by the much neglected Judee Sill.

[nenadarcy]

what does crossmaker mean?

[gjvb]

NOT ORIGINAL FROM THE HOLLIES!!! ORIGINAL IS FROM JUDDE SILL

[DaveBTHunt]

A truly, deeply and astonishingly beautiful girl with an exceptional quality to her voice.

But, good GOD - this is an absolutely repugnant interpretation of this song!

Any interpretation of this song where they decide to add the slowed-down rock drums from Meatloaf's "Took The Words Right Out My Mouth" to the "shit", and generally "Rock that shit up", well that shit is probably going to end up sounding a pretty awful, stinking and cacophonous mess.

And that's exactly how things turned out.

[joeperryforpope]

what happened to her? i loved that record she made, this is great too

[bosma64]

interesting cover, but lacks the feeling of the original written and performed by Judee Sill.

[breakinbenjaminlover]

nice version but try the original by judee sill [who wrote it]

[MIissMiriam09]

i love her but i like the original better - judee still

[Parasympathomimetika]

<3 .. so beatiful

[alexia4a]

The Hollies covered Judee Sill. . let's not get it twisted.

[evilofisalm]

you are twisted and are you frigid too

[Ms531774]

Sorry - she needs some singing lessons re phrasing and breathing techniques, but I prefer this to Cass's.

[cj7849]

This is truly a case in which the looks of this young lady got her where she is because she is a wretched "singer." Linda Ronstadt sings an amazing version of this song but it was unreleased until her box set came out. Sadly not available on Youtube. :(

[bettybobetty]

This is HORRIBLE. Rachel, if you aren't a good enough singer or musician to tackle Judee Sill, then please do us all a favor and do not bother. The only thing worse than this performance is the fact that whoever posted it thinks its a song by The Hollies.

[Svatopluk]

Alas, lousy piano technique (just banging away). Worse still, she makes a number of silly over-simplifications in melody, harmony and rhythm, making an excellent song sound very ordinary. Finally, she can't sing the compound figures either...

[morinicuk]

mmmmtho judee wrote this song her version is awful tho .She just not very good singer this is much more harmonious better produced

[Svatopluk]

Good grief! More 'harmonious'? Perhaps you might more carefully consider what you mean by 'harmonious'. Anyway, I'm only judging from this song, but Yamagata isn't nearly as good a singer as Judee Sill. But my complaint is not about that, but rather the unnecessary oversimplification of the original (though I can see the appeal of Yamagata for younger audiences where older pieces need to be revised into simpler forms).

[blk773]

Alas, Svatopluk it is quite obvious that you are convinced that your opinion is right, although opinions are neither wrong nor right, but just a matter of preference. Your need to demean a younger audience's preference is a sure sign that you hate getting older and are envious of today's youth so you make yourself feel better by labeling us as simple...how sad :-(

[Svatopluk]

You're probably right that I hate getting older (you should tell us all how you're avoiding this), but my comments are scarcely opinion. Either one can or cannot sing certain figures (or chooses not to do so, for some reason). As for something closer to opinion (mood of the piece?), I do like Yamagata's smoky and brooding quality that she brings to the song. You might have argued that technique isn't everything (which I agree), but you didn't. I'd like to check out other Yamagata performances.

[VeggieChick77]

She's such a cutie.. and her voice reminds me of Billie Holiday. She doesn't have a lot of range, but like Billie, she definitely makes up for it with her ability to pour her emotion into the lyrics. She also has that slight rasp. <333

[mandyeffect]

Neat. Love the songs! Where did you get all of those rare pics? K U D O S!

[sweetjulz67]

thnx, i found some on myspace, some on livejournal and some i'd had.

[DissyDissy]

no way leeds judee bad singer

[LEEDSPETER001]

Original version by Judee Sill (who wrote it) is better. This is ok though.

[maplemars]

This chick is a babe, but Judee's version is way better. No comparison!

[SunnerRunner1]

She rocks!! her smokey, vocals, just ache soo wonderfully. Refreshing.

[ronniedarkguitar]

very nice version.

[evilofisalm]

nice version well produced[unlike origianal

[DissyDissy]

lizzyann83 please read below [this is done in the hollies style[Judy wrote it] hollies improved it]but unlike judy,racheal can sing.

[cowboydan0]

@DissyDissy judee sill can't sing? wow...

[lizzyann85]

Hey! This is not originally by The Hollies.

This is Judee Sill's song. And her version is the best, hands down. Listen to Judee Sill!

[Herzog1012]

Why the negative votes. This is correct.

[LEEDSPETER001]

Yes Judee's original version is the best. I can't find it on youtube though. It was on a few weeks ago but got removed

[ddfairfield]

Yeah, it is the best. Why was it removed? Probably record companies getting jittery? Same thing happened to the original best version of "If you could read my mind" by Gordon Lightfoot...

[morinicuk]

there is judee version

[taildragger51]

lizzyann85: Absolutely right. As much as i admire Rachael for shining the light on this song the accurate interpretation always remains with the original writer and Judee Sill exorcised demons with it.

[ne007ne]

land00-stay-awake-noone-said-s­he-was-english

[fuzzyslippers87]

beautiful voice!

[sweetjulz67]

i agree. u should hear the accapella version of her song Elephants!

[stevo215]

Rachael Yamabetty is a babe.

[sophieisahomo]

i like this very much,but she does sound like she got foriegn accent you sure she from virginia?

[sweetjulz67]

yep she's from arlingtion, virginia. her father's japanese and her mother's german-italian from china.

[ChristopherMars]

She sounds like Fiona Apple.

[DissyDissy]

i like this version very much,but would of been even better if she sang in her own laungage

[gregoryng]

She was born in Virginia. Seriously, what?

[thatladyhadawhat]

Maybe sing in... Virginian?

Lol.

[Lands00]

What English? She's American.

[evilofisalm]

not saying hollies was original it is saying done in the same format as the hollies version

[fanniterrette]

Originally by the Hollies? Uh, no. Originally by Judee Sill. The Hollies were also covering Sill.

You can hear Judee Sill perform her original song on YouTube.

[sidneysees]

Wow, where'd you get all these gorgeous pics of Rachael? Sweet cover. Thanks for posting!

[sweetjulz67]

no prob. some from myspace, some from livejournal and some i had.