Joanna Newsom - '81 (Live on Later with Jools Holland)

Joanna Newsom - '81 (Live on Later with Jools Holland)

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[shobhnaiyer]

You don't need mushrooms to find her incredible.

[TwinTurboPigeon]

Please dont disrespect Joanna Newsom like that..

[Robo Lasers]

What do people think music is *for*? Lidzyboo talk contemptuously about x factor, but still seems to regard music as a kind of competition for the demonstration of proficiency in various disciplines. I don't think that's really why music is, and has always been, so important to human life. Joanna Newsom is a wonderful musician; in fact, it's enough to say merely that she is *a musician*. There's hardly a higher title in any language than that, for me.

[MrConjo23]

Nillers brought me here.. :D!!

[OAnIncurableHumanist]

she's already been keeping this up since 2004, and has released 3 universally acclaimed albums, which have all been vastly different from each other and show how she has evolved as an artist. her voice has evolved dramatically with each album as well. she's performed with full orchestras and in places like the Sydney Opera House and Carnegie Hall. joanna is already a great musician of her time. you should give her music more of a chance, it takes time, but its beauty is so worth discovering.

[lidzyboo]

jessie J has an exceptional voice that has taken years to hone- there is no technical ability on the contempory world stage to match her. plus, people go on the x factor because they have failed in every other respect, or never had the idea to try.

her lyrics are second to none, but her performance of them does not do them justice in anyway; if joanna can make these lyrics beautiful, imagine what someone who can actually sing could do with them.

[lidzyboo]

this cant go on for her- she wont be able to keep this up. and she will never be able to evolve.

of course its not classical music, but all singers that are worth their weight in decibals, will uphold the classical technique's values, however they choose to utilise it.

there is a difference between a great musician of his time such as Bob Dylan, and the plinks and warbles of this lady

[Ryan Coughlan]

Using Jessie J just killed your argument. Sure she can sing, so can almost every other twat on x factor etc. Okay Joanna might not have the technical ability of Aretha but she uses her voice in an incredible and innovative way and I find that much more interesting and beautiful than Jessie J trying to hit every boring note on a scale whilst singing about "mandem". Joanna paints a picture with her words. Stunningly.

[OAnIncurableHumanist]

there isnt one technique that is "correct". the human voice can make a wide range of types of sounds, and i dont see any reason to limit it to one type. it's the artist's choice. from a "classical" standpoint, her technique may be wrong, but this isn't classical music. her pitch accuracy is very good (except for a few places in this particular video), and she overall has very good control. Bob Dylan is another artist that many love, with an atypical vocal style. it doesnt mean it's wrong or bad.

[lidzyboo]

ok,i am beaten on the writing aspect, but her level of facility is not that good, or good enough to carry off the clever writing.

but singing-wise;

are you serious? you seem well versed in musical knowledge, and hopefully understand vocal technique. she is shaping her mouth to create a sound that well trained singers can create in their throats.singers like jessie J showcase what the technical training can do for a voice. joanna is closing her throat which hinders the sound.

[OAnIncurableHumanist]

she does flub this performance in a few parts. her performance of this song on Jimmy Kimmel is much better, you should look it up. i think you're also underestimating the difficulty and cleverness of this composition. the harp part runs in counterpoint to the vocal melody in a bunch of places. there's a few places where those descending harp runs start an 8th beat off of the vocal line, it's really cool and super tricky to accomplish! as for her singing skills, i must disagree with you as well.