Country: US
Artist: Female solo artist
Career: posthumously releasing records since 1997
Language: English
Genre: Singer-songwriter
Eva Cassidy, you know the myth. The best voice in the world, neglected by the record industry until a small time label took a chance when it was too late. Yes, she had great talent, but it’s not so much that the record industry passed her by, it’s more that the people that could’ve developed her talent weren’t there anymore in the record industry. She needed a Jerry Wexler, a Norman Granz to steer her on the right path. What she got were professional musicians and small time engineers who shackled her talent to assembly line notion of what it could do, and she let them.
The compilers of this third posthumous collection don’t get that. They start this off with a beautiful solo version of Paul Simon’s ‘Kathy’s song’, but then they almost squander my goodwill with assembly line versions of ‘Ain’t no sunshine’ and ‘The letter’. The talent, an almost God-given gift, is here – it shines most brightly on a mid-record segment of folk songs with minimal accompaniment and a beautiful version of ‘Anniversary song’.
It’s a tragedy she didn’t get to conquer the world. It’s a crime the record industry that could’ve made it happen, doesn’t exist anymore.
What are we paying them for?
At its best: Kathy’s song, Time after time, I wandered by a brookside, Anniversary song
Geen opmerkingen:
Een reactie posten