A Music Debate--With a Twist

PREFACE Just to clarify, the rules do not require that you perform you R2 song in R4 or that you use your R2 song in R3 or R5. All rounds could be different if you wanted them to. However, you may repeat songs if you'd like--it's up to you. Since I did a country song last round, I will do a jazz/pop song in this round. I will be comparing Nina Simone's version of "Feeling Good" to Michael Buble's cover. I did consider doing a comparison of Dixie Chicks' and Stevie Nicks's version of "Landslide," but I wanted to do something other than country/rock this round. I hope you are enjoying my song selections thus far :) My review will be structured as follows: first, I will analyze Simone's version, then Buble's version, and then conclude with notes of contrast and comparison. REVIEW Nina Simone's "Feeling Good" is an icon of 1960's jazz music. Her rendition opens up acapella, offering a very raw, melodious, and natural transition into the song. By choosing to forgo musical accompaniment, the imperfections of her voice are allowed to come through, striking the listeners as an authentic, sincere, and real sound. The bold music immediately following this opening is not allowed to overpower Simone's voice; this balance helps to build an upbeat feel, without forcing the vocals to move up-tempo. The light piano in the background again adds a note of richness to the song, while making Simone's voice the star of the proverbial show. With all the song's natural imagery, Simone's raw, minimalist approach highlights the underlying message of the beauty that comes from self-confidence and from a sort of transcendental worldview the song is reminiscent of. Her willingness to not be supported by instruments is a testament to her own confidence, and shows that she is indeed, "feeling good." Michael Buble's version is the epitome of the classic pop sound, but clearly melded with jazz influences. Polished and precise, Buble's voice occasionally competes for attention amidst the backing instrumentals. His sound here is far more akin to "James Bond" where a smooth, sultry, easy-to-dance-to melody is combined with a powerful, crooner voice. Here the emphasis is on creating an atmosphere akin to a classy, tuxedo-filled, nightclub, where champagne flow freely and urbane sophistication is compulsory. Living the sexy, rich, and James Bond-like high life is "feeling good." It is tempting to view both of these songs as time capsules of their respective eras. Simone's idea of what it is to feel good--the confident, raw, natural way about which she delivers the song--is worlds apart from Buble's conception of what it is to feel good, with his contemporary, flawless, fluid sound. One seems to view the accoutrements of society as unnecessary for happiness and empowerment, whereas the other seems to embrace the trappings of success and materialism. But while this analysis is tempting to make, it is very hard to prove. To draw such heady philosophical conclusions moves us too far in the direction of the subjective, and leads us astray from the more concrete. Concretely, then, we can say that Simone's approach is less of an auto-tune, smooth delivery. She, unlike Buble, is never in competition with the music for attention. In this way, her take on the song is more compelling, because her own personal charisma is allowed to shine through, unfiltered. Her use of scat to build in pauses in lyric flow and her willingness to change the rhythm of her choruses, enables her to switch emphases during the song--a useful skill when trying to convey a nuanced message. Simone's rendition ultimately comes across as more conversational, starting out slowly, lurching through where natural pauses arise, and building up to a crescendo that put the final exclamation point on her argument. Buble, on the other hand, builds a steady, intractable progression up to his climax, uninterrupted by scat or rhythmic shifts, making his delivery seem far more contrived and mechanical than Simone's. This leads me to say that Simone's version deserves a higher rank than Buble's. While Simone could've done more to accentuate the "rawness" and power of her unaccompanied voice, her song is, at the end of the day, a powerful statement of values that will forever be a monolithic icon in jazz music. It earns, therefore, a 9/10. Buble, on the other hand, does do a credible job for what he is attempting to do--to harken back to the James Bond style of music. His vocals are perfect, but in their perfection, they lose a note of realism, which, in the end, hurts him the most. His cover earns a 7/10, because it just left me unfulfilled and wanting more. Simone's human touch, her musical sincerity, trumps Buble's hand in this match-up. http://www.youtube.com... http://www.youtube.com...