Adele

[Vince]

I also like Adele's music. I thought the second album better than the first.

Aged 53 5/12, enjoy getting a question or two right watching UC, but have no opinions regarding penguins.

[Peter]

The ref. to University Challenge was because there was a question on tonight's edition to which the answer was "Adelie" (penguins).  The programme finished at 8.30.  EG posted at 8.34.  I made assumptions.

[Mr Larrington]

I got all the peng questions right, though I didn't watch UC in real time because sausages.  From which you may deduce that I like pengs.  And sausages.

[Andrew]

Since reading this thread, I've played Skyfall four times. I think it is one of the best Bond themes of the modern era and merits comparison with Ms Bassey's finest.

It certainly brings smiles to faces here in France; crum-ble being known mainly as the dessert. She looks like she might enjoy a decent sticky toffee pudding too. 

So does Spectre's theme tune refer to cobblers?

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

I imagine you also like University Challenge!

I don't make a point of watching it, but if it was on I wouldn't turn it over.

[mike]

I quite like her stuff and would listen to the new album if it was on spotify, but I dont like it enough to buy it

this video of her taking part in an adele look-alike competition is quite entertaining:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL_yIBWagYVjyyqx_qPkbat5zufWZOyZEZ&v=OHXjxWaQs9o

[Mr Larrington]

If acreeching and other vocal idiosyncracies (yes, you, Matt Bellamy and your sharp-intake-of-breath behaviour) was an issue then the music library would consist of instrumentals and Fleetwood Mac's "Rumours".

[clarion]

Since reading this thread, I've played Skyfall four times. I think it is one of the best Bond themes of the modern era and merits comparison with Ms Bassey's finest.

It certainly brings smiles to faces here in France; crum-ble being known mainly as the dessert. She looks like she might enjoy a decent sticky toffee pudding too. 

So does Spectre's theme tune refer to cobblers?

All the Bond films are cobblers.

[Mr Larrington]

I say, Sir!  If you are going to impugn the reputation of kinematographic masterpieces such as "Moonraker" and "A View To A Kill" I shall have to ask you to step,er, sorry.  As you were.

[Redlight]

Just for a survey, could anyone who has posted a negative comment about Adele also re-post with their age please?

I'm just interested in finding out whether this is another case of old folk saying "This modern music is all just noise isn't it Doris?".

I'm 54 so that places me firmly in the era when the great divide was whether you thought punk was an exciting blast of energy in a slightly tired sub-culture or a load of tuneless rubbish (A - it could be both).  To clarify, I do think Adele is a good singer, despite my reservations about the recording of Someone Like You, but I find most of her material pretty dull. I'd say the same about, say, Mick Hucknall or George Michael.  I'm not so sure about Florence; her delivery reminds me a bit of Patti Smith but when I can get past that some of her lyrics are interesting.  And please don't mention Mariah Carey in my presence.

Naturally, I think that a sizeable proportion of today's pop music is trite, but that was the case in the '50s, '60s, '70s, etc.  As Paul Simon wrote: every generation sends a hero up the pop charts.  And as with those previous eras, some of what's being produced today will endure.  Most won't.

[Legs]

Naturally, I think that a sizeable proportion of today's pop music is trite, but that was the case in the '50s, '60s, '70s, etc.  As Paul Simon wrote: every generation sends a hero up the pop charts.  And as with those previous eras, some of what's being produced today will endure.  Most won't.

Indeed.  I hear ("listen to" is not quite the right turn of phrase) Brian Matthew's Sounds of the Sixties show on Radio 2 on Saturday mornings.  It serves as a useful reminder that the 60s was not a Golden Age devoid of crap music.

Adele's music just seems a bit samey to me.  A bit like Duffy (thank the Sweet Baby Jesus that the world seems to have forgotten her!) but marginally less annoying.

[Mr Larrington]

The woman ahead of me in the horriblemarket checkout queue this arvo was buying an Adele CD and while it Does Not Do to guess a Lady's age I'd put her at anout ten years older than me.  Onv she could have been buying it for someone else.

I think Redlight has it right; most of these artistes are blandly inoffensive.

[Kim]

The woman ahead of me in the horriblemarket checkout queue this arvo was buying an Adele CD and while it Does Not Do to guess a Lady's age I'd put her at anout ten years older than me.  Onv she could have been buying it for someone else.

Does anybody under 30 buy CDs?

[Mr Larrington]

I don't know enough people under thirty to be able to form a qualified op!on.

[Fab Foodie]

If acreeching and other vocal idiosyncracies (yes, you, Matt Bellamy and your sharp-intake-of-breath behaviour) was an issue then the music library would consist of instrumentals and Fleetwood Mac's "Rumours".

There's nothing wrong with music containing of all types of idiosyncracies,  so the music library can be bursting at the seams ..... we just don't have to like it all ....

[Tim Hall]

The woman ahead of me in the horriblemarket checkout queue this arvo was buying an Adele CD and while it Does Not Do to guess a Lady's age I'd put her at anout ten years older than me.  Onv she could have been buying it for someone else.

Does anybody under 30 buy CDs?

How else am I going to rip stuff to flac?

(In my new gaff, inputs to the stereo amp are (1) phono from an aged Pioneeer PL12D deck and (b) a Raspberry pi.  Tuits permitting, there'll be a cassette deck in there soon)

[bobb]

I think Adele is very good at what she does, even though her records are not to my taste.

I'd much rather someone like her is popular and successful than some pointless boy/girl band group that only exist to fund Simon Cowell's next mansion...

[Kim]

I'd much rather someone like her is popular and successful than some pointless boy/girl band group that only exist to fund Simon Cowell's next mansion...

+1

[rogerzilla]

I think she shouts a bit.  Aural wallpaper, ideal for Granny as a Christmas present.

[LEE]

Rog, you are in precisely the correct age-range for this thread.

It's basically middle-aged people saying "This modern music is all just noise, it was better in my day".  It's happened since time immemorial... and it's supposed to happen.

I have a suspicion that most of the negative comments are from folks who may have a YES album and/or actually don't think Jethro Tull were dreadful.

....Waits for "Yes, but they could all play their own instruments " type replies. (To which I must respond, "Yes..but a Wizard's Cloak and a fuckin' Flute?!!").

Vera Lynn could be a bit "shrill" but I've resisted starting a thread about her.

Adele seems a strange subject for criticism really, she's clearly talented, writes tons of her own material, and there plenty of talentless opposites to choose from.


Edit.  Since Friday it seems that almost 3 million middle-aged protesters have bought Adele's new album (presumably to start a huge bonfire).


53 years old.  I don't own any Adele and don't have any on my MP3 player.  I do however think her live performance of Skyfall, at the Oscars, is worth a listen.

I've never seen her lip-sync, even on important shows with big audiences, which separates her from almost all of her contemporaries.

As for Florence (of machine ownership fame), I don't really get it, but then again I don't get modern Jazz.  I'm willing to accept that, given millions do, it's a problem in my music appreciation code.

[Mr Larrington]

Er, no, it's the opposite of just noise.  DJ Random has played a couple of Sonic Youth tracks since this time yesterday which are far closer to being just noise.  I'll post a list if you like

No Yes or Tull here either

[mattc]

Lee,
Most days at work I listen to at least 3hours of radio1.

They play some utter dross. (Sadly they do not play Jethro Tull, which is a shame, as Tull are an immensely fine beat combo. )

But of more relevance here - at least to me, and I cant speak for YOUR taste - is that I hear much that I enjoy quite a bit; and certainly much that I enjoy more than the Adele toons they play. She sounds mediocre when surrounded by other "Radio1 stuff". even stuff recorded by people under the age of 25, with dreadful diction and ridiculous trousers.


[ If I had to choose an all-day radio station, it'd be 6Music. So now ESL will lay into me for that , if he's reading this ...  ]

[nicknack]

It's basically middle-aged people saying "This modern POP music is all just noise, it was better in my day". 

You missed a bit out.
62 10/12 (even older than Wowb) and listening to a lot of modern music - but not much pop. Adele appears to be able to sing well but doesn't sing anything I want to hear - unlike, say, Julia Holter.

[T42]

OK, Rolling in the Deep was a bad example: it was the goddam bash bash bash drum that chased me off.  Noisy crap judgement stands. But didn't she write it?

Listened to Skyfall - indeed, I must have heard it when we watched the film.  Her voice has a gap in the middle: as with a lot of female singers (e.g. Cilla Black and Patricia Cass) it's either up close and gentle or full belt from the back of the stage and/or throat. It's partly the style of the song but I get the impression it's her as well - the "medium" notch on her volume control doesn't exist.  Also her diction is clear enough but when she has to sing a U sound, as in "burn", she gets the U over ASAP and draws out the RN, which sounds weird.  Again you can put down part of that to the song - E and U sound awful when drawn out - but if it's there and she has to sing it she should do so. The timbre of her voice is nothing great, either - Shirley Bassey was much, much better.

I would say she was on the better side of mediocre.

I'm 68, so Lee is maybe right. OTOH I detest a lot of the pop music from all periods and find Glen Miller revolting. Much prefer 20s/30sjazz/blues, some heavy metal, a lot of opera. And of course the Ukelele Orchestra of Great Britain. And just about everything from Queen.

[LEE]

Lee,
Most days at work I listen to at least 3hours of radio1.

"Injury Lawyers 4 U" must be able to get you a few grand for that Matt. It's bordering on constructive dismissal.