I’m not going to get
through a month of Voices without Nina Simone. I’ve been in her thrall for
maybe 20 years. That voice, that delivery; it’s just soul-gripping.
The song I’m sharing
is Dylan’s “Just Like a Woman”, because no one captures the spirit of that
piece like Simone. She had the life to do it justice.
There’s also a
recording of her singing
it in concert late in her life, which you might want to visit to see how
she commanded the material even in ill-health. It’s extraordinary.
(And if you want to put
your viscera through it, listen to her cover of “Strange Fruit”.)
My second Voice today
is Sarah McLachlan. Polar opposite to Simone in many respects—ethereal, high
and thready tone, a northern perspective; yet she digs into life in pretty much
the same way as Simone. Neither of them takes any prisoners.
I like that.
One of my favorites
is “Angel”. If you can divorce your sensibilities from the SPCA commercials
that McLachlan did, and listen to it, it’s about as dark a picture of despair as
they come. (Personally, when I heard the music for that ad, I either muted or walked out of the room.)
Frankly, I wonder
exactly what the angel might be, but I don’t ask too many questions, since I
often find myself in that dark, cold hotel room.
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