[meech]

Has anyone heard of Joss Stone? Any opinions on her cd?

 

[jude]

I saw her featured on some show, where they featured some of her singing. Haven't heard her album. Initial impression I got was that the gal's got pipes.

 

[markl]

She's just a kid, 16 or 17, but yeah she can sing. They teamed her up with a bunch of older soul music verterans on her first album, I think it's all covers, mostly older soul material, but "Fell In Love With A Girl (Boy)" from White Stripes thrown in to get the kids interested. I think the first album was targeted at older listeners, had her playing real songs with real musicians playing behind her (therefore "proving" she's not some pre-manufactured pop tart, but a serious "artiste"), got a lot of press for being a good "rootsy" record. If I was cynical, I would say having her work with the musicians she did was a stunt to buy her some cred early on with tastemakers. I've read her next album which is due soon will be "more contemporay R&B" with modern producers and production techniques. I expect they'll have her bearing her midriff and howling like a cat in heat with back-up dancers in her next video to get on MTV. Sort of the Alecia Keys strategy.

We'll see...

 

[meech]

Thanks guys. I appreciate it. A friend of mine mentioned her to me recently.

Hey Mark,

Do you think the album was worth purchasing? I'm into old school R&B and I'm a big fan of a "GOOD" female vocalist. As long as she doesn't sound like a kid than I'll give it a shot.

 

[rsaavedra]

I read in some audio magazine that she is prone to become a major milestone in female vocals. I heard her singing on TV and she does have quite an incredibly sexy voice, and sounds from another era decades ago, great.

 

[eastsidemetalhd]

she's got a one hell of a voice for a 16 yr old, that's for sure. it's an unconventional choice of songs for a debut cd, but she's got the pipes to carry it off. although they've already got her gyrating and baring her midriff on MTV for that White Stripes cover...

 

[Andrew Pielet]

Yes I have her CD. She is like 16 and she can belt it out. I got the cd for $8.99 new at my local store, so it shouldn't be too expensive. Very soulful, not as funky-catchy as Macy Gray, more ssmooth and stylish. The songs are all covers I think, and the sound is B++

www.allmusic.com is the site I use for all musicians/CDs/ new Releases. Search Joss Stone, the bio's they write are right on. (IMO)

 

[Braver]

yeah, seems to be able to sing.

riding the Norah Jones hype, feels like. or indeed Alicia Keys'.

tell me she doesn't play piano!

yeah, I'm cynical.

 

[sbulack]

Not only is she gifted with a voice beautifully suited to soul, she knows how to deliver each song with very credible heart and craft. She is so gifted in what she is doing that I don't believe that all of the marketting sphyncters of the world can foul her up as long as she can manage not to buy into their stuff. That's going to be hard to do at her age, but I'm hoping that part of what enables her to deliver her songs enables her to keep her perspective on what she is doing as she makes her way. In any case, if you are into female vocal, OR soul, OR BOTH, then Joss Stone is definitely worth a listen. Whatever can be said about the production of her first album, it does NOT obstruct her talent or performance, which come shining through beautifully.

 

[treegarden]

sbulack: agreed 100%.

Bless Joss's heart for her choice of musical direction. Nice production, not overdone, sounds a little "homegrown", authentic all the way.

I've been listening to a lot of Aretha lately and Joss does not pale in comparison...well, OK, ANYONE pales in comparison to Aretha, but what I mean is that Joss has cred.

 

[buzzlulu]

Joss Stone is the REAL DEAL!
I am an "older" listener of vintage Stax/Soul and there is absolutely no comparison between this girl and other newcomers such as Norah/Alicia.

Her album has a lot of heavyweight vintage soul producers behind her who chose an incredible selection of material to demonstrate this kid's voice. And what a voice it is- and what an album it is. We will be hearing a lot of her before she is finished. I just hope that she stays the direction (stax/soul) since it it the kind of music I love.

 

[markl]

Quote:

Bless Joss's heart for her choice of musical direction.

Do they let 16 year old first time artists have a "choice of direction"? She did get her start on the UK equivalent of American Idol as I recall.

I forget what I was watching maybe VH1 where they were talking to the guy behind Tiffany (remember her from the 80s?) the teen pop star and shopping mall performer. She objected to some of the things he wanted her to sing and had her own ideas which he quickly shut down. to paraphrase him-- "look, I put $350,000 of my own money into this girl, I'm not going to let a 16 year old make career or musical decisions." I'm afraid based on what I've read about her forthcoming new album that her first album was a ruse and a bit of a red herring. I sure hope that's not the case. It would be wonderful if someone young could breathe life into old-school soul which I also love. It's a genre that deserves respect though, not opportunism (if that's what her handlers are up to, too soon to know). Quote:

I've been listening to a lot of Aretha lately and Joss does not pale in comparison...well, OK, ANYONE pales in comparison to Aretha, but what I mean is that Joss has cred.

That's going a *little* far, don't you think?

There is the issue of how much "soul" a 16 year old suburban white kid from the UK can have... OTOH, look at Little Stevie Wonder for a kid with soul. Or, look at Dusty Springfield to find a white English chick with soul.

We'll see...

 

[archosman]

We shot a High Def project with Al Green and Joss was on the show. Never heard of her until we did the project. Haven't got the final mix back yet on audio but I was impressed...

 

[strohmie]

Maybe I'm the only one, but I can't listen to her White Stripes cover and take it seriously. For some reason I keep getting images of the White Stripes' lego-built music video popping into my head when I hear her sing.

And I'm also of the opinion that it's a little unimaginative to cover a song only two or three years after it had originally been released. It's one thing when it's a decades old song that can use an upgrade or a different spin, but that cover just seems in poor taste to me (though it obviously is going to get play on MTV and the like).

 

[treegarden]

I have no problem with the White Stripes cover, never having heard the original!

I also disagree that doing a song relatively shortly after its original release constitutes "poor taste". Musicians have been doing this for ages, when a producer thinks the material is strong and is suitable for the artist. A good song can hold up under any number of interpretations.