"Preserved" for the Curious

[Julie]

If you go to Sam Goody you can listen to some snip-its of the songs that are on the "Raspberries Preserved" CD tribute.

Now you too, can hear the awful thing that "The Rank Strangers" did to "I'm A Rocker". Thankfully, it's just a brief rendering (and believe me, here on the farm, we know what "rendering" means <img border="0" alt="[blech!]" title="" src="graemlins/blech.gif" /> ). At any rate, the words class-action lawsuit come to mind...

Julie

[okstevens]

Julie,

Yeah some of the copies may be bad OR is it that the Berries were just that good? It is nice to see how some groups put thier spin on Berry tunes. Check out The Rubinoos and The Websters. I bought thier cds based on what I heard on preserved and was very impressed.

Jeff

[JuliaD]

If there should ever have been a class action lawsuit, I think it should have been against Celine Dion for what she did to All By Myself ... it literally made me sick to listen to it

[marvin]

Yeah Julia Celine's version is unlistenable for me as well but I know of one person who loved the fact that the album from which it was on sold 30 million copies over the world!

MARVIN

[Billy]

I agree Julia, that version of All By Myself was horrible.

[darlene]

Marvin, on that we both agree! I thought her screaming on ABM was absolutely FRIGHTFUL! But, you can't blame Eric for being happy that it sold

all those copies! In fact, I'M happy for him that it did! Just what does it say about the American

fans that she can just scream some things and people run out and buy it? She's not my favorite

singer, nor my favorite person. I can read people

pretty well and am a fairly good judge of character, and I think for all of her cooing and

gooing about how she appreciates her fans, I think

she is a very conceited and self-centered person.

--Darlene

[Tony Cartmill]

When Celine does that heart/chest pound gesture in concert, my Gag-o-meter turns on full blast. But I do like her voice better than that left-wing millionaire socialist Barbara Streisand.

[darlene]

Oh, Tony...How could you not like Barbra Streisand's voice???!!! (aside from her social/political positions). She EMOTES and at least all of the albums in her early career were

gorgeous. I have them all and listened to them in

college non-stop. I've always admired her talent.

Besides I ADORED her as Fanny Brice in Funny Girl

and Funny Lady. But...I'll forgive you THIS time.

--Darlene

[marvin]

Celine is from my home province of Quebec. She's a saint in that province and we've had her music since she was about 13 years old. Darlene I'm not going to argue about your ability to judge character, and say what you will about Celine's music (and I can't stand it!), but she comes from extremely humble beginnings, has worked her *** off to get where she is, and she's a pretty sincere and down-to-earth person. Believe me, if you saw what she's been through in her life, you'd be pretty humble also.

MARVIN

[Matthew C. Clark]

Yeah, "All By Myself" was the worse remake in Celine's history. Matt

[darlene]

Marvin, I'm sure she's been through a lot, from what you said. It's just the trappings of her lifestyle that sound like she is very self-centered and has an "I'm so great" kind of complex. (Like being married where she was with no less than a THIRTY foot train on her dress--like come on! It's amazing she could even walk!)

Also, I'm sure that to get where she is, you have

to have an unbelievable confidence and with that

goes a very very high opinion of yourself. When one is making that much money (as some of the movie stars do), they are the first people to say

that sometimes they feel VERY guilty, knowing that

others are barely ekeing out a living. Most of the stars do a lot for charity, and "give a lot back" to society in those ways, and most are very

humble about it. She is very good at "seeming" humble, but underneath it all (and it's very well hidden), you can tell that she thinks she is just

the cat's meow. Also, she is very lucky she met

Rene Angelil and that he cared so much for her to

launch her in the right direction. Obviously, God

gave her a talent so she could rise out of the bad

things she was through in her life, but I just don't get the sense that she is humble underneath.

She seems to think she is entitled.

I'm not surprised her town considers her a saint:

they are very proud of her. The question remains:

What has she done for the town?

--Darlene

[kazumi]

Even though I don't like Celine Dion's "All By Myself",I like her other songs very much and thank her for selecting this song. Because of her version,many people who don't know Eric have opportunity to hear this beautiful song. And I think Eric appreciates her as a songwriter to introduce this song to the world again. I don't know much about her personality,but I have been listening her music since she started to sing in English. ( I discocered her music because I like Aldo Nova.) By the way, Marvin Do you know what he is doing these days?

[marvin]

Celine does give a lot back to her community. She is the national spokesperson for Cystic Fibrosis - one of her niece's, I believe suffers from this illness. Aldo Nova does a lot of session work and I believe is still playing in Celine's band.

MARVIN

[Gregkevinw]

I believe that Celine actually "lost" a niece to that disease. If you watch VH1's "behind the music", her niece actually died in her arms.

I really had no problem with her version of "ABM" but it was a little "manilow-ish".

Although she is huge, i can't say her music has had an effect on me one way or another. My wife on the other hand loves her.

She seems to be hard working and greatful for her success though.

Greg

[Tony Cartmill]

I like Barbara (Evita) Streisand's voice. I just like Celine's better. When Celine sang that one killer line in the "Voices That Care" Gulf War song over 10 years ago, I knew that voice was destined for super-stardom. Hey, she married the old man and stuck by him. Barbara can't legally marry herself, so she settled for the hunky Muffler Man. Other than her silly gestures on stage, Celine is more than OK by me. And remember, My opinion is the one that really counts.

[Kristina]

I really love Celine Dion's music but agree her version of "All By Myself" was less than spectacular. But could anyone match up to Eric's version for us fans? I think not. Actually, I was glad to hear the song back on the radio! I also agree with Darlene that Celine comes across like the success has maybe gone to her head. She may still be a great person and caring and charitable; but there's something in the way she moves, speaks etc. that shows she has a high opinion of herself. One needs a great self image to be in the barracuda recording industry! She

can be wicked funny in interviews too!

[Gregkevinw]

Ok everyone, lets stay off of the website for a few days so Tony can be alone with himself.

To Quote Mr."Ill"..."my opinion is the one that really counts".

Of course leaving Tony alone reminds me of an Ian Hunter album "You're Never Alone With A Schizophrenic!"

Now Tony (I mean Tonita)you know I'm jus'kiddin'.

Is'nt iromic that RE: Celine Dion, that the men seem to have no problem with her, but two ladies have weighed in on the negative?

HHHHHHHMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM? Curious.

Greg

[marvin]

Sorry GregkevinW, but I'm not a big Celine fan either. A lot of that is due to the fact that in Quebec (when I was living there), we were hearing her music from when she was 13. Also I'm not a fan of the vocal aerobics (e.g. Mariah Carey, Whitney, Barbara etc.) style of "singing."

MARVIN

[Tony Cartmill]

Mariah's "Chasing-a-bee" singing style when she holds out her notes is the worst waste of a beautiful voice that I know.

[darlene]

Hmmm, I think women don't like "screaming singers" because some of us tend to be "screamers" ourselves when we nag husbands, boyfriends, etc.

Perhaps it strikes a chord (pun intended) too close to home when we hear a female vocalist "scream" or be shrill when she sings. Perhaps women have a "primal fishwife" thing that makes us uncomfortable when we hear it in public!

It's not that we're jealous of Celine's looks, because I don't think she's that attractive. She's pleasant looking and keeps herself nice, but is no competition for the likes of Mariah Carey or someone like Faith Hill, who is knock-down gorgeous. I'm not jealous of Faith either--I just admire the living daylights out of her! She has a gorgeous face, figure, cute husband, great marriage and probably beautiful kids, not to mention a fine voice and obvious talent.

I'm surprised men don't hate "screaming" singers, considering that they usually don't like shrill women. I think almost EVERYONE loves Faith Hill.

--Darlene

[Tony Cartmill]

Some of Faith's songs like "This Kiss" and "The Way You Love Me" are too corny for me. But after that "Just Breathe" video, she became every straight man's (and straight-jacketed man's)bleached blond dream girl! <img border="0" alt="[blech!]" title="" src="graemlins/blech.gif" />

[marvin]

Sure Faith Hill has been blessed with good looks, but I don't feel her voice is anything special at all. If it's Country music you like, there are many better female singers.

MARVIN

[MAM]

Faith Hill sold out a long time ago. IMHO her first two albums were fabulous. Heartfelt songs with real soulful singing. Everything afterwards has been for the money & fame only.

[Craig Benfer]

I absolutely hate when people acuse artists of "selling out". Fans seem to love when artists stay unknown and poor, but as soon as they become popular and make a little money ............."Ooohhhh, they're selling out!" Artists need to make a living too you know. Faith Hill has just as good as singing voice as 90% of the performers out there. "This Kiss" was a very catchy tune, and I liked it. Shame on her for actually getting her songs played on the radio. Give me a break!

[aggiesjc]

Nothing against Faith (and I do think she has a pretty voice), but I'm not interested in her new album - not yet, anyway. I'm very eager, on the other hand, to hear what Shania Twain has coming out this month.