Psycho Dad

I know everyone has seen this if I have because I never click on these links that get tossed all over the 'net. But this, I must admit amazed me. Not only did she blow everyone away with her performance, It was exciting to see how everyone was moved.

I am the most cynical person on the planet. And I so wanted to believe that this was some sort of staged performance, but I really don't think it was. I think in this world where so many achieve fortune and fame with far less talent than this woman has, Susan Boyle is an unbelievably gifted person that went unrecognized for nearly half a century.

Rarely do I watch a youtube all the way through, but I've watched this one twice.

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ngdawg

She proved two things:
1) The old adage is true, you can't judge a book by its cover
2) We as human beings are way too dependent on visual prejudgement

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Don't blame me. I didn't vote for either of'em.

robot_parade

I've always considered it interesting how attractiveness and musical talent are linked, especially in 'pop' stars.

Of course, they aren't really, but to be a successful pop star these days (and I guess during the entire Television Age), you have to look the part. Musical talent matters quite a bit less, unfortunately.

Grasshopper Green

I don't care if it was staged, I really enjoyed listening to her sing.

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snowy

I'm not ashamed to say I cried. That was amazing.

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SabrinaFair

I'll admit, I've watched this four or five times now. First of all, I know Simon Cowell more as the cranky judge from American Idol than anything else. I absolutely loved watching his expression change in the first few moments of this song....from a look of trepidation to sheer amazement. That was the best part for me. Secondly, I'm continually amazed by the richness and timbre of her voice. She has a quality that cannot be taught. Just sheer, God-given talent. Stunning. Absolutely stunning.

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ngdawg

Voice-wise, that woman's got it all over Elaine Page:

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silent_jay

This show has good luck. I remember Paul Potts from 2007, what an amazing singer he is as well, I believe he was a cell phone salesman before the show, now Susan Boyle, I agree Simon's expression when she started to sing was hilarious, I wasn't sure if he was stunned or blinded by the dollar signs he was seeing.

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Absence makes the heart grow fonder

ColonelSpecial

Ok, I was super cynical about this video at first as well. I thought "how well could she really sing, I mean honestly"? I hadn't seen a picture of her before now. I just figured it was another internet meme. I was astounded as many others have been as well.

Ngdawg, I like the version of "Argentina" you posted. It is one of my favorite songs.

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Fremen

Both stories are heart-warming and inspirational.

Thanks for posting them. I hadn't heard of Susan Boyle before today.

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Baraka_Guru

She's known as "The Woman Who Shut Up Simon Cowell."

I can see why now.

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Humankind cannot bear very much reality.
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Jackebear

All I can say is that was the best 7 min. of my life this month. I'm usually a pretty cool guy emotionally but I was almost as teary eyed as I was when I first saw "It's a Wondeful Life" (the ending). I am so happy for her. I wish her nothing but happiness and success. She kept her dreams in the drawer for over 35 years (since she was 12), all the while looking at it, checking if it was alright once in a while, keeping it alive...while most of us (including me) took them out of the drawer and threw them out long ago. I am going to search my trash this weekend for a few of my dreams and see if I can stuff them back into the drawers, closer to my heart again. Thanks for that Susan.

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mixedmedia

Not to take away from this woman's talent or the reaction of the audience, but wouldn't Simon Cowell have known about her by the time she walked out on the stage? She had to audition and it's his show, after all...I find it hard to believe there was no heads up.

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Most people go through life dreading they'll have a traumatic experience. Freaks were born with their trauma. They've already passed their test in life. They're aristocrats. - Diane Arbus
PESSIMISM, n. A philosophy forced upon the convictions of the observer by the disheartening prevalence of the optimist with his scarecrow hope and his unsightly smile. - Ambrose Bierce

Pacifier

Bah, I think the Jurys reaction is somewhat staged. They hat the same, from "Oh, so you worthless scum think you can think" to "OMG, you can really sing" reaction when Paul Potts was there. Either those arrogant pricks haven't learned or it is staged.

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little_tippler

I find it a little annoying to see that people don't think a person can have a good voice and sing really well because of her appearance. I would not be so cynical just because of the way someone looks.

I didn't find this woman particularly surprising, she sings beautifully but her voice does not have that special quality like some others who have amazed audiences in these shows, such as Paul Potts (far superior than this performance I'd say) or Leona Lewis (but of course, she's beautiful, so it's not news).

What I mean is, while she has a great voice, she sang it similarly to the way many other great singers might, and the voice wasn't out of this world. Maybe she could have chosen a better song.

She was on the evening news here, just because omg this rather odd looking lady can sing really well - how impossible . Paul Pott is far more amazing to me because he not only has a great voice, it also has a special timbre that others do not. That is what I find breath-taking, not the fact that someone who doesn't have classic good looks can sing well.

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Whether we write or speak or do but look
We are ever unapparent. What we are
Cannot be transfused into word or book.
Our soul from us is infinitely far.
However much we give our thoughts the will
To be our soul and gesture it abroad,
Our hearts are incommunicable still.
In what we show ourselves we are ignored.
The abyss from soul to soul cannot be bridged
By any skill of thought or trick of seeming.
Unto our very selves we are abridged
When we would utter to our thought our being.
We are our dreams of ourselves, souls by gleams,
And each to each other dreams of others' dreams.

Fernando Pessoa, 1918

Eweser

I think what surprised me most was how different her singing voice is from her speaking voice.

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"Whoever wrote this episode should die!"

mixedmedia

Well, I'm glad that you said it first, tippler, because I was not blown away by her voice, either. She sings well, but not spectacularly. Plus, many, many 'unattractive' people have become famous for having great singing voices in the past. It is only fairly recently that it has become odd to see someone on television exhibiting talent that doesn't look like they just walked out of a pretty machine.

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Most people go through life dreading they'll have a traumatic experience. Freaks were born with their trauma. They've already passed their test in life. They're aristocrats. - Diane Arbus
PESSIMISM, n. A philosophy forced upon the convictions of the observer by the disheartening prevalence of the optimist with his scarecrow hope and his unsightly smile. - Ambrose Bierce

SecretMethod70

little_tippler, you beat me to it. Maybe it's because I've spent the majority of my life singing and being around singers, but I just can't find this video all that amazing.

Don't get me wrong: I appreciate the fact that 1) she's unattractive, 2) people judged her because she was unattractive, and 3) she proved them wrong. I think it's great that she did that.

I guess my main issue is that I find it outrageous that we've reached a point where people are honestly surprised that an unattractive person can sing. In that sense, this video may have just about destroyed my hopes for the return to a respectable music industry.

On to Susan Boyle's specific talent: she's absolutely better than 98% of the people who get on these shows. In that sense, she deserves the recognition, and while I don't think it will be a lasting change, maybe she can get people to rethink linking beauty and musical talent for at least a brief moment in time.

But she's no Elaine Page (as a caveat: I've only heard one performance from each ). The really unfortunate thing from my perspective is that maybe she could have been - vocally at least - if she had had training when she was younger. Her singing isn't particularly dynamic, and she really needs to work on her support, which would help a lot with her intonation.

I don't say this to rain on anyone's parade here. Like I said, she's better than most of the people who get on these sorts of shows. While I'm saddened that the point even needed to be made, she also proved that unattractive people can just as easily have musical talent. Furthermore, from what I understand she has never had vocal training.

I just think it's important to keep things in perspective. She may be good, but it shows that she's never had vocal training. I'm glad she proved Simon Cowell wrong too, but that says less about her talent than it does about how much of a greedy music industry asshole Simon Cowell is. And the really unfortunate part is that at her age she's probably built up so many bad habits due to lack of training that it will be very difficult to overcome them even if she finally gets the training she deserves.

Despite all that, I hope she has great success in the future. I'm much more concerned about people linking beauty to musical talent than I am about people not recognizing poor support and intonation. I don't think she can undo years of damage by a music industry more focused on marketing than talent, but I can only hope that she's successful enough to make a dent. She certainly deserves the success more than Britney Spears:

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mixedmedia

good god...is that for real?
I have been trying for a year or more to explain to my 10-year old the processing of voices through modern production (ie, control) methods and lip-synching, but she doesn't believe me. I cannot wait to finally dash her fragile schoolgirl illusions with this video when she gets home from school.

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Most people go through life dreading they'll have a traumatic experience. Freaks were born with their trauma. They've already passed their test in life. They're aristocrats. - Diane Arbus
PESSIMISM, n. A philosophy forced upon the convictions of the observer by the disheartening prevalence of the optimist with his scarecrow hope and his unsightly smile. - Ambrose Bierce

genuinegirly

Agreed.

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Iliftrocks

Hooray for her. I was moved personally.

I do think Simon is given a bad rap though. As far as I can tell, he is just a voice of reason, and his advice is usually spot on, for what it is. He's trying to find someone with the right sound and look to be a "pop" star. If you don't have what it takes, then someone blowing smoke up your ass isn't going to help you in the long run. Sure he's harsh, but so is life. As far as I know, cause I don't watch any of his shows any more, he gives praise where it's due.

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ring

The palpable wave of electric love energy, that swept over the audience,
as she began to sing,
was visible.

I know these shows feed off belittling and cynicism,
that is the draw, the hook.

I drank of the gift,
and the tears that I let flow freely,
cleansed my jaded lenses.

Strange Famous

I wouldnt watch any show with Piers Moron on principle.

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"Do not tell lies, and do not do what you hate,
for all things are plain in the sight of Heaven. For nothing
hidden will not become manifest, and nothing covered will remain
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JamesB

Wow ... good for her !! That was quite something !!

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lostgirl

I was impressed, and not just cause she didn't look like she could. I come from a musical family, and I know better. It was more the fact that she changed the hearts and minds of a lot of people. It was not only the reaction of Simon, but the whole crowd. I saw the looks of disgust that turned into awe after she began to sing. Not the most amazing voice, but she has amazing natural talent.

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World's King

She is my new fav person...

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QuasiMondo

That's because behind every Susan Boyle is a Bill Hung

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Strange Famous

She's a good singer sure - but I think it isnt THAT amazing that someone isnt great looking but can sing pretty well.

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"Do not tell lies, and do not do what you hate,
for all things are plain in the sight of Heaven. For nothing
hidden will not become manifest, and nothing covered will remain
without being uncovered."

The Gospel of Thomas

silent_jay

Agreed, he really is an annoying bastard, too bad Clarkson wouldn't have punched him harder, may have done enough damage to get him off telly.

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Absence makes the heart grow fonder

little_tippler

SecretMethod70, if that Britney clip is true, I am shocked. I imagined that she wouldn't be as good live as she is on a recording. But that is....appalling.

Which brings me to another interesting topic, which is that a lot of singers who sound great on a recording, just can't cut it live. There are many. Since playing live gigs myself and understanding just how hard it is to stay in tune and keep the balance of your voice just right over a loud crowd and the music blasting (because you can hardly hear yourself in these situations), I have come to appreciate excellent live performers all the more.

Whenever I go to a show these days I can't help but be disappointed if a band or musician I particularly like can't cut it live. It's a make or break thing for me most times.

Britney has no excuse. Whereas bands and musicians playing small gigs often don't have the benefit of monitors to hear what they sound like, Britney is sure to have one in her ear...I know I couldn't live with sucking that badly live...I'd surely quit.

/end threadjack

__________________
Whether we write or speak or do but look
We are ever unapparent. What we are
Cannot be transfused into word or book.
Our soul from us is infinitely far.
However much we give our thoughts the will
To be our soul and gesture it abroad,
Our hearts are incommunicable still.
In what we show ourselves we are ignored.
The abyss from soul to soul cannot be bridged
By any skill of thought or trick of seeming.
Unto our very selves we are abridged
When we would utter to our thought our being.
We are our dreams of ourselves, souls by gleams,
And each to each other dreams of others' dreams.

Fernando Pessoa, 1918

SecretMethod70

To be fair, it's extremely difficult to sing properly while performing a very physical show like Britney Spears does. Nonetheless, there are ballads in that video which she should have a much easier time singing, even if she's still catching her breath. I know what it's like to dance and sing (ugh, showchoir), and while I wouldn't expect her to sound great, she shouldn't sound that bad.

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Le temps détruit tout

"Musicians are the carriers and communicators of spirit in the most immediate sense." - Kurt Elling

ngdawg

She allegedly recorded a CD 10 years ago that got only 1,000 prints.
Click for recording

In a NY Daily News article earlier this week, Boyle said she'd lived in her mother's house with her mother all her life until the older woman's death two years ago, but always had wanted to be a singer. I think that about sums it up.....

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Don't blame me. I didn't vote for either of'em.

percy

Regarding the Britney recording,...the audience isn't hearing what we are hearing. Britney sings to a soundtrack that is being pumped into her ears so she can sing along. What you are hearing is only supposed to be what she is hearing in her headset along with the track.

But this is entertainment. Don't be surprised,..Janet does it, Beyonce does it, Rhianna does it. Hell years ago ZZ TOP did it, not with vocals but with their instruments.

Aside,..Susan Boyle deserves all the adulation she receives. Whether she is great, good or even mediocre it doesn't matter. Music is subjective. Some of the greatest music critics in the world are legends in their own minds, musically speaking and never had the talent or luck to make it. That's why they write,...and don't perform.

onodrim

Ah, I've always loved that Britney compliation But to to be fair, as others have stated, she was dancing a lot, and that was never intended to be heard. Plus I doubt most people ever took her very seriously as a singer, as opposed to a performer.

Anyway, this Susan Boyle explosion has been on my nerves since it began, and I'm glad to see I'm not alone! Yes, it was an inspiring performance, and I absolutely applaud her for her courage. People have every right to be moved by what she did, I don't have a problem with that. Her singing was by no means bad at all, but frankly, it's really only basically good. Everytime I see comments about how "amazing" she is, and the "best voice ever," I have to wonder if the only singing those people have ever heard is the latest top 40 hit on the radio. She has a very generic sound that most talented high school/college performers could replicate. She's very out of tune and has little sustaining power. I'm not saying it to be mean, it's just that technically she's not that good at all, and the vast majority of professional singers are considerably better.

Again, I'm perfectly happy for her and what she's achieved. If you enjoy listening to her sing, that's fine! It's just incredibly frustrating as a classically trained singer with many friends who do music professionally to be bombarbed by "isn't she the most amazing incredible vocalist you've ever heard!" Well no, I hear better when people are marking and half assing their way through opera rehearsal.

/end rant

Oh, and on the whole physical appearance issue, I find a rather strange disconnect between vocal and instrumental music. If an average looking person got up there and gave a stunning performance of a cello concerto for example, no one would be talking about "omg, that ugly person can play the cello so well!" Why is it so different when the instrument just happens to be the voice?

Nisses

I hear so many "don't judge a book by it's cover" remarks, here, and other fora I read with threads about Susan Boyle.

They're judging how good she sang compared to how ugly she looked in their opinion from the start.
I find it somewhat funny that an adage is called for and the unconsciously the exact opposite is done.


I do agree that she deserves to pass into the next round, she's definitly more than able. But if you don't look at the first part, and just listen to the music, you'll not be swept away quite as much as you think you are right now. There was a group of dancers in that same episode that showed something at least equally inspiring (if that Simon character is any measure: he actually jumped to his feet to applaud at the end - staged as it may be)

Their name was Flawless if anybody is interested.



I like irony where I see it, and the fact of the matter is, she's getting this level of attention because she's unattractive and a "small-town" person, where all the media today are pushing the slim, attractive, urban type.

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Psycho Dad

I don't know that I was judging a book by it's cover, although I can see how many have. Not being familiar with the show, I assumed it a UK version of American Idol and her voice and behavior before singing caused everyone to think she was going to be fodder for Simon's ridicule.

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Don't always trust the opinions of experts.

Strange Famous

You know that "American Idol" is an American version of Pop Idol?

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"Do not tell lies, and do not do what you hate,
for all things are plain in the sight of Heaven. For nothing
hidden will not become manifest, and nothing covered will remain
without being uncovered."

The Gospel of Thomas

Psycho Dad

I barely watch enough TV anymore to recognize the difference in Gilligan's Island and Survivor let alone know what Pop Idol or Britain has Talent is.

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Don't always trust the opinions of experts.

roachboy

that american idol and their ilk are popcult phenomena mystifies me: having people do covers of appallingly bad pop songs and then be subjected to the judgment of a panel of idiots seems abject. that american idol is in a position to launch careers is so strange...

i sometimes wonder if the concept behind the show was a joke at some level--we can sell people anything--anything at all---and we'll show you that this is the case. yes yes, it's all shit--but people like eating it. here, just watch.


that said, it's interesting at the same time...the ability to pull off versions of appallingly bad pop songs on television is itself an ability, and it's more difficult than it appears---try to do it yourself, particularly if you're not tempermentally inclined to do that sort of thing, and you'll run straight into how difficult it can be. so the show is creepy bad, but through it performers who are able to do, and do well, a skillset that is not obvious and not easy get exposure. so why not? it's the case that there's no requirement that everybody like everything. if there's a stratum of pop music that these folk can get streamed into and as a result they get to live out a period that otherwise would have remained a fantasy for them, where's the down side?

i'm not particularly impressed with susan boyle's voice, but the phenomenon that's been generated by this clip is kinda interesting.

one thing i am more sure of is that it makes little sense to apply standards that obtain in one form to those which obtain in another---what constitutes a "real" vocalist? it varies by form, yes? an operatic singer would approach his or her work in a way that would make them cartoons as singer for a punk band, yes?

i feel terribly andy warhol today.

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spinning dog. such faithfulness it hear

it make you sick.

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Baraka_Guru

Wait--are you suggesting these shows are merely glorified and over-structured karaoke?

__________________
Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing?
—Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön

Humankind cannot bear very much reality.
—From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot