Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site water.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!watnot!water!gtenti From: gtenti@water.UUCP (G. Tenti) Newsgroups: net.music Subject: Re: Jane Siberry Message-ID: <756@water.UUCP> Date: Tue, 6-Aug-85 16:54:41 EDT Article-I.D.: water.756 Posted: Tue Aug 6 16:54:41 1985 Date-Received: Wed, 7-Aug-85 23:32:35 EDT References: <529@neuro1.UUCP> <16073@watmath.UUCP> Organization: U of Waterloo, Ontario Lines: 47 > >Jane comes from Canada and has this record produced at Windham Hill. > She hangs out in Toronto (not sure of her origins, but it may very > well be T.O.) This is useless trivia but she comes from the somewhat frightening land of Guelph (just outside T.O.) > >I strongly suggest if you like music in the same vein as > >Bruce Cockburn, Joanie Mitchell, and the like, that you check this out. > > Well, I think that's pushing it a little bit. Those artists are > typically thought of as something close to "folk". I think that > Jane Siberry is more experimental (though not too far out) and perhaps > a more modern feeling? But if you're alluding to the importance of > the vocals, I think you may have a point. The vocals are quite > central to the sound of the tunes and I think that Siberry sings > very well, at least for the style of music. > Jane Siberry in widely considered to be a major part of the folk-rock movement. I would put her somewhere in between modern Bruce Cockburn and Suzanne Vega. In fact her voice is quite similar to the latter's although her instrumentals are more complex. Experimental is a good euphemism for this in many cases but in the case of Symmetry, Top of the World, and especially Mimi on the Beach, the arrangements are quite brilliant. Though most of my friends like Symmetry better for it's combination of blending simple lyrics with subtle arrangements, I enjoy Mimi on the Beach the most. Besides being one of the better engineered and produced songs I've heard, I find the constantly varying drumming, and subtle use of the synthesiser put behind her emotional vocals create a totally original and beautiful piece of music that far surpasses any music by Suzanne Vega. I've played this song for many people and they all agree that the 8 minute song seems only 3 or 4 minutes long because of the contantly varying instrumentals hovering around the same theme and for the penetrating emotions brought forth. Despite this I would still only recommend the album "No Borders Here" for those with experimental tastes since many of the other tracks can be only described as strange (though not appalling) at best. Come to think of it a lot of her stuff reminds me of Laurie Anderson with instrumental backup. "This is not a locker room, And that's a surfboard, not a yacht" - Jane Siberry --- Fozzie.