Re: New Diamanda

[larry@csccat.cs.com (Larry Spence)]

In article <65153@apple.Apple.COM> kyrlidis@athena.mit.edu (Angelos Kyrlidis) writes:
>
>In article <65124@apple.Apple.COM> saurav@tgevax.life.uiuc.edu (Saurav Misra) writes:
>>Any feedback on the new Diamanda Galas? The CD pic makes her look downright,
>>uh...marketable.

I thought so, too, until I saw the tattoos on her fingers that read "We Are All
HIV+".

>Since my very local music store seems unable to carry Tori Amos for one reason
>or another, I decided  to buy the new Diamanda Galas instead.

That's great!  Sorry, there are no plans to release a Galas cover of "Smells
Like Teen Spirit" at this point. %) 

>Not having heard anything from her
>before all I can say is SCARY STUFF. Her voice is all over the place. Her piano
>playing is very interesting.

I like the new Diamanda; it's mainly covers of tunes by Screamin' Jay Hawkins,
Willie Dixon, etc.  All of the songs have some sort of relevance to the AIDS 
epidemic, e.g., "Please See That My Grave Is Kept Clean."  Sounds "live in the 
studio" -- aside from a little bit of echo effects every now and then, it's 
just Ms. Galas accompanying herself on piano or organ.  More singing, and less 
screaming/demonic-voices-stuff than what you might expect after the last disc.  

So it's a lot less bizarre in a way than stuff like "Wild Women With Steak
Knives," but has more impact because there's not much to distract you from
the lyrics and raw delivery.  If you liked her previous stuff, you may like
this; if you didn't like what you heard before, this probably isn't nearly 
accessible enough to change your mind.  (It's not clear whether Angelos liked 
it or ran screaming for something relatively soothing, like a Happy Rhodes CD 
%) ).

Last week, I was playing the new Galas at moderately high volume as I was
getting ready to leave for work.  The front door was open.  I thought I saw
a shadow from the front door, as if someone were standing outside.  I went
to the door and saw the postwoman standing there with a look of utter shock
on her face!  I walked to the door and she looked puzzled.  I said hi, and
she stuttered something about "oh, uh, I, I thought that was _you_ singing."
%)

Does anyone have a list of Galas tour dates?  I've seen a couple mentioned,
but no one seems to know whether she's going to appear in Dallas.  Help!

-- 
Larry Spence
larry@csccat.cs.com
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