good opinion, ay?

[Mike Mendelson <MJM@ZYLAB.MHS.CompuServe.COM>]

Andrea spouts the first *reasonable* opinion re: Prince et. al. on KTVII:
> Personally, if I didn't KNOW it was him, I would NEVER know it was him. 

> So, it is quite possible that Prince's footprint on Kate's album will
> only be exactly where she wanted it.
>
> I think it would be the ultimate mark of a good producer to be able to
> add one's talent without adding one's personal style to someone else's
> work.

Yes, yes, yes.... this is exactly what I had been thinking.
Let us note that in the past when other artists have collaborated with
Kate on a Kate album, they certainly have not:

     1) Written or co-written any of the songs.
     2) Contributed their (existing songs) for Kate to cover.
     3) Sang *lead* vocals (even on Rockets Tail, Kate is still lead).
     4) Significantly changed or de-kateified any of the music.

Sure, the Bulgarians *influenced* Kate and she *wrote in* some parts
especially for them.  But think about all the other well-known or
almost-famous people who have contributed in some way to a Kate work.
Their contributions have been *very* subtle and altogether inconspicuous
relative to the vast Kateness in whose midst they are but specks of
dust.

So even if a hugely un-gaffa-sanctionable persona like, say, Billy
Ray Cyrus, or Egghead Newburger, or John Camp Cougarmellon (warning
some of the aforementioned names *may* be fictitious) were to altogether
unexpectedly be invited to collaborate with Notre Dame de Grace
(and it would still be *interesting*, right?) KT is *not* going to
lose her thang.  Moreover, given the not just undeniable (IMO) but
downright *world-class* talent of literally any even vaguely known
artist who has ever collaborated with Kate -- and Clapton, Beck,
and Mr. Purple *surely* fit this mode even if you are violently anti-rock
'n' roll or something bizarre like that -- there is little to no
worry in this lovehound's mind that the result will be nothing short
of Kateworthy *and* unobtrusively so.

-mjm