Re: Maxwell on KTB/"This Woman's Work"

[Robb McCaffree <nsrjm@mednet.ucla.edu>]

Llovich@aol.com wrote:
> 
> The following is an excerpt from an interview headlined "R&B's New Love Man
> Wants To Show Some Staying Power" By Gary Graff  that appeared on the Reuter
> newsline July 22:
> 
> ____________________________________
> 
> Maxwell agreed to do the "MTV Unplugged" session as a chance to re-arrange
> some of the "Urban Hang Suite" songs -- particularly a hot jam on "Gotta Get
> Closer" -- and to cover "This Woman's Work," a song by British songstress
> Kate Bush.
> 
> "I was trying to put together a song that represented my understanding, in
> some way, of what women represent and what they go through," explains
> Maxwell, who has received praise for his rendition from Bush.
> 
> "I think that's what 'This Woman's Work' represented. I couldn't have written
> a song like that because I'm not a woman, and an exceptional woman wrote it
> already. I just kind of took it."
> ___________________________________
> Quick questions on the above:
> 
> 1. When did Kate praise his rendition?
> 
> 2. Although it's kind that he called Kate "an exceptional woman," couldn't he
> have said "an exceptional songwriter" or performer or something?

Wow. I didn't see the MTV performance, but I certainly have a 
different experience with M's cover tune than Richard apparently 
did. I was just listening to it in the car and thinking how 
gorgeously produced it is for a live track...hell, for any 
track.

While I find his voice a bit syrupy, it is a man's voice, and I 
think he does a fine job with the song. The harp, the keyboards 
and the backing vocals are simple and simply beautiful. The few 
I talked to about it at Katemas were also impressed. Perhaps the 
visual impression he made alone ruined it for you?

To answer Llovich's questions (or not answer them, as it turns 
out):

1.) I don't know, but it was probably a private (non-published) 
response over the phone or through record company channels.

2.) I don't think he meant "exceptional woman" in his statement, 
but rather exceptional person. This, I think, is a far greater 
compliment than exceptional songwriter/performer/etc., as it 
means that he is impressed with her ability in these areas 
and more. He simply used the word woman because he was talking 
about a song written from a woman's point of view, by a woman 
who is exceptional. And that she is.


Robb