5knights3maidens Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 I thought Aretha Franklin's singing was horrendous! There I said it. My children were cringing at the sound. :auto: Trying to get away from here as fast as I can! :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BMW Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 I agree. It bothered me. I didn't sound like quality vocals. Also ducking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnTheBrink Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 She had a neat hat, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in FL Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 I agree. I usually like her, but thought she did very poorly today. And I didn't like her hat. Melissa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 I was surprised she didn't let loose more. Actually, I hardly heard her as I was drooling over the HAT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ria Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 LOL. She's the queen in my book! I will never, ever tire or hearing that woman sing. Ria Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unicorn. Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 I thought Aretha Franklin's singing was horrendous! There I said it. My children were cringing at the sound. :auto: Trying to get away from here as fast as I can! :lol: :iagree::iagree::iagree::iagree: I just posted something similar in another thread. That is not what I want my dc to think when they hear Aretha's name, or the title "My Country tis of Thee". Oh, well, even the "Queen" has an off day once in a while. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remudamom Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 Everyone has a bad day. Perhaps they didn't budget enough to pay her well? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tami Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 I think she's lost her voice, unfortunately. LOVED the hat. She still rocks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 I loved the changeups in the words. I loved her voice and spirit. And I love it that she can sing at all in 27 degree weather. I certainly can't. I can't imagine a better person to sing there, or a more fitting song for the occasion. I would have preferred a little more Maya Angelou, though. Didn't care for the poem at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beansprouts Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 I think Aretha Franklin is a legend, but she did seem to be having trouble today. At one point she cut off a note as if she had lost her voice. Maybe she was sick? Even at her worst she is far better than I will ever be! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beansprouts Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 I loved the changeups in the words. I loved her voice and spirit. And I love it that she can sing at all in 27 degree weather. I certainly can't. Yes, that too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lionfamily1999 Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 She might have been a wee bit emotional... I didn't think she sounded her greatest, but at the same time............. (ducking) I'm one of those people that dislike grandstanding during the singing of patriotic songs (see also the Nat'l Anthem). She sounded like she was trying to be somber (till the end), not something her voice is used to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1bassoon Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 Singing to a recording in 27 degree weather is quite a trick - I thought she did fairly well, all things considered. You know who DID impress me? The quartet: Yo Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, and the clarinet & piano. HOW did they DO that? It was freezing! I mean, I think the clarinet had a latex barrel to help with the pitch, but for the life of me I don't know how the piano stayed in tune and they matched pitch. Cold does nasty, nasty things to wood instruments. The area they were playing in must have had some kind of heat source - if you watched Yo Yo Ma, he was clearly having a great time! Plus - John Williams' arrangement of Simple Gifts was just - well - dazzling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DB in NJ Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 I agree. The most entertaining part of her performance was the hat. Just sayin'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beansprouts Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 Singing to a recording in 27 degree weather is quite a trick - I thought she did fairly well, all things considered. You know who DID impress me? The quartet: Yo Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, and the clarinet & piano. HOW did they DO that? It was freezing! I mean, I think the clarinet had a latex barrel to help with the pitch, but for the life of me I don't know how the piano stayed in tune and they matched pitch. Cold does nasty, nasty things to wood instruments. The area they were playing in must have had some kind of heat source - if you watched Yo Yo Ma, he was clearly having a great time! Plus - John Williams' arrangement of Simple Gifts was just - well - dazzling. String instruments can be tempermental under the wrong weather conditions. I thought they all played beautifully. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nakia Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 :svengo: I cannot believe you even typed that. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laylamcb Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 Aretha I could handle. The poem? Blech. Hated it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cillakat Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 It was pretty darn cold. I'm suprised anything sounded good (ie yo-yo ma, pearlman etc). So Aretha had a bad day;p Oh, I really really didn't like her hat. :) Katherine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beansprouts Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 Aretha I could handle. The poem? Blech. Hated it. :iagree: Certainly with $150 million they could afford better talent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacy in NJ Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 Did you watch any of the other entertainers yesterday? Awful, really awful. John Mellancamp, Marh J. Blige, Will.i.am.; a bunch of second rate, washed up "artists". While I can appreciate that type of pop cultural thing in other contexts, it was painful to watch their terrrible caterwhauling in front of the Lincoln Memorial the day before innaguration. Is that the best we've got? Really???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JVA Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 I would say Ms. Franklin was asked to sing because of her history and persona as well as her past successes. She is past her prime but embodies many things. We're musicians in our household and you should have heard the caterwalling about her version of the song and comments about the 'weathervane' of a hat. She made it interesting, I have to say We loved the QUARTET!! Excellent musicianship! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tree House Academy Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 I am going to suggest you attempt singing with full voice in a crowd of over two million people in the background (translate - noise) and temperatures below 30 degrees Fahrenheit with wind gusts up to 13 mph and see how you fare. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebecca in GA Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 The...poem...was...so...stilted... All I could think about was William Shatner. I'll probably enjoy reading it more than having it read. I liked Aretha AND her hat. :) Simple Gifts was incredible, and I loved how all the musicians were enjoying themselves. It's a shame, though, that they couldn't set it up where the new First Family didn't have to turn around backwards to see them. Awkward. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebecca in GA Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 Did you watch any of the other entertainers yesterday? Awful, really awful. John Mellancamp, Marh J. Blige, Will.i.am.; a bunch of second rate, washed up "artists". While I can appreciate that type of pop cultural thing in other contexts, it was painful to watch their terrrible caterwhauling in front of the Lincoln Memorial the day before innaguration. Is that the best we've got? Really???? Mary J. Blige and John Mellencamp are washed up? Dang, I must be gettin' old. :001_huh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacy in NJ Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 Mary J. Blige and John Mellencamp are washed up? Dang, I must be gettin' old. :001_huh: It could have been worse, I guess. It could have been The Rolling Stones and Janet Jackson. :tongue_smilie: Or, Jon Bon Jove and Britney Spears. Or, any other tacky Super Bowl rejects. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ereks mom Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 EK thought it was awful, and couldn't believe the woman she was watching was a famous singer. We loved her hat though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirty ethel rackham Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 lol William Shatner ;D. too funny. I really did not enjoy the poem, mostly because of the reading. I did love the quartet. Simple Gifts is one of my favorite hymns. I love the Raffi version all the way through the Aaron Copeland version. It was beautiful. I liked Aretha - failing voice and all. I agree that she didnt' sound her best, but I appreciated what she represented. I loved the hat. It suited her larger than life persona. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muffinmom Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 I've heard that she always demands a warm room to sing in, that her voice doesn't work well in less than warm conditions (I'm talkin' uncomfortably warm), so you can imagine being in such cold dry weather was her worst nightmare. But how can you turn down such an opportunity? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Rat Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 Eek. I was wondering if someone was going to bring this up. I agree. It sounded like she was mumbling some lines there under the guise of some cool soul vocalizing. But, I just figured hey, she's getting up there in years and it's freezing out there and well, she still is the Queen of Soul and an absolute diva in my book. But I agree, it wasn't her best performance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
May Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 My family heard Aretha sing at the Capitol July 4th event in DC a few years back. It was awful. She forget the words to the song and was off key. She is past her prime but doesn't seem to realize it. I don't think the weather has anything to do with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MIch elle Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 I still think she's a great singer just not at her peak anymore. Women's prime singing time is in their 40's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoughCollie Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 I thought she sounded awful, and my son could not figure out why I had said she is a great singer. I am going to find her on You Tube so he can hear her sing at her peak. I loved her hat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaxMom Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 I dunno... maybe I just overlaid her voice in my head. She sounded pretty Aretha to me. Rick Warren, on the other hand, looked as if he was coming off a bender, the invocation itself seemed disjointed and the way he said "Malia and Sashaaaaa" seemed, uh, a little creepy. What was that about? Does anyone have a point of reference? He does not strike me as the type who is generally disheveled and seemingly unprepared. :001_huh: Oh, and yes, blech to the reading of the poem. Maybe it was the weather; people seemed to be having difficulty vocalizing all around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wendi Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 I had a hard time hearing her; she was drowned out by the instrumentals and backup vocals. Someone could have done better mixing the sound, to make her voice more prominent. I thought the song itself was good, and the arrangement (from what I could hear) sounded very good. But I couldn't understand/hear her well enough. Wendi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
homeschoolmomtutu Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 You know who DID impress me? The quartet: Yo Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, and the clarinet & piano. HOW did they DO that? It was freezing! I mean, I think the clarinet had a latex barrel to help with the pitch, but for the life of me I don't know how the piano stayed in tune and they matched pitch. Cold does nasty, nasty things to wood instruments. The area they were playing in must have had some kind of heat source - if you watched Yo Yo Ma, he was clearly having a great time! Plus - John Williams' arrangement of Simple Gifts was just - well - dazzling. You were right...;) (excerpt from: Live or Memorex ) ..."The temperature hovered around 30 for the ceremony on the Capitol steps, too cold for McGill's clarinet, Ma's cello or Perlman's violin to offer true pitch. But the cold played havoc with the piano, which can't hold tune below 55 degrees for more than two hours, Florman said. The group played at 11:43 a.m., and guests seated near them could hear them as well as the tape made two days earlier. Guests seated farther away, the crowds that thronged the National Mall, and the millions who watched around the world heard the taped version of Williams' piece." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gamom3 Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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