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Post by martindn on Nov 26, 2008 23:03:01 GMT
Well, I suppose as always, it is in the ear of the listener. If what we are talking about is singers expressing emotion through body language, then Hayley does not leap about and grimace as much as some. I always have to remember that most people's take on entertainment is much more visual than mine. So perhaps a Janis Joplin like performance is what they would call "emotional"
But for me, Hayley is much more subtle. The sound of her voice thrilled me the first time |I heard it, and still does. She has induced more tears in me than any other singer I'm sure. Something magical happens at her performances, and I suppose you either pick up on it or you don't.
It would be interesting to know which singers are prefered by those who criticise Hayley.
I have always felt that there are many different ways of listening to music, and they all have to be learnt. If you take the trouble to learn how to listen to just about any music, I think you can learn to appreciate it. I never bothered with jazz, but just about anything else I think I can get to grips with, and that includes some seriously eclectic stuff, like Yes for example. You don't get your brain round that without listening to it a good few times, and most don't bother.
But for me, Hayley's appeal was instant and very powerful. But I suppose it takes all sorts! I should not assume that because I like something that everyone else will too!
Martin
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Post by grant on Nov 27, 2008 0:20:20 GMT
But for me, Hayley's appeal was instant and very powerful. But I suppose it takes all sorts! I should not assume that because I like something that everyone else will too! It was the same for me Martin, and it would be a very strange world if everyone in it like the same things. Having said that, I do wonder sometimes how people interpret what they are listening to. If they don't feel emotion themselves, how can they see it or hear it in someone they're listening to? Emotion is very real for me in my everyday life and I can easily choke up at a particularly moving news item on TV, so it comes as no surprise that I can see and feel the emotion that Hayley generates when she sings. Maybe it is subtle, but I've heard many songs that Hayley sings, sung by other people, often with very different arrangements and rarely do they work for me. And yes, I know I'm going to be accused of being biased, but it's more than that, it's as if Hayley is singing in a language that I understand whilst others leave me wondering "What's that all about?" Hayley has said many times that she has to get the 'feel' for a song that she is going to sing and in doing that she makes it real. How can you avoid thinking of Venice, gondolas and fun when Hayley sings "Santa Lucia"? or the children in the woods when she sings "Prayer"? That's real emotion for me. Best wishes Grant |
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Post by roger on Nov 27, 2008 0:33:12 GMT
How can you avoid thinking of Vienna, gondolas and fun when Hayley sings "Santa Lucia"? It never made me think of Vienna. Venice, yes but Vienna's got no chance!  Roger  |
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Post by grant on Nov 27, 2008 0:50:01 GMT
How can you avoid thinking of Vienna, gondolas and fun when Hayley sings "Santa Lucia"? It never made me think of Vienna. Venice, yes but Vienna's got no chance! Roger Ah! but not many people know about the gondolas in Vienna :je but just for you Roger, I've edited my post to read Venice. But next time you're in Vienna .......  Best wishes Grant |
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Post by roger on Nov 27, 2008 0:59:03 GMT
Well, I'm not editing mine, so there! I suppose it could have been worse, folks. He might have said Vladivostok! Roger PS. Er, Richard? Can we say "Vladivostok" on the forum?  |
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Post by milewalker on Nov 27, 2008 1:09:52 GMT
Hi Martindn, I think that some of the problem is simply the curse of the crossover singer. Most of what Hayley does has been notably done by someone else, or in the case of the arias and most of the sacred pieces, by many someones. As a consequence, I suspect that most people who discover Hayley on places like You Tube via links from other videos simply prefer the version of the song they are most familar with, and are inclined to deduct points from Hayley for that reason. There is no really objective way to express this, so they define it in vague and subjective terms like a lack of color, or expressiveness. This is perhaps more intense with those who consider themselves musically sophisticate - like reviewers with a classical music bent. I dont think that "body language" has much to do with it really - I have never understood why some people associate female crossover singers - especially when they are young - with boy sopranos, but they do. Frankly I never understood the appeal of boy sopranos either  .....but my limited understanding tells me that part of the appeal is that they are sort of a plain vanilla sound - as though their voices are clean blank slates which havent been written upon. I could be off-base, but I rather suspect that it isnt too much of a leap to go from there to "emotion-free" ----------------- Waltzing off topic Roger and Grant, did you hear about the deer hunter? His favorite place and time of year was venison in the springtime. Oh.... If it does turn out that we cant say "vladivostok" I think Vienna a real pickle..... Jon |
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Post by Richard on Nov 27, 2008 8:54:01 GMT
Hello everybody! You can say 'Vladivostok' as long as I mention the Amur River, which is somewhere in the region of Siberia. I'll only be going there in my dreams! i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gifThe things I have to do to keep these threads on topic...  Richard |
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Post by martindn on Nov 27, 2008 20:08:27 GMT
Hi all,
And I thought that song (Santa Lucia) was from Naples!!
But I suppose Northampton will do, if you want a greative way ro spell it Grant. After all, that's the last place I (and I suspect you) heard Hayley sing it!
Gondolas on the RIVER Nene! In you DREAMS (I can do it too Richard).
Martin
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Post by Dean McCarten on Dec 1, 2008 12:22:01 GMT
My copy of NZ RoD has just arrived....
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Post by Dean McCarten on Dec 2, 2008 9:25:49 GMT
Majesty is a fantastic track... Well done Hayley  |
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Post by Belinda on Dec 5, 2008 13:34:24 GMT
Hayley's cd features on the ad for the CD DVD store in NZ
with footage for some of the songs eg Pokarekare ana her walking on the beach.
I think the song it starts with is RIver of Dreams (of Course)
Will see if i can catch it again
Belinda
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Post by nicola on Dec 17, 2008 19:18:43 GMT
Anyone that remembers my earlier posts will recall that I was one of Hayley's critics saying that she conveyed zero emotion. To a certain extent, I still believe this, but hearing her on recording and hearing her live are two very different experiences. I think there is emotion in Hayley's performances, but it is very, very subtle. I can hear it clear as day when I see her live, but she comes across as bland and bored in recordings. People responded to me saying about the constant interruptions whilst recording, but many other artists do this and do not seem effected. I'm not really a critic of hers anymore - I just take her for what she is, but most importantly, what I hear in her very much depends on me, and not on her. Sometimes I hear something, sometimes I don't. I simply think that she's just not as obvious as other singers are. I think she takes some LISTENING to rather than simply hearing her. EDIT: Forgot to comment on the album. I have it now. There is only one song on there that I didn't have so I don't really have anything to say about it. It just makes me wish she was in the UK and that I could go and see her as soon as possible.  |
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Post by Oksana on Dec 21, 2008 22:37:54 GMT
Hi everyone... this is just a really brief note -- I know I've been absent for a while, but it's been for justifiable reasons! I haven't read all of this thread, so I hope I won't be repeating anything that's already been said. Anyways, I was just working on a big Statistics project (one of the many things keeping me from HWI  ) and listening to Last.fm online radio, when Hayley's 'Majesty' came up. It stopped me dead in my tracks. It was certainly one of the most beautiful things I have heard from her -- I love the unaccompanied, intimate feel of the first verse, and the "layered" effect of the chorus. This style definitely suits Hayley and shows her ability to convey not just one, but many, emotions within one song: the track goes from serene and peaceful to vibrant and joyful, so leading the listener through a range of feelings. I absolutely love it! A tip for members who haven't had a chance to listen to the track: if you want to hear Majesty for free (and completely legally -- Last.fm is owned by CBS, a big American television company), make a Last.fm account and add Majesty to your library. After a few days of listening to the radio (the suggested songs aren't always great, but you can skip as much as you like), it should come up. And, trust me, it's well worth it! Without getting this thread too off topic, I'll just say that I will not be on HWI before February... I'm trying to get an entrance scholarship to a certain university, so I'm tripling all my efforts in my schoolwork to raise my average. I just thought I'd drop by and do a little "gushing" over my new favorite Hayley song! Now, back to math.  Love, Oksy |
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Post by martindn on Dec 21, 2008 23:15:46 GMT
Hi Oksy,
Well I for one agree with you. Majesty is absolutely wonderful, and is being kept away from most of the world. Those who are not dedicated fans of Hayley, and live outside NZ will probably never get to hear it. As with this, and HSJS, Hayley saves her best for her fans, and much as we love her for thinking of us first, it is not doing the best that could be done for her career in my humble opinion. She seems to make lots of fabulous music that most people for some unaccountable reason are not allowed to hear. This is a long standing gripe of mine, and is I understand from Hayley herself, down to her record company and outside of Hayley's control. This is a pity, they should be shouting about Hayley's best work from the rooftops, not letting her work herself into the ground and ignoring most of what she does by making her do it differently in every country. And Majesty, despite its perhaps controversial Christian message, is very beautiful. And if others can get away with promoting overtly atheist songs, why can t Hayley sing Christian ones? The Devil does not necessarily have all the best tunes, but he does seem to have all the best promotion!
Martin
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Post by comet on Dec 21, 2008 23:37:54 GMT
I suppose the easy answer is Hayley sings Majesty live at a concert and one of us lifts a camera and "Bob's yer Uncle" it's up on YouTube Instant worldwide visibility Is'nt the internet wonderful,  if you know how to use it !
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.....but my limited understanding tells me that part of the appeal is that they are sort of a plain vanilla sound - as though their voices are clean blank slates which havent been written upon. I could be off-base, but I rather suspect that it isnt too much of a leap to go from there to "emotion-free"
) and listening to Last.fm online radio, when Hayley's 'Majesty' came up. It stopped me dead in my tracks. It was certainly one of the most beautiful things I have heard from her -- I love the unaccompanied, intimate feel of the first verse, and the "layered" effect of the chorus. This style definitely suits Hayley and shows her ability to convey not just one, but many, emotions within one song: the track goes from serene and peaceful to vibrant and joyful, so leading the listener through a range of feelings. I absolutely love it! 
if you know how to use it !