I'm not picking on her.Just saying,what do you think?????

sws626
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Tue May 31, 2011 6:33 pm

Another cover of "Sweet Home Alabama" is just about the last thing this world needs. Why anyone wants to listen to this anthem to bigotry, let alone sing it, is beyond my comprehension -- I say that as someone who was born and raised there. I can't think of a single line in that song that doesn't make me want to vomit. Jewel's version isn't any worse than the one that echoes from the pub down the street every weekend, but I can't believe she's ever thought about what she's singing.

I never really appreciated Donovan's talent until I heard this cover of "Sunshine Superman."

So I guess I'm just saying that it is a good thing Jewel writes her own music.


tovo
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Tue May 31, 2011 7:10 pm

sws626 wrote:
tovo wrote:
I gotta say that if you are a musician....and a professional one at that, and your biggest claim to fame is that people like to LOOK at you....things aren't going all that well.
Hi Tony,
My limited exposure to the industry suggests it works the other way around.
-Stuart
I guess you're right Stuart and I have nothing against pretty girls but I guess what I'm saying is that looking AND listening would be preferable.


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neverfoundthetime
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Wed Jun 01, 2011 2:36 pm

I was surprised to hear of Dennis and Stuart’s feelings about Sweet Home Alabama. The song is a real stomper and I’d always understood it to be tongue-in-cheek. The reference to Wallace I thought was against him and segregation. I didn’t think the reference to Watergate was an endorsement of Nixon’s actions. The reference to Neil Young is also not a hostile one…. Neil even sung the song himself! The only thing that ever puzzled me was the reference to Muscle Shoals.

But it is clear how offensive the song would be if you saw it as endorsing Wallace, segregation, Nixon etc. I was curious so I looked up what Wiki had to say:

"Sweet Home Alabama" is a song by Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd that first appeared in 1974 on their second album, Second Helping.
It reached #8 on the US charts in 1974, and was the band's second hit single.[1]
Controversy
"Sweet Home Alabama" was written as an answer to two songs, "Southern Man" and "Alabama" by Neil Young, which dealt with themes of racism and slavery in the American South. "We thought Neil was shooting all the ducks in order to kill one or two," said Ronnie Van Zant at the time.[2] The following extract shows the Neil Young mention in the song:
Well I heard mister Young sing about her
Well, I heard ole Neil put her down
Well, I hope Neil Young will remember
A Southern man don't need him around anyhow
Van Zant's other response was also controversial, with references to Alabama Governor George Wallace (a noted supporter of segregation) and the Watergate scandal:
In Birmingham, they love the governor (boo boo boo)
Now we all did what we could do
Now Watergate does not bother me
Does your conscience bother you?
Tell the truth
In 1975, Van Zant said: "The lyrics about the governor of Alabama were misunderstood. The general public didn't notice the words 'Boo! Boo! Boo!' after that particular line, and the media picked up only on the reference to the people loving the governor."[3] "The line 'We all did what we could do' is sort of ambiguous," Al Kooper notes. "'We tried to get Wallace out of there' is how I always thought of it."[3] Journalist Al Swenson argues that the song is more complex than it is sometimes given credit for, suggesting that it only looks like an endorsement of Wallace.[3] "Wallace and I have very little in common," Van Zant himself said, "I don't like what he says about colored people."[3]
Muscle Shoals
One verse of the song includes the line "Now Muscle Shoals has got the Swampers/And they've been known to pick a song or two." This refers to the town of Muscle Shoals, Alabama, a popular location for recording popular music due to the "sound" crafted by local recording studios and back-up musicians. "The Swampers" referred to in the lyrics are the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section. These musicians, who crafted the "Muscle Shoals Sound", were inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in 1995[4] for a "Lifework Award for Non-Performing Achievement" and into the Musician's Hall Of Fame in 2008 (the performers inducted into the latter were the four founding Swampers—Barry Beckett, Roger Hawkins, David Hood, Jimmy Johnson—plus Pete Carr, Clayton Ivey, Randy McCormack, Will McFarlane, and Spooner Oldham).[5][6] The nickname "The Swampers" was given to the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section by producer Denny Cordell during a recording session by singer/songwriter Leon Russell, in reference to their 'swampy' sound.
Part of the reference comes from the 1971–1972 demo reels that Lynyrd Skynyrd had recorded in Muscle Shoals with Johnson as a producer/recording engineer. Johnson helped refine many of the songs first heard publicly on the Pronounced album, and it was Van Zant's "tip of the hat" to Johnson for helping out the band in the early years and essentially giving the band its first break.
Lynyrd Skynyrd remains connected to Muscle Shoals, having since recorded a number of works in the city and making it a regular stop on their concert tours.


BigBear
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Thu Jun 02, 2011 12:28 am

Kevin- Candidly, I think that Jewel is such a talented singer-songwriter that she really doesn't need to cover other artist's songs, especially these two tunes which just don't seem right for her style. I come away not thinking about Jewel Kilcher-Murray but thinking of someone just covering some classic tunes. And not particularly inspirationally! :cheer:


thereshopeyet
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Thu Jun 02, 2011 8:36 pm

Thanks


BigBear
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Fri Jun 03, 2011 12:40 pm

tovo wrote:
I gotta say that if you are a musician....and a professional one at that, and your biggest claim to fame is that people like to LOOK at you....things aren't going all that well.

Tony- that may be true but I'll trade her paychecks any day of the week!!! LOL!! :silly:


thereshopeyet
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Fri Jun 03, 2011 3:59 pm

Thanks


sws626
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Sun Jun 05, 2011 6:45 am

neverfoundthetime wrote:
I was surprised to hear of Dennis and Stuart’s feelings about Sweet Home Alabama. The song is a real stomper and I’d always understood it to be tongue-in-cheek. The reference to Wallace I thought was against him and segregation. I didn’t think the reference to Watergate was an endorsement of Nixon’s actions. The reference to Neil Young is also not a hostile one…. Neil even sung the song himself! The only thing that ever puzzled me was the reference to Muscle Shoals.

But it is clear how offensive the song would be if you saw it as endorsing Wallace, segregation, Nixon etc. I was curious so I looked up what Wiki had to say:
Hi Chris,

I suppose it is possible the song is meant as an ironic commentary. I've never really thought so and don't see any evidence of it being received that way, but will take Van Zant's word for it now.

Muscle Shoals is a little town in the Northwest corner of Alabama. Aretha, among others, recorded there.

-Stuart


AndyT
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Mon Jun 06, 2011 2:26 am

All things being equal, neither one really did much for me. I have to agree that her voice just doesn't have the ragged grit needed for Sweet Home and her cover of Sunshine simply didn't fit the song. Other than that, she did well.

I do love her songs 'Foolish Games' and "You were meant for me". Both rank high on my list.


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