Cry Me A River ::: Susan Boyle

Wow. At first, I didn't recognize her voice but about a third of a way in... Yes, that is her.

It is still very difficult to believe that this is an untrained voice -- but the more biographical articles continue to insist upon it.

The frumpiness, I believe, and hope that they will leave Ms. Boyle to her own frumpitudinal devices. If she wants to make herself over, cool. Pluck that brow! Style that hair! If she doesn't, I believe the world has learned the heavy-handed Book/Cover lesson. Oh, who am I kidding? We've learned the lesson only as it applies to *her*.

There were only 1000 copies made of the 1999 charity album -- funded in part by the Whitburn Community Council in West Lothian, where there must be something in the water.... I'd pay top dollar to hear The Broxburn Public Band cover Bohemian Rhapsody.

Doesn't every copy have a master? Let's start pressing those babies!

I know so little about music, only what the Brother-Units taught me, and what Fred has spent years refining (He is a Recovering Audiophile), and yet, like anyone, I know what I like. I like this version of Cry Me A River, and am astonished by things like her phrasing and -- perhaps most astonishingly? Her *restraint* -- the lack of which ruins a good many bluesy ballad.

Those who can, sing. Those who can't? The blither and blather on about phrasing and restraint.

In summation: Wow.

Susan Boyle

Perfect song choice for the world right now, and for all the bleary-eyed U.S. Americans staring at tax forms...

She is obviously trained. I mean, the diaphragm just doesn't start to do that on its own -- forget her vocal cords. It is so hard to believe she is just now being discovered -- and that is the story we want and long for -- an honest, unassuming person rising out of obscurity, referencing a life of "hell," singing from Les Mis! Mwa ha ha! Brilliant, absolutely brilliant.

Well, hmm. This is the most I've been able to find out about her, since *she* is the story:

She is a veteran of abuse. She was starved of oxygen at birth and has learning difficulties as a result. At school she was slow and had frizzy hair. She was bullied, mostly verbally. She told one newspaper that her classmates' jibes left behind the kind of scars that don't heal.

She didn't have boyfriends, is a stranger to romance and has never been kissed. "Shame," she said. Singing was her life-raft.

She lived with her parents in a four-bedroom council house and, when her father died a decade ago, she cared for her mother and sang in the church choir.

One of the best comments I saw as I cruised around, searching for credible information about the talented Ms. Boyle (and, for some reason, I seem to want her last name to be "Hodges," as I entered that errant search term over and over, perplexed...) -- anyway, this still being in the moment, I laughed to read this:

"I prefered the heavy guy with the funny teeth who sang opera." I'm thinking he means Paul Potts. I'm also thinking he could use a few moments of reflection.

Well, there was also this... and anglophiles everywhere may now call out a hearty "spot on!" --

"Are we really patting ourselves on the back for recognizing that an unattractive woman over the age of 30 might be talented at something?"

Mr. GetAGrip said, "[T]he only thing more cynical than writing her off based on her looks is elevating the performance based on her looks..." Pshaw! Taking all of the circumstances, or at least all we know, it is a great performance.

I know it made my day.

And besides, here at elle est belle la seine la seine elle est belle? Cynicism is a four-letter word.