Confession: I only like Norah Jones because so many others told me to


Norah Jones is the darling of Jazz and Audiophile press for a few years.  I've heard her albums, maybe even bought one.  Look, being a musical artist is hard as hell and I can't do it, but I realize in listening to others talk about her that I'm missing something special while listening to her.

Please, without wanting to pile on her, if you love her tell me why.  What has you going about Miss Jones that makes her a standout? No wrong answers.

erik_squires

Showing 12 responses by erik_squires

To me, she lacks passion.

 

@unreceivedogma I think you are onto something. For those of us from classical music based musical cultures, her songs are verbal narratives without a corresponding musical conflict, or resolution. The music is more mood than drama.

I think that's what's missing for me. Entire mood albums, and, rightly or wrongly, I keep expecting a musical piece with a point, counterpoint, and resolution, much along the lines of a classical piece and nowhere on the album does one appear.

I actually do like Norah Jones.... I mean I don’t mind if she comes on, but finding out she got 5 grammys for an album is also kind of shocking and makes me wonder what is wrong with my hearing.

And trying to keep things civil, I'm glad she's successful.  I just am also quite surprised.

Seems like the OP, despite the title of this thread, cannot actually like Norah Jones. They can profess to like her, but no one can actually like someone because they are coerced to by the audiophile press, or other audiophiles.

You caught me on account of that's exactly what I stated in the OP.

@larsman

I think the point I was trying to make was she would not have gotten the press attention if not for her dad, therefore many fewer would know of her.  You dont' have to know who her father was to be influenced by the press which did.

I could be mistaken, but I'd guess that Norah Jones is so popular that many, if not most of her fans, don't know or care who her father was and many likely have never heard of him. 

@larsman  The question isn't in my mind if her fans know who her father was but rather, would they know of Norah if he wasn't her father?

why the angst? There is so much music that we can choose from. If a given Artist doesn’t appeal to your sensibilities, why force it?

 

Answered above, and I’m not forcing anything, I’m trying to learn. There’s also the purely intellectual pursuit here of understanding the narrative around her albums and their awards. Knowledge is worth pursing even if of a type of art you may not buy for your own home.

Music is rarely a pure pursuit.  For instance, it is worth learning about the social, economic and industrial forces that led to the development of hip-hop music as an industry even when you personally may not like listening to it. 

There’s a softness that I find just right. I can recline my chair after a rough day and her voice will take me away from things for a while. It’s like a mental massage

Nothing wrong with that, @som  !!

@tony1954  Glad to hear it! :)

I love cilantro as well.  Just a shame that there are some who really have the soap cilantro gene.  I pray for them regularly.

Like learning how to appreciate scotch, malbec wines or cilantro.

@tony1954 

 

Mostly right, but from what I understand, to some cilantro tastes like soap and will always taste like soap. 🤣

Hey @tony1954 

 

I guess my question would be "Why bother?"

If she doesn't do it for you, why not just move on to someone else?

I think you misunderstand my intentions. If I only listen to things I already know I like I won't grow or connect to other music.  Educating myself on how others appreciate art is important, and sometimes I find out new ways to listen to music and to listen for in music. 

It's like looking at Picasso.  At first it was meaningless, but then I learned about the history of art during the time of his first impressionism and now it means more to me.  I may not necessarily like it all, but I'm able to appreciate it and connect to it and other artists of the period.

 

That's kind of it though.  She's kind of a super-soft art music person.  Perhaps I need more time with art and narrative music to appreciate her.