Cookie: The Anthropological Mixtape
Hot Night
Earth

Hey Sass, did you get around to checking out any tracks?

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

i checked out a lot of the peace beyond passion stuff. didn't care much for it. some of the stuff on cookie sounded pretty cool. i think i may go look for that on ebay or in a used record shop. all in all, i guess she's not my cuppa. maybe it was just the tracks i checked out but i a lot of it sounded like smooth jazz music with contemporary lyrics.

i have a friend making a mix disc for me. i'm hoping that changes my mind. everyone goes apeshit over this woman, i wanna see what all the talk is about. so far, though, i'm not impressed at all.

sallysassalot said:

That's because you are into white music. You need a little flava Naw, really musically she is amazing and if you saw her live you would understand. And lyrically I really think you need to at least give her a chance on that level because she comes at issues spiritual and political with straight out truth. She is an inspiration beyond compare to me.....

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

that's where the mix disc my friend is making me will come in. based on what i've heard so far, i'm not persuaded to put money down on her. musically, i'm not just not intrigued and lyricallty, well, its not so much what she's saying but how she's saying it.

sallysassalot said:

OK, now I really wanna know what you think you are hearing. PLEASE check out this thread:

http://www.prince.org/msg/8/146200

People perceive her as a racist and that is the biggest lie.

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

oh, i would never have thought she was a racist from anything i heard.

i guess i'm just always turned off by people who bash entire religions based on the actions of some who follow the particular religion. moreso, i'm turned off by people who bash religion in order to forward an ideal of acceptance. i mean, it seems disingenuous...like the action of the few is just the ammo needed to launch a tyrade against an entire group.

i think there are tactful ways to criticize religion. i think there are many valid points some people make which have aims at criticizing religion, even if i disagree with those criticisms (think tori amos or david bowie). but its all in the delivery. what i've heard from me'shell doesn't interest me and its not the topic but the the way she approaches it. i love political music, i love socially conscious music, and i love music that questions beliefs and perspectives...even my own. i just don't need a lecture, pro or anti.

sallysassalot said:

She does not bash any religion. She asks why and she does so in a very eloquent and pointiant way. And she isn't lecturing either. You are hearing her completely the wrong way.,,,,

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

well, when i get the mix disc from sonya and i have a full 79 minutes of her music to judge by, i'll let you know. on first impression, however, i'm not that impressed.

sallysassalot said:

It's because you love white music. That's the problem!!!

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

nah, i just like good music.

What would you say is her best album?

hey, i think its fine that different music hits different folks in different ways...i believe that often each of our OWN individual life experiences, environments and/or beliefs, can have a BIG affect on what elements of music tend to move us most intensely...(i know i'm not saying anything new there, we all know that already i presume)...

so yeah, like i said, i understand that sometimes what moves me INTENSELY, someone else may listen and say 'eh, thats alright i guess' (and vice versa...it works the other way around as well)...

but all that said, i defy ANYone who considers themselves a music lover to watch this nice long video clip and not be at LEAST impressed with Meshell and her crew as they casually go through 5 tunes in a radio show studio (KCRW! support KCRW! Radio for true music lovers!)...

One of the reasons i picked this clip is because I think it gives you an idea of the variety of styles that Meshell and her fellow musicians create in...in it there are wonderful examples how NATURALY Meshell exists and creates withIN (AND OUTside of) the styles of funk, soul, reggae, rock, hip-hop, jazz...its not contrived, its not forced, its just how she & her music naturally IS...

now, i want you to really LISTEN to this stuff (headphones are suggested)...this isn't 'background music' that you put on while your focusing on something else...this is stuff that you should get all IN to and let it get all into YOU...

so settle down, put your headphones on, turn the volume up, close your eyes and listen...REALLY listen to this with no distractions...listen to the compositions as a whole, the vocals, the lyrics AND the AMAZING interplay between the fantastic musicians as they weave in and out and together with each other...just listen...

(well, personally i do like to close my eyes to focus on the playing when i'm listening to music...but i guess you can watch too if you wanna.... You'll see how she gets into the music. You'll see her occasionally kinda guide the band to the vibe she wants to take a tune. Its also kinda funny at the beginning because someones watch is beeping as they initially start playing and Meshell's facial expresion is like 'what the #$%& is that?")...

so watch if ya wanna, but DEFINITELY LISTEN...listen to it several times...let it settle into ya...and after the last note of the last tune fades, if you still don't have an appreciation for this lady's natural gift...well then i'll just move the heck on and we'll just have to agree to dissagree...

here's the link (you'll need to set up a myspace account to see it. its free):
http://vids.myspace.com/i...=626764627


and again, if you want to see more clips like this, and keep in the loop on all things Meshell check out the longest running most comprehensive meshell site on the entire web (support it!)...

http://www.freemyheart.com

thats where i went to and found links to all these gems.
Also, for you myspace users... check out the myspace sister site to freemyheart.com...the 'official' meshell myspace page...

http://profile.myspace.co...30a5996688
[Edited 9/24/06 5:53am]

justhemusic said:

she's a very interesting character. i thoroughly enjoyed what she had to say about music and race and radio programming...she's totally on point.

in regard to the music...i think i could enjoy watching her perform. she looks like she loves to play but more importantly she sounds like she loves to play. sonya (my sister) has mailed my mix disc so i should be able to form a better, more informed opinion. i have to admit, having seen/heard this clip at the radio station, my opinion of her has improved.

i will continue to "investigate."

god.fear.money is a-may-zing. while she shouldn't blame the religion for the actions of its followers (when those followers are going against the word), i totally get the frustration of it all. this song is fantastic.

sallysassalot said:

One of my faves It was one of my recommendations I really don't think she's blaming religion at all. She always questions the faithful and not the faith. That is one thing I love about her

San Francisco, California: Sunday Oct 22 7pm:
California Regency Center Ballroom as part of the San Francisco Jazz Festival

justhemusic said:

thanks
I've now listened to Plantation Lullabies enough to get a handle on it. A lot of her songs sound similar to me. I like them, I can appreciate them, it's all good. But I'm not in love.

heartbeatocean said:

ok...like i've mentioned before, i'm very cool with how music can hit folks differently...we won't all love everything the same...

...BUT...

...you say you've listened to the first 1 of her 6 full length cds and determined that her stuff sounds the same to you? Is hearing that one record enough to really evaluate?

I mean, imagine listening to Prince's 1st album 'For You' and coming to the opinion that 'his stuff sounds the same' ...without giving "Prince", "Dirty Mind", "Controversy", "1999" & "Purple Rain" (the rest of his 1st 6 albums) the same listening attention...

see what i'm saying?

Again, If you listen to a wide sample of her stuff from throughout her career and determined that her stuff sounds the same that i'm cool with that...(i'd disagree completely, but i'd agree to disagree) ...but i would hesitate to make that determination based off of essentially listening only to her first debut record from 1993... ya know what I'm saying??

..
[Edited 10/12/06 18:33pm]