Monday, April 07, 2008

 

Byline: Chelle LaFleur -- Photographs

How many of you faithful readers remember that day when Chelle was waxin' poetic about how we all flip CDs over to read the track listing on back, even though the track listing don't mean doo doo until you hear them songs?

Here's another puzzle for you to spend some free time thinkin' about. And that's the pictures of the band. You ever stop and look at them? I mean really look, not just notice what band's t-shirt they wearing or whose hair is longer than yours, or if the chick is hot or not.

Chelle LaFleur looks for more than that stuff. Every time she sits down to review a new disc, she takes out that booklet and leafs through it. She reads them liner notes -- and she knows who's smart enough to thank her in 'em, too. She reads the lyrics, and you betcha, she studies them pictures. You can sometimes get a lot outta those pictures. When you gotta write a review of that music blarin' outta your speakers, you gotta do more than say whether or not it's good. You gotta say why. And you gotta sound smart, too. No easy feat when you're Chelle LaFleur.

Let me share a secret with you since I'm in a good mood and all. Lookin' at those musicians, boys and girls, helps a music writer figure out what to say. And to sound smart doin' it, maybe even smart enough to get a bonus from the bosses 'cause your quotes get picked up all over the place and you be giving the paper a good name.

Try it at home. The picture staring, that is. Go on, you be Chelle for a few. Just don't go on expecting to be like me and see them words you's about to write in this here Trumpet, you hear? That gig's reserved for yours truly. You, you're just tryin' things out. You on a mission to find out how right old Chelle is.

Sit and stare at that picture as you listen up. Really stare. Can you figure out what that band's tryin' to tell you? They for real, or is there some poseur action happenin'? You wanna hang with them? Even if they ain't what you'd listen to every day until the laser wears a hole in the disc, are they any good? And you gotta answer why or why not for all these questions Chelle's throwin' at you.

What's with this music you be hearin'? Can you figure it out? That picture helps, don't it. You get it all sudden-like. It goes into new dimensions.

You peeps in bands out there, you think about that picture you busy dreamin' of and posin' for when you're home alone, just you and your mirror. What you tryin' to tell us out here, safe in our cars and our bedrooms and blarin' in our earbuds? Use that picture of you and talk to us. It don't all have to come outta the speakers.

You heard it first and you heard it here. Pictures really are worth a million words.




Ahh, the Poetry Train. Hop aboard!

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Comments:
Hey- I'll come back later and comment on your post, just wanted to let you know I called the Hilton again this morning and it's all taken care of, I have my room and changed the reservation to Tuesday. Thank you, though, for your very generous offer. And if the overflow hotel is too far from the Hilton, you're still welcome to come up and hang with me. :)
 
When she 'splains it like that... I get it! ;) Great post!
 
Get it? Yes...

*grin*

wicked witch
 
Cool insight, Chelle!
I must be a right nerd, 'cause I look at all the pics, scour the notes and dedications, and dissect the lyrics like I'm in Poetry 101 -- and yet, I'm no journalist...
 
I always look at the booklet when I buy the cd. And I get piss when the lyrics aren't in it!
I hope the boys think of that for their next cd!
And you might force me to ask myself more questions while going through the booklet for the first time, Susan!
 
Cool post! Yeah, I'm a liner-note reader, a lyrics-dissector, a "why did they choose those particular pictures" type gal -- pictures truly are worth a thousand words, and words that paint pictures are, as well. :)
 
I'm back, great post, and I'm inclined to agree with her. The pictures can tell a lot about a band, and the people in it. :)
 
I feel cheated if I don't get pictures of the band, artsy stuff is lost on me, I want to see who I'm listening to, the more pics of them the better!
 
Chelle has it pegged! I'd hang out with Bono and Edge simply because of their expressions in photographs!
 
I always read the little inserts and feel disappointed if there aren't any! Chelle is so right. Pictures say a lot. Great post. :-)
 
Hi, thanks for commenting on my blog. I replied there.
I always look at pictures on CDs, and in book as well. I recently read a book and the photo of the writer really put me off, the author looked so bossy and strident! I wished I hadn't looked at it. I've told my publisher NOT to put my photo in my book. I'm not as ugly as my photos always look...
 
So right, Chelle. The looks on their faces say it all. I'm also a liner note and lyric reader. I want to see what they say about themselves.
 
I never thought of it as being intellegent.........I just read anything I can get my hands on...I love reading the lyrics because I really blow people away when I know everyword...I read each one of the kids books..usually before them...I'm a super nerd....
 
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