Post by davidhr on Jan 28, 2014 12:46:45 GMT -5
This first week after Lara’s announced ‘reclusion’ to deal with her ear ailment was not as quiet as one might have expected. First, there were more news reports about her cancellation of the tour, again sticking basically to Lara’s video comments, e.g.,
www.dhnet.be/medias/musique/lara-fabian-contrainte-au-repos-pendant-plusieurs-mois-52dbe759357029ad9fc9aaf4
www.linternaute.com/musique/chanson/lara-fabian-malade-ses-problemes-d-oreille-aneantissent-sa-tournee-0114.shtml
frequence-sud.fr/art-24890-lara_fabian_annule_sa_tournee_marseille.html
The news was even picked up on TV (http://www.6play.fr/m6/#/m6/100-mag/11341368-emission-du-24-janvier); one can debate whether there was a little bit of mocking in their report, although that is their nature.
Then, as discussed in the comments to the previous Update, fans noticed that a new single had been released in western Europe, North America and Brazil (via iTunes, amazon, google play, etc.). It was a remade version of ‘La vie est la’, shorter (now only about 3 minutes long), with more prominent vocals, guitar rather than violin, more assertive rather than contemplative in tone. For as long as it lasts, you can hear it on youtube, at:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wL3eWFcjMc
Obviously meant for airplay, it took a while for the media to catch on that this had happened, but several of the usual media trackers did so, e.g.,
www.ptitblog.net/Lara-Fabian/lara-fabian-son-nouveau-single-la-vie-est-la-lance-en-digital_art10516.html
www.chartsinfrance.net/Lara-Fabian/news-90232.html
Here’s a translation of the ‘charts in France’ article.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lara Fabian remixes the title "La vie est la" new single from the album "Le Secret"
After "Deux ils deux elles" and "Danse", Lara Fabian chose the title "La vie est la" as the new single from her latest album "Le Secret ", newly reissued with the addition of several bonus tracks including a duet with Laura Pausini. Listen to it on Pure Charts!
Good news for fans of Lara Fabian, who are going to have to resolve themselves not to see their idol in concert this year. In fact, the singer has just canceled all of her marathon tour dates that were supposed to go around to the four corner of the country until next June. Those (fans) will be happy to learn that a new single arrives on radio to revive the career of the album "Le Secret ". This is the title " La vie est la" which was chosen to succeed "Deux ils deux elles," unveiled almost a year ago in the debate of the subject of ‘Marriage for all’, then "Danse " for which Pure Charts unveiled its exclusive clip during the month of October. For the occasion, the title “La vie est la" has been reworked in the studio. The singer wanted to give it more new arrangements with more punch, pop -rock, to increase its chances of being relayed by radio programmers . For the first two singles have not had any (or little) luck. However , listeners will not need to wait for the first broadcasts of the song on the air since the new version is already available on the download platforms.
With "La vie est la”, Lara Fabian does she not prepare her public for a long media retreat? The weight of words makes sense. The singer explains in the text of her new single that "the time has finally started to sound ", that "nothing is any more what you imagined" and that "this tour was only a reflection." Dark , the song "La vie est la" reveals a more tortured side of Lara Fabian , and may as well evoke a lovers’ breakup like the great departure to the afterlife .
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Predictive it may have been, but given the effort involved, the remake and the release were presumably decided upon long before the decision to cancel the tour. It had been one of the leading candidates for months. Hopefully it will get airplay, and help the audience understand the depth and beauty of this album. Radio station MFM noticed it (http://mfmradio.fr/musique/people/7442/lara-fabian-la-vie-est-l-?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+mfmradio-people+%28MFM+Radio+-+People%29); let’s see if they play it.
BTW, for those who haven’t heard it, the duet with Laura Pausini is on youtube, at:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUDolQOy98w
Why the single had been released without prior notice was (and still is) a mystery, but shortly thereafter, Lara’s FB site (and also Lara on the show M6) indicated that the following Monday there would be a surprise, so ‘keep tuned’. Most people thought the ‘news’ would be the new single, but no, (apparently) it was that Lara was to be on a radio show Monday evening on RTL. That did occur, with Lara calling in; the audio is available (in French) at
www.rtl.fr/emission/rtl-soir/ecouter/lara-fabian-va-bien-mais-reste-suivie-a-l-hopital-tous-les-jours-7769200094
or at:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ihgMVfkmCs&feature=youtu.be
Lara described again the history of her ailment, and what it meant to her life independent of cancelling the tour: she can’t go any place where there are loud noises, e.g., not to restaurants, or the movies, or even watch TV at home. Instead she spends her days in the hospital (in Waterloo) where the progress is followed. She is ‘doing well’, and expects that the problem will be gone by the end of the summer (so the concerts in Germany may still occur – but one wouldn’t want to bet on that. In fact all the tour dates on both the FB page and the official URL have now been removed). She needs to find a new ‘magical’ approach to allow her to deal with this latest challenge, a situation that has enabled her to obtain another view of life.
Then today, continuing with analysis of the same interview, Lara was featured in a story in Gala (the location of her ‘nude’ picture spread), at:
www.gala.fr/l_actu/news_de_stars/lara_fabian_je_vais_bien_je_fais_au_mieux_avec_la_realite_306953
Here’s the translation:
---------------------------------------------------
Victim of a hearing accident last May, Lara Fabian now suffers from a serious hearing problem. A real tragedy for the singer. Monday, she expressed herself about this handicap and the manner in which she lives.
It all started in May 2013, when she is in the recording studio, and exposed to a sound that is too loud. A violence that literally knocks her to the ground. The ear problems of Lara Fabian begin that day, returning as soon as she is subject to a "sound exposure that lasts too long," as she explained Monday night to Marc -Olivier Fogiel on the broadcast on RTL. Then on October 26, during a concert in Dijon , the singer suffered a "sudden deafness" in both ears, forcing her to stop the show, to leave the room quickly and observe a period of silence of ten days.
A cure that then cuts daily, but which, she hopes, will allow her to continue her tour. Lara Fabian tries to come back, but notes that the problem is compounded from "sudden deafness" to "deafness flat and deep." Her tour is purely and simply canceled.
Today, the singer of ‘Je t’aime’ confides, "I'm fine, I'm better with reality." All hopes lie in the medical team who take care of her and she follows the advice to the letter to heal, a promise that Professor Azoulay has made to her. "I am followed in the outpatient clinic every day with infusions with some pretty harsh products, quite heavy, but there is no other solution”, she says with emotion. “I need to see life in a different way. When I leave the hospital, I'm not very well after having injected all these products, but it is the price of healing ."
Fatalist, Lara Fabian seeks meaning in this accident that life makes her pass through, a "double lecture", a hidden message. But it is "too early" for the moment to understand what is happening. She says she will find the answers later, by settling down to write songs. Difficult for her to plan and consider a return date, even if she evokes the late summer. When you hear the distress in her voice, one can only regret last spring, when she posed for Gala and that she said was "to finally accept (her) body."
----------------------------------------------------------
And in another assessment of that interview, at www.programme-tv.net/videos/zapping/5785-soiree-legislatives-france-2-bande-annonce-10-juin/, they emphasized the part where she said, “There will be checks every month that will help define the state of improvement. I hope with all my heart to come out of the summer valiant, solar, happy and cheered “.
One reason for this radio interview would seem to be that Lara wanted to keep the concerned fans abreast of what was happening to her, which was considerate on her part. In addition, RTL was the sponsor of her tour, and it was probably in their (financial) interest, as well as hers, to emphasize the disruption that her ailment had caused in her life. To be so careful of where one can go and what ones hears must put an immense strain on Lara, indeed showing her a new (and rocky) terrain.
As indicated, not only was she not getting better with her revised schedule, she was actually getting worse – hence the complete shutdown. Also, it appears that the medicine really takes its toll – must be more than just cortisone. And, no return date is justified at this time.
Nevertheless, it’s good to hear that her progress is being carefully monitored by a hospital, that this ailment is being treated with all the seriousness it deserves. The optimistic news is that the doctor promised her a complete recovery – hopefully this is a promise that one is really capable of making... No minimizing it – this is a time of concern.
Meanwhile… and back to ‘business’…while the ‘surprise’ perhaps had nothing to do with the single, Lara’s FB page has today gotten around to acknowledging it. Here’s their (translated) report:
---------------------------------------------
New single "Life is " now available, at bit.ly/1edK58X [This is the French iTunes site]
The story of the single:
A brand new arrangement for "La vie est la" from the album "Le Secret" .
If the text of the song is signed by Lara Fabian, the music is co-composed by Janey Clewer who collaborated with many big names over the years such as Ray Charles , Elton John, or again Cher, and by Gregg Mangiafico studio keyboardist renowned for having recorded with Michael Jackson, Billy Joel, not to mention Alice Cooper. The good Dr. Zorn, who consults in Hamburg, has focused on the musical arrangement ...
Behind this pseudonym hides Samy Deluxe born Samuel Sorge and his team. Often called the German "Jay Z", his career is marked by successful recordings and awards as "Best German artist - MTV Europe Music Award." Known principally for his sound as a forefront hip hop artist, this gifted musician is not limited to this genre. He writes for example songs for the forthcoming album of the German star Nena (99 Luftballon , coach of The Voice in Germany).
The contribution of Samy and his team to the remix of ‘La vie est la” is based on the use of a quite a collection, rather eclectic, of vintage analog instruments reprocessed by different software tools to build a kind of wall of sound that perhaps would repudiate the Phil Spector - era Ramones Rock'n Roll High School.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
And here’s the cover picture for the single:
www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=656454211062746&set=a.215378125170359.50343.201065806601591&type=1&theater
Lara did not mention the new single on the radio show; had she done so, she might well have been accused of using the discussion about her ailment as a promotional ploy. [However, she could have emphasized that she was not going to be leaving the business, and brought it up that way].
In other news, in response to her call for people to send in videos of the ‘Le Secret’ tour, Lara’s FB site indicated she had received more than 20 GB of data (not counting the huge amount of Russian data that was sent subsequently). So it will apparently take them some time to put it together and produce a ‘concert’ video. One wonders if they will involve the services of ‘Evergig’, known for doing just that.
The Russian contribution, in recording and sending videos, and in attending her concerts even in the west, should not go unemphasized. Lara has truly found another home there and a devoted fan base – without the media criticism that seems to dog her in France. As another example, Russian fans put together a beautiful video of their impressions of her ‘Le Secret’ tour – it can be seen at:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYP5j0rBf5I
(thanks to Ksenia Kovannaya for the information).
There was a four page article on Lara in the magazine "Jours de France" (thanks to Thierry Palomares on the MZ FB site). Click on ‘feuilleter cette revue’ and advance to pp.66-69, at:
www.journaux.fr/jour-de-france_people_actualite_153884.html
Unfortunately, it is a little too small to read; the pictures (some of them old) are nice, however
. The interview clearly took place before her latest troubles.
It was noted last week that in lieu of having any new videos of Lara, fan sites were posting old ones that have some merit - and that we would be doing the same, but with a twist. Here it is: mimicking Lara’s appearance as a juror on ‘The Best’, and the (same) name of her tour last year through ‘the countries to the east’, what will be done here is to choose ‘The Best’ video for each of her songs, accumulated over the years. Of course, there really is no ‘best’ in many cases, as there really wasn’t on the TV show that often compared apples with oranges; at least here, each comparison is of the same song and performer. Nevertheless, obviously it’s primarily a matter of opinion, but there certainly are some that have captured the attention of her fans.
What goes into the quality of a video is not only Lara’s performance, but the video recording itself. If someone has a better copy than is generally available of a wonderful performance, it would elevate it. I’ll try to avoid the official videos, which are usually not really performances. I’ll also try to avoid those done in playback, if it’s obvious, but mistakes can be made.
So, posted here and in the coming weeks will be my choice for the best video of each of her songs. FEEL FREE TO DISAGREE! We’ll start alphabetically, three songs each week, and confine ourselves first to those songs that are part of her standard repertoire, or close to it (so it will not initially include wonderful songs of someone else’s that she has sung only once or twice). If the best or equal quality of the video is available on youtube, that link will be given. If I have a better quality (and that includes sound, which I have improved on some of the videos), I will post it on-line using the ‘box’ site (that Neil Bullock so successfully introduced). The first three songs:
Adagio: www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Gf_haIj72w
Aime: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajRBqtmDuD0
Aimer Deja: www.youtube.com/watch?v=24C6AF2SEKk
[Another choice for Aimer Deja would be her performance of it in ETI www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvmIR8HIRqM, but I thought she was more involved in it in the Nue video, and it was more creatively presented. However, reasonable people might disagree , about this and all the others]. We will stop when Lara returns to live performances – hopefully while we’re still early in the alphabet!
As for next week: this past week, at least, Lara did not act like a recluse, and it may be that she will try to remain a public figure despite her limitations. If so, it will be all for the better (for these Updates as well!), as long as she doesn’t endanger herself while doing so. We also can’t be sure that the ‘surprise’ promised on Lara’s FB site was really her radio appearance; if not, something else might be in store - their recognition of the new single release, for example. With the other two singles as precedents, we may expect a video of ‘Le vie est la’, although with the lyrics as they are, it is hard to imagine what it would be like. By next week there should be some indication as to whether radio stations will actually play it, and perhaps whether it is starting to have an effect on the album’s sales. Otherwise, very little else is predictable. As Lara said, she’s looking at life from a different vantage point, and as far our focus on Lara is concerned, so are we.
David
www.dhnet.be/medias/musique/lara-fabian-contrainte-au-repos-pendant-plusieurs-mois-52dbe759357029ad9fc9aaf4
www.linternaute.com/musique/chanson/lara-fabian-malade-ses-problemes-d-oreille-aneantissent-sa-tournee-0114.shtml
frequence-sud.fr/art-24890-lara_fabian_annule_sa_tournee_marseille.html
The news was even picked up on TV (http://www.6play.fr/m6/#/m6/100-mag/11341368-emission-du-24-janvier); one can debate whether there was a little bit of mocking in their report, although that is their nature.
Then, as discussed in the comments to the previous Update, fans noticed that a new single had been released in western Europe, North America and Brazil (via iTunes, amazon, google play, etc.). It was a remade version of ‘La vie est la’, shorter (now only about 3 minutes long), with more prominent vocals, guitar rather than violin, more assertive rather than contemplative in tone. For as long as it lasts, you can hear it on youtube, at:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wL3eWFcjMc
Obviously meant for airplay, it took a while for the media to catch on that this had happened, but several of the usual media trackers did so, e.g.,
www.ptitblog.net/Lara-Fabian/lara-fabian-son-nouveau-single-la-vie-est-la-lance-en-digital_art10516.html
www.chartsinfrance.net/Lara-Fabian/news-90232.html
Here’s a translation of the ‘charts in France’ article.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lara Fabian remixes the title "La vie est la" new single from the album "Le Secret"
After "Deux ils deux elles" and "Danse", Lara Fabian chose the title "La vie est la" as the new single from her latest album "Le Secret ", newly reissued with the addition of several bonus tracks including a duet with Laura Pausini. Listen to it on Pure Charts!
Good news for fans of Lara Fabian, who are going to have to resolve themselves not to see their idol in concert this year. In fact, the singer has just canceled all of her marathon tour dates that were supposed to go around to the four corner of the country until next June. Those (fans) will be happy to learn that a new single arrives on radio to revive the career of the album "Le Secret ". This is the title " La vie est la" which was chosen to succeed "Deux ils deux elles," unveiled almost a year ago in the debate of the subject of ‘Marriage for all’, then "Danse " for which Pure Charts unveiled its exclusive clip during the month of October. For the occasion, the title “La vie est la" has been reworked in the studio. The singer wanted to give it more new arrangements with more punch, pop -rock, to increase its chances of being relayed by radio programmers . For the first two singles have not had any (or little) luck. However , listeners will not need to wait for the first broadcasts of the song on the air since the new version is already available on the download platforms.
With "La vie est la”, Lara Fabian does she not prepare her public for a long media retreat? The weight of words makes sense. The singer explains in the text of her new single that "the time has finally started to sound ", that "nothing is any more what you imagined" and that "this tour was only a reflection." Dark , the song "La vie est la" reveals a more tortured side of Lara Fabian , and may as well evoke a lovers’ breakup like the great departure to the afterlife .
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Predictive it may have been, but given the effort involved, the remake and the release were presumably decided upon long before the decision to cancel the tour. It had been one of the leading candidates for months. Hopefully it will get airplay, and help the audience understand the depth and beauty of this album. Radio station MFM noticed it (http://mfmradio.fr/musique/people/7442/lara-fabian-la-vie-est-l-?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+mfmradio-people+%28MFM+Radio+-+People%29); let’s see if they play it.
BTW, for those who haven’t heard it, the duet with Laura Pausini is on youtube, at:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUDolQOy98w
Why the single had been released without prior notice was (and still is) a mystery, but shortly thereafter, Lara’s FB site (and also Lara on the show M6) indicated that the following Monday there would be a surprise, so ‘keep tuned’. Most people thought the ‘news’ would be the new single, but no, (apparently) it was that Lara was to be on a radio show Monday evening on RTL. That did occur, with Lara calling in; the audio is available (in French) at
www.rtl.fr/emission/rtl-soir/ecouter/lara-fabian-va-bien-mais-reste-suivie-a-l-hopital-tous-les-jours-7769200094
or at:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ihgMVfkmCs&feature=youtu.be
Lara described again the history of her ailment, and what it meant to her life independent of cancelling the tour: she can’t go any place where there are loud noises, e.g., not to restaurants, or the movies, or even watch TV at home. Instead she spends her days in the hospital (in Waterloo) where the progress is followed. She is ‘doing well’, and expects that the problem will be gone by the end of the summer (so the concerts in Germany may still occur – but one wouldn’t want to bet on that. In fact all the tour dates on both the FB page and the official URL have now been removed). She needs to find a new ‘magical’ approach to allow her to deal with this latest challenge, a situation that has enabled her to obtain another view of life.
Then today, continuing with analysis of the same interview, Lara was featured in a story in Gala (the location of her ‘nude’ picture spread), at:
www.gala.fr/l_actu/news_de_stars/lara_fabian_je_vais_bien_je_fais_au_mieux_avec_la_realite_306953
Here’s the translation:
---------------------------------------------------
Victim of a hearing accident last May, Lara Fabian now suffers from a serious hearing problem. A real tragedy for the singer. Monday, she expressed herself about this handicap and the manner in which she lives.
It all started in May 2013, when she is in the recording studio, and exposed to a sound that is too loud. A violence that literally knocks her to the ground. The ear problems of Lara Fabian begin that day, returning as soon as she is subject to a "sound exposure that lasts too long," as she explained Monday night to Marc -Olivier Fogiel on the broadcast on RTL. Then on October 26, during a concert in Dijon , the singer suffered a "sudden deafness" in both ears, forcing her to stop the show, to leave the room quickly and observe a period of silence of ten days.
A cure that then cuts daily, but which, she hopes, will allow her to continue her tour. Lara Fabian tries to come back, but notes that the problem is compounded from "sudden deafness" to "deafness flat and deep." Her tour is purely and simply canceled.
Today, the singer of ‘Je t’aime’ confides, "I'm fine, I'm better with reality." All hopes lie in the medical team who take care of her and she follows the advice to the letter to heal, a promise that Professor Azoulay has made to her. "I am followed in the outpatient clinic every day with infusions with some pretty harsh products, quite heavy, but there is no other solution”, she says with emotion. “I need to see life in a different way. When I leave the hospital, I'm not very well after having injected all these products, but it is the price of healing ."
Fatalist, Lara Fabian seeks meaning in this accident that life makes her pass through, a "double lecture", a hidden message. But it is "too early" for the moment to understand what is happening. She says she will find the answers later, by settling down to write songs. Difficult for her to plan and consider a return date, even if she evokes the late summer. When you hear the distress in her voice, one can only regret last spring, when she posed for Gala and that she said was "to finally accept (her) body."
----------------------------------------------------------
And in another assessment of that interview, at www.programme-tv.net/videos/zapping/5785-soiree-legislatives-france-2-bande-annonce-10-juin/, they emphasized the part where she said, “There will be checks every month that will help define the state of improvement. I hope with all my heart to come out of the summer valiant, solar, happy and cheered “.
One reason for this radio interview would seem to be that Lara wanted to keep the concerned fans abreast of what was happening to her, which was considerate on her part. In addition, RTL was the sponsor of her tour, and it was probably in their (financial) interest, as well as hers, to emphasize the disruption that her ailment had caused in her life. To be so careful of where one can go and what ones hears must put an immense strain on Lara, indeed showing her a new (and rocky) terrain.
As indicated, not only was she not getting better with her revised schedule, she was actually getting worse – hence the complete shutdown. Also, it appears that the medicine really takes its toll – must be more than just cortisone. And, no return date is justified at this time.
Nevertheless, it’s good to hear that her progress is being carefully monitored by a hospital, that this ailment is being treated with all the seriousness it deserves. The optimistic news is that the doctor promised her a complete recovery – hopefully this is a promise that one is really capable of making... No minimizing it – this is a time of concern.
Meanwhile… and back to ‘business’…while the ‘surprise’ perhaps had nothing to do with the single, Lara’s FB page has today gotten around to acknowledging it. Here’s their (translated) report:
---------------------------------------------
New single "Life is " now available, at bit.ly/1edK58X [This is the French iTunes site]
The story of the single:
A brand new arrangement for "La vie est la" from the album "Le Secret" .
If the text of the song is signed by Lara Fabian, the music is co-composed by Janey Clewer who collaborated with many big names over the years such as Ray Charles , Elton John, or again Cher, and by Gregg Mangiafico studio keyboardist renowned for having recorded with Michael Jackson, Billy Joel, not to mention Alice Cooper. The good Dr. Zorn, who consults in Hamburg, has focused on the musical arrangement ...
Behind this pseudonym hides Samy Deluxe born Samuel Sorge and his team. Often called the German "Jay Z", his career is marked by successful recordings and awards as "Best German artist - MTV Europe Music Award." Known principally for his sound as a forefront hip hop artist, this gifted musician is not limited to this genre. He writes for example songs for the forthcoming album of the German star Nena (99 Luftballon , coach of The Voice in Germany).
The contribution of Samy and his team to the remix of ‘La vie est la” is based on the use of a quite a collection, rather eclectic, of vintage analog instruments reprocessed by different software tools to build a kind of wall of sound that perhaps would repudiate the Phil Spector - era Ramones Rock'n Roll High School.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
And here’s the cover picture for the single:
www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=656454211062746&set=a.215378125170359.50343.201065806601591&type=1&theater
Lara did not mention the new single on the radio show; had she done so, she might well have been accused of using the discussion about her ailment as a promotional ploy. [However, she could have emphasized that she was not going to be leaving the business, and brought it up that way].
In other news, in response to her call for people to send in videos of the ‘Le Secret’ tour, Lara’s FB site indicated she had received more than 20 GB of data (not counting the huge amount of Russian data that was sent subsequently). So it will apparently take them some time to put it together and produce a ‘concert’ video. One wonders if they will involve the services of ‘Evergig’, known for doing just that.
The Russian contribution, in recording and sending videos, and in attending her concerts even in the west, should not go unemphasized. Lara has truly found another home there and a devoted fan base – without the media criticism that seems to dog her in France. As another example, Russian fans put together a beautiful video of their impressions of her ‘Le Secret’ tour – it can be seen at:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYP5j0rBf5I
(thanks to Ksenia Kovannaya for the information).
There was a four page article on Lara in the magazine "Jours de France" (thanks to Thierry Palomares on the MZ FB site). Click on ‘feuilleter cette revue’ and advance to pp.66-69, at:
www.journaux.fr/jour-de-france_people_actualite_153884.html
Unfortunately, it is a little too small to read; the pictures (some of them old) are nice, however
. The interview clearly took place before her latest troubles. It was noted last week that in lieu of having any new videos of Lara, fan sites were posting old ones that have some merit - and that we would be doing the same, but with a twist. Here it is: mimicking Lara’s appearance as a juror on ‘The Best’, and the (same) name of her tour last year through ‘the countries to the east’, what will be done here is to choose ‘The Best’ video for each of her songs, accumulated over the years. Of course, there really is no ‘best’ in many cases, as there really wasn’t on the TV show that often compared apples with oranges; at least here, each comparison is of the same song and performer. Nevertheless, obviously it’s primarily a matter of opinion, but there certainly are some that have captured the attention of her fans.
What goes into the quality of a video is not only Lara’s performance, but the video recording itself. If someone has a better copy than is generally available of a wonderful performance, it would elevate it. I’ll try to avoid the official videos, which are usually not really performances. I’ll also try to avoid those done in playback, if it’s obvious, but mistakes can be made.
So, posted here and in the coming weeks will be my choice for the best video of each of her songs. FEEL FREE TO DISAGREE! We’ll start alphabetically, three songs each week, and confine ourselves first to those songs that are part of her standard repertoire, or close to it (so it will not initially include wonderful songs of someone else’s that she has sung only once or twice). If the best or equal quality of the video is available on youtube, that link will be given. If I have a better quality (and that includes sound, which I have improved on some of the videos), I will post it on-line using the ‘box’ site (that Neil Bullock so successfully introduced). The first three songs:
Adagio: www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Gf_haIj72w
Aime: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajRBqtmDuD0
Aimer Deja: www.youtube.com/watch?v=24C6AF2SEKk
[Another choice for Aimer Deja would be her performance of it in ETI www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvmIR8HIRqM, but I thought she was more involved in it in the Nue video, and it was more creatively presented. However, reasonable people might disagree
, about this and all the others]. We will stop when Lara returns to live performances – hopefully while we’re still early in the alphabet!As for next week: this past week, at least, Lara did not act like a recluse, and it may be that she will try to remain a public figure despite her limitations. If so, it will be all for the better (for these Updates as well!), as long as she doesn’t endanger herself while doing so. We also can’t be sure that the ‘surprise’ promised on Lara’s FB site was really her radio appearance; if not, something else might be in store - their recognition of the new single release, for example. With the other two singles as precedents, we may expect a video of ‘Le vie est la’, although with the lyrics as they are, it is hard to imagine what it would be like. By next week there should be some indication as to whether radio stations will actually play it, and perhaps whether it is starting to have an effect on the album’s sales. Otherwise, very little else is predictable. As Lara said, she’s looking at life from a different vantage point, and as far our focus on Lara is concerned, so are we.
David
