Music - 2 - No Doubt & Gwen Stefani
I don't exactly remember when I'd first heard 'Don't Speak', but after many years since then, when I suddenly saw it's video on MTV, I could recall that I'd seen the song before (mostly because Gwen wears a 'bindi' in the song <a tiny dot on her forehead> and I had remembered that).
Then when the Hey Baby album came out, I got a few of their songs, and I liked them ok..Not too much but just fine types. But about 2-3 months back, I started listening to No Doubt a lot, and I realised how much I liked them. First it was just Don't Speak but of late I'm more hooked to 'Simple Kind Of Life' and 'Running'.
Simple Kind Of Life is just amazing. It may not be epical like November Rain or Stairway but for some reason I'm just into that song right now. It doesn't talk about great philosophy or anything. It is not a hardcore thought provoking or too sentimental song. It's just fine in itself. Rather, it's lack of ambition makes it more attractive.
And Gwen's voice is really nice. I mean, in female singers, I realise (and like) that Whitney Housten or Celine Dion have amazing range and power, but they're like too 'up there'. Gwen's seems so much more possible (for lack of a better word).
I don't exactly remember where (maybe wikipedia or Rolling Stones), but some critic had criticized Mariah Carey. He said that having a good (extreme?) voice is fine, but your song should not suffer due to or be shadowed by the voice. That Maraih's voice often doesn't further/serve the cause/emotion of her songs. I don't listen ti Mariah Carey so I won't comment on this, but I do agree with that critic's logic. Gwen somehow adds to the song. Her voice is plain in a likeable way.
[currently listenin to 'Kiss' by 'Prince']
