16-01-2025, 12:41
JOAN ARMATRADING ~ How Did This Happen and What Does It Now Mean
![[Image: 220px-How_Did_This_Happen.jpg]](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/85/How_Did_This_Happen.jpg/220px-How_Did_This_Happen.jpg)
Ms Armatrading is having a fine old time in her seventies. She still sounds much the same, in terms of her distinctive voice (although not quite on pitch in places, and I’m not certain but do suspect some sort of augmentation), added to which she very competently wields every single instrument on this release and did everything else too – production, mixing, all vocals – ok, she did have some assistance on the engineering side and tbh I am not overly enamoured of the production – sounds a bit messy. Obvs there is some programming – drums specifically – that’s her too. Incidentally she wrote a ‘classical’ symphony recently which I’m curious to hear, imaginatively titled Symphony No 1, LOL!
Frankly, I think she’s made many more memorable songs – those classics from way back, but she still knows her way around a guitar and acquits herself adequately on the pop spectrum, relatively speaking. I seem to prefer this to her previous album, if I’m not mistaken – all the same, I won’t be clamouring to listen to any future releases – methinks the time has come.
Joan Armatrading is another one of those that could be a genre all on her own - can’t think of anyone else quite like her, despite remaining unmoved by this album, which I’m sorry about. I would have liked to like it a lot.
Two tracks are instrumental and fully indulgent of her shredding capabilities although erring on the side of noodling. I guess she’s earned the right! Pity about not having a real live drummer though, it would have made ALL the difference – the mechanical sound is annoying, for me - no colour. As for the title – maybe there was a giant doobie involved?? Ms Armatrading was at her zenith in the Me, Myself, I, Secret Secrets, era IMHO, and the 70’s and 80’s were her best years.
"Say it Tomorrow"
Ms Armatrading is having a fine old time in her seventies. She still sounds much the same, in terms of her distinctive voice (although not quite on pitch in places, and I’m not certain but do suspect some sort of augmentation), added to which she very competently wields every single instrument on this release and did everything else too – production, mixing, all vocals – ok, she did have some assistance on the engineering side and tbh I am not overly enamoured of the production – sounds a bit messy. Obvs there is some programming – drums specifically – that’s her too. Incidentally she wrote a ‘classical’ symphony recently which I’m curious to hear, imaginatively titled Symphony No 1, LOL!
Frankly, I think she’s made many more memorable songs – those classics from way back, but she still knows her way around a guitar and acquits herself adequately on the pop spectrum, relatively speaking. I seem to prefer this to her previous album, if I’m not mistaken – all the same, I won’t be clamouring to listen to any future releases – methinks the time has come.
Joan Armatrading is another one of those that could be a genre all on her own - can’t think of anyone else quite like her, despite remaining unmoved by this album, which I’m sorry about. I would have liked to like it a lot.
Two tracks are instrumental and fully indulgent of her shredding capabilities although erring on the side of noodling. I guess she’s earned the right! Pity about not having a real live drummer though, it would have made ALL the difference – the mechanical sound is annoying, for me - no colour. As for the title – maybe there was a giant doobie involved?? Ms Armatrading was at her zenith in the Me, Myself, I, Secret Secrets, era IMHO, and the 70’s and 80’s were her best years.
"Say it Tomorrow"
"The surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that it has never tried to contact us." ~ Bill Watterson
