Hec's liner notes for one of his alternates:

"My Lady Story" - Antony & the Johnsons. Reminds me here of both Van Morrison & Nina Simone and...I don't know. A castrati Jeff Buckley? But beautiful. Yes, that.

I'd say the love child of Aaron Neville and Bryan Ferry. With a touch of Prince. And the more I listen I think of Donovan and Nick Drake. Where's he from? I get Van more from the music, esp. the flute or recorder or whatever that is. Had to look up the lyrics to follow what he was singing, and yep, it's pretty weird.

Do you know about his blog? [link]

Yup: tina f. "Buffista Music II: Wrath of Chaka Khan" Apr 14, 2005 3:07:12 pm PDT

::weeps because Jon apparently doesn't absorb every word she posts::

No water breakage yet, I'm afraid. and My Lady Story is great, but slightly to catchy; more than one friend has found himself singing "My lady's story is one of breast amputation..." on the bus...

I'd say the love child of Aaron Neville and Bryan Ferry.

Yeah, I can see that. It's the vibrato. The tremble in the voice.

With a touch of Prince.

When Prince sings falsetto?

And the more I listen I think of Donovan and Nick Drake.

That's a little more folky than I'd peg him, but Donovan does have that warble.

Where's he from?

NYC. Though I don't think he grew up there.

I get Van more from the music, esp. the flute or recorder or whatever that is.

That's actually what I was referring to, which is specific to this cut.

and My Lady Story is great, but slightly to catchy; more than one friend has found himself singing "My lady's story is one of breast amputation..." on the bus...

Yeah, me too. The more I listen to this record the more I'm drawn into it. I actually find the famous guest musicians an unnecessary distraction.

actually find the famous guest musicians an unnecessary distraction

Oh, I dunno - the Rufus Wainwright track is bad, but Lou's guitar makes Fistful of Love and the moment when you realise who the second voice on You are My Sister actually is makes my hair stand on end every time.

NYC. Though I don't think he grew up there.

He's from England - the dormitory resort of Eastbourne, IIRC - but grew up in the US.

Okay, my unusual love songs are loading up now. They should be in the Sent folder.

um...shouldn't the songs all go to the inbox? So they're all listed there together? I'm confuzzled.

The more I listen to this record the more I'm drawn into it.

I heard a story about him on NPR and when they started to play one of his songs I thought I would have to turn off the radio--his voice was so offputting to me. But I didn't turn it off and by the middle of the song I was loving him and was singing along.

um...shouldn't the songs all go to the inbox? So they're all listed there together? I'm confuzzled.

Most people seem to be sending from Buffistarawk, so it winds up in the outbox. I just did it the same way, though it seems to make more sense to send it to Buffistarawk. Or possibly I'm just messing it all up with my backwards ways.

I heard a story about him on NPR and when they started to play one of his songs I thought I would have to turn off the radio--his voice was so offputting to me. But I didn't turn it off and by the middle of the song I was loving him and was singing along.

Some of my favorite musicians made me adjust to their distinctive sound. It was striking but not immediately pleasurable. And then you find the doorway into their interior logic (or, less rationally, their "vibe") and the whole thing opens up to you. Tom Waits was like that for me. Neutral Milk Hotel.

Though I didn't find Antony's voice offputting, as you did. But it has opened up to me even more with repeated listens.

Oh, I dunno - the Rufus Wainwright track is bad, but Lou's guitar makes Fistful of Love and the moment when you realise who the second voice on You are My Sister actually is makes my hair stand on end every time.

"Unnecessary" may have been unnecessary. More accurately, Rufus' voice on the record jerked me out of it. But I do love "You Are My Sister" and the guest voice there.

I am a Bird Now (does the pun register in the States, BTW?) is one of those albums I binged on for about a week and haven't really picked up since - which seems to be my current MO with records.

(does the pun register in the States, BTW?)

Bird = Girl? Or is there a different pun going on?

Yeah, that pun. I never know whether such phrases are noticeable.