November 8th, 2006
Dissing Mary Margaret O’Hara = “ignorant”
Last month at the Leonard Cohen ‘Came So Far For Beauty’ gig, the crowd’s response to Mary Margaret O’Hara was somewhere between bewilderment and hostility. Sure, she’s not everyone’s bag of apples but it was a surprise to hear Damien dub her a “fucking screeching zombie”. I didn’t agree with his assessment, but it’s one a lot of people at The Point subscribed to given the reaction and it’s a view Damien is entitled to - or so you’d think. Over at Dublin Opinion (who have a nice video link to Morrissey’s ‘November Spawned A Monster’, which MMOH sang on), Mr. Mulley has been called an “ignorant critic” for offering a contrary view. Perhaps he didn’t know much about her music, her distinct singing style, but does it warrant such a loaded, dismissive word as ignorant?
Last week, Edel Coffey reviewed the Sufjan Stevens gig at the Olympia on her new morning show on Phantom. Among many criticisms she described it as “bombastic”, largely due to the brass section who took over. I couldn’t have disagreed more (I thought he was brilliant) and quite a few people texted in to say the same thing. Edel probably knew she’d upset a chunk of people, but said what she thought anyway. Half the audience might have disagreed, but I respected her opinion, not just because she’s a talented journalist whose show I make a point of tuning in to, but because she’s entitled to her view, and she said it regardless knowing that it wouldn’t be most folk’s experience of the gig. Like Damien, she’s far from ignorant.
Wouldn’t the world be one giant Marietta biscuit if we all had the same taste? Let’s just all get back to not being able to make it all the way through the new Damien Rice album.
November 8th, 2006 at 10:26 am
Let’s just all get back to not being able to make it all the way through the new Damien Rice album.
There’s hope for you yet, Sinead.
November 8th, 2006 at 10:37 am
Have you heard any of it Twenty? Or am I asking too much?
November 8th, 2006 at 11:00 am
It would asking far too much for 20 to forego his usual attitude and prejudices and actually listen to th damn thing. Then again, he aint a critic - just a bitter and twisted civil servant who really wants to be Liam Fay
November 8th, 2006 at 11:47 am
The Brass absolutely made the Sufjan gig in my mind. French horn’s rock!
November 8th, 2006 at 11:54 am
“Wouldn’t the world be one giant Marietta biscuit if we all had the same taste?”
Nah. It would suit me if everyone kissed my arse, ’cause you all KNOW I’m right… ALL THE TIME.
November 8th, 2006 at 5:19 pm
“fucking screeching zombieâ€? I assume he doesn’t really like her
November 8th, 2006 at 7:16 pm
I’m conviced that twenty and damien are “good friends” - me think the gentleman doth protest a bit too much
November 8th, 2006 at 8:08 pm
Let’s just all get back to not being able to make it all the way through the new Damien Rice album.
I heard it. It’s boring. Like yourself couldn’t last past about track 7.
November 8th, 2006 at 9:32 pm
It would asking far too much for 20 to forego his usual attitude and prejudices and actually listen to th damn thing. Then again, he aint a critic - just a bitter and twisted civil servant who really wants to be Liam Fay
I listened to the first one and I hated it. I don’t need to listen to the second one to know that I’d hate it.
And I’m not a critic, nor a civil servant and I don’t fucking want to be Liam Fay, you horrible bastard cunt, Squirrel.
I am bitter and twisted though.
November 9th, 2006 at 5:02 pm
Hear, hear, Sinead. I agree. It’s me, I’m the ignoramus. But I’m trying to be less so. Now, back to listening to that Damien Rice album
November 9th, 2006 at 5:52 pm
[…] My use of the phrase ‘ignorant critic’ in the November Spawned Mary piece has generated a good deal of comment over the last two days. Firstly when Damien reacted to it by saying that “if you give an opinion about a concert and it doesn’t fit with the views of others then you are ignorantâ€?. And then secondly when Sinead Gleeson chipped in to argue that “perhaps [Damien] didn’t know much about her music, her distinct singing style, but does it warrant such a loaded, dismissive word as ignorant?â€? […]
November 13th, 2006 at 12:25 am
There’s an mp3 recording of Mary Margaret O’Hara and Gavin Friday’s murder of Hallelujah on YouYube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09fE0c9lsmg
A ‘fucking screeching zombie’ is an accurate description.
November 13th, 2006 at 8:48 am
Ben, I’d disagree, but each to to their own.
Isn’t it interesting that no one has mentioned Gavin Friday’s awful performance along the way? If anyone ruined it, he did.
November 13th, 2006 at 9:38 pm
Isn’t it interesting that no one has mentioned Gavin Friday’s awful performance along the way?
It’s Gavin Friday. It goes without saying, doesn’t it?
November 13th, 2006 at 9:39 pm
There’s an mp3 recording of Mary Margaret O’Hara and Gavin Friday’s murder of Hallelujah on YouYube.
That is, unquestionably, one of the worst things I have ever heard.
November 16th, 2006 at 5:30 pm
Thanks. I’ve been trying to bring the name of those biscuits back into the auld memory banks for a while now. And low and behold, read Sigla and thou wilt get your wish.