Diva season appears to be in full swing. Beginning with the release of Linda Eder's Broadway My Way earlier this year and continuing with the forthcoming releases by Annie Lennox (whose 1992 solo debut was titled Diva) and Madonna, 2003 promises to send the diva meter into the red zone.
With so many cooks stirring the pot, including executive producer Clive Davis, songwriting producers Desmond Child, Cathy Dennis, Matthew Wilder and Kenneth Edmonds, to mention a few, you might think that American Idol champion Kelly Clarkson might get lost in the sauce on her debut disc Thankful (RCA). 'Thankful'ly, she emerges as a confident singer who can glide in and out of different musical styles with ease. Predictably, her Texas gospel wail is put to use on the opening track, 'The Trouble With Love Is,' sounding like vintage Whitney Houston. Almost as conventional is the first single, 'Miss Independent,' co-written by Clarkson and Christina Aguilera. Since we already have more Christina than we need, I'm not sure about the wisdom of this collaboration. Beginning with 'Low,' the disc's mid-tempo rocking third track, things change for the better. Even the required Diane Warren tune, 'Some Kind of Miracle,' is miraculously less of a hack job than expected. Under-rated singer/songwriter (and one-time television child star) Danielle Brisebois contributes backing vocals on a few songs, including Clarkson's convincing cover of her 'Just Like This Train.' Speaking of collaborations, 'You Thought Wrong' features fellow American Idol contestant Tamyra Gray, who co-wrote the song with Clarkson and others. Clarkson fans will probably also be pleased to find new mixes of 'A Moment Like This' and 'Before Your Love,' as the bonus tracks that close the new reigning diva's debut disc.
When I first heard that Celine Dion was doing a cover version of Tom Kelly and Billy Steinberg's power pop anthem 'I Drove All Night,' a song that was a hit for both Cyndi Lauper and the late Roy Orbison, on her album One Heart (Epic), I wasn't surprised by her selection. After all, there are plenty of musically dramatic moments in the song that are custom made for Dion's wail and trademark chest thumping. Shortly thereafter I discovered that Dion, the new toast of Las Vegas, was hired to shill for Daimler/ Chrysler and that 'I Drove All Night,' was, if you'll excuse me, a commercial vehicle. Celine, honey, please do drive all night, just stay off my street. I didn't know Celine had it in her, but 'Love Is All We Need' stings like a spanking and suggests post-Dirty Mind, post-1999 Prince. The faux rock of 'Faith' has a Cher-circa-1989-strut to it, while the title track has some promising moves that ought to have remixers rubbing their hands together in anticipation. On 'Stand By Your Side,' Celine sounds like she's trying to appeal to Faith Hill and Shania Twain's fans, adding a twang and a trill to her vocals, and the same applies to 'Naked,' not something I ordinarily like to think about when it comes to Celine Dion. 'Have You Ever Been In Love,' from her multi-million copy selling 2002 disc A New Day Has Come mysteriously reappears on One Heart, and Dion reveals another side to herself on 'Reveal,' while slipping into Jennifer Lopez territory on 'I Coulda Woulda Shoulda.'
Since her exceptional 1998 comeback disc, Car Wheels On A Gravel Road, Lucinda Williams has ascended to the rank of alternative country diva. Her emotion-packed and lived-in vocals make her a twanging torch singer of the first degree. World Without Tears (Lost Highway), her new disc, is at once a raunchy and sweaty seduction (the sexed-up country funk of 'Righteously,' the 'pornographic episodes and screaming sin' of 'Real Live Bleeding Fingers and Broken Guitar Strings') and a tear-jerking affair ('Ventura,' 'Overtime,' 'Minneapolis,' the title track and 'Words Fell'). There are shrouded glimmers of hope, such as the ripe opening track 'Fruits Of My Labor' and the words of encouragement to an abused child 'Sweet Side,' but Williams's World gives the listener more than a few reasons to well up with tears.
Listeners expecting the new Goldfrapp disc Black Cherry (Mute) to be Felt Mountain, Part Two, will be surprised, and perhaps even delighted, to find that underground and rising diva Alison Goldfrapp, and Will Gregory, have moved on to the next level. Verdant opening track 'Crystalline Green' combines the lush cinematic quality that made Felt Mountain so spectacular with an electroclash beat that begs for movement. The locomotive 'Train' continues the forward motion. Fans who were initially seduced by the ethereal quality of earlier Goldfrapp tunes should be sated by the hypnotic title track. The ironically named 'Tiptoe,' on which Gregory assumes vocal duties, sneaks into your body and makes you want to do things you'd never previously considered. As with the titular number, the sticky and gooey 'Deep Honey' and the eternally lovely 'Forever,' remind us of how Goldfrapp initially got us to listen to them. Longtime fans will have to get used to sharing Goldfrapp, however, because songs such as the Ruby reminiscent 'Twist' and the persistent punch of 'Strict Machine,' are going to appeal to a whole new segment of listeners. The audio orgasm of 'Slippage,' for instance, will have those who can tie cherry stems into knots with their tongues, crawling out of the woodwork and heading for the dance floor.
The deluge of new and old school divas has inspired a pair of collections that are clearly meant to cash in on the Norah Jones phenomenon. Hot off the unexpected success of the Verve Remixed disc (on which top-shelf remixers tweaked standards by Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Dinah Washington, and others) comes The Ultimate Diva Collection (Verve), which has plenty of divas (including Astrud Gilberto, Blossom Dearie, Shirley Horn, Nina Simone, Carmen McRae and Helen Merrill), but is far from 'ultimate.' Interestingly, the double-disc Lady Sings The Blues (Capitol), excludes the 'lady' herself, Billie Holiday. It does include out jazz artist Patricia Barber, as well as Dinah Shore, June Christy, Julie London, and Nancy Wilson, to mention a few, so some points are gained. Norah Jones also appears, providing vocals for Charlie Hunter's cover of Roxy Music's 'More Than This.'