Maybe she's so angry because she's so boring?

I would much rather have listened to Tidal No-Frills tonight. As much as revisiting Anthrax's Attack of the Killer B's was a fun throwback to a CD I long since left behind (and missed), Fiona Apple's Tidal Deluxe was one that I didn't need to visit again. Christ, I forgot what a deadening experience this CD was.when I owned it. Time hasn't been kind.

Fiona Apple is part of that small group of over-hyped, over-awarded, critical darlings that I can live without. Y'know the kind? The Grammy all-stars. Talented? Hm, maybe. But dead-dog boring. Uninspired. Passionless. The musical equivalent of a cold fish wrapped in newspaper. I'd put Alicia Keys and Norah Jones in the same rocket ship and blast them all straight into space. Where perhaps they could land on the planet of bland A/C garbage?

Alicia Keys? On behalf of Prince, I've tried. I've really really tried. There's no question that she's a talented girl, but her music is just sort of hollow and (ironically) soul-less. Have fun listening to that CD when it turns up in the Blitzeroo. I'm keeping it on the basis of How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore? The rest of it puts me to sleep.

Norah Jones? I don't even need to hear the whole CD. I know what the package is. I like and still listen to Holly Cole. That's my one-stop for top-40 jazz-pop and at least, Holly Cole throws some spice in the mix. Norah Jones is that white paint you see in government buildings. I read her described somewhere on-line as the ultimate Starbucks soundtrack, which sounds about right. [Crap - you don' have a Norah Jones CD, do you?]

Macy Gray? Yeah, OK. I liked Macy Gray. Overplayed and boring in retrospect, but she's still got some funky album tracks. (I'm thinking of Caligula, which you'll hear if you don't already have this CD.)

Alas, it saddens me that I couldn't get through Tidal Deluxe completely before I got home. That means there's still some tracks waiting for me in the morning. Wish me luck getting out bed...