Sibylle Baier
I’ve changed my mind.
I dropped in on Zeon last week where I came across a review he did on an album recorded in the 1970′s by an actress/singer named Sibylle Baier.
His enthusiastic, well-written, four-star post inspired me to take a listen to the samples he offered. I found the very first song called Tonight to be pretty captivating so I jumped over to eMusic, downloaded the album and commented to Zeon with the promise that I “will enthusiastically hype it on my page at Fusion 45″.
It seems that Baier was an aspiring actress, singer and songwriting who recorded this album on some home equipment back in the 1970′s. Before it was released, she opted to pursue the domestic path and the album stayed in the closet. In a show of dedication to his Mom, Baier’s son unearthed the record and saw to getting it released a few years ago.
Now would be a good time to say: as much as I appreciate a son’s blind love for his Mom, there are some things that are better left unsaid.
Choice of career notwithstanding, there’s a reason why this record wasn’t released. It’s bad, it’s boring, it goes nowhere, it says nothing.
Dropping “Tonight” into a mix of other sings may, indeed, prove interesting (or even captivating) but a steady diet of her music, even for 30 minutes, is tantamount to Chinese water torture. It’s a slow drip-drip-drip until the very end. Tempo, Sibylle, tempo!
Lessons learned:
A. Don’t promise hype until you’re sure the music’s worthy (or, in the immortal words of Quincy Jones, “don’t let your mouth write a check that your body can’t cash”).
B. Understand that some “lost” records are lost for a reason.
C. Don’t assume that just because it’s “lost” and then “found” that it’s good.
I stand corrected.
Namaste,
Music Junkie at Fusion 45
Sorry, I have to disagree with you! I think that every song on the Sibylle Baier album is excellent, and it would have been a tragic loss to music lovers if the album had never been issued. In fact, I’m hoping her son can find some other old tapes somewhere, for a second album! Bruce
I appreciate you stopping by and leaving your comment…especially because we don’t agree. MJ@F45
Hmm. I don’t know if you’re just being controversial here, music junkie, but I have to disagree with you too. I’ve loved “Colour Green” since I first heard it a couple of years back, and it is, I believe, an album on a par with Nick Drake with Syd Barrett as an expression of vulnerablity and – if not for the recording – unchannelled passion.
I’ll concede that I don’t play it the whole way through that often, but tend to dip in and out as the mood takes me. Boring it certainly isn’t.
This is an old post, but since I feel so strongly about the topic I decided to comment. I think Sibylle’s music is very well written and a lot more original than most successful singer/songwriters. The music is amazing really. Perhaps you weren’t in the right mood, or it’s just not your thing… but it is excellent music and still reaching new people. When I cover her songs there are people who always want to know more about her and her music. To me, quiet and slow doesn’t mean boring. She is singing with such honesty and the songs about nothing are nicely poetic and about real life.
Does “The End” really say nothing to you? Or “Says Elliot”? Two of the most beautiful songs I’ve ever heard.