The Sporting Life

the sporting life

Track Listings
1. Skótoseme
2. Do You Take This Man?
3. Dark End of the Street
4. You're Mine
5. Tony
6. Devil's Rodeo
7. Sporting Life
8. Baby's Insane
9. Last Man Down
10. Hex

The Sporting Life,Diamanda Galas,Elektra / Wea,Alternative Pop/Rock,Experimental,No Wave,Pop,Popular Music,Rock

The Sporting Life
The Sporting Life
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • As disturbing as it looks
  • ROCKIN' MAMA!
  • Galás Rockin'!
  • Pass the ear plugs please!
  • Yoko Ono was never this tone deaf!
 The Sporting Life
Diamanda Galas
Manufacturer: Mute U.S.
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
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GeneralGeneral | Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music
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ASIN: B000003Z6B
Release Date: 1994-09-06

Tracks:

  1. Skotoseme
  2. Do You Take This Man?
  3. Dark End Of The Street
  4. You're Mine
  5. Tony
  6. Devil's Rodeo
  7. The Sporting Life
  8. Baby's Insane
  9. Last Man Down
  10. Hex

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars As disturbing as it looks.......2007-04-03

First, if you see John Paul Jones name listed on here and figure "oh yeah, the guy from Zep with some woman singing, I'll pick this up." stop what you are doing. Don't click the buy button. Move on. You are likely to be sorry. Look at that woman on the cover.

I have had no experience with Ms. Galas' recordings and this is the first I'd bought. I'd read the reviews, even back when initially released, listened to the samples, and rolled my dice. Simply put, this is a work you can probably readily categorize by the look of the cover. She sings not terribly unlike how she looks. You've never heard such a succession of intentional howls, screeches, caterwauls and vocal flights of fancy and yes, somehow it seems to work. This is not easy listening, you're not going to hum along and you darn sure won't be singing along. I liken it to a musical roller-coaster ride.

As others have also written, John Paul Jones is no musical slouch. The combination of him and... Pete Thomas?? Trust me, it doesn't seem so interesting on paper but it also works. Remember folks, Page and Plant spent a lot of time plowing the same fields over and over again, Jonesy was the one who went off working on the B'hole Surfers' Independent Worm Saloon, the Mission UK's Children, and other places far away from the narrow-mind of "Classic Rock Format Radio".

A fine recording, but most definitely not for everyone at every time. Kinda like My Bloody Valentine's Loveless

4 out of 5 stars ROCKIN' MAMA!.......2006-10-11

I had to listen to the samples over to refresh my mind since I hadn't listen to this cd in about 3 yrs. I still like this cd- she whigs out. Diamanda does the middle-eastern vocalizing style very well. But not as good or pleasant sounding as the late OFRA HAZZA. You all know Diamanda has to give it her deconstructed trademark sound/style. "MY BABY'S INSANE" appears on the "LA SERPENTA CANTA" cd and "SOKOSETEME" appear on "DEFIXIONES, WILL and TESTAMENT." The tracks are fun and Diamanda proves to everyone that she can take on rock music and sound fabulous. Her voice is well suited for rock. I really can't over analyze the music- it's just plain fun to listen if this is the type of you music you like.

5 out of 5 stars Galás Rockin'!.......2006-02-21

Many good reviews have been written about the qualities of this album! I guess that the reviewers with the lower ratings didn't really know what they were buying. I would say this is definitely the most accessible recording Diamanda Galás has made, and I have listened to most of her work.

So what is so disturbing about this lady?
She has a very extreme vocal starting point. She has worked out how to make the strangest sounds with her voice, and most of these sound are not 'nice' to most ears. Usually these sounds are used in heavy rock and metal, where they are blending into the loud sounds of the band. This is one of the reasons why this album sounds so accessible to my ears. This is the only album where she is backed by a rock band, as far as I know.

Many of her other albums are described as 'scary' in the reviews here on Amazon, and they are! This is because her musical and dramatic starting point are very extreme as well. She choses to sing about death, blood, disease, pain and such. Often the setting seems satanistic, but I don't think it has anything to do with satanism. She just uses that 'language' to express something different. She did a cycle of long solo pieces about the (hypocrytical) attitude of society towards AIDS and it's victims, wich shows that she has a more positive message. (Masque of the Red Death Trilogy) Still, to me this is a disturbing contradiction in her music. It's hard to get a 'positive feeling' from it. They are often long accusations, litanies and lamentations. At the same time it's all very intriguing and intense, so I got hooked anyway!

As another reviewer said, there is humor too, especially on this album. It' s a satirical kind of humor, and it may not be to your taste, but it's more than you will hear on some of her other albums. It makes it one of her 'lighter' albums, even if it is one of her loudest ones as well.
So: 5 stars!!

As a teacher in Complete Vocal Technique, I would like to add a word about the technical side of her singing. I can hear that Diamanda Galás knows what she is doing. The main proof of that is that she has been doing this for 20 years (or longer), and she is still going strong. Apart from her impressive range, her skill in making 'nasty' sounds is phenomenal. And so is her flexibility in switching from one kind of sound to another. I can hear that she has really worked out all the vocal 'effects' she does. They often seem to be on the limit of what is 'healthy' for the voice, but she doesn't cross the border. I guess that Diamanda will need a bit of vocal rest after a concert, but that's normal after such hard work as a singer. (Opera singers often get at least a days rest between perfomances.) I can technically more or less understand (and teach) all the sounds I hear her make, and I think she has a fantastic technique!

If any reader is interested in learning some of these techniques and effects, they can find information on: completevocalinstitute.com There is a forum, information about courses and more interesting stuff. You can also find the CD 'Ancient Fire' (Metal Rock), wich you may enjoy if you like this one. Cathrine Sadolin is an exellent singer. Not quite as extreme as Diamanda, but she does some pretty good screaming and distortion on that album. The music is good too!

2 out of 5 stars Pass the ear plugs please!.......2005-01-13

This would be a great album...if she wouldn't sing. Believe me, I tried listening to this with an open mind, but couldn't get past her howls and screeches. The only reason I purchased it was to hear J.P. Jones.

1 out of 5 stars Yoko Ono was never this tone deaf!.......2004-08-20

I bought this from Amazon, without listening to the preview samples, which I now regret most deeply! Luckily it was a used copy and inexpensive.

John Paul Jones is a genius on bass and other instruments. If you want to hear him, skip this album, because Diamanda will ruin it for you. (Pick THUNDERTHIEF or ZOOMA or Led Zeppelin for that matter.)

Caterwauling is too kind a term. She sings Middle Easter microtones without stopping on any particular tone. Screeching and yodeling abound. Honestly, this one I'll give away to anyone who'll take it (unless the record company releases a dub version!).

It sounds like someone beating a cat to death with another cat.

Sporting Life
Average customer rating: Not rated
    		Sporting Life

    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    GeneralGeneral | Folk | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Rock | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Folk | Indie Music | Stores | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music
    ASIN: B00004U1T0
    Release Date: 1997-11-14

    Tracks:

    1. She's a Rainbow
    2. Heat Lightning
    3. Sporting Life
    4. Shaft Takes a Hayride/I'm Going Down
    5. The Longest Days
    6. Something So Good
    7. My Old Friend
    8. Mirrors(Face To Face)
    9. Didn't I Know You Once
    10. Ride On
    11. I'm With You
    12. Maggie's Theme

    Album Description

    A folk/rock blend of eclectic styles and substance. Songs that combine the lyrical qualities of love and humor with urgencey and drive.
    Sporting Life Blues
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      		Sporting Life Blues
      Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee
      Manufacturer: P-Vine
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD

      Delta BluesDelta Blues | Blues | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Blues | Styles | Music
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      East Coast BluesEast Coast Blues | Regional Blues | Blues | Styles | Music
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      ASIN: B000N3SX9E
      Release Date: 2007-03-26

      Tracks:

      1. Blues All Round My Bed
      2. Billy Goat Blues
      3. Takes A Worried Man To Sing A Worried Song
      4. Jivin` All The Time
      5. Easy Riding Buggy
      6. So Sweet So Seet
      7. I Got A Road
      8. In The Evening
      9. Broke Down Engine
      10. Fox Chase
      11. Untitled Fragment (Harmonica Instrumental)
      12. Sporting Life Blues
      13. Down In The Bottom
      14. Bad Bad Whisky
      15. Georgia Ham
      This Sporting Life
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        		This Sporting Life
        Ian Whitcomb
        Manufacturer: Rev-Ola
        ProductGroup: Music
        Binding: Audio CD

        GeneralGeneral | Jazz | Styles | Music
        GeneralGeneral | Rock | Styles | Music
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        ASIN: B000024E2R
        Release Date: 2006-04-10
        Andy Stewart's Scotland
        Average customer rating: Not rated
          		Andy Stewart's Scotland
          Andy B. Stewart
          Manufacturer: Scotdisc
          ProductGroup: Music
          Binding: Audio CD

          GeneralGeneral | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
          GeneralGeneral | Celtic | International | Styles | Music
          ASIN: B0001W17GI
          Release Date: 1995-12-01

          Tracks:

          1. Title Music
          2. Traffic Music
          3. Brighton
          4. Love Music
          5. Channel Crossing
          6. End Titles
          7. I
          8. II
          9. III
          10. IV
          11. V
          12. VI
          13. VII
          14. VIII
          15. I Title Music
          16. II
          17. III
          18. IV
          19. V
          20. VI
          21. VII End Titles
          22. Main Title-The Dream
          23. The Hospital
          24. The House
          25. Chris And Margaret
          26. Chris At The Window
          27. Hallucinations
          28. The Lake-The Letters
          29. Chris Returns

          Music:

          1. Thorns and flowers
          2. Top Tunes Karaoke CDG Hall of Fame Vol.3 TT-051
          3. Top Tunes Karaoke CDG Hall of Fame Vol.4 TT-052
          4. Tough All Over
          5. Trio [Import]
          6. Try Whistling This [Extra tracks] [Import]
          7. Universal Mall
          8. Universal Masters Collection
          9. Unplugged: Live at the Academy of Music Philadelphia [Live]
          10. Vertigo

          Music

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