"Undone" general discussion (split from interview thread)

[Swansteel]

My neighbor that always hears me blaring Haley when I'm shooting hoops in tne driveway, is now a Haley fan, although not quite yet a Halien. He came along for the HOB show, met Haley, bought her CD, and had her sign it. He is a sound engineer with a major music equipment mfr for the last 30 years. His favorite song on the CD is Undone. Now, sometimes I'll be working in the backyard, and I hear Haley blaring over the fence. It's always cool hearing Haley, but especially cool when it was someone else that put it on.

Great to hear Haley on TV tonight, thanks for posting the link Babbs!

Now that's a great story, Yanni!

[rmd1064]

Yeah, based on the chosen topic for her new album, and Stefano's description of "messy", I get a sense that this was a pretty hard break up, not like the one's she's had before where she described them as easy and not difficult to go back to being friends. Who knows though :/

Regarding "Undone", if Carrie or Kelly or Katy had done that song, it would have been a world wide hit. I am not a ballad fan, but that song is so haunting and beautiful in a tortured way, with such gripping and desperate lyrics. What a moving song! I still think it will find a second or third life in a movie or TV show in the future. Or maybe another artist will cover it, who knows.

But I can see why Haley would not want to sing it over and over and over if it was released as a single. I think she has sung it twice in public, that show with Macy Gray and the radio show in NYC.

One thing that Haley does with a song with her eyes and her expressions and her moves is show emotion and fun and excitment, something sorely missing from the singers the past few years of Idol. Having to get INTO the feeling of "Undone" on a regular basis would be so tough....

[Tusk]

I'm still kicking myself for not having my camera on to record at least the audio of when she performed "Undone" at the private party in LA. Not only was Haley's performance haunting, I think that might have been the second if not the only time Keith played it on keys. (was it him on keyboards @ Americana? I seem to recall it was someone Courtney knew, and not Keith)

When one of the hosts asked "Can you do Undone?", Haley looked over to Keith and asked him if he knew it, could he play it? Keith nodded.

He added some AMAZING piano flourishes to the song, it wasn't just the straightforward playing of it. I think that the fact that he had not played it over and over again (Like Haley's other songs, Free, NTYH etc), but was familiar with it, gave him license to 'freestyle' with it, following the basic melody, but enhancing it.... The guests erupted in applause and cheers when they finished. A sublime version of it especially because Keith got to improvise, somewhat, not being as familiar with it as he is with Haley's other song

As far as Haley's reaction to the request, I never got any hesitation about performing of it, other than she wasn't sure if Keith knew the song. Even though she has voiced her hesitation about it, I'm not all together convinced that she "doesn't like" "Undone" as much as we are making it out to seem. (at least emotionally re: writing about some terrible break up)... I think it's simply that she prefers for her performances to be upbeat, something that's just in her character

(Of course the caveat is her new interpretation of "Free" which has as much heart tugging longing/sadness and emotion, IMO, as Undone, especially compared to the more upbeat original version. Then again, she's only performed that version of "Free" a handfull of times too... Vegas and Okinawa)

Tusk ‏@HaleysTusk 22 May

@HaleyReinhart @KEiTHPHELPS I wish we had a recording of you two performing "Undone" in LA.The flourishes on the Baby Grand was divine Keith
Retweeted by Keith Phelps

[My Alter Ego]

He added some AMAZING piano flourishes to the song, it wasn't just the straightforward playing of it.

Tusk ‏@HaleysTusk 22 May

@HaleyReinhart @KEiTHPHELPS I wish we had a recording of you two performing "Undone" in LA.The flourishes on the Baby Grand was divine Keith
Retweeted by Keith Phelps

That would be Keith -- he's so astonishingly good! I adore that kid! (I know -- he deserves better than to be called "kid" -- but he is young!)

In addition, I love that you sent that tweet and love that Keith retweeted it!

[Tusk]

If there was any justice, golden moments like that should be witnessed by everyone..... "Undone" live is definitely something to experience.

I like that Keith is experimental with his own stuff, but his grounding, musically, is so, refreshingly and suprisingly..... classical(?) Not in the 'classical music' sense, but classical in the sense of how adroit and remarkably improvisational and on point he is....

His Piano work on BATJ, that night, was also exceptional because Haley gave him a "take it away, Keith" for a solo

[My Alter Ego]

If there was any justice, golden moments like that should be witnessed by everyone..... "Undone" live is definitely something to experience.

I like that Keith is experimental with his own stuff, but his grounding, musically, is so, refreshingly and suprisingly..... classical(?) Not in the 'classical music' sense, but classical in the sense of how adroit and remarkably improvisational and on point he is....

His Piano work on BATJ, that night, was also exceptional because Haley gave him a "take it away, Keith" for a solo

Good point, Tusk! I don't get the sense that he's had formal training, but his sense -- gift, maybe -- of the flow of chords, and how he can manipulate them is mind blowing! I sometimes wonder if it's innate for him, and then I admonish myself for thinking of "something so silly." But he's so young to be so gifted, I'm at a loss to understand. (I have been involved in the music world enough to recognize Keith's potential.)

It's no secret that I'm in awe of Casey's talent, but I also know that some of his ability [not his innate talent, but ability] is because his parents could afford to see to it that he had formal training. I'm usually very pro "music lessons" -- giving them was my first job, no matter how inadequate I felt at the time -- but when one can be as good as Keith is without them, then I'm not going to quibble.

I would truly love to hear a trio of Haley, Casey, and Keith and be wowed with what the 3 of them could give us. I think it could be really amazing!

[Tusk]

I think it was at this LA party I told him how much I enjoyed his work with Haley and said something about how you thought that his style was unorthodox, and wondered whether he was self taught because he didn't play the way you would normally be taught (I think that was you that noted his fingering style on the keyboard). He laughed and said he had his Father to thank for that. His Father taught him discipline and practice. When his friends were all hanging out, he was inside practicing on his keys.

[My Alter Ego]

I think it was at this LA party I told him how much I enjoyed his work with Haley and said something about how you thought that his style was unorthodox, and wondered whether he was self taught because he didn't play the way you would be normally be taught. He laughed and said he had his Dad to thank for that. His Dad taught him discipline and practice. When his friends were all hanging out, he was inside practicing on his keyboard.

Good for Dad! It was me who had mentioned that Keith has this tendency to pull a hand completely away from the keyboard, but I suspect that his tendency to do that may be because he plays electric keyboards so much. Electric keyboards are varying degrees of sensitive and some of them take very little "brushing" and you hear a sound.

My guess -- and it is a guess, albeit a reasonably educated one -- is that Keith might have "hovered" around keys on an acoustic piano but without actually pressing (striking) the key --or pressing it with the force necessary for the hammer to be struck, no sound would be heard.

But, as I said, electric keyboards are far more sensitive. Thus, I suspect that Keith trained himself to pull his hand away when it's not "working." But, again, I don't know the specifics -- and my "educated guess," as reasonable as it is, could be 180 degrees wrong. (I love science -- !)

[Babbs234]

Thank you MAE for giving us your professional insight into all things musical. It is interesting to me to read your opinion, and I am learning from you at the same time. Being from a music background, you and a few others are so knowledgeable about instruments, voice and such.

I actually took piano lessons for 7 years when I was young. I even took lessons from a famous jazz pianist in Chicago, but I never had the talent. I haven't played in years.

[john]

Sinner ‏@_TheLifeOfCiara 2m
Undone by Haley Reinhart is my life story right now.

Pam. ‏@P4HM_ 36m
Undone - Haley Reinhart.

Kevin † ‏@TheKevinBowman 39m
Saddest song in the world: Haley Reinhart - Undone

Nicole Klein ‏@NiccoleKleinn 1h
Undone-haley reinhart. Honestly like perfection

Don&Haley PH ‏@db_ros 2h
I can hear my ofcmate listening to Undone thru her headphones since 8am. And it's almost noon here! Someone's obsessed! @HaleyReinhart

zainus latif ‏@zainus 4h
Undone by Haley Reinhart — http://path.com/p/4BFeNp

ReinhartingOnHeaven ‏@HEReinhartFans 5h
#SongsThatNeverGetOld "undone"by the one and only Haley Reinhart

Sydnie Gutzmann ‏@SydnieGutzmann 5h
Undone by Haley Reinhart to get me through tonight

I'm often struck by the number of comments about Undone that routinely show up on twitter. On the other hand, I'm also struck by the number of different Haley songs and performances that people celebrate through each day.