Haley Reinhart versus The World

[Tom22]

I don't think Haley would ever say she performed better than any of the Fab Four, she holds her influences in high regard, and doesn't have that kind of personality

I much prefer the 1st time Haley performed Helter Skelter, with just Dylan at Hotel Cafe, I thought that Mark and Casey joining in, looking like they hadn't rehearsed w/ her, the Room5 performance wasn't as tight as her Hotel Cafe performance with Just Dylan.

I'm with you preferring this performance over the other.

Also, beyond a very difficult comparison with P McCartney.. Haley mentions "they were just strumming around" .. as you suggest, hardly comparable to a really fully rehearsed show. (although miraculously that hasn't stopped Haley with other songs !)

What is also completely incomparable is the guitar playing.... Ballas isn't half bad at accompanying himself and others acoustically but he's not going to win any guitar contests..... and I think that song has more edge with electric guitars.

I can imagine Haley singing exactly as she does here in place of PM on the same stage with the same band he had and coming closer.

She'd also find it easier to be "in the pocket" instead of at times a bit ahead of the pocket (yeah its a driving beat but there is still a pocket even if a driving pocket) with a fully rehearsed and familiar band.

So.. haha.. one of the few comparisons she doesn't win.. but she didn't have a level playing-field to try !

[john]

^ I also prefer the Hotel Cafe performance. Dylan and Haley had a tight little arrangement with some basic percussion in support. But Casey and Mark didn't add anything IMO at Room 5. Mark must have been feeling it, but his flailing arms and symbol smashes are a distraction. I found my eyes drawn to the right side of the screen with all the motion from Mark and Casey. Haley seems almost pushed away from center stage, which doesn't fit the song at all. It turned into a jam session and the performance was diminished as a result.

I think she could do a great job accompanied by an electric guitar, bass, and robust percussion. But they would need to rehearse it.

[Tusk]

Ya, I considered cropping the video more, but opted to do include all the performers in the shot. Beatalks, was so cool keeping an eye on my table for me, I felt he should be in the shot as well, show all the performers.

That's where Rachel's AATB was superior to mine, in her vid, you got a clearer shot of Caley's playful interaction, their expressions. Either way, we got the best of both worlds, a wide shot and a close up

[Tom22]

^ I also prefer the Hotel Cafe performance. Dylan and Haley had a tight little arrangement with some basic percussion in support. But Casey and Mark didn't add anything IMO at Room 5. Mark must have been feeling it, but his flailing arms and symbol smashes are a distraction. I found my eyes drawn to the right side of the screen with all the motion from Mark and Casey. Haley seems almost pushed away from center stage, which doesn't fit the song at all. It turned into a jam session and the performance was diminished as a result.

I think she could do a great job accompanied by an electric guitar, bass, and robust percussion. But they would need to rehearse it.

I'm not distracted as much...... i think I would be distracted in a different way if the guitar player were in frame and was not moving like he did... I want the ensemble just as into it as the lead

...but to be honest I don't watch the video itself too closely except actually to focus on the instruments other than the lead singer. I like seeing the musicians attitude and facial expressions in relation to the lead singer(as a sign of their interaction and attentiveness to singer's style and vice versa) and I notice their finger and hand work as it's sort of more a visual way of seeing the sound they're making (can't look into a larynx of a singer) . (another example ... I think we all loved the Mayfield god bless the child ... but for me it wasn't just about the surprise on the faces)

But I can see those of you that love Haley's pretty face and perhaps adore her as a person as much as her voice would be a bit bothered : )

Maybe Part of the issue is how small the stage is.. more often than not the lead can step forward a bit more and the musicians are a bit more stage left and right and the singer might walk back and forth to them at times to highlight them then walk back to center to reclaim exclusive focus.

[mercfan3]

Since The Voice Finale is tonight, I'll throw this one in there again. I love this kid's voice, but I think this song needs voice with more guts too it. Chris has a very smooth R&B type of voice, whereas Haley's power makes the song during the bridge, IMO.

[john]

In 2010 Steve Winwood had a contest where people put up covers of "Can't Find My Way Home" and he choose his favorites. The top three in the contest are presented below. So this is Haley's cover of CFMWH versus Winwood's favorites from his 2010 contest. Of course, the winners were about more than singing; Winwood seemed to put a lot of emphasis on the arrangement and instrumental elements of the covers.

Brenna Fitzgerald - 1st place winner


Yoichi Aoyama - 2nd place


Angels In The Architecture (Ed Lambs) - 3rd place







I'd love to hear a studio version of this from Haley.

[john]

chris weaver 30 minutes ago
i prefer the Karen Souza cover from the movie The Zero Theorem

The Karen Souza cover is one that has been mentioned a number of times by viewers of Haley's PMJ version of Creep. So, the challenge is set.



Karen Souza covers a lot of pop songs from the 80s and 90s in a jazz style. I find her voice quickly gets tiring, but the instrumental arrangements are often interesting.

[Tusk]

There's almost a 'robotic' feel to it.. which I think is intentional. One of the criticisms I saw of Haley's Creep was her interpretation of the song. It was the poster's opinion that they prefered the other PMJ cover, the singer has a more emotionless delivery, keeping in line with Radiohead's original.

Instrumentation-wise, this audio has a much more produced Jazz 'sound' than PMJ's does, particularly the sound of the bass....definitely pleasing arrangement

Or maybe I'm reading too much into it :/

[mercfan3]

Okay, I got in one line of that and I hated it. Absolutely hated it. The feeling is all wrong.

The amazing thing about Haley's version of Cree (and the problem with the original PMJ one, IMO) is that Haley and PMJ make it into a 50s style (I'd say it's more like the songs in "Grease" than Jazz..and it's only Haley's voice that makes it jazz in the slightest.) and still keeps the melody of the song.

That song is iconic. If you cover it, you can't change it to the point where it is unrecognizable.

I did always love the version from The Facebook movie
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5x3CW7O5O4

I also always enjoyed Holly Henry's cover (contestant from The Voice) her voice has an ethereal quality that works with the song.

https://soundcloud.com/hollyhenry-1/cree...head-cover

[kaypea]

Okay, I got in one line of that and I hated it. Absolutely hated it. The feeling is all wrong.

The amazing thing about Haley's version of Cree (and the problem with the original PMJ one, IMO) is that Haley and PMJ make it into a 50s style (I'd say it's more like the songs in "Grease" than Jazz..and it's only Haley's voice that makes it jazz in the slightest.) and still keeps the melody of the song.

That song is iconic. If you cover it, you can't change it to the point where it is unrecognizable.

Definitely agree-that feeling-and arrangement doesn't work at all for that song.Some people are calling Haley's version jazz but its really,as you say a fifties pop feel with some jazz inflections that Haley does so well but also so much more to it.This version is jazz-but in this case its jazz of the worst kind for this type of song-it sounds "loungy"and "gimmicky" and is a misfit for this song.