THE MIDGET'S SOAPBOX #3

"WOMEN IN ROCK"

A Kinder, Gentler Rant by Adam Bowman

I had nothing left to rant about. Sure, I could have done something against Fred Durst and his ramblings-on about Creed, and then Creed's sleek one-ups-manship on Mr. Durst, but that'd be too easy. I could have made a longer praising rant about The Deftones or A Perfect Circle. Hey, I could have even spent your five minutes going on and on about Static-X and compare them to Soundgarden back when Nirvana first came to the spotlight. A million things to choose from, yet I couldn't think of anything...

Fortunately, I gave one listen to "Sweet Surrender" and had my decision made for me. The midget was gonna lighten up a bit, and stop harping on what was wrong with the music world in his eyes. This soapbox will be used for peace this time, as I would like to announce the female singers that, well, being honest about it, I love.

I'll be just, even where they're looking like Keith Richards, I'll still be in love with these women. They being Sarah McLachlan, Natalie Merchant, Tori Amos, Lisa Loeb, Sheryl Crow and Meredith Brooks. All six of these women have created arguably the best and catchiest music the late 90s had to offer. Sarah with "I Will Remember You", "Adia", "Angel", "Sweet Surrender", and the entire "Fumbling Toward Ecstasy" album. Natalie with everything she's done post-10k Maniacs. Tori...because the girl can do no wrong. Sheryl because she has the strongest and most honest spirit of any musician save Travis Meeks of Days of the New. Lisa Loeb is nothing short of brilliantly cute, and Meredith Brooks because she's putting that sultry playfulness back into music.

In all honesty, I can't sit through a Tori Amos composition without going through millions of emotions. Fortunately, the works of Sarah McLachlan are uplifting enough to force my comparisons of her to an angel. No pun intended (although that would have been a good one...). I could attempt to sit here and identify every bit of writing that touches me from both of these fine artists, but let's face it, the average human life span is only about 70 or so. Either way, you can't help but feel as if they're speaking for your emotions, and guiding you through any times that may trouble you. Good reason to sing their praises (boo, rip-off ending! Cornball usage of sappy title, hiss!).

I love Natalie Merchant and Lisa Loeb's music because they both have a kind of innocence to them that I just can't resist. Imagine it, a guy who's favorite bands are Soundgarden and Static-X, and he listens to Lisa Loeb and Natalie Merchant. You may commence the stone throwing. Anyways, if you haven't heard anything from these two beautiful artists, try to check out Natalie's "Ophelia" and definately anything Lisa's released. By the way.....Ethan who??

Meanwhile, the lyrics that are written by Sheryl Crow are autobiographical, and can be used for anyone who's had a rough time in their lifetime, or are living through a troublesome occurrence right now. The music she combines with her words create a perfect platform for people to express themselves without saying a word out loud. Meredith Brooks, however, has remained the same sort of rebel she was back in her punk days. She does have her sultry side, as the video filmed for "What Would Happen?" more than proves.

To try and compare them can at times be impossible. There are no other musical minds the likes of Sarah or Tori, and you can rarely find anyone with as much energy in their music as Natalie, Lisa, and Meredith. And for emotion, few have approached the heights Sheryl Crow has reached. All six of these artists are nothing short of amazing.