Your thoughts on the musician Tracy Chapman? - General Discussion Discussion

[–] ShogunofYonkers (78448) a year ago

Come to think of it I really only know Fast Car which is a really good song.

No shame in it but would she be considered a one hit wonder artist?

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[–] Kowalski (78704) a year ago

WHAT ABOUT THE IN LIVING COLOR SKETCHS?...THE WAYANS SISTER LOOKING OUT THE WINDOW AND SINGING WHAT SHE SEES.

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[–] ShogunofYonkers (78448) a year ago

That does sound familiar but it's been ages, I'll YOUTUBE that.

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[–] ShogunofYonkers (78448) a year ago

That was funny!
The Mr. Ugly Man bit was funny too, I just rewatched it lol.

Living Color was a great show, it was the first time I ever heard about Jim Carrey.

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[–] jriley555 (8529) a year ago

Doesn't do a lot fer me.

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[–] mtxmind (3296) a year ago

Really only know a few songs, 2 being the obvious hits (Fast Car, & Give Me One Reason). Kind of a Joan Armatrading clone, and not really my wheelhouse. She is talented though.

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[–] nyctc7 (44088) a year ago

I only know her from her two hit songs, Fast Car and Give Me One Reason. I love Fast Car a lot. However never really cared for her persona, kind of the unsmiling, earnest activist type. (Yes you can find pictures of her smiling but you know what I mean.)

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[–] TimeTunnel (4769) a year ago

"Sorry" is my favourite Tracy Chapman song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvYSckKSL5g
Ok ok, the official title is "Baby Can I Hold You"...sorry. ☺

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[–] DoctorThirteen (15227) a year ago

Not someone I'd choose to listen to, but then she's not my kind of music.

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[–] Mustang (5568) a year ago

I really only know Fast Car and Give me one Reason which I both like. She seems to be a little in the Sinead O'Connor camp, famous for a song that was ages ago but still gets a lot of critical acclaim and keeps putting out records.

EDIT Ok last album was 2008.

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[–] OnanTheBarbarian (13076) a year ago

It's rare to see a black woman doing acoustical folk. That made her stand out.

Someone on this thread mentioned "one hit wonder". Only people mired in top 40 pap call an artist like Chapman a "one hit wonder". I don't know a lot of her other stuff, but I do know my favorite bands usually do not have any top 40 hits. They're still great bands.

So if "Fast Car" was a fluke, her other work could still be magnificent.

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[–] nyctc7 (44088) a year ago

She had two Top Ten hits so she is not a one-hit wonder in any case. But "one-hit wonder" does not have to be derogatory. My favorite band, Grateful Dead, is technically a one-hit wonder, with only one Top 40 hit (Touch of Grey). Nobody thinks of them as a one-hit wonder :)

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[–] OnanTheBarbarian (13076) a year ago

Well, they mean one hit wonder in a derogatory sense, as if the artist only had one good song and the rest is mediocre. For example, Devo is one my favorite bands. They're routinely called a one hit wonder for "Whip It". "Whip It" is probably their worst song. The concept really tell us nothing about the quality of the band, as your example of the Grateful Dead shows.

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[–] nyctc7 (44088) a year ago

You're right that it usually is a put-down. But we know in some cases it is ridiculous. I also use the example of another favorite of mine, Shirley Bassey, technically a one-hit wonder in the USA (Goldfinger). But her long and storied career hardly makes her a one-hit wonder.

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