Disco diva. Black female vocalist. Pop figurehead. These titles are only elements to a larger whole of an indomitable talent that is Donna Summer as a singer, songwriter, and performer.
Summer released her last full-length studio album in 1991; the muddled metropolitan groove set Mistaken Identity. Since then, Summer has rested on her laurels and released several nuggets of excellence such as “Melody of Love (Wanna Be Loved)” (1994), “I Will Go With You” (Con Te Partiro)” (1999), and “I’ve Got Your Love” (2005). Each of these songs showed a fraction of the potential that a new Summer set could possess, though nothing materialized.
Summer’s new album, Crayons, her fifteenth record to date, is a host to phonic reinvention while solidifying her uncanny skill in the realm of pop music.
The eclectic title was explained by Summer: “You take two colors and create other colors and you add a third color and there’s another color too. That’s how we are in life and that, to me, is a good indication for this album: feeling free to draw between the lines. Everybody gets crayons at some point in their lives, everybody can relate to the basics. It comes down to that child in us; I think there’s a commonality in the concept of Crayons.”
Summer handled her writing and vocal arranging with fellow collaborators JR Rotem (Jennifer Lopez), Lester Mendez (Jewel, Dido, Shakira), Greg Kurstin (Kylie Minogue, P!nk, Lily Allen), Danielle Brisebois (Kelly Clarkson), and Evan Bogart. These contemporary tunesmiths worked in tandem with Summer to construct vibrant exercises for her to work out.
The lead single and her most recent Hot 100 Dance #1, “I’m A Fire” is a slice of arcane aural erotica. Unbridled rhythms and melodic flourishes bubble and swivel atop another, building a solid mid-tempo masterpiece. Summer’s voice brings across clever allusions to light and heat, making the song reach a fever pitch. By and large, it's classic Summer. Not since “Try Me, I Know We Can Make It” has there been such a work of sensual genius.
The flavorful burst of “Stamp Your Feet” wins for its insanely catchy chorus which buries itself in the listener’s subconscious without much effort.
That voice, which can truly sing anything, shows its versatility in the juicy tropicalia of “Drivin’ Down Brazil.” “Slide Over Backwards” takes a page from the Tina Turner “Nutbush City Limits” manual, as Summer works an almost unrecognizable take complete with gutterbucket harmonica and hand claps. Again, this vocal flexing found on Crayons is on par with the vocal menagerie heard on her The Wanderer LP (1980).
In addition, “It’s Only Love” (a Circuit City exclusive featured only on their copy of Crayons) shimmers in its cool chrome finish, functioning solely as dancefloor adrenaline to the system of any club kids in the vicinity of this song.
Summer stumbles on the awkward “The Queen Is Back” a bragging blunder that is unnecessary, even if its intentions were started with the tongue planted firmly in the cheek. The clumsy electro outfit of “Fame (The Game)” uses way too much of the swanky vocoder. It does sport an operatic bridge and breakdown, but by the time this is reached the listener will be questioning why Summer is even applying the vocoder to herself anyway.
Such is the double-edged sword of pop art; experimentation with faddish textures can sometimes go amiss. However, in this instance the sound Summer applied on this song is one she helped create, which can be easily forgiven even if she didn’t hit the intended mark. Her aptitude to dare regardless is brave.
How interesting that Donna Summer’s direct musical follower, Madonna, was nominated along with Summer for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year and released her album Hard Candy a month before Crayons. One could argue that Summer should’ve been placed into the Hall based on her musical impact alone, not to dispel Madonna’s worthiness of admission. But when comparing the pop qualities of both records, it becomes clear which one may have a catalog that will age better. While Madonna may’ve come close previously, she loses the battle due to the pop mistakes found within Hard Candy.
Summer’s confidence and time tested understanding of pop is that one must navigate trends, create them, adorn them shortly, but never be dominated by them. They are only musical sketches waiting to be finished by the more musically ambitious coloring of a virtuoso.
Crayons holds true to these rules of the pop music genre, and by respecting them, the charismatic Summer will always be in season. Four stars.-QH
[Editor's Note: This article originally printed in the May 27th, 2008-June 4th, 2008 issue of the Dayton City Paper. For more information on Donna Summer, visit www.donnasummer.com-QH]
Here's an absolutely amazing article on Donna Summer. Suicide, angels, and male fans pushing her stage during a performance of Love To Love You Baby. Oh, my!!
Originally posted by Nasdaq: This is what I'm talking about Ernesto !
LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!SMILES!!!!!!!!!!!!!:O)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!LOL!!!!!! Okay, got the message now!! LOL!!!!! I guess Donna Summer is a lucky woman to have leecappella as a fan!!!!
Posts: 3996 | Location: E.S. | Registered: January 10, 2005
Originally posted by Nasdaq: This is what I'm talking about Ernesto !
LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!SMILES!!!!!!!!!!!!!:O)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!LOL!!!!!! Okay, got the message now!! LOL!!!!! I guess Donna Summer is a lucky woman to have leecappella as a fan!!!!
No, it is I who am lucky to be a fan of such an individual as Donna Summer. And don't you forget it!!!!! LOL.
Originally posted by Nasdaq: This is what I'm talking about Ernesto !
LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!SMILES!!!!!!!!!!!!!:O)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!LOL!!!!!! Okay, got the message now!! LOL!!!!! I guess Donna Summer is a lucky woman to have leecappella as a fan!!!!
No, it is I who am lucky to be a fan of such an individual as Donna Summer. And don't you forget it!!!!! LOL.
Cool mate!!Actually I have to say that yesterday I made a mistake, this morning I remembered that I actually do like a song by Donna Summer, from 1989 "This Time I Know It's for Real."
Posts: 3996 | Location: E.S. | Registered: January 10, 2005
Originally posted by Nasdaq: This is what I'm talking about Ernesto !
LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!SMILES!!!!!!!!!!!!!:O)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!LOL!!!!!! Okay, got the message now!! LOL!!!!! I guess Donna Summer is a lucky woman to have leecappella as a fan!!!!
No, it is I who am lucky to be a fan of such an individual as Donna Summer. And don't you forget it!!!!! LOL.
Cool mate!!Actually I have to say that yesterday I made a mistake, this morning I remembered that I actually do like a song by Donna Summer, from 1989 "This Time I Know It's for Real."
Only one song? You've missed out on a lot, I'd say (smile).
Originally posted by Nasdaq: This is what I'm talking about Ernesto !
LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!SMILES!!!!!!!!!!!!!:O)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!LOL!!!!!! Okay, got the message now!! LOL!!!!! I guess Donna Summer is a lucky woman to have leecappella as a fan!!!!
No, it is I who am lucky to be a fan of such an individual as Donna Summer. And don't you forget it!!!!! LOL.
Cool mate!!Actually I have to say that yesterday I made a mistake, this morning I remembered that I actually do like a song by Donna Summer, from 1989 "This Time I Know It's for Real."
Only one song? You've missed out on a lot, I'd say (smile).
I'm just not a big DANCE music fan, but I'm sure she's got great music for her genre...anyway I saw this bit a few minutes ago and thought you'd like to read it:
From BILLBOARD 'FEET' FEAT: For the first time since 1999, Donna Summer has two consecutive No. 1 hits on Hot Dance Club Play. "Stamp Your Feet" (Burgundy) follows "I'm a Fire," which was the hottest song on the chart dated April 19. To find two Summer No. 1s in a row before this year's pair, one would have to go back nine years, when "I Will Go With You (Con Te Partiro)" and "Love Is the Healer" were both No. 1.
"Stamp Your Feet" is the 12th Donna Summer song to head up the Club Play survey.
Posts: 3996 | Location: E.S. | Registered: January 10, 2005
I personally don't think they are 100% accurate, but it's better than nothing. I've been waiting to see the words to Fame (The Game). And the title track, Crayons, has a great message. Finally, I can hear what she's singing when she sings the lines,
"What's up? Tell me what's a happening? You say you want love, but why ain't you sampling?"
My personal translation: You say you want love in the world, but why aren't you being an example of love in the world? Deep (smile) It even could mean you say you want love, but you don't get out to interact with your fellow man.
See why I love her so? (smile, again)
This message has been edited. Last edited by: leecappella,
