RIP Phoebe Snow

^^

I constantly, constantly come across her self-titled album in shops and the cover always intrigued me, but I would always forget to research her. Should have just picked it up at some point.

Here she is with Linda Ronstadt in 1979

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDk_lroqZkY

Christgau's review of an old comp always intrigued me:

The Best of Phoebe Snow [Columbia, 1981]
Most New Yorkers know a woman like this: from a liberal background, with loads of artistic interests, she's insecure about her weight and hence her looks (which are OK at least) and hence her talent (which there's no questioning), and after plenty of therapy her emotions are still all over the place. Only none of her sisters can sing the postblues like Snow--neurotically, that's what she's about, but with incisive power. She's erratic, so given to bad poetry and intermittently eager to please that her albums are off-putting unless you have a weakness for the type. But this compilation--four originals, six covers, including "Shakey Ground," which she owns because it's her all over--is smart, quirky, deeply felt. It proves the type deserves more credit than it usually gets. A-

"It proves the type deserves more credit than it usually gets."

it's true and it doesn't exist anymore in popular music.

One of those 70s figures I like more than I probably even know (since I'm just familiar with some of her hits).

From that same show as the clip above. Covering the Roches in 1979 (when this song was quite new)!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ov3OCrNiZ_4

...Woodstock 25th anniversary festival in 1994, as part of a soul act that included Thelma Houston, Mavis Staples and CeCe Peniston.

I was not aware of this, and it's really awesome!

RIP

between Phoebe and Poly, a super sad day

What a wonderful singer who made wonderful records. Her daughter, who'd been disabled since birth, died a few years ago - Phoebe Snow got dealt a hard hand but made wonderful things with it. Sorry that she is gone.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6e27G_aLCKM

The last I remember hearing her was dueting with Dave Mason circa 1988 on the minor hit "The Dreams I Dream". I know only a few of her songs but liked them all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HT6ibcKHbM

This is a really great tune in spite of its moments of awkward failed Joni Mitchellisms meeting sexy slow jams.

I've gotten really into Phoebe Snow over the past couple weeks. If y'all haven't done so, I'd recommend.

"Cash In" from Second Childhood was where I locked in, and then everything else opened up for me. Wish I'd appreciated her more when she was alive.

There's a real easiness to the feel of her music that's not "easy listening," but more like the "oh yeah, this is really comfortable" quality of Bonnie Raitt's records.