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Lum

The Other Woman: Nina vs Lana

By Lum, in Lana Thoughts

THE OTHER WOMAN  

50 members have voted

  1. 1. Which version do you like?

    • Nina
      22
    • Lana
      28

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HEARTCORE    18,971

HEARTCORE
Posted

I've never heard Nina Simone's version before, but I really really liked it! It's so stripped and ~smooth~, kinds what I imagine UV was before Auerbach became involved. Nina's singing (especially the last verse) sounds a lot more natural than Lana's did. That being said, I like the cinematic spin Lana put on her version.

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kik    1,564

kik
Posted

I find the story more believable when I hear Nina. They both have vocals I like, but I don't know... it fits Nina better, but I really like Lana's version.

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evilentity    13,343

evilentity
Posted

Lana's wins by default for me. This is bound to be an unpopular opinion, but I've never liked Nina Simone's voice on "The Other Woman". It's deep and otherworldly, but not in a way that I find enjoyable to listen to. On "Feelin' Good" her voice sounds more pleasantly androgynous like Tracy Chapman's (I'm still waiting for Tracy to take off her Aloe Blacc disguise btw), but the tone and timber of her deep vibrato and runs on "The Other Woman" sound unpleasant to my ears.

 

Buckley's is best though.

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Stalking you has sorta become like my occupation.

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Wryta Thinkpiece    3,344

Wryta Thinkpiece
Posted

Lana's wins by default for me. This is bound to be an unpopular opinion, but I've never liked Nina Simone's voice on "The Other Woman". It's deep and otherworldly, but not in a way that I find enjoyable to listen to. On "Feelin' Good" her voice sounds more pleasantly androgynous like Tracy Chapman's (I'm still waiting for Tracy to take off her Aloe Blacc disguise btw), but the tone and timber of her deep vibrato and runs on "The Other Woman" sound unpleasant to my ears.

 

Buckley's is best though.

Okay, I'm going to have to also vouch for for some of these sentiments, and I am so glad Buckley has been mentioned by a few others because now I feel a little fairer in asserting my standpoint by making it between three. While I can't say which one is best, I am partial enough to at least give my take.

 

NINA SIMONE:

 

Before anything, I do have to make it clear; I have been a huge fan of Nina Simone for as long as I have been into Jazz music, she's up there i my book with Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, and so many other greats of jazz. I'm in love with The Other Woman, absolutely, probably more-so the Nina At Townhall version (that @@Lum shared in the first post,) than the Let It All Out and Quiet Now version.

 

I mentioned in the Post-Release thread when it was being discussed, and since @@evilentity brought up Nina's tone, I had to agree. Here's why:

QUICK STORY ABOUT ST. OLAF (SKIP IF YOU MUST BUT IF YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND THE REFERENCE I WILL FUCKING KILL YOU.)

 

I have a habit of listening to music and audiobooks when I sleep; about three weeks ago, I had fallen asleep to the NAT version of TOW on a loop between 10 PM and 11 AM. When you enter the REM stage of sleep, external noises often end up getting incorporated into your dreams. Your brain becomes stimulated by the sound, and begins to analyze and compartmentalize the information you're receiving from the sound.The end outcome is that when woken up while this happens, your brain in its awake stage tries to remember everything that happened during the sleep stage, and the effect from the disorientation is very much like a long psychedelic trip. All the information is out of whack.

 

Well, when I woke up to TOW, listening to it lost most of its novelty, and I got really uncomfortable. The piano in it was completely off in rhythm, just sounded like someone was sliding their hands on the keys, and Nina's voice stood out. I couldn't appreciate the deep, smoky voice I heard before, as it became way too bold for me. I stopped listening to the song for a while until the last few days; it's starting to sound normal again, and I love Nina Simone's NAT version no less, but I still hear the little quirks in Nina's singing that put @{member='evilentity'] off.

 

BUT. I can't consider the NAT version to be a fair comparison only because it is live and the LIAO/QN version is closer to Jeff and Lana's covers in style and structure.

 

That being said, the LIAO version stands out less than the three for me, only because it just didn't have that je ne sais quoi element that was present in the NAT version, and I don't entirely care for the delivery.

 

 

 

JEFF BUCKLEY:

 

Jeff Buckley's take on TOW was flawless; the man had such a modestly soothing voice. When he hit those notes heard throughout 1:09 - 1:42 , I swear I blushed because of how sweet it was when Jeff sang that. He hit me and it felt like a kiss. Honestly, the only reason why Jeff Buckley wouldn't be a fair competition is because he essentially performed the song in the perspective of the man—which, in my opinion, totally changes some of the elements about the song. I know his voice might not be what everyone's necessarily into for a male musician, but I find it hard to not melt to his singing.

 

 

LANA DEL REY:

 

You know what makes Lana's version pretty awesome? Just about everything if you're not against UV's production altogether. That drum in the beginning immediately opens Lana up to grab the attention of the listener, and the music peacefully contradicts the desolation in Lana's singing, that's also indirectly emphasized by the lyrics for me because of the slight alterations.

 

"The other woman

has time to manicure her nails

[...]

'cause to be by her side,

is such a change from old routine."

 

Other Woman Lana doesn't need to find the time to manicure her nails like the Other Woman in Jeff and Nina's versions do; she always has time because she's always alone and waiting around for that man. The clean house, the fresh-cut flowers, it's not because she's juggling between other things. She's so fucking lonely with all this time on her hands, and all she could do is spend that time to create the little escape for her man to enjoy. Whatever it is about her otherwise, is something to be adored and enjoyed, but unfortunately it's not always kept; she's a temporary comfort for him. He doesn't have to carry any of his daily luggage with him when he's around her. He can be comfortable to do, and be, other things when it's just him and her. But that's the problem; all she is, is a safe place.

 

He only needs her when he needs that temporary refuge, but that's all he needs, and that's all he wants. He enjoys her as a person, she's got so much to offer, but it isn't as fun as the thrill of a double-life. He won't tell her that, but he'll keep coming to give her some of his time, but never as much as she wants. She'll always be alone. A beautiful woman, inside and out, in waiting indefinitely.

 

Also, while I love it so much, I do have to admit that Lana's version did take me a few listens to really take it all in, because the ambiance is so much more different than the other two. But those notes, especially in the last verses, are fucking immaculate. Lana's so emotional in TOW, and you can feel it.

 

 

So yeah, can't say which one's best, since it's really all about personal taste, but I think I'll be playing Lana's version the most, it's definitely my favorite.

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