Dear Pat
As you have so often said to me, 'each to there own'. Also we both know that the Baebes have never been remotely mediocre.
Dear Sarah welcome back to the forum. I agree that the Baebes are at there best when performing 'live' and not always on cd. I have always loved there 'live' performances. Maybe I'll feel differently when I see 'Illumination' live.
Sadly, I still feel that although there are some medieval aspects to this album, much of it is not. The title, 'Illumination' doesn't exactly pull anything medieval to mind. Also the front cover, the horribly airbrushed 'Baebes' aren't wairing anything remotely medieval. And this skinny image can only do harm to impressionable teenagers of today and is bordering on irresponsibility. Since when did Kat or Bev look so anorexic? Medieval music is largely based around basic medieval instruments and simple sounds, this fleshed out interpritation is possibly designed for a more modern audience, created in a recording studio, and has little resemblance to how it would have sounded centuries ago.
I love the Baebes and have expressed my concerns openly and honestly.

I adore this album...as does the who usually bitches and complains when I play the other albums. I think the album is a great accomplishment, and I love the fact you can see/hear each of the girls influences in the songs. Kat has surpassed the genius I always thought she was in being Musical Director.

I think when people see this album performed live they will love it all the more. They have so much enery on stage and the songs especially "Maiden" are perfect for getting people up and dancing. Especially drunken fans who have had too much tequila (is there ever too much) and start singing along....to songs they haven't heard before!

Overall i'm very impressed with the album, I loved it when the Baebes had 9million members as the harmonies where just astounding, but the beauty of this album is you can hear them so more clearly!

I love it, and it is on a par with my other fav.....Salva Nos!

Ah, Salva Nos, now that was a 'Baebes' album. The good old days, the good old days!!
As for showing any enthusiasm at a Baebes gig, I thought this was outlawed!

What about Undrentide then....I was very perplexed when I first heard that one as it didn't sound "baebish" to me....but hey....a few plays later and I loved that one too. They can not stay the same forever and they have never tried to. I do think this album represents the Beabes very well.

Also I don't even think I'd had that much tequila when I tried to sing along....I think Rabbitt bewitched me, I blame her!

Simon....keep listening, and I think you'll love seeing everyone clapping and whooping along to this new tracks with you at the live gigs!

Dear Sacred Whore, I do so much hope that you are right. I have offered myself up to being pillaried for being so honest in my views. I do love Emily's medieval song 'sunrise'. Everything that she does has a swaggering class and perfection to it. Maybe we can at last meet at a gig in December. So far I will hopefully be in Birmingham, Norwich and Gloucester. Also thankyou for your pm when I was ill earlier this year. It means a lot that that someone missed me.

Ah you're welcome! Well I was really hoping for Ely this year but cost wise to get over from Dublin.....ouch! So Burmingem may be on the cards as it is close to home (Liverpool) and me Mum (who is as crazy as me) will be able to come, she aint seen the Baebes since joust 2006 when I finally got her converted to being a fan after much playing of Salva Nos......her and I being the good catholic girlies we are And I must drag the Florida one up aswel....only done two gigs without him being there....it would be a strange and sober experience!

Depends on the venue really doesn't it - we drank, danced, screamed and were generally very badly behaved at Bardens but at a cathedral it wouldn't be quite so appropriate.

As for Illumination not having anything to do with the medieval period, I'm starting to wonder how much you know about the Middle Ages? They produced many illuminated manuscripts and I think the album title probably conjours this association for many people. The had great links to the East in the Middle Ages too so I don't understand your problems with that aspect of the album. Anyway the Baebes have never been about authenticity, it's about the spirit of the age for them, the paradox of beauty and hardship in medieval poetry and art. If you want genuine medieval music this has never been the band for you, because stripped down though Salva Nos and Worldes Blysse are, they're not accurately medieval either. Doesn't mean you shouldn't like them, but you've got to have reasonable expectations of the music they produce - inspired by but not chained to the Middle Ages.

Oh and I'm not back, I'm just extremely bored today and filling in time between writing inspiration hitting me, messing around on here.

Dear Sacred Whore, I'm sorry that 'Florida' has taken a dislike to me. I always used to see him as a friend but for some reason best known to him, it changed. At the time this saddened me as we both share the same love of the Baebes but hey ho, we can't all get on. I do respect what he has acheived as a fan though. I do wish we were friends again. Never mind I will probably make a new one in you. Hopefully!!

Shall we misbehave ouside?

I agree with what Sarah is saying, a friend of mine who is a huge fan and was even beofre the Beabes were born I think (ever since I knew her anyway) mentioned drunkingly to Kat at a gig....where's the middle eastern stuff?....she articulated it much better than that!

And if anyone is interested. Jason and the Argonauts is on!!!! Though I wont be watching....far to much work to do (in work now actually but not much here for me to do...I should be studying). Also has anyone noticed that with any other Baebes album, you could have it playing away in the background whilst you work? This one.....no....Full Blast and Full Attention!!!

One aspect of working with the Baebes that I greatly enjoy is the interaction with the fans. Everyone is always very thoughtful and intelligent in their comments regarding the album.

I really liked Pat's quote about if you only have one crayon...things get dull. Once you produce 6 albums, you definitely have a large enough body of work for fans to have favorites. I don't think any has to apologize about that. Musical tastes are subjective. For example, I love Blow Northern Wind - which I discovered is liked far more by Americans than Brits.

Simon, if you are disappointed in the CD, I would wait until you see them live. While Robert Burns is pretty far away from anything medieval, the songs aren't jarring in concert. They all have the Baebes sensibility. Which was definitely proved by the concert last Monday.

Well over a 1/3 of the audience had never seen them live. (This by a raise of hands). Sales preshow were OK. But at intermission I was overwhelmed by people throwing money at me (I guess they missed the memo on financial crisis) to purchase CDs. They had all fallen into the spell of the Baebes, in the same way that the early fans did. You could tell by talking to them, and the excitement in their voices.

I've found the more I listen to the CD, my "favorites" change - which speaks highly to the music, I think.
Carolyn

Dear Sarah, you are possibly write that I haven't read as much as I should and maybe I have a stereo type image of what I think is medieval, possibly even 'English' or 'european' but there is nobody more upset about how I feel about 'Illumination' as I do. I am so happy that almost everyone loves it as I know how much work and sacrifice went into making it. I do wish that I felt the same!! I could have played it safe and lied or even not written at all but I try to be bold and brave and honest.

Ah that resaon may be my influence! We are very good friends and Baebes gigs usually entail hours of drinking and catching up before the doors have opened as we do not see each other as often as we should! They only good thing to come out of Joust 2007! I could bang on about how wonderful and great he is...but fact is...he can drink (almost) as much as without having his stomach pumped, which I find cool!

I can't wait to get to some gigs, the buzz around this album is electric and the gigs that follow are gonna be the same. Damn you Americans for getting them first! Fingers crossed for Maryland next year!

I was meant to say (almost) as much as ME there! Patient has nabbed me copy of illumination....will let you know if it has a positive or negative effect on his mental health ASAP.

Dear Sacred, it can only be positive!

On the aspect of medieval authenticity - I personally do not care much for Salva Nos, even though its sound is probably more authentic than that of Illumination. I find the sound of that album is rather...dull. Most of the material is acapella and that kind of bores me out, in general.

Nevertheless, I started out as a fan by looking at Worldes Blysse at our (deceased) local Virgin store and wondering what it sounded like. One day I decided to have a listen and as we all know that album is quite medieval.

Even so, my love for the Baebes only grew and grew as Undrentide's bashfulness blew me away - I loved the album much to the contrary of the general fanbase's opinion! (Looking back on it , or rather hearing back on it, I can now understand why! LOL!)

The Rose didn't captivate me as much, it was a return to the more slower ballads and songs which always somehow seemed to last too long (still, I do like Blow Northern Wind...it is nice and calming. Almost entrancing.).

Then came Mirabilis and that for me, was the best album until Illumination came out! These two, although perhaps not quite authentic to the medieval age, do work as albums. I see the Baebes as a kind of cross-over artist more - they use whatever influence they get and do not conform to general opinion of how to create a certain song, or a certain mood. They follow their own mind and ideas which I applaud!! It makes them unique in their own right. As I listened to WB I had that same feeling of uniqueness - I had never heard anything like it!

Illumination is the culmination of years of experience combined with fresh 'Maiden' blood and a drive to experiment. In previous albums they stuck with mainly European sources, but it is so wonderful to see the Baebes now extend their vision across borders - I would love to hear a song in Japanese once!! Or Chinese!! Or anything Asian - I'm sure it would rock! (seeing the effect Mad Song has on me)

And, all in all Simon - it's fine that you do not like the album as much (yet) - We all have albums that we don't like as much as another album. it is what makes us unique - like the Baebes themselves

So, just relax, let the songs work their way into your system ... and see what happens!

Love,
Phantas

Catherine,

Thank you for your words of encouragement. My CD arrived today! Hope you receive yours soon. You will not be disappointed!