Learnin' the Blues

Roland of Gilead · **Posted:** May 26, 2008 11:53 am

The tables are empty
the dance floor's deserted
You play the same love song
it's the tenth time you've heard it
That's the beginning
just one of the clues
You've had your first lesson
in learnin' the blues

The cigarettes you light
one after the other
Won't help you forget him
when you´re losing your lover
You're only burning
a torch you can't lose
But you're on the right track
for learnin' the blues

When you're out in a crowd, the blues will taunt you constantly
When you're out in a crowd, the blues will haunt your memory

The nights when you don't sleep
the whole night you're crying
but you cannot forget him
soon you even stop trying
You'll walk the floor
and wear out your shoes
When you feel your heart break
you're learnin' the blues

JosCR66 · **Posted:** May 26, 2008 11:56 am

Probably my least favourite song on COTS. It simply isn't working at all: the arragements are all over the place and I can't feel the emotion that this song must convey. A rare miss here...

MelvilleB · **Joined:** Mar 25, 2008 **Posts:** 8527

I think this is a beautiful song and definitely one of my favourites. The video clip that was chosen here is from the DVD of the Fairfield Hall Concert. This version with the soft trumpet in the background and Mike's very sensitive performance on the piano is very much superior to the Album track. Very, very beautiful as far as I am concerned.

Ronald · **Posted:** May 26, 2008 12:21 pm

MelvilleB wrote:

Very, very beautiful as far as I am concerned.

I second that. Katie could you record a whole album with these kind of songs in the near future please? :mrgreen:

Lepton · **Posted:** May 26, 2008 2:45 pm

A bit more of the "COTS style" will be necessary anyway, another album of the "Pictures" style and her charts success and sales figures will drop enormously, I think...

Aekesis · **Posted:** May 26, 2008 6:56 pm

Ronald wrote:

I second that. Katie could you record a whole album with these kind of songs in the near future please? :mrgreen:

I agree. Definitely ! :approve:

I really like this song too, there are lots of lovely fragments. The atmosphere of the song makes me feel like on a cloud when I listen to it. :music:

Lepton wrote:

A bit more of the "COTS style" will be necessary anyway, another album of the "Pictures" style and her charts success and sales figures will drop enormously, I think...

It could be, even if I don't hope it'll happen. But it'll also be necessary for us, or at least for me :mrgreen:

I love the current voice of Katie and this kind of song suits her so well... :love:

Siocnarf360 · **Posted:** May 27, 2008 11:32 am

Lepton wrote:

A bit more of the "COTS style" will be necessary anyway, another album of the "Pictures" style and her charts success and sales figures will drop enormously, I think...

I think the next album will be different from COTS as well as different from Pictures... As for charts I don't know, but this won't the first of my worries (nor Katie's I hope and think

)

Lepton · **Posted:** May 27, 2008 12:44 pm

I think there are reasons why Pictures is much less successful than PbP and COTS... Many people do not seem to like the style change she made, maybe it would be better to go "back to the roots" and do more songs in jazz/blues style.

DavidA · **Posted:** May 28, 2008 11:07 pm

Lepton wrote:

I think there are reasons why Pictures is much less successful than PbP and COTS... Many people do not seem to like the style change she made, maybe it would be better to go "back to the roots" and do more songs in jazz/blues style.

I also agree. Pictures, while still being very enjoyable, is way behind COTS and PbP in my book, and that's because there are really no blues/jazz songs on it.
Learnin' the Blues is one of the very best of these blues classics covered by Katie. Her voice is just so RIGHT for these songs. Keep experimenting, but always come back to what you do best! :approve:

MelvilleB · **Joined:** Mar 25, 2008 **Posts:** 8527

Quote:

Learnin' the Blues is one of the very best of these blues classics covered by Katie. Her voice is just so RIGHT for these songs. Keep experimenting, but always come back to what you do best!

I completely agree with you for a change David. :approve:

I really love this one, especially the version from the DVD, with that soft trumpet in the background.

Believer · **Joined:** Apr 7, 2008 **Posts:** 407

Lepton wrote:

A bit more of the "COTS style" will be necessary anyway, another album of the "Pictures" style and her charts success and sales figures will drop enormously, I think...

We're getting offtopic, being an interesting discussion though.

Three points:

1.) I don't agree. Well, I agree -- the fourth album should take a complete new direction
2.) As far as I know Pictures is more successful than Call off the Search. The most successful album so far is Piece by Piece.
3.) The reason for the success of Call off the Search was not Learning the Blues.

As to the song Learning the Blues:
Nomen est omen! Just learning! The lyrics have got the blues: "empty", "deserted". It's about loneliness, the eternal blues theme. But the arrangement on Call off the Search ain't blues, it's piano bar, someone nasty called it music to be heard in the elevator. The sound of this song is fine tuned and perfect, blue notes are completely missing. It's clean, and that's what makes anything but blues of the song.

Lepton · **Posted:** May 29, 2008 9:28 am

Believer wrote:

2.) As far as I know Pictures is more successful than Call off the Search. The most successful album so far is Piece by Piece.

In Germany, maybe. But that's because at the time of COTS, she was unknown to almost everyone here. In UK, COTS is still the most successful one, as far as I know. And is Pictures really that successful? It sold well in the first few weeks and achieved the platin status, but quickly left the Top20 and didn't even get back during her tour.

And why does every album always have to go in a different direction? Going back to the successful concept of COTS and PbP would be better instead of constant experiments.

Believer · **Joined:** Apr 7, 2008 **Posts:** 407

Lepton wrote:

(...). And is Pictures really that successful? (...).

I think it's successful, mabye not in absolute terms, but relatively. We have to consider also that 4 years have passed between the first and the third album and that it has become still more hard to sell discs. A new generation has grown up. The under 20 don't buy anymore physical supports.

What I wanted to say referred to Learning the Blues and Call off the Search is that in my eyes catchy songs like The Closest Thing to Crazy were the reason for the early success. And I think that songs like these someone might be missing on Pictures.

I personally would be the happiest man in the world if Katie released mere blues/rhythm and blues/rock album! But real blues, i.e. Kozmic Blues, On the Road Again, Crawling Up a Hill, Blues in The Night. Katie on the iTunes gig showed what I mean and what she's able to do! Katie rocks, and Learning the Blues is a nice song, but it's not Katie, I dare to say.

Cmaj7 · **Posted:** May 30, 2008 12:38 pm

Learnin the Blues is just amazing, one of my favourite songs on Call of the Search. First I thought, ok not bad, I liked the song but I didn´t love it.
Suddenly, when I listened to Call of the Search serveral times the song hits me. It´s not so spectacular I think but it´s a really great song. I love the "piano bar atmosphere" and Katies voice is incredible.

spicyapple · **Joined:** Mar 25, 2008 **Posts:** 1868

Had a chance again to properly listen to this song which showcases Katie's amazing vocal performance. Her notes are so sharp and perfectly keyed with such fine control. The song itself doesn't elicit any emotions out of me so not one of my favourites.

MelvilleB · **Joined:** Mar 25, 2008 **Posts:** 8527

I can but add once more, I love the DVD version of this song. :approve:

KEWA · **Joined:** Mar 25, 2008 **Posts:** 9360

I love that song too. On the album itself it didn't touch me that much, but the live version, Barbara mentions is a masterpiece. I love the sad, melancolic feeling of the song and the way, Katie brings that emotions into that song.

Maciek · **Posted:** Jul 10, 2008 7:46 pm

While listening to 'Learnin the blues' i always imagine a movie scene, where 2 guys are drinking some alcohol sitting in a bar, and talking about life. With a bored barman cleaning glasses, some pairs sitting in the shadows, general lazy and a bit dark atmosphere in a dying city (a bit like Gotham from Batman but more provincial). If i were a director i would make that scene with 'Learning the blues' at the background

I didn't like it much at the beginning but after some time i began to appereciate 'Learnin the blues'. It really suits Katie's voice and i would like, as well as many people who had written before me in this topic, her next album to go that way.

Lepton · **Posted:** Jul 10, 2008 8:27 pm

Maciek wrote:

some pairs sitting in the shadows

"The tables are empty, the dancefloor deserted..."

But basically I share that feeling, although in detail I imagine the scenery to be a bit different. Rather like a jazz club (like the one from the COTS video), with all guests having left and only one person (me :rofl:

) sitting in the audience and listening to Katie who is still on the stage and sings just for me. That's the feeling this song creates.

(COTS does something similar, btw, and TCTTC is also comparable in that respect)

KEWA · **Joined:** Mar 25, 2008 **Posts:** 9360

Lepton wrote:

"The tables are empty, the dancefloor deserted..."

But basically I share that feeling, although in detail I imagine the scenery to be a bit different. Rather like a jazz club (like the one from the COTS video), with all guests having left and only one person (me :rofl:

) sitting in the audience and listening to Katie who is still on the stage and sings just for me. That's the feeling this song creates.

(COTS does something similar, btw, and TCTTC is also comparable in that respect)

Great idea of a video, Lepton and Maciek.

In the moment I'm also in a little bit depressed mood and I was listening to Learnin' the Blues. It brought me up again. It is such a wonderful song, playing with that melancolic feeling. It's on it way to become one of my favourites.

MelvilleB · **Joined:** Mar 25, 2008 **Posts:** 8527

It has always been a favourite of mine. Particularly the version from the DVD OTRA with the muted trumpet.

KEWA · **Joined:** Mar 25, 2008 **Posts:** 9360

MelvilleB wrote:

It has always been a favourite of mine. Particularly the version from the DVD OTRA with the muted trumpet.

that is the best version ever!!!! My compliment to Dominic!!!

Ronald · **Posted:** Jul 11, 2008 3:33 pm

My favorite Katie genre :clap:

Played it this morning twice, whilst driving to my work :music:

Can't remember the postion of this song in our ranking, but now I'm sure it should get a little higher in "our chart" :mrgreen:

renehans20 · **Posted:** Jul 11, 2008 3:57 pm

I Love that song it OTRA DVD, that is why i love Katie. That is her soul in the song, how you can see what it all mean to her :love:

Maciek · **Posted:** Jul 11, 2008 4:28 pm

Lepton wrote:

"The tables are empty, the dancefloor deserted..."

But basically I share that feeling, although in detail I imagine the scenery to be a bit different. Rather like a jazz club (like the one from the COTS video), with all guests having left and only one person (me :rofl:

) sitting in the audience and listening to Katie who is still on the stage and sings just for me. That's the feeling this song creates.

(COTS does something similar, btw, and TCTTC is also comparable in that respect)

Huh, you 'caught' me

Even though there 'is' emptyness in lyrics i imagine some people in this pub/bar/jazz club (yeap, that's good choice). After all the atmosphere is 'empty'... and then the dancefloor is 'deserted'

After all, the point is that 'Learnin a blues' is a brilliant song

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