A Rare Musical Opinion

Every Wednesday, Paper Cuts, the New York Times' books blog, features a music playlist by a different author. This week, Pico Iyer chooses songs "for a (stirring) non-denominational funeral, or, 10 (not unconventional) songs to play at a service where you don’t know who’s coming."

I'm not sure what that means. I do know the list features some very good songs, including "We Are the Waiting" by Green Day, an addictive, anthemic track off their last album. But the list also features "The Face of Love" by Jewel, and Iyer writes:

As for Jewel, she is one of the startlingly mystical voices of her generation, and only traduced because her first record, made when she was a teenage girl, happened to speak to other teenage girls (who were no doubt looking for a new Anne Sexton or Sylvia Plath, or even just a Joni Mitchell for a generation that had outlived many of the older hopes). The only person who can legitimately and convincingly bring Jewel down is Jewel.

I know: Wow.

Whoa.

(Still recovering from the misguided grandeur of that last sentence...)

OK:

I suppose Miley Cyrus fans are really seeking a new Elizabeth Bishop. Someone should break the news to Iyer, a smart man who otherwise appears to have good taste in music, that he might be overthinking this one: Jewel is "traduced" because Jewel "sucks."