Genuine brands and really great musicians – you can always tell the real thing

I would never have considered myself an Alison Krauss fan, but this track took my fancy.

Its by no means a stand out song, its put together in a pretty standard sort of way, but the musicianship is great and I really like the contrasts in the arrangement of mandolin and steel guitar.  Its a demonstration of how attention to detail can make something special.

At the other end of the tempo scale is this version of Imelda May’s Inside Out.  I love her stuff and my daughter put the rawer, album version of this on a loop in the car last week so I know it well.  I love the way that Imelda produces lots of different versions of the same number – a real artist with a band made up of great musicians including her awesome guitarist husband Darrel Higham.

These are both examples of how the genuine will stand out in a manufactured world.  Just like brands.  You simply can’t build a strong brand on pretence the values have to go all the way through – just like the lettering in a stick of rock or songs by real musicians.