Who Did It Better? How Can I Help You Say Goodbye

Who Did It Better? 

How Can I Help You Say Goodbye

Well, I have been in a mood, hmm? 

First, How Can I Live Without You, then How Can I Live, and now, How Can I Help You Say Goodbye?  I'm not sure what that says about my current state, other than, I do adore a nice sappy ballad. 

I always have.

Even as a child, I preferred a sad song over something celebratory, joyous or upbeat.

And this one... well, the title, anyway? Rather appropriate, given our current political situation.

As for my appreciation of a sad song? It may have to do with my love of a good story. And that is exactly  what we have here, today; a really great story song. This falls into the same category as Kathy Mattea's epic Where've You Been, and the treacly to the point of barfing Butterfly Kisses. The same chorus applies to various milestones in the protagonists' life story.

Written by Karen Taylor-Good and Burton Banks Collins, the song was first recorded by Patty Loveless for her 1993 album Only What I Feel. It was the fourth single from the album, released on March 19, 1994. It would peak at #3 on the Billboard's Hot Country Chart. 

In June of 1994, Laura Branigan would release her version, from her final studio album, Heart Over Head. It would fail to chart, but would be included on Branigan's subsequent Greatest Hits collection. 

The Song: How Do I Help You Say Goodbye

The Competitors: Loveless vs. Branigan

Have your Kleenex ready. Here we go...

How Can I Help You Say Goodbye - Patty Loveless

How Can I Help You Say Goodbye - Laura Branigan

You know, the more I listen to this song, the more I can imagine Anne Murray singing it. Her warm, down-home fuzziness and mashed-potato with melted butter voice seems a perfect fit. The thought occurred to me while I walking the dog, today. But back to the matter at hand...

Patty Loveless has a nice, if unexceptional voice. I do enjoy the way she pulls back from a note without a hint of guile or slyness, however, her consistent flat-sounding A-vowels bend my ear every time, making me cringe slightly. Buoyed by a solid bed of strings throughout, the song's arrangement does a minimal amount of emotional manipulation, which suits Loveless' tender, but matter-of-fact delivery. There is something to be said for underplaying drama, which seems to be the intent of the producers. Going into the final stretch, Loveless only manages to turn up the emotional heat a single notch. No fireworks. But a stellar job, for sure. She allows the song to do all the work. Not a bad approach.

Right from the get-go, Branigan's crazy vibrato lends her interpretation an air of fragility that serves the song well. She has a  lovely lift to her voice and the energy she brings lures me in immediately. I know I can trust this storyteller and I settle in to listen. There's a nice sleight build in the second verse/chorus. A much busier arrangement than Loveless' version, Branigan's feels more immediate and alive. I don't know why but, it brings to mind Bette Midler's arrangement for From A Distance - although this is nowhere as busy and Branigans' vocals are pushed more to the front without the use of any vocal effects. Here, the sparse treatment works well for both song and singer. 

The Winner:

I have to hand it to Branigan. Her version is much more effective, telling her story with an ache that communicates so much more than Loveless' straight-forward approach. I am surprised that Loveless' version achieved the success that it did, but then Branigan's version didn't really get much promotion - something that typically happens once a female artist reaches a certain age and is at the end of a recording contract. It's a shame, because I certainly think there was a place on the pop/AC charts for Branigan's version.

Okay, your turn. What do you think? 

Share your thoughts in the comments section. I'm always interested in what you have to say.

Until next time...

Thanks for reading.