Capsule review: The Gossip, Live in Liverpool

I must confess to some ambivalence about Beth Ditto. Not her music -- she's a fantastic rock-soul belter, a woman whose larger-than-life persona is only exceeded by her lung capacity. And

the Gossip

, who increasingly seem to be HQed in the UK, have a great sense of groove, with driving disco-influenced rhythms. They show that off here on everything from their best-known songs ("Standing in the Way of Control," "Jealous Girls," "Listen Up") to some sharply transformed covers --

George Michael

should thank them for the way they've made "Careless Whisper" into the rager no one ever thought of it as.

My ambivalence comes from a different place: Ditto's ubiquity, particularly in the British press, where she gets quoted for every offhand remark. Is she best friends or not best friends with Kate Moss? Is Ditto going to design for Top Shop or is she telling them off? What does she think about fashion, music, possibly living in Britain... you name it. She's an outspoken women, with a lot of strong opinions, and she's proud of who she is. Well done, self-esteem is great.

But sometimes it feels like Ditto is increasingly being known for being known than for her music, which is a pity because she is such a talented singer. I've gone on the record before with this: I feel that artists who focus attention on their art, rather than their personal lives, tend to have longer, more productive creative lives. Britney Spears? Lived in a fishbowl, flipped. Beyonce? No one can even tell if she got married or not, despite being one of the famous women in the country and with a boyfriend/fiance/groom just as famous; appears to be firmly sane. Amy Winehouse? Oy. Let's not even catalog her woes. Sharon Jones? Touring her rear off and continually pumping out great music.

There's a big difference between being a personality and being an artist. Take Paris Hilton v., say, KT Tunstall, just to pick someone random. They've both recorded albums, but which is an artist, which is a "personality"? It's an easy distinction, and an easy slope down which to slide, even if the issue itself is complex (chicken-v-egg, other factors, blah blah). But every time I see another overblown Beth Ditto quote on something that has nothing to do with music, I wonder what I'll think of her in 10 years. I wish I could say I'll still think she's an amazing singer, but who knows, maybe she'll be on her fourth reality show and her third tell-all memoir by then. I sincerely hope not. Entirely selfishly, I want her to make more and more great music.

I can't help but wonder if Columbia considered that when putting out this album, considered that maybe people need to be reminded that the Gossip aren't just a gossip vehicle, but are, in fact, a band -- and a really good one. I'm holding the proof of that in my hands.

-- Luciana Lopez;