I guess our loves of music are as subjective as our taste in anything and everything... our taste in food, clothes, partners etc... Our passions be they politics, literature, art or a desire for a good old scrap...But surely there is room for all of them...? I make no appologies for the fact That Adele's music moves me, resonates as deeply as a good old protest song...such as Billie Holiday's 'A strange fruit'...for me its all about the lyrics...set to a tune that somehow beats in rhythm with my old red rebel' and a sentiment or a message that speaks to me of my own passions, they both sit nicely on my ipod :) Bloody good blog by the way :) X
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1hm5fxJEkY I didnt send you the url for Adele cos you might object...but have a listen to the Billie Holiday one...it was 'blacklisted' in its day if thats not too much of play on words... xx
PS I reckon most of the rappers have a political message in their playlists i know that's not your kinda thing but most of the younger generation are listening to it so take heart in that.x eg. Plan B http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DInFwtXYUJg
My resentment doesn't lie with the fact that Adele and other artists like her (who I can't be arsed to list) make a success out of churning out their, what I consider to be, pap muzak. Like I said, there is room in the world and in the charts for all genres, and everybody is free to choose what they put on their ipod...and in their ears. My annoyance lies in the fact that the general money buying public, (note, not music loving public), swamp every chart in the western world with this same as same as mind numbing shite. I'm generalizing of course. It is possible that a section of music buyers do possess a more eclectic taste, that is the difference between a music lover and someone who just buys music...but I'd bet its a small fraction. It is obviously a small percentage, otherwise the Radio 1 playlist wouldn't be as monotonous as it is.
What should be of concern isn't the fact that these people are not buying music on the merits of that music alone. They are buying an image, a boxed Barbi doll package. They are investing their money in a myth that has been created and is being perpetuated by a team of hawkers who know too little about music and too much about how to fuck people over. And like the beach donkey's they have become, they follow and they bleat and they, the money spending public, dictate the charts...and they don't even know they're doing it because its easier for them to follow than to think...easier to be dumb than it is to be informed..easier to become a part of it than to develop an opinion. Why? Because a lot of them sounded good one Saturday night down the local karaoke bar and, although deep down they know they wouldn't be what the xfactor panel 'are looking for', the Saturday night spectacular keeps them 'feeling a part of it'. Keeps them feeling pro-active. Like they can almost touch the 'stars'. Cowell and his cohorts know this...all he has to do is dangle a big fat carrot and the donkey's follow, while he coins it in. It's not just sad that this muzak dominates the radio and televisual airwaves, it's worrying what it is doing to the populations mind. That, ultimately, is the worrying thing.
You realy are a music snob...and maybe thats a generation thing...younger people who are into R&B, Dub step, rap, dance music etc etc etc...and even the Simon Cowel 'donkeys' as you so refer to them... buy, listen to and love their music genres as much or as little as you did at their age... and like I have commented sooo many times before nothing gets my goat as much as referring to music...any kind of music as Shite....just because you don't get it, it doesn't move you, inspire you to dance or singalong to, or escape into... it doesn't make it shit!!! Expression, entertainment, escapism, joy, sorrow, connection...these are all worthy merits that connect peope to music for music sake...and you will never convince me otherwise :) x
Believe me Adrienne, some music...the way it is written, the way it is constructed, the way it is produced, the entire sentiment behind it, the whole reason it exists...is shite!
I guess our loves of music are as subjective as our taste in anything and everything... our taste in food, clothes, partners etc... Our passions be they politics, literature, art or a desire for a good old scrap...But surely there is room for all of them...? I make no appologies for the fact That Adele's music moves me, resonates as deeply as a good old protest song...such as Billie Holiday's 'A strange fruit'...for me its all about the lyrics...set to a tune that somehow beats in rhythm with my old red rebel' and a sentiment or a message that speaks to me of my own passions, they both sit nicely on my ipod :) Bloody good blog by the way :) X
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1hm5fxJEkY I didnt send you the url for Adele cos you might object...but have a listen to the Billie Holiday one...it was 'blacklisted' in its day if thats not too much of play on words... xx
PS I reckon most of the rappers have a political message in their playlists i know that's not your kinda thing but most of the younger generation are listening to it so take heart in that.x eg. Plan B http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DInFwtXYUJg
ReplyDeleteMy resentment doesn't lie with the fact that Adele and other artists like her (who I can't be arsed to list) make a success out of churning out their, what I consider to be, pap muzak. Like I said, there is room in the world and in the charts for all genres, and everybody is free to choose what they put on their ipod...and in their ears.
ReplyDeleteMy annoyance lies in the fact that the general money buying public, (note, not music loving public), swamp every chart in the western world with this same as same as mind numbing shite.
I'm generalizing of course. It is possible that a section of music buyers do possess a more eclectic taste, that is the difference between a music lover and someone who just buys music...but I'd bet its a small fraction. It is obviously a small percentage, otherwise the Radio 1 playlist wouldn't be as monotonous as it is.
What should be of concern isn't the fact that these people are not buying music on the merits of that music alone. They are buying an image, a boxed Barbi doll package. They are investing their money in a myth that has been created and is being perpetuated by a team of hawkers who know too little about music and too much about how to fuck people over.
And like the beach donkey's they have become, they follow and they bleat and they, the money spending public, dictate the charts...and they don't even know they're doing it because its easier for them to follow than to think...easier to be dumb than it is to be informed..easier to become a part of it than to develop an opinion.
Why? Because a lot of them sounded good one Saturday night down the local karaoke bar and, although deep down they know they wouldn't be what the xfactor panel 'are looking for', the Saturday night spectacular keeps them 'feeling a part of it'. Keeps them feeling pro-active. Like they can almost touch the 'stars'.
Cowell and his cohorts know this...all he has to do is dangle a big fat carrot and the donkey's follow, while he coins it in.
It's not just sad that this muzak dominates the radio and televisual airwaves, it's worrying what it is doing to the populations mind. That, ultimately, is the worrying thing.
Brilliant Billie Holiday song by the way x
You realy are a music snob...and maybe thats a generation thing...younger people who are into R&B, Dub step, rap, dance music etc etc etc...and even the Simon Cowel 'donkeys' as you so refer to them... buy, listen to and love their music genres as much or as little as you did at their age... and like I have commented sooo many times before nothing gets my goat as much as referring to music...any kind of music as Shite....just because you don't get it, it doesn't move you, inspire you to dance or singalong to, or escape into... it doesn't make it shit!!! Expression, entertainment, escapism, joy, sorrow, connection...these are all worthy merits that connect peope to music for music sake...and you will never convince me otherwise :) x
ReplyDeleteBelieve me Adrienne, some music...the way it is written, the way it is constructed, the way it is produced, the entire sentiment behind it, the whole reason it exists...is shite!
ReplyDelete