[kj] OT: Pop Music Rant

[Alexander Smith]

> ps i dont care --like what you like even if its bad taste   ;- 

> D)))))  go on then,i exspect you to find someone who i like,who you  

> consider bad taste  ;o thats ok i am prepaired ;))


I look at it this way.

There's good music and there's bad music -- and then there's fuckin'  
crap.

Tears for Fears, as far as I'm concerned, made some great pop music  
-- no more, no less.  Not life-defining stuff, but certainly among  
the best of its kind. I'd never smack someone across the face because  
they said something bad about them, but I'll never shy away from  
admitting my fandom for their fist two albums either. "Pale Shelter"  
and "Change" are amazing pop singles, and combined acted as   
veritable soundtrack to my adolescence (along with lots of otherwise  
lamentable heavy metal and hardcore).

The other day, I can't remember who said it, but someone described  
Queen as "music made by people who hate music" or "music for people  
who hate music." I'm sorry, but that's just a ton of shit. Even a  
casual listen to a Queen record reveals a rich love of what they were  
doing (and if you can't hear the consummate musicianship in what they  
were doing, you should probably go have your ears examined). I'm not  
saying you have to *LIKE* Queen's music, I'm just saying that to  
decry it as such is to do them an undue disservice.

Conversely, the other weekend, I was out at my sister's place on Long  
Island, and one of her neighbors just over the hedge was positively *  
B L A S T I N G* "Emotions" by Mariah Carey. I was incredulous. I  
can't imagine anyone actually wanting to play -- let alone CRANK AT  
MAXIMUM VOLUME -- Mariah Carey. I wouldn't play Mariah Carey's music  
at a dog. I can't imagine anyone actually enjoying listening to that  
fat cow's cloyingly melismatic braying. But they do.

  I used to have these arguments all the time at MTV News. I'd open  
my big mouth about someone - be it Kanye or Britney or Fall Out Boy  
or ______ [insert flavor of the minute pop tripe here], and someone  
would turn around and say: "but Alex, they sold x million copies of  
the record in the first week!!"

Big fuckin' whoop. Sales mean absolutely nothing. The majority of the  
record buying public likes an artist? Big deal -- the majority are  
sheep who dutifully purchase that which they are instructed to  
purchase. Sales are no indication of quality.


As Mel says, like what you like -- taste is all relative. I try to  
live by that myself, but ultimately fail. While I'll defend loads of  
my "guilty pleasure" artists to the death, I still get completely  
flabbergasted when I hear someone earnestly extol the merits of an  
"artist" I don't approve of (i.e. if you own a Mariah Carey album by  
choice, you're dead to me).

Alex in NYC







On Sep 10, 2007, at 12:45 PM, melinda grant wrote:


> THERE ALL CRAP-       -come on  alex arnt you the exspert ;),i  

> exspect better from you,every body wants to rule the world--one of  

> the most lamest lines ive ever herd,and as 4 the tune ;-  AND THE  

> YOU MENTION THAT FAT GEEK=who wears heart shaped specs and a pink  

> suite,then all of a sudden everything has reached a new level of  

> low bad taste if thats possible ;- 

> D))))))    .................................................

>

> ps i dont care --like what you like even if its bad taste   ;- 

> D)))))  go on then,i exspect you to find someone who i like,who you  

> consider bad taste  ;o thats ok i am prepaired ;))

>

>

>> From: Alexander Smith <vassifer at earthlink.net>

>> Reply-To: "A list about all things Killing Joke (the  

>> band!)"<gathering at misera.net>

>> To: "A list about all things Killing Joke (the band!)"  

>> <gathering at misera.net>

>> Subject: Re: [kj] 10.29 KJ Re-issue?

>> Date: Mon, 10 Sep 2007 09:31:35 -0400

>>

>>

>> First two Tears for Fears records are great. Third one (SEWING  

>> THE  SEEDS...)? Not so much. Title track sounded like Elton John  

>> farting  his way through "I Am The Walrus." But THE HURTING is  

>> fucking great.

>>

>> Sue me.

>>

>> Alex in NYC

>>

>>

>> On Sep 10, 2007, at 9:29 AM, Janean Lancaster wrote:

>>

>>> <<< I have zero cred by now anyways, but I reckon Tears for Fears

> well

>>> put it this way, I was so uninitiated into decent music that   

>>> Shout was, to me, at the time (disclaimer disclaimer I know),  

>>> quite  a powerful song. Still is.>>>

>>>

>>>

>>>

>>> Those words could have come from my head.  That song is still in  

>>> my  top 5.

>>>

>>>

>>>

>>> Cheers,

>>>

>>> Janean

>>>

>>>

>>>

>>>

>>>

>>> From: gathering-bounces at misera.net [mailto:gathering-  

>>> bounces at misera.net] On Behalf Of Brendan Quinn

>>> Sent: 09 September 2007 08:30

>>> To: 'A list about all things Killing Joke (the band!)'

>>> Subject: Re: [kj] 10.29 KJ Re-issue?

>>>

>>>

>>>

>>> I have zero cred by now anyways, but I reckon Tears for Fears

> well  put it

>>> this way, I was so uninitiated into decent music that Shout  was,  

>>> to me, at the time (disclaimer disclaimer I know), quite a   

>>> powerful song. Still is.

>>>

>>>

>>>

>>> Disturbed cover it, badly, and totally as you would expect,  

>>> metal  by numbers.

>>>

>>>

>>>

>>> From: gathering-bounces at misera.net [mailto:gathering-  

>>> bounces at misera.net] On Behalf Of Leigh Newton

>>> Sent: Sunday, 9 September 2007 2:00 p.m.

>>> To: A list about all things Killing Joke (the band!)

>>> Subject: Re: [kj] 10.29 KJ Re-issue?

>>>

>>>

>>>

>>> Tears For Fears - Songs From The Big Chair

>>>

>>>

>>>

>>> Best album ever. No irony or sarcasm involved in that last  

>>> statement.

>>>

>>>

>>>

>>> Leigh

>>>

>>>

>>>

>>>

>>>

>>> ----- Original Message ----

>>> From: GREG SLAWSON <gregslawson at msn.com>

>>> To: A list about all things Killing Joke (the band!)   

>>> <gathering at misera.net>

>>> Sent: Saturday, September 8, 2007 2:29:34 AM

>>> Subject: Re: [kj] 10.29 KJ Re-issue?

>>>

>>>

>>> I don't think BTATS can be salvaged with ANY remixing--it's a  

>>> New  Romantic, top-40 wanna be, synth-pop, Frankie Goes To  

>>> Hollywood/ Thomas Dolby/Killamanjaro/Dephie Mode/Tears for Fears/ 

>>> Spandau  Ballet/ABC/Simply Red/Gary Newman/Soft Cell (well, maybe  

>>> that's too  low a blow) DISASTER...

>>> > Date: Fri, 7 Sep 2007 18:17:11 -0700

>>> > From: sandstorm_mg at yahoo.com

>>> > To: joker at Z6.com; gathering at misera.net

>>> > Subject: Re: [kj] 10.29 KJ Re-issue?

>>> >

>>> > Now THAT'S some excellent news!

>>> > --- Rob's Arse <joker at Z6.com> wrote:

>>> >

>>> >

>>> > ---------------------------------

>>> >

>>> > That's what I heard the other day..............

>>> >

>>> > www.iamscuzzy.com www.myspace.com/scuzzywear

>>> >

>>> > --- halsted at ilm.com wrote:

>>> >

>>> > From: Michael Halsted <halsted at ilm.com>

>>> > To: "A list about all things Killing Joke (the band!)"

>>> > <gathering at misera.net>

>>> > Subject: Re: [kj] 10.29 KJ Re-issue?

>>> > Date: Fri, 07 Sep 2007 09:15:22 -0700

>>> >

>>> > I wonder if BTATS is going to be the "Geordie remixed

>>> > with heavier guitars version" that's been mentioned or

>>> >

>>> > a standard remasster...

>>> >

>>> >

>>> > killingjoke.jp wrote:

>>> > Outside the Gate [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED]

>>> > [IMPORT]

>>> > http://www.amazon.com/Outside-Gate-Killing-Joke/dp/B000VLJHNY/

>>> >

>>> >

>>> > No Info.

>>> > http://www.killingjoke.com/

>>> > http://www.killingjokeremasters.com/

>>> >

>>> >

>>> > 2007/9/7, death wish < dwish2000 at hotmail.com>: Looks

>>> > like Fire Dances is up there too, but curiously no

>>> > Night Time.

>>> > http://www.hmv.co.jp/product/detail/2622583

>>> >

>>> > T.

>>> >

>>> >

>>> >

>>> > >From: killingjoke.jp < killingjoke.jp at gmail.com>

>>> > >Reply-To: "A list about all things Killing Joke (the

>>> > >band!)"<gathering at misera.net>

>>> > >To: "A list about all things Killing Joke (the

>>> > band!)"

>>> > ><gathering at misera.net>

>>> > >Subject: [kj] 10.29 KJ Re-issue?

>>> > >Date: Fri, 7 Sep 2007 06:21:49 +0900

>>> > >

>>> > >Killing Joke - Brighter Than A Thousand Suns - HMV

>>> > >http://www.hmv.co.jp/product/detail/2621230

>>> > >Catalogue Number: KJRE7

>>> > >

>>> > >Killing Joke - Outside The Gate - HMV

>>> > > http://www.hmv.co.jp/product/detail/2621231

>>> > >Catalogue Number: KJRE8

>>> > >

>>> > >Remasters?

>>> > >

>>> > >

>>> > >No Info.

>>> > >http://www.killingjoke.com/

>>> > > http://www.killingjokeremasters.com/

>>> >

>>> >

>>> >

>>> >

>>> > ---------------------------------

>>> > _______________________________________________Gathering

>>> > mailing

>>> > listGathering at misera.nethttp://four.pairlist.net/mailman/ 

>>> listinfo/ gathering

>>> >

>>> >

>>> > _______________________________________________

>>> > Gathering mailing list Gathering at misera.net

>>> > http://four.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/gathering

>>> >

>>> >

>>> > ---------------------------------

>>> > Free email at www.Z6.com ( and home of

>>> > www.worldmap.com)

>>> > > _______________________________________________

>>> > > Gathering mailing list

>>> > > Gathering at misera.net

>>> > > http://four.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/gathering

>>> > >

>>> >

>>> >

>>> >

>>> >

>>> >   

>>> ____________________________________________________________________ 

>>> __ ______________

>>> > Take the Internet to Go: Yahoo!Go puts the Internet in your   

>>> pocket: mail, news, photos & more.

>>> > http://mobile.yahoo.com/go?refer=1GNXIC

>>> > _______________________________________________

>>> > Gathering mailing list

>>> > Gathering at misera.net

>>> > http://four.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/gathering

>>>

>>> Can you find the hidden words?  Take a break and play Seekadoo!   

>>> Play now!

>>>

>>>

>>>

>>>

>>>

>>> Luggage? GPS? Comic books?

>>> Check out fitting gifts for grads at Yahoo! Search.

>>>

>>> _______________________________________________

>>> Gathering mailing list

>>> Gathering at misera.net

>>> http://four.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/gathering

>>

>

>

>> _______________________________________________

>> Gathering mailing list

>> Gathering at misera.net

>> http://four.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/gathering

>

> _________________________________________________________________

> Got a favourite clothes shop, bar or restaurant? Share your local  

> knowledge  http://www.backofmyhand.com

>

> _______________________________________________

> Gathering mailing list

> Gathering at misera.net

> http://four.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/gathering