[kj] [OT] Music Snobbery

[Alexander Smith]

Well, that's my point. I may know full well that, say, Kiss or The  
Exploited or The Fixx or The Wonder Stuff make music that is bereft of  
critical credibility, but my reasons for appreciating the music of  
each of those bands (and scores of others) has nothing to do with  
popular consensus or any easily quantifiable measurement of merit.  
People identify with music because it speaks to them on some  
indefinable level. This is largely why the world doesn't need music  
critics. I could write volume after laboriously wordy volume about why  
you shouldn't listen to indefensible piffle like Lady GaGa or Michael  
Jackson, but if you like it -- you like it. And know cleverly-worded  
screed penned by me or anyone else can change that. Music is about --  
or should be about, at least -- emotion. Emotions cannot be controlled  
so simply.

At the end of the day, if someone doesn't understand my affinity for  
one artist or another, that's ultimately THEIR loss in the end. I know  
full well that Kiss made largely meaningless music, but I still like  
it. I'll lambast Michael Jackson's music as worthless product, but I  
doubt that diminishes anyone else's fervor for it.



Alex in NYC




On Jul 8, 2009, at 12:57 PM, Darren A. Peace wrote:


> Heh! That rankles a bit. If you think that some of what you like is  

> “dubious crap”, but you still like it, that can only mean that you  

> like things that you think other people will think less of you for  

> liking. That’s awful. What does it matter what anyone else thinks?  

> Which arbiter of fashionable taste are you flouting?

>

> When people harangue me because they don’t like some of the stuff I  

> like, I a) point out something far worse that they like and b) laugh  

> at them.

>

> Darren

> Hungerford, UK

>

> From: Alexander Smith [mailto:vassifer at earthlink.net]

> Sent: 08 July 2009 5:36 PM

> To: dpeace at suspiria.demon.co.uk; A list about all things Killing  

> Joke (the band!)

> Subject: Re: [kj] 2003 Tour DVD/CD

>

>

> I'll be the first to admit that I like a whole lot of dubious crap,  

> but who cares?

>

> Alex in NYC

>

>

> On Jul 8, 2009, at 12:15 PM, Darren A. Peace wrote:


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