wayne@ada-uts.UUCP (10/24/85)
This'll be the first note I've ever sent, so be gentle...
I've never believed the way to judge a group or a particular artist
is by counting the number of hits he/she/they has : pop music is for pop
minds. The way I've judged groups is by listening... Not the superficial
listening most teenagers or most PMRC members do, but real listening,
with earphones, and most of all sober, without being under the influence
of certain illegal/legal chemicals.
What amazes me is the reasons some people like the music they do. Why
people actually pay money for a Phil Collins record instead of waiting
for it to be (over) played on the "easy listening" station is beyond me.
But I'm not totally knocking Phil Collins...he is probably the most
prolific pop music generator around today ("In The Air Tonight" is in
my opinion one of his best songs...why can't he do more like them? The
obvious answer: pop music listeners don't want them). But I ask myself
when I listen to one of his songs: what is missing?
The answers, which are my criteria for categorizing music, is the feeling
and the originality of the music. The feeling is very important. That
is why I will side with the pro-Bush (Kate, not George...definitely not
George) side anyday. She IS her songs... she feels her songs. And I feel
what she's trying to communicate. I do not get any sense of real feeling
is many of today's pop hits. Kate Bush, therefore, beats out Barbara
Streisand or Sheena Easton (sp?).
Originality with feeling is also important, but originality can't stand
alone. That is why I my preference for guitarists will be Robert Fripp
and Jimi Hendrix, among a host of others, over any heavy metal axist.
They are truly original, and they play with feeling, unlike the heavy
metal guitarists who can't be told apart without a score card.
I firmly believe this about Robert, so much so that I attend one of his
seminars in West Virginia. He is true musician, and above all, a true
artist.("Sheltered Sky" is chilling...especially in concert)
Music is classified as an art. Art has always had its unappreciated
innovators. It is a shame these innovators will rarely see glory in
their lifetime, but I can guarantee twenty years from now the next
group of musicians, be they singers or guitarists or armless harmonica
players will look back and say their influences were these unappreciated
heroes and not the hit makers of today.
The moral of this story: Don't pay attention to pop charts or "Ten Best"
lists. Pay attention to what's in your heart and in your mind.
Wayne Wylupski
Speaking off the cuff and will
probably regret it...pz@emacs.UUCP (Paul Czarnecki) (10/25/85)
In article <22300026@ada-uts.UUCP> wayne@ada-uts.UUCP writes: > >This'll be the first note I've ever sent, so be gentle... This is probably one of best written article in net.music in a long time. You seem to have a fine command of the language and you can get your points across clearly and consisely. I can't claim to be a net.authority or an oldtimer, but if you are new at this, congratulations. Please, lets hear more from you in the future. (It also helps that I mostly agree with you! :-) >But I'm not totally knocking Phil Collins...he is probably the most >prolific pop music generator around today ("In The Air Tonight" is in >my opinion one of his best songs...why can't he do more like them? The >obvious answer: pop music listeners don't want them). But I ask myself >when I listen to one of his songs: what is missing? Give Phil another chance. But wait! don't listen to anything that he has done recently. Phil has sold out. Try "Hello I Must Be Going" and "Face Values". I haven't listened to these recently but I remeber them as being pretty good. >The answers, which are my criteria for categorizing music, is the feeling >and the originality of the music. The feeling is very important. So true! And people like Madonna, Cyndi Lauper etc sing what I call corporate rock. It is not music. People like Fripp, Hendrix (I like them too!), Bowie, Springsteen (maybe?...), Bush, Birdsongs of the Mezazoic (local Boston), DEVO (1st album only), Peter Gabriel (III, and Security), Fibonacci's, Zappa, Bill Nelson, know how to feel their music. Interestingly enough, I also like music that is totally devoi of emotion. Listen to John Foxx's solo album called Metamatic, or any of the Gary Numan albums. Also give a listen to the Kraftwerk albums. The difference between these cold, emotionless musicians and the corporat rock "musicians" is that Lauper et et. are faking it! There is no feeling (exceept perhaps greed) intheir music. > Wayne Wylupski Love turns to lust, Ice into fire, Open your heart, To my flaming desire. pZ -- -- Flushed from the bathroom of your heart. Paul Czarnecki Uniworks, Inc. decvax!{cca,wanginst!infinet}!emacs!pz 20 William Street emacs!pz@cca-unix.ARPA Wellesley, MA 02181 (617) 235-2600
lip@masscomp.UUCP (John Lipinski) (10/26/85)
In article <22300026@ada-uts.UUCP> wayne@ada-uts.UUCP writes: >Music is classified as an art. Art has always had its unappreciated >innovators. It is a shame these innovators will rarely see glory in >their lifetime, but I can guarantee twenty years from now the next >group of musicians, be they singers or guitarists or armless harmonica >players will look back and say their influences were these unappreciated >heroes and not the hit makers of today. > >The moral of this story: Don't pay attention to pop charts or "Ten Best" >lists. Pay attention to what's in your heart and in your mind. [WAYNE W] That would be easy but all too often there is a conflict beteen the mind and the heart. One wants this and the other wants that: then it is a battle for supremacy... - John
rlr@pyuxd.UUCP (Rich Rosen) (10/30/85)
> What amazes me is the reasons some people like the music they do. Why > people actually pay money for a Phil Collins record instead of waiting > for it to be (over) played on the "easy listening" station is beyond me. > But I'm not totally knocking Phil Collins...he is probably the most > prolific pop music generator around today ("In The Air Tonight" is in > my opinion one of his best songs...why can't he do more like them? The > obvious answer: pop music listeners don't want them). But I ask myself > when I listen to one of his songs: what is missing? [WAYNE WYLUPSKI] GOOD question? (One worth asking Paul McCartney and maybe Stevie Wonder, too. We know they have the talent; why do they toss it off on pap?) (And about the rest of your article: well said!) -- Anything's possible, but only a few things actually happen. Rich Rosen pyuxd!rlr