In Praise of Taking Risks with Artistry (was conundrum, re: bjork's new CD)

["loop.pool" <looppool@cruzio.com>]

I was so excited to hear Bjork's new CD that I went down when the music
store opened on the day it was released.

I positively loved the tune she's had up on her website and have admired 
her
for her courage to eschew being
a hugely successful pop start who constantly pushes the boundaries of her
artistry.

I also had released and experimental all vocal CD at christmas time (which
was really scary because I had only begun
seriously singing really late in my musical career) and I wanted to see 
what
she would come up with (especially working with
the brilliant and innovative producers that she works with.

I have to say that despite the beauty of her 'single' from the CD,   I was
really dissapointed.  The record doesn't move me emotionally.
I know several people who aren't moved by my last CD.   It's the most
emotional record I've ever made.........go figure.

Some of her ideas just seem half baked and there is not a very strong
compositional sense on the CD..........but that's to my ears.........very
obviously a lot of people adore it.

Even so,  I think that as artists who are interested in pushing our own
boundaries that we constantly run the risk of releasing something that
is unformed or not mature in an attempt to eschew the dominant paradigm,
aesthetically.  It is an inherent danger in flirting with
the 'New'.      I think it's a risk that is important to take and for the
very first time in my entire life of people pleasing and insecurity about
what people think about my music, I have come to embrace the concept of
taking risks and not even worrying about how it will be recieved.
Personally,  I feel so much more liberated and I know I"m growing faster as
an artist than I ever have in my life.

If Bjork and Thom York and Mike Patton encourage younger musicians to take
big chances and move away from the incredibly stale
and stunted state of current mass market pop music, my feeling is that 
there
work is done, whether or not I like it or love it.

Man,   Miles Davis failed so miserably in several of the things he 
attempted
artistically in his life....................I was so damned glad that
he took the risk to keep innovating.       At the time of his death he was
playing with players in their early twenties, precisely because he
didn't want to get stuck in old habits.    He's a hero to me because of 
this
courage to innovate at the risk of not pleasing people.

For this reason, I will buy every Bjork CD.    She scores enough times 
(that
single is just beautiful I think) that I want to encourage her to
keep being open to innovation.   Young artists need to see someone who is
successful who has chosen art with a capital 'A' over commerce with a
capital 'C'

I also know that I like bands like Bjork and Radiohead a lot more than
Helmet, Test Department and Einsturzende Neubaten but
that is just personal aesthetics.     I have friends who I respect the hell
out of and all they listen to is trad country music.............oh
well.................who is to say what is good and what is bad.

Resonance seems like everything.

r.