Support
Looper's Delight
|
Support |
|
|
Good thoughts, gents. Thanks for putting your pennies into a thought process that has always been a bit of a rock in my shoe. Interesting approach Rick, because I feel like sometimes I'm coming into a space of being more 'honest' with myself when I kick back and enjoy an old Willie Nelson record, or Nat Cole with his trio (Oscar Moore rocks...need I say more?), or some mellow dub-tronica (Tosca, Thievery Corp., etc), instead of listening to something just because it's pushing boundaries. I'm actually ENJOYING the music, rather than calculating how 'cool' it is because it's out there, you know? And at the same time, because I like certain experimental music, and I've been an 'alternative' music lover since I got into punk rock at a mid-teen, there's a bit of a guilt trip, too. Gotta keep up with the 'more alternative than thou' joneses. As I get older, I care less and less about such things, and just try to relax and enjoy. So that brings me full circle and the fun starts all over again. What do I like and why? Seriously...I've figuratively worn the grooves off of Kind of Blue, Birth of the Cool, and In a Silent Way. But I've tried to listen to Bitches Brew all of about 3 or 4 times, and find it almost unlistenable. And I used to keep buying records of artists I respected, and as they got further and further into their own 'expression', I just realized I was buying their records for some other purpose than enjoying the music. Robert Hampson of Loop and Main is a prime example. After a point, I was like "what the hell am I doing? I don't even like this...." And I like Helmet a lot more than I like Bjork, so there! Hahaha.... Ramble....over and out... The hotel arrangements for Y2K4 have been made, so me and the wife will be there. Looking forward to it! Best, Rich -----Original Message----- From: loop.pool [mailto:looppool@cruzio.com] Sent: Sunday, September 05, 2004 5:59 PM To: LOOPERS DELIGHT (posting) Subject: In Praise of Taking Risks with Artistry (was conundrum, re: bjork's new CD) 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. __________ NOD32 1.787 (20040612) Information __________ This message was checked by NOD32 antivirus system. http://www.nod32.com