Re: Serious vs. Serious

[berns@lti.com (Brian Berns x26)]

> "Commercially successful music has no artistic integrity."
> 
> That seems to be an underlying attitude of many recent postings.
> Do people really believe that?

You know, I have been arguing exactly your point of view for about a
month now over in the new-music list.  Where you have Collins and the
Beatles, I have been defending U2 and R.E.M.  Didn't realize till just
now how silly I have been!

Phil Collins sucks.  Not only that, but back when he was the unknown,
unpopular drummer for Genesis, he released a really good, innovative
song ("In the Air Tonight" or whatever it's called).  Since, the quality
of his songs has decreased with every step his popularity has increased.
It's really an amazingly good example of exactly what you say.  Becoming
popular has turned the man to mush.  How many more major-key soft love
song ballads can we bear?

> Maybe, just maybe, their music is so good that even "normal" people find
> meaning in it.

"Normal" people?  Like Republicans?  Please...  Normal people are brain
dead, or haven't you figured that out yet?

> Think: Would you jump off a cliff just because everyone else
> *wasn't* doing it?

Perhaps I am just counter-suggestible.  Maybe I have been listening to too
much Sonic Youth.  ... but, yes, I would, if it looked like fun.

Thank you for enlightening me.

-- Brian