Is it just me, or does anyone else annoyed by bands who put their 'message' before there music?
I listen to music because I want to be entertained, and feel a connection that helps to better understand myself. This may seem like an ambitious thing for music to do, but I think it has an advantage over any other art form in this department. Have you ever tried to rationally defend a very passionate feeling that you have? You will always fall short of explaining the real thing. This is what is so irksome about musicians that try transform artwork into rational argument! It just doesn't work.
I think truly great art should be universal. Sure, if Bush is pissing you off, write a song about it.
But don't explain to me why you dislike him. If you want to do that, put down the guitar, grab a pen, and write an essay. Don't pollute my ears with your emotionless sound. Write about your rage and your passion! Everyone has felt passion and anger before, that is something we can understand. If you make me feel that passion, then I might consider your rational argument to mean something.
But anger at the government is NOT the only important thing! Frankly, to me, it seems trivial when compared to real human compassion and understanding. Tell me something that I can relate to. Anyone who has felt like an outcast at some point in their lives can relate to Daniel Johnston's "Like A Monkey In A Zoo", anyone who fears their morality understands Neil's "Sugar Mountain" (it's my 20th birthday soon... oh God), anyone who's tried to accept their morality finds solace in "Do You Realize?" by the Lips. To me, these are real beautiful songs. This is music.
I think what it comes down to is this question: Do you think that the value of something is based on it's applications? For me, the answer to this is no*, and the * reads, 'Of course not! Are you fucking kidding me?!' If this were true, the value of love is procreating the human race. The value of art is absolutely nothing. The value of mathematics is just engineering and building shit. The value of living is to not die! Perhaps you answered this question 'yes', and so you think that music is only valuable if it tells you how much of an idiot Bush is. I respectfully disagree.
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3 comments:
I disagree. Music is about expressing yourself and your opinions and beliefs. If you have strong feelings about a certain political topic, why not write a song about it? It is up to the listener to interpret that message and take from it the opinions and beliefs that they value. The artist is not forcing their opinions upon the listener, just expressing his/her point of view. It is up to the listener and their individual intellectual integrity whether or not they identify with the message.
Music is a form of art. Art is not solely for entertainment. Music and art are completely subjective and a form of expression for the artist's beliefs and opinions.
I'm not saying they CAN'T express their opinions in their songs. I'm saying they SHOULDN'T. Or at least it annoys me. I don't care what their opinions are. Pete Townshend could be a child molester, and I'd still listen to The Who. As long as he doesn't write songs about child molesting, I don't care.
Did you mean "mortality" or "morality"?
You put the former but the latter seems like it makes way more sense.
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