Firstly
toksik brought up the concept of The Man, there seems to be much confusion and unhapiness see here for an explanantion
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=the+man
Hope that helps.
I agree that if you can find a CD on the shelves of your local Virgin Megastore then there is no doubt there are Corporate fingerprints all over it. I’ve accepted that this is the way this world works. At least this music is, as I’ve already said music leading business, not business leading music. What do I mean by that? What I’m saying is that I can accept music that has reached me because some corporate body has thought that this band will sell and as a result has marketed it to me. I’m not happy that this has reached me in this way but I love music so I will accept it.
What I don’t have to accept though, is a corporate body saying, “we will create our own band and market them as well”. What is the difference? The difference is that this band that this corporate body has created is not an organic artistic expression. It is a completely calculated and negotiated business proposal.
“Wait!” I hear you cry, “do bands not negotiate business deals with large corporations as well?” Do large music Corporations not say to themselves, “Hehehehe yes YES, this will SELL!” whilst rubbing their hands with glee?
This is indeed true, bands do this. They sell their souls to the Corporate machine, the Man if you will, the so called Establishment so that they can make money and perhaps achieve fame. The music? Yes the music is tarnished by these transactions of filthy, filthy lucre, but hopefully, somehow the artistic integrity of this band remains strong and they do not collapse under the strain of fame and fortune. Sometimes bands manage this. Sometimes they do not. Sometimes bands remember the reason they make music, and continue making it. Sometimes they do not..
Who do I listen to then? How do I know that they have not lost their artistic integrity? You do not! You don’t know that at all. You can only hope and pray. But still, this, imho, is better than listening to music that has been drafted by a corporate music agent. The other options are indeed going to your local tube/subway station and listening to a busker or two. They’re actually pretty good. The other option is to go to your local and watch a live band. Yes! They too can be quite good.
To the person who sarcastically asked for music suggestions I can suggest the following bands:
ISAN, Neutral Milk Hotel, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and Broken Social Scene. I hope if you decide to give them a listen your life will become enriched.. Please don’t go google them or got to allmusic.com and then report back to me telling me which label they belong to. *Yawn*
Why though, specifically, are The Supremes less of a corporate product then Girls ALoud?
To me? Solely because they’re not a current band and from a maybe less commercial era.
Out of interest, do you think that most classical musicans are sellouts, being as they don't write their own material?
Yes, yes they are.
Was Beethoven a sellout for not performing in a band?
What? Beethoven was one of the most “punk” men in history! Rock on!
Where do The Neptunes/ NERD… are they sell outs or just working the system and making a very healthy living.
They ARE sellouts when they appear in every music video under the sun. As NERD they’re not.
Fascinating. And how, pray, do you know this?
That’s how I define an artist, someone who enjoys creating.
You've never heard of him though, I suspect. He was the drummer in the Troggs, many years back… We live in different worlds, as Dire Straits sort of said once.
No, don’t know him specifically but I like The Troggs. No I don't think Ronnie Bond is a sellout. If he were selling songs to Girls Aloud then I'd have to reconsider.
And yes, we do all live in different worlds.
why does the singer need to get involved…
Huh? Bands that I know, all collaborate together on their music. Each write music for their own instrument.
what if i am a producer and i get a singer in to do the two line hook i have already written? no creative input, please, do what i tell you. am i a sell out? or are they?
for a song? All of you
for a jingle? None of you
And what makes film so different?
Variables and complexity. Oh you can draw parallels, but you can do that with any art medium can’t you?
And how do you feel about Diana Ross's "Chain Reaction". TEH MAN or fan? At which point does she become a "sell out"?
Diana Ross was a sell-out .from the beginning, but you can always try change. I think eventually most instruments of “The Man” feel the need to create for themselves.
Z |
