smoe.org mailing lists
ivan@stellysee.de
| From | "Craig Leve" <snap_crackle_pop@comcast.net> |
| Subject | Re: Does Size Matter? |
| Date | Tue, 16 Dec 2003 22:08:36 -0800 |
[Part 1 text/plain iso-8859-1 (3.7 kilobytes)]
(View Text in a separate window)
Folks:
Michael with all due respect to the remarkable effort you undertake putting
this together each year, can I say we could be missing the forest for some
toothpicks. I'm not saying it doesn't matter but hey I concur with those
who've said this is all in the spirit of fun...and well this sure doesn't
look like fun.
I think you set the rules Michael - and arbitrary, logical or otherwise
folks will do what they will do. As someone else said - the occasional
trespass on the rules will still be interesting - it's a marker of the
person's willingness to forgo their 'points' to highlight something they
thought was really special (even if it doesn't meet criteria).
I guess for me, what's been always good about the poll is the exchange of
lists and hearing about the highlights for folks. Yeah, I watch the finish
line, too - but you know...the highlights are in the dialogue...as the race
is being run.
Speaking as one who can't ever seem to vote :) .
-craig
n.p. Brady Harris - Lone Star
-----Original Message-----
From: audities-owner@smoe.org [mailto:audities-owner@smoe.org]On Behalf
Of Michael Bennett
Sent: Tuesday, December 16, 2003 9:42 PM
To: audities@smoe.org
Subject: Re: Does Size Matter?
To clarify --
1. 'Arbitrary' means, essentially, to select at random. For purposes of a
poll of the best albums, disqualifying EPs is far from random, it is
grounded in sober reality. As I noted in my original post to your original
comment, the very fact that you refer to EPs as EPs (and hence, LPs as LPs)
indicates that they are distinctive. Now, whether a record is an EP or LP
-- that designation may be arbitrary -- but the parameters of an album are
pretty well established, and most serious music fans know the difference.
2. My other response in my original post may not have been clear -- it's
clearly not an absolute that a great EP is easier to make than a great album
-- but theoretically it is. Likewise, theoretically, a various artists
compilation of super high quality should be easier to make than a mega cool
album. Yet neither happens too often -- I think because often, with both
EPs and various artists comps, the tracks are on the EP or the comp because
it's an odd or end. The artist is saving the best tracks for a single or an
LP. Nevertheless, when your throwing to together four or six tracks (or
so), it's just not the same thing as a full album.
Mike Bennett
Record reviews and more at http://fufkin.com
>From: Stewart Mason <flamingo@theworld.com>
>Reply-To: audities@smoe.org
>To: <audities@smoe.org>
>Subject: Re: Does Size Matter?
>Date: Wed, 17 Dec 2003 00:21:06 -0500
>
>At 09:14 PM 12/16/2003 -0600, Jim Kosmicki wrote:
> >Now that I've finally found my copy, the King Radio disc is clearly
> >labeled an EP, so I guess it's a moot point, but in my mind EPs are more
> >like an extended single, not something that some bands might release as
> >a complete disc. Brendan Benson's "Metarie," for example.
> >
> >After all, 3 minute singles and 10 tracks per album makes for a lot of
> >great 30 minutes or less pop albums over the years.
>
>This is why I find the "no EPs" rule to be kind of arbitrary. Mike's
>argument last time I brought this up was something along the lines of "It's
>a lot easier to make a great EP than a great album," which only makes me
>wonder why there aren't more great EPs. Based on what I hear most of the
>time, I would say the argument is more like "It's easier to take a killer
>20-minute EP and pad it out into a mediocre 40-minute album."
>
>S
>
>
>
>
_________________________________________________________________
Working moms: Find helpful tips here on managing kids, home, work — and
yourself. http://special.msn.com/msnbc/workingmom.armx
For assistance, please contact
the smoe.org administrators.