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| From | "Andrew Hickey " <stealthmunchkin@lycos.co.uk> |
| Subject | Re: Americans Just Don't Get It... |
| Date | Mon, 02 Feb 2004 21:43:58 +0100 |
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> > But what do you mean by 'suck'? There are a lot
> > of very idiosyncratic or even poor vocalists
> > who've made great records - Dylan, Randy Newman,
> > Van Dyke Parks, Billy Bragg, Michael Stipe - do
> > those suck in your opinion? All at the very least
> > take some time to get used to, but they also have
> > all been involved in truly great records...
> Well, I'll question whether or not "truly great records" is a
> statement of fact or just your opinion here.
I never said it was anything other than my opinion - I was just asking what the word 'suck' referred to in the
original post, because there are a lot of idiosyncratic vocalists who make good music.
> However, I'd be interested to see if you take that particular tack when listening to
> some of Yoko Ono's non-screaming non-avant garde recordings?
As a matter of fact I do. I wasn't though saying that there's anything *wrong* with disliking music because of
poor vocals - just wondering what counted as poor vocals in that case, and if there were *ever* cases in which
the poster I was replying to (can't remember who it was) would listen to records that had bad vocals if there
were other redeeming features.
> Surely you won't say you dislike those "truly great recordings" just
> because you can't stand her voice.
You're right. I'll say I dislike them because I don't enjoy the songs (many of which are derivative or out and out
plagiarism - Yes I'm Your Angel being the most obvious example), the production *or* her voice.
> I'll bet you haven't even bothered to listen to any of her recordings of this nature
You'd bet wrong
> simply because you didn't like her screaming avant garde recordings
Wrong again actually. They're an acquired taste, certainly, and not one I've bothered to acquire properly, but
Don't Worry Kyoko (Mommy's Only Looking For Her Hand In The Snow) has a *great* riff...
> (I was going to call those latter recordings crap, but then, that's also
> subjective too, isn't it?). And I'll bet the reason you don't like
> those avant garde screaming recordings has a LOT to do with her
> voice, doesn't it?
Nope - see above.
The point I was trying to make - the *only* point I was trying to make - in the post you were replying to, was
that there are many vocalists who make records that most people on this list would consider good, but who
have voices that take some getting used to (other examples off the top of my head would be Elvis Costello or
Darian from the Wondermints), and I was just wondering to what extent the person who made the original post
didn't listen to those records because the vocalists were initially off-putting, not saying they were wrong not
to listen to those people (if indeed they don't) - I hold entirely to the old saying de gustabis non disputatum
est...
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