i am going to end up hating myself tomorrow...

…when I end up buying this album, despite many reviews saying it had the same problems as Part I:

Entertainment Weekly’s review of it was particularly damning, me thinks.

Still, there were a couple of good songs on the first part… 

Maybe I’ll just wait until it goes on sale at Amazon for very little money. Maybe I won’t actually buy it. 

Maybe my soul is redeemable after all. (probably not)

economics of audiophilia: part 1

in which I grouse about seeing live shows.

 

So, I’d say I love going to see live (rock) music, but honestly, I’d be lying. There are so few shows that I can say were truly amazing throughout the course of my life, and the only ones that come to mind are those by  ¡TchKung! in the Seattle/Olympia era of the late 1990s. Because yeah, musicians who play on trash, fire breathers, concert goers covering themselves in mud, and random takeovers of the city streets are, in fact, amazing. Also, the sound quality was pretty good, in or out of the theater.

(Live classical music, by the way, is a totally different animal. I have zero issues going to see/hear symphonies, other than cost, and the potential for whoever I’m going with falling asleep and/or making fun of me for being consistently moved to tears. Yeah, I cry at live symphonic performances. Whatever.)

 

Anyway, one of my favorite bands, Phoenix, is playing at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn next week, and for about five seconds, I was ready to buy tickets, before going “nah” and shrugging in a very Gallic way (Phoenix is from France, btw).

 

I really loathe seeing concerts in huge venues. The last one I went to was the final show of the Police reunion tour at Madison Square Garden, and yeah. Feh. I went to that show because it was going to be the only chance I’d have to see them live, ever (being under 10 for most of the 1980s put a crimp in my concert going during the Police’s heyday). It was… ok. The performance was great, but all the bullshit in the venue detracted from it (for me at least).

 

And mind you, I’ve been to huge stadium concerts all over the country. King Dome in Seattle, some gigantic fucking place in California, RFK Stadium in DC, blah blah blah. They all suck. It’s not just MSG (which mind you is probably the suckiest of all of these). 

 

The tickets are ridiculously expensive. Overhead’s a bitch man, and while I’m all about supporting the bands, paying for these ugly ass, energy hog, sports-oriented, architectural monstrosities is not really on my agenda. I really HATE paying hundreds of dollars to be herded around like mentally disabled cattle through what is essentially a temple to concrete. And then sitting really really far away from the stage, and having to use binoculars because I can’t deal with the fiscal ass-raping that comes with buying “good” seats. 

 

Also, the sound quality blows. Almost always. And I hate leaving these venues mostly deaf, with my ears ringing. Or having to listen to the show through ear plugs, which is almost as insulting as having to watch it through binoculars. Because, what’s the point of going, at this point?

 

Additionally, I have no desire to pay craptons of money to basically hear/see a rehash of a studio album that I could have listened to in the comfort of my own home for free. There’s also the chance that you’re going to pay a ton of money to see a really shitty show because the performers feel off that night, don’t give a shit, are really tired, or had their pipeline of cocaine cut off.

 

Fuck that noise.

 

Sorry, my dear, dear (imaginary) friends Phoenix, I will not be seeing you at Barclays Center next week unless the magical ticket fairy somehow coughs up free tickets to your show. (Then, I’d be there with bells on.) I’ll stick to listening to your albums obsessively while on the subway.

all this time...

in which [the royal] we discuss the relevance of older artists.

 

So, Sting released a new album today. I honestly have no clue how well it is going to do, nor do I really care. I mean, I guess the dude has enough money, and probably has enough fame at this point. Given what emotions come through in his songs, I figure that probably part of the reason why he’s still writing, recording and releasing songs is for art. Or joy. Or love. Or something. Whatever that thing is, it works for me.

I mean, it worked for me when he was younger, cockier, and more of a jackass. I’ve always loved his stuff. Grew up on it. We’re talking more than three decades of having Sting in one form or another in constant rotation with all my other music.

The only other artists that I’ve had on constant rotation are Michael Jackson and Bruce Springsteen. And I don’t listen to them nearly as frequently as I do Sting. For instance, I have every single one of Sting’s albums on my phone, for daily listening, but only three songs from MJ and Bruce…

Anyway. I mentioned Sting’s new album to a coworker, who mind you, is older than I am, and her first response was to ask “Is he still relevant?”

She brought up Rod Stewart, who she mentioned had released an album earlier this year. I had to fact check this statement, and apparently he did release an album of original material in May. (It didn’t do well in the US as far as I can tell, but went to the top of the charts in the UK.) She spent some time reminiscing about Rod during the 70s and 80s, and then again in the Aughts, and how hot he’d been back then.

Which raised a lot of questions for me. 

Does it matter if musicians are making music just because they can? Or to appease diehard fans? Or to hold on to past glory? Or to please themselves? Or to pay their kids’ college tuition bills? For nostalgia’s sake? 

Why would we care if that’s all they were doing?

Does it fucking matter if an artist is still relevant? If somebody, somewhere, gets enjoyment out of art, sees the beauty in it, and it somehow adds to their existence, doesn’t that negate any questions of relevancy?

What does it matter if the only person in the world who is listening to Rod Stewart is some 60-something cat hoarder living on the dole in Great Britain who pops on his record to masturbate to while fantasizing about his lithesome 1970s era bod? (or, his not so lithesome 2013 one…)

Or that Sting releases some song that has a ridiculously complicated time signature that only certain math/music geeks understand? (or jerk off to. fine. whatever)

This is a large part of why I try not to slag on musicians (or artists of any sort.) I’m not going to emotionally connect with Miley Cyrus making out with a sledgehammer (Ke$ha making out with unicorns is way more my speed), but obviously millions of other people are, so who am I to judge them for their tastes in art? It’s doing something for someone somewhere.*

(Although, I may be somewhat disturbed by what it says about our culture that watching Miley simulate sex with a wrecking ball has garnered 149,000,000 views on YouTube, but whatever. I mean, I watched it. Once. I guess it is kinda like a car wreck.)

Yeah. I still love Sting’s music. So what?

*Please note that this attitude does not so much extend to genocide, cannibalism, Yoko Ono’s recordings, and other things that cause harm to any living being.

Randomesque Side Note: I once had the opportunity to meet Sting, and I declined, because I was afraid that he’d be a total asshole (I think he was still in his jackass phase) and I didn’t want his shitty behavior to ruin my love of his music. That particular modus operandi still stands for most of the musicians I deeply admire. (i.e. stay the fuck away)

lovin it

in which I discuss Ariana Grande. while trying not to mention Mariah.

I gotta start this by saying I’m a huge fan of Mariah Carey. Always will be. And despite the inevitable comparisons between Mimi & Ariana, that’s the last thing I’m going to say on the subject here, because I honestly don’t think that in the long run, the comparisons are going to do either artist any favors.

So yeah, I bought the Ariana Grande album, Yours Truly. And, at the absolute base of all of it, I  find this album to be a highly enjoyable experience. 

So a few notes:

1. This album is full of 90s nostalgia in a seriously good way. Little Mix is 90’s nostalgia in a really bad way. 
2. I’ve always been a sucker for a Babyface written/produced song. Since he was so heavily involved in this album, it kind of naturally follows that I’d like it. (side note: I think Babyface was the first producer I was actually aware of.)
3. Have been excited about this album since I first saw the video for “Baby I”
4. This album has a lot of production elements in it (like that irritating slowed down deep voice thing that is in EVERY FRICKEN SONG on the radio these days), that I think are going to sound dated in about five minutes, and yeah, that annoyed the shit out of me.
5. Can’t wait to hear her voice grow, mature, and, well…ripen.
6. Why the fuck did somebody decide to put that boy band guy on “Almost is Never Enough?” Ariana so dramatically outshines him from a talent standpoint that I actually get embarrassed for the dude every time I hear the song.

Anyway. Yeah. I like this shit. A LOT. 

It’s just pure pleasure to sit back and listen to somebody do something that they clearly love, and have an awful lot of natural talent for. Really looking forward to the rest of this chick’s career.