From the wreck of the Popism thread...

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

OK a 'rockist' sez:
Bob Dylan is better than Charlotte Church. That's just a fact.

A 'popist' sez:

No way, boring Bob is rubbish compared to Charlotte Church. That's just a fact.

Here's what I actually think:

Listening to music is made up of a series of moments, like coin tosses or dice throws. At any given moment I might find Bob suits me better, or Charlotte. Over time, it's likely Bob will win a lot more often than Charlotte. But during those moments when I want Charlotte, no amount of Bob will suffice. The 'rockist' or 'rockist-about-pop' mistake is to imagine that the 'over time' is what matters, not the moment.

(For 'Bob' and 'Charlotte' insert whoever you want.)

This third point of view is, you'll notice, considerably less snappy than the other two.

-- Tom (freakytrigger@gmail.com), October 20th, 2005 1:59 PM. (Groke) (later) (link)

So re-reading this I wonder if it's statin' the bleedin' obvious or if there's anything in it, I mean in terms of the conception of the fixity of taste and judgement being a big divider....

Comments

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Bob is rubbige.

[catsgomiaow.livejournal.com]

Actually that explanation works very, very well - for me, at least. Although you saying Bob and Charlotte has now made me think of Lost In Translation!

[martinskidmore.livejournal.com]

This is a better-expressed version of something like I've been saying for ages about the fucking test of time (so my ideas have clearly stood the test of oh fuck ourobouros moment). The test of time angle can be an interesting thing to consider, but it is NOT automatically more right (whatever that would mean), and it is NOT automatically more interesting, and what we have NOW is absolutely worth thought and discussion irrespective of whether we'll think the same tomorrow or in ten years. All we've got now is our current perspective, and what's happening now is the most interesting thing to examine, so any test of time is of no use at all there.

I love Dylan's old stuff, and like Mark I don't know that I have heard any Charlotte Church pop music.