Avoiding Awfulness

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

"And I don't think she remotely cuts it compared to the Lorettas and Tammys and Dollys she's harking back to, much less the modern-day MOR Deanas and Martinas and Joe Dees and Jamies and LeAnns and Lee Anns and Natalies. But I think she's got talent and I'll guess that she never does the totally sappy dreck that some of my current loves are quite capable of unleashing."

This quite of Frank K's (about Neko Case, but the subject isn't really the important thing) touches on something quite important and related to that Fluxblog post we were discussing yesterday, i.e.

How important is it to you that the artists you love don't produce dreadful stuff along with the amazing stuff?

And do you think the risk of dreadfulness in some cases stops being something you have to endure and becomes a deeper part of why you like something?

(I think these ideas are kind of related to the 'NPR' idea that Frank writes about in his book, maybe, but if you haven't come across that idea don't let it stop you discussing this) (EDIT: I meant "PBS"! - though NPR and PBS are kind of similar things, no?)

Comments

R-e-v-e-r-s-e

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

It's rare that an artist will suddenly produce brilliant stuff after a history of awful stuff, but that rarity can work to their advantage publicity-wise.

Obv musicians and songwriters improve with practice at least until they write their first big hit (and you will never hear about the earlier non-hits unless you are a mega-fan/rarities collector/knew them before they were famous etc) and then tend to tail off after a year or two.

Take Indie Band X, for example. Their singer and their guitarist have known each other since school and bashed away in singer's garage for approx 5 years. After hard graft around the toilet circuit with rent-a-drummer and rent-a-bassist, the best song they've come up with in those 7-8 years becomes a minor underground hit for Indie Band X. Spurred on by this confidence boost & feedback about what their fans like, they write a whole bunch of similar hits, fans love it & the hype machine does its job. Major label Y comes along, shoves a load of money and production at Indie Band X and says "actually we like that slow ballad you did for a laugh". Singer and guitarist shrug shoulders and coin in the cash by writing follow-up ballad, ditch all hits similar to earlier underground single and release boring but successful album. Singer develops ego/coke problem, guitarist quits band and goes back to writing old-style underground hits with only mild support from loyal early fanbase. Singer attempts to carry on with ballad writing but they start being BAD ballads because of lack of guitarist input. Indie Band X is dropped by label & laughed at by indie kids in the pub. The end.