Cleverness In Pop

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Do you appreciate what I'm going to call 'cleverness' - wordplay, allusion, non-standard structures, etc. - in pop music? Is it something you look for? Who does it well?

Do you think there's an opposition between cleverness and directness (in emotional or physical impact)? Should pop be cleverer?

(Qn arising from today's Popular entry)

Comments

[dubdobdee.livejournal.com]

the first ppl i thought of when you asked it re 10cc were my lovely ROXY MUSIC -- who i believe will not be trubblin popular for a while yet

and of course it relates to my famous ("famous") question abt nu-prog in ref chart pop c.2002: neo-glam as ragged pop-art collage ect ect