Music critic in being critical of music shocker

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Next best thing? "Botherd" says McCormick

Most of this article made me go 'oh, what a load of t0ss', but there's a point lurking about in there somewhere: does an artist need more than one great album in order to become AMAZING? Does an artist even need more than one great song? Does a string of consistently 'very good' albums count for anything if there are no dazzling peaks?

Comments

[martinv.livejournal.com]

That is an article full of crap, but I do agree with his point about artists taking the next step.

Personally, to care much about an artist I do think they have to have released more than one great song. That doesn't stop me loving an individual song at all. But I would never say 'I love X artist' just because I've heard one single and enjoyed it. I'd rarely even do it after a debut album. I usually make my decisions about whether I'm bothered about a band after hearing two albums/ two sets of singles from two albums if I'm less involved. I don't really know whether this is important or interesting.

That article made me think that I've never seen so much blind critical consensus on 'who's going to be big this year' than in 2008.

Joe Lean and the blah blah blah
The Ting Tings
Duffy
Adele
and if the author is a bit more indie inclined
Vampire Weekend

Every. Single. Article.
Yawn.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

Tell me about it. It's as if the entire music industry has collectively decided that if they all work together and promote the same things, it can make everyone concerned a lot more money. The grim inevitability of Adele's massive success was set in motion so long ago. She's terrible, too. Duffy isn't so bad, but hardly exciting. As for the other two...no, you do not get to have names like that and my respect at the same time.

I got the Vampire Weekend album in the post yesterday. Straight into the bin, probably.

Re: original qn - I think things like songwriting often benefit from being allowed to develop over time, and this doesn't happen so much any more? I can't think of many songwriters who peaked with their first album. This isn;t the case so much with performing.

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

> This isn;t the case so much with performing.

Good call - cf Steps. Intensive performance like that can give brilliant results but to sustain it for more than an album or two gets tricky. The songs didn't get any worse at all but the glassy smiles are painfully obvious circa 2000.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

I think the idea is to make everyone concerned "SOME money" rather than 'more'. Everyone is clinging to the same rafts.