Come back Simon Reynolds all is forgiven

[awesomewells.livejournal.com]

Come the 21st century, however, and the mainstream began to congeal into a certain beige perma-blandness, neither soulful or soulless, semi-tasteful, efficient pop fare made by capable, acceptable sorts, a music rich in everything but inspiration.

Oh good grief...

Comments

[skyecaptain.livejournal.com]

I mean for chrissakes, he qualifies this statement with THIS: "overall there is the sense of carefully honed and varnished acts produced by a sophisticated machine manned and womanned by people who know their pop heritage, and doubtless in their private lives are passionate about their Marvin Gaye and Bob Marley."

Yes, I see exactly how that applies to everyone on that list who is not Eminem or the Cheeky Girls. Why do people who demonstrably have no interest whatsoever in a subject find reasons to write at length about it?

I mean, yes, there's an argument to be made about the ways in which pop might homogenize or worsen or any number of negative things that I wouldn't necessarily dismiss out of hand over the course of a decade. But in order to figure that out you'd probably have to listen to some of it first.

[plumsbitch.livejournal.com]

Why do people who demonstrably have no interest whatsoever in a subject find reasons to write at length about it?

Visibility? Profile? Money?

[skyecaptain.livejournal.com]

B-b-b-b-but, that would mean that there's something downright cynical about all of these pieces!!! *naivete crushed*