Re: Big Screen popmart vs. barebones Joshua tree

rob okorn ([email protected])
Mon, 13 Jul 1998 09:34:05 PDT

Unfortuntaly Robbie there are a few fatal flaws in your arguments.
Bono's vocals: they've deteriorated substantially from his peak 80's
years and I'm not only talking about range, there's also vocal tone. If
the mid 83 to 87 era U2 was 'iffy' for you then you're dismissing U2's
peak live period in all facets across the board.
Visuals enhancing the music: Wrong again, the visuals put Bono in a
straight jacket since he can't deviate from his synchronization with the
visuals, it totally thwarts spontaneity. It may enhance your live
visual experience in a visceral sense but guess it clouds your auditory
senses.

Your 'newer art form' 'multimedia event' strikes me as adolescent. You
have to back up the visuals with the music, you're only as good as your
weakest link.

'Still living in the 80's: another predictable cop put. I'm all into
great visuals, whether it's on a commercial end in the form of a Fincher
film, or the more obscure artsy types that get played in art houses.
When it comes to local indie type artists, I've seen barebones
non-existant visuals, just lights and playing, as well the other end
with more elaborate lighting bordering on surreal. In each instance it
didn't straight jacket the performer(s), the musical integrity was what
counted.
If the music was formulaic, unchallenging, generic, then it simply
didn't cut it.
There are alot of cool obscure artists that make infinitely more
challenging music that has alot more replay value.
Pop the album was not a challenging record, in fact it was blatantly
commercial and accessible to the masses.

The gullibility factor has grown to the nth degree, especially when
phrases like 'newer art form' and 'multimedia event' are used. I'm
hardly a fossil from the 80's, I'm probably barely older than Robbie, I
guess my musical taste has changed toward more creative eclectic obscure
artists who don't have an ounce of pretense. If you prefer generic
commercialism with predictable hooks and melodies, by all means go
ahead, you've just bought a product rather than real music.

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This archive was generated by hypermail 2.0b2 on Mon Jul 13 1998 - 09:35:48 PDT