Have your favourite bands 'sold out' to the masses?
Posted by: Goose on 14 March 2001
Here's a few to get you started!
Artists/ Bands who HAVE 'SOLD OUT" (IMO)
1) Dave Matthews Band ( latest album, previous ones were excellent)
2) Eric Clapton ( when he doesn't play the blues )
3) Jeff Healey band ( great first 2 albums)
4) Sade - latest album
5) Current Genesis incarnation ( if they still exist)
Bands who IMO haven't sold out, or didn't sell out in their time
1) Porcupine Tree ( 90's )
2) King Crimson/Van De Graff Generator/ Spock's Beard etc
You get the idea........what are your thoughts?
Cheers
Goose
Agree that Crim have never sold out. Even with large tracts of their audience willing them to do so and going back to just playing their 60s and 70s catalogue, they persist in breaking new ground.
Pete.
Allan
Sure - if you don't approve of the products you shouldn't let the advertisers use your song.
But otherwise, I'd much rather watch commercials with good music than bad. Doesn't mean I have to buy the product.
There's always the 'problem' that lesser know classics suddenly become wider known, and, of course, that's just dreadful. Better that they were just quietly forgotten about.
Its time those horrid meat adverts used some good music ... Meat is Murder perhaps !
quote:
Last night I was contemplating which of my favourite bands ( from any era, or genre) have a) NOT compromised their own musical ideas in order to gain commercial success, or when gained commercial success stayed true.. b) or in YOUR opinion have become complacent and anxious to make money fast, or become popular and make now less discerning music??
I think there are two differing factors at work here, the first is the band actually selling out as you describe and going for a wider, more conservative audience. The second, and probably more frequent is the band simply running out of ideas, and releasing bland and unoriginal music as a result.
Bowie is a great example of someone who managed a really good run before producing real crap - I personally rate everything up to and including 'Scary Monsters' very highly, though I rate nothing after that point. He kept his music on the cutting edge by working with a constantly changing line of very creative musicians and producers. The fact he managed to achieve considerable commercial success whilst maintaining musical integrity for so long is to be respected.
The Beatles did something almost unique, they actually got better, and more artistically credible with time.
A good sell out example is Aztec Camera, the early Postcard Records singles, and the first Rough Trade album 'High land, hard rain' were excellent, everything that came later was IMHO absolutely hideous glossy 80s 'wall of schlock' crap that makes it is almost embarrassing to admit liking the early stuff.
The vast majority of bands I like seem to self destruct after just a few albums, which is probably a good thing as there is seldom any bad product to remember them by, though a small number others like say Pink Floyd or Tangerine Dream seem to just go on and on in a most horrible, cheesy, and self indulgent way after producing absolute classics earlier in their careers. Compare the way say The Velvet Underground, The Doors, Joy Division, and Hendrix all hold their rightful place as rock legends, where as say the Stones are considered by most to be a total joke due to the middle aged drek they have produced for most of the time - it completely overshadows the greatness of the early stuff. Bands should always combust prior to the 'fat Elvis' phase.
Tony.
Ciao!
Willem
quote:
All of us on this site probably love music alot. Last night I was contemplating which of my favourite bands ( from any era, or genre) have a) NOT compromised their own musical ideas in order to gain commercial success, or when gained commercial success stayed true..
My question would be who are you to say who has sold out or not?
That an artist no longer produces music you like does not constitute a sell out it means that it is something other than what you think they should produce. Why should not any artist change, evolve, or go where the money is?
cheers
Nigel
quote:
Tony, point taken re the above band but how do you explain that Roddy Frames last album was probably better than anything done previous by him.
Really? What's it called? What's it like?
Tony.
My question would be who are you to say who has sold out or not?
That an artist no longer produces music you like does not constitute a sell out it means that it is something other than what you think they should produce. Why should not any artist change, evolve, or go where the money is?
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Nigel, again it's all just opinion, in that case then no one's opinion is valid to judge whether they have sold out, or in! I agree whole heartedly with you that music changes and evolves, or else we wouldn't have half of the music of today which is great, or the last 100 years! Everything evolves!
I am not arguing that I am 'right', I am just trying to raise an intersting question for discussion because most people that like music will have an <strong> opinion on! It's a difficult question to phrase also, as it is a vast subject and opinions will always be polarised! Tony L hit the nail on the head straight away.
Cheers folks
Goose
[This message was edited by woodface on THURSDAY 15 March 2001 at 17:01.]
I am a David Sylvian fan too. I know about Rain Tree Crow ( which is great). There are other Sylvian / Japan spin off projects....
Sylvian / Fripp ( first day , and live)
Jansen / Barbieri /Khan ( called JBK album - _ism..)
Richard Barbieri plays keyboards in Porcupine Tree ( who I saw live last night, and who are playing Biebob, in Belgium this saturday night!)
Sylvian has other 'ambient' album collaborations too, but their names escape me at the moment.
Obviously solo Mick Karn albums too!
Glad you like this kind of stuff!
Cheers
Goose
I'd come along to the 'hifi meeting'. What do you do there, listen to music or what?? Brussels is small, so no problems getting anywhere!
Saturday evening or afternoon? evening is better for me!
Best to mail me privately.!
Keep me informed!
Cheers
Goose
quote:
Did Sade ever sell *in*?
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She's always been relentlessly boring AFAICT, so what is it with the new stuff that represents a "sell out"?
Hear hear - well said, Pete. All of Sade's music is basically dross, but at least Diamond Life wasn't too out of place amongst the mainstream wide-appeal area during the 80's.... with the latest, it's a case of... "why bother"? Punters with no imagination or critical listening skills will buy it though, if only to be transported to post-crash wine-bars of the 80's. And then it's only a short hop back further to Roxy Music's Avalon!
Ahhhh now, Japan/Syvian! Sell-out comments and associations should be dis-engaged hereforth!
Did ya'll know DS is playing a (brief) tour in October 2001? Everything and nothingOct 13 Nottingham, Royal Centre, and Oct 14 London, Hammersmith Apollo.
RTC did not contain Rob Dean, and has Mick Karn listed as contributor rather than member, although it's easy to hear his bass in the album. At any rate, I think Japan had been disbanded for some years before the RTC project.
Damage by Syvian/Fripp live (now sadly deleted) is excellent (Pete, haven't forgotten about copying, just this may be a couple more years now!) and worth seeking out. Contains much of the material on The First Day, which is also strongly recommended.
I have Seed by Jansen/Barbieri/Karn, which is pretty good... looking for Pulse at the moment, and noticed a new album by Mr Karn recently also - won't be buying until end-of-month. Hmmm - colour me a 'fan'.
Rico - all your base are belong to us.