|
bloop
|
 |
« on: August 20, 2003, 06:49:16 AM » |
|
Pretentious - in music, a word used to describe any musician whose music strives to be more than the sum of its parts, regardless of how artfully they reach their goal.
I think people overuse this word, and encourage bad art with no risks. Your thoughts?
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
Enjoy our pub. user/pw: thephorum Follow me on Grooveshark or Spotify. username: iceybloop |
|
|
|
Josh
|
|
« Reply #1 on: August 20, 2003, 07:40:24 AM » |
|
I couldn't agree more, though, in all fairness, there are SOME bands that are pretentious.
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
Vlad!
|
|
« Reply #2 on: August 20, 2003, 07:41:16 AM » |
|
Well, what the word actually means (one definition, at least) is to take or ask more than what you deserve. So I certainly wouldn't describe a musician who plays well and strives for excellence (or even one who does not) as pretentious. It's only when said musician develops an overrated opinion of themselves that they begin to be pretentious.
Incidentally, I'm more inclined to use said adjective to describe music critics and connesseurs than musicians themselves.
I think the word is 'overused' because the pseudo-intellectual atmosphere that pervades much of the arts both in America and in Europe combined with the post-modern notion of relative truth tends to spawn people who think the art they personally enjoy has some special merit and then hide behind the notion of relativism when anyone tries to prove them wrong. So it's used a lot because it is encountered a lot.
|
|
|
|
« Last Edit: August 20, 2003, 07:41:57 AM by Vlad! »
|
Logged
|
If you don’t have freedom as a principle, you can never see a reason not to make an exception. There are constantly going to be times when for one reason or another there’s some practical convenience in making an exception.
rms
|
|
|
|
bloop
|
|
« Reply #3 on: August 20, 2003, 12:01:40 PM » |
|
I'm using "pretentious" in a way that is strictly referring to artists, not critics or fans.
I think people project an overrated opinion of self onto the artists A LOT. I know it's happened with U2 and Radiohead, and there is little evidence to support their claims of pretention.
|
|
|
|
« Last Edit: August 20, 2003, 12:03:02 PM by bloop »
|
Logged
|
Enjoy our pub. user/pw: thephorum Follow me on Grooveshark or Spotify. username: iceybloop |
|
|
|
Vlad!
|
|
« Reply #4 on: August 20, 2003, 12:51:03 PM » |
|
When you're so popular you couldn't alienate your fans if you wanted to (as in the case of U2 and Radiohead), I think a little bit of pride is in order. I actually understood your question, but I don't know enough about even the bands I DO like to tell whether they're being arrogant or just acknowledge their own skill.
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
If you don’t have freedom as a principle, you can never see a reason not to make an exception. There are constantly going to be times when for one reason or another there’s some practical convenience in making an exception.
rms
|
|
|
|
Josh
|
|
« Reply #5 on: August 20, 2003, 03:02:08 PM » |
|
Why do albums like Zooropa and Monster have disappointing sales?
Because they are totally different than their commercially-acclaimed predecessors. Many music fans dislike it when their favorite bands change, grow, or experiment, and so they often label such bands as "pretentious." You'll notice that Radiohead began getting more and more such complaints when Kid A came out...
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
bloop
|
|
« Reply #6 on: August 20, 2003, 03:20:47 PM » |
|
Josh pretty much has it. God forbid a band actually try something a little different from what the fairweather fans are accustomed. It isn't like the bands in question said, "I think we do electronics and techno better than anyone, blah blah", or in the case of REM, "I think we do the delayed electric guitar crunch better...". People just assumed that's what they thought.
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
Enjoy our pub. user/pw: thephorum Follow me on Grooveshark or Spotify. username: iceybloop |
|
|
|
Vlad!
|
|
« Reply #7 on: August 20, 2003, 09:47:52 PM » |
|
"I think we do the annoying robot Mac voice better than anyone else"
I don't really see how you could assume that, personally. It seems like a major stretch. I think it's more likely that their 'fans' like a certain style, so their more experimental albums don't sit as well. But maybe I'm wrong. It's possible.
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
If you don’t have freedom as a principle, you can never see a reason not to make an exception. There are constantly going to be times when for one reason or another there’s some practical convenience in making an exception.
rms
|
|
|
|
Josh
|
|
« Reply #8 on: August 20, 2003, 09:52:20 PM » |
|
"I think we do the annoying robot Mac voice better than anyone else"
I don't really see how you could assume that, personally. No, but people might assume that Radiohead thought of themselves as more artistic, more creative, more out-there, more beyond comprehension, more visionary, or whatever than anyone else. |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
bloop
|
|
« Reply #9 on: August 20, 2003, 10:07:15 PM » |
|
I think a lot of people, and some critics, extend fan opinion on the band to the band's opinion of themselves. Most of the best bands out there remain pretty level-headed about themselves when you actually look at what they say themselves. Any band can been seen as pretentious if one makes that mistake.
|
|
|
|
« Last Edit: August 20, 2003, 10:08:24 PM by bloop »
|
Logged
|
Enjoy our pub. user/pw: thephorum Follow me on Grooveshark or Spotify. username: iceybloop |
|
|
|
Vlad!
|
|
« Reply #10 on: August 21, 2003, 06:31:06 PM » |
|
I don't think there's anything wrong with saying 'we're good', especially if you ARE good. And most serious musicians aren't such head cases that they say (in public, at least  ) "we're the best" |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
If you don’t have freedom as a principle, you can never see a reason not to make an exception. There are constantly going to be times when for one reason or another there’s some practical convenience in making an exception.
rms
|
|
|
|
Skrappybiskit
|
|
« Reply #11 on: August 21, 2003, 06:38:56 PM » |
|
I don't know, but I have a tendency to like pretentious music. I don't know why. I remember when people were slinging around Sigur Ros for being pretentious in ever possible way, but I really loved ( ) for what it was.
But I hate the word itself. It seems that anytime anyone does anything at all different the critics drag the word out like a pile of crap and spread it around. So yeah, I do think that it discourages innovation and depth.
Skraps
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
