The OP does seem to be mounting a successful "troll of the year" campaign. For a more balanced assessment of Glenn Gould, read the article at the link here: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/sep/20/glenn-gould-wilfully-idiotic-genius |
Leaving aside matters of taste, there's also time and context--the Beatles enjoyed being on the leading edge of the so-called British Invasion. I got lost at around the time of Sgt. Pepper, but still think side 2 of Abbey Road is one of the best LP sides ever put together. When I first saw the videotape of their early U.S. performance at the Washington, DC Coliseum i could not believe how tight they were, instrumentally and vocally in an overpacked arena with no stage monitors playing in what amounted to a basketball court. Dylan has had 9 or 10 lives, I lost count. From folk troubadour and poet to his work with The Band, the Rolling Thunder Review and the later years where he has made several well regarded albums. I'm not a huge fan-- I listen to Blonde on Blonde and Blood on the Tracks occasionally, but I can respect what he's done and what he represents. If you put some of these performers into the context of what was happening (or not) at the time, the reverence may make more sense-- I think Zep got tired toward the end, but in the early years they were able to amp up that electric blues rock thing into something that became a genre unto itself- the precursor of metal and excess - a path that so many other bands followed to success. I dug the early Eagles records- I was very "over" them by the time of Hotel California but Joe Walsh's playing is undeniably good. Ditto, those early Steely Dan records- I stopped after Countdown, but they enjoyed a strong fan base throughout the band's tenure. Some of it too is the point of entry of the listener. Growing up with a band or performer is different than listening to them after the fact- and the new generations who adore bands like Arcade Fire or Phish have a different set of references. I went to hear Dream Theater the other night- had no clue- the fans were all nerds. The band was very LOUD, and most of it was metal, but there was some brilliant guitar work by John Petrucci- enough to make me stay through the show. I've been working my way backwards through the Opeth catalog. I like the later work- it is more accessible-- but I've started to get my head around their earlier stuff- and can now listen to Blackwater Park and not only 'get it' but fully enjoy the growl along with more lyrical acoustic stuff. We have such riches to choose from-- musically, I'm never bored. I went from Starker to Sabbath to some spiritual jazz on Strata-East this morning. All different periods, styles, genres. If I don't like a band, I'll pass, but it's also not unusual for me to come back to them months or years later and appreciate them for what they are. King Crimson is as great an example as any-- their show on the most recent US tour was stunning. If you had asked me a few years ago what I thought of the band, I would have said that "In the Court" was an important prog album but I never really followed them beyond that. I'll even venture into some neo-soul- and older school hip hop, stuff I totally dismissed at the time. Explore, it's an adventure! Too much music to waste time trashing bands you think are hyped. In some ways, everything is hype, but there's jewels there to be (re)discovered. |
Great post, Bill (whart). In the early 2000’s, Dave Alvin (The Blasters and solo) said in an interview that he never "got" Brian Wilson or The Beach Boys, but that he just recently had an epiphany regarding him. I found that funny, as after having become obsessed with Brian upon hearing the Smiley Smile album in 1967 (merely liking The Beach Boys before that, owning all the albums up through 64’s All Summer Long), I found myself finally satiated with his music, now more interested in other styles of music and artists, primarily Americana in Pop and Baroque in Classical. There was a thread a couple of months ago here on Audiogon, in which a younger poster described Brian in terms that revealed he knew him only in terms of the early (1962-4) Beach Boys "Surf, cars, and girls" material. Many people share that perception of him, though it is his Pet Sounds (1966) onward work that is most revered by hardcore BW fans, including Paul McCartney. But some of Brian’s early songs---"In My Room", "Don’t Worry Baby", "I Get Around", etc. are timeless classics. Time is a true test of the quality of music. There is a whole new generation of young songwriters/singers who have discovered the Dylan & The Band Basement Tapes, and are making music in it’s spirit. The material in the those 1967 Basement Tape recordings is leading them back to so much original American music, just as the Blues being made by British bands in 64-68 lead my generation back to the original creators of the music, at least those who managed to get recorded in the 30’s, 40’s, and 50’s. |
