10-11-2011, 05:38 PM
Grieve Wrote:Maybe so, but good or bad art is often in the eye (or ear) of the beholder. And that applies as much to the popular arts as classical arts.
This is true only when comparing like things however not all things are of equal quality. Take food which is another taste subject. Mc Donalds is not better then Papillons (a $200 a plate rest in Santa Clara). If you want to compare Mc Donalds to Taco Bell so be it but only an idiot would try to compare it to the best places in this country to eat. No reasonable person could think a 72 Pinto is better then a 72 Hemi Cuda. If you want to compare the Pinto to the Gremlin I am with ya.
Grieve Wrote:When it comes to music, attitude, sentiment, passion, and so on are just as important (or more so) as technical skill or the poetry of the lyrics.
Music of all of the arts is the easiest to determine greatness. It is the most quantifiable and the most finite. There hasn't been anything new created in the world of music for 150 years. (their is only so much you can do with a 12 semi tone sequence) Music basically is purely technical in nature unlike other forms of art. Music is also the most quantified as far as marketing and sales so again easily quantifiable. Short of lyrics there really is no art in Music. Not anymore then being a good typist or athlete. That is why Music more so then any other form of art is very easy to quantifiy quality.
Grieve Wrote:When it comes to music, attitude, sentiment, passion, and so on are just as important (or more so) as technical skill or the poetry of the lyrics. For example, no one would ever accuse the Sex Pistols have having any musical talent whatsoever when it came to playing their instruments or writing lyrics. But if their performances spoke to someone in a way that, say, Eric Clapton or Bob Dylan didn't, who is anyone else to second guess that? Only a music snob would do so. Or your parents.
Let's take the Sex Pistols. You are right, very little musical talent and below average lyrics. I could show you 100 garage bands and a long history of punk bands that perform exactly like they did. They weren't anything special. (By the way I saw them live in 1978). If you want to say their great then make sure you use some kind of reference. They were great compared to the Ramones but you can't say they were great compared to other artist in the late 70's like Queen. That is the Cuda vs. Pinto argument again.
The reasons why Sex Pistols and Cobain are popular have nothing to do with the art itself, that is another topic altogether.
My point is taste is not just in the eye of the beholder. Quality is quality no matter how enjoyable or popular it is. When something is well done regardless of taste its greatness shines through. Sorry but Cobain doesn't fall under that umbrella.
Vllad