This goes back to the days when I had to hide my disco albums from friends when I was a kid: I hate being told what or what isn't real or what is cool when it comes to music.
I hate musical snobs.
What are some of the people you like that might be deemed uncool.
For instance:
1. I'd rather listen to Paul Simon than Tom Waits.
2. I'd rather listen to James Taylor than Leonard Cohen.
3. I'd rather listen to The Beatles than Big Star.
4. I'd rather listen to The Rolling Stones than Muddy Waters.

I've been listening a lot to the Black Keys lately and have always loved them, but read a comment where they said something like 'the blues is sacred to us and John Mayer shouldn't be called the blues..' yada yada....which is pretentious in itself.
But I thought: I'd rather listen to a well-crafted John Mayer song than The Black Keys for an extended period of time.
I mean, who gives a shit?
(Besides, I think if you put Mayer in a recording studio with the Stones, something would probably happen. If you put the Black Keys in a recording studio with the Stones, they'd shit in their pants and it would sound like the Black Keys trying to jam along with the Stones. It sounds like a cool idea, but they're too locked into their own thing to lock into anyone else's thing)
There is something to be said for pop sensibilities and as a Stones fan, I imagine there were some blues purist who scoffed at the Rolling Stones as a blues band.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2012-05-02 09:32 by stupidguy2.

Did you really just say you like James Taylor better than Leonard Cohen?

ROCKMAN

...don't know..I'm only lend my ears to JS Bach....

2 1 2 0

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Send It To me
Did you really just say you like James Taylor better than Leonard Cohen?

You bet. Give me real melody over a dirge any day.

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Rockman

I'd rather listen to Leslie Gore than ........

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Did you really just say you like James Taylor better than Leonard Cohen?

Got a better one for you:
I'd rather listen to New Kid In Town by The Eagles than anything by The Flying Burrito Bros.
How's that?

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stupidguy2

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Send It To me
Did you really just say you like James Taylor better than Leonard Cohen?

You bet. Give me real melody over a dirge any day.

You mean a saccharine easy listening/adult contemporary lightweight over the greatest poet of the 20th century. (Paul Simon IS better than Tom Waits, however.)

I gave up musical snobbery a long time ago. Now I listen to whatever I happen to enjoy. The freedom is such a blessing.

Yeah, I like what I like and don't feel any shame. Fleetwood Mac Rumors? Well I have a soft spot for it...reminds me of summer time as a teenager. Supertramp Breakfast in America? Same...

But sorry I really like Paul Simon, but better than Tom Waits!???? No way...:-)

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whitem8
Yeah, I like what I like and don't feel any shame. Fleetwood Mac Rumors? Well I have a soft spot for it...reminds me of summer time as a teenager. Supertramp Breakfast in America? Same...

But sorry I really like Paul Simon, but better than Tom Waits!???? No way...:-)

Didn't say better, that's purely subjective - only musical snobs believe in those kind of absolutes. My point is why not both? I was just throwing names out there.
I mean, has Waits recorded anything as catchy as "Mother and Child Reunion"?
And 'catchy' does imply having a 'pop' sensibility and that's my other point - I love pop and I'm not ashamed.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012-05-02 11:47 by stupidguy2.

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stupidguy2

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Did you really just say you like James Taylor better than Leonard Cohen?

You bet. Give me real melody over a dirge any day.

You mean a saccharine easy listening/adult contemporary lightweight over the greatest poet of the 20th century. (Paul Simon IS better than Tom Waits, however.)

Cohen? ...over Dylan? Dylan had a pop sensibility too. You could argue that forever. It's not who is better, but who you like, and you're snooty reference to JT proves my point. But yeah, I'll take a haunting, melodic, opaque and visceral "Fire and Rain' over Dirge #16. I won't claim JT is 'better' - I read music literature, so I know LC's mythical status. But I enjoy JT more and can relate to him more.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012-05-02 11:54 by stupidguy2.

Pretty funny that you are catching some music snobs right here on the anti-music snob thread.
There sure are a lot of music snobs round these parts who will happily state for a fact and cut apart with a razor blade what they KNOW is great music, seperating 2 bands who play almost exactly the same type of music... calling one masterpiece, calling the other garbage.... while if you asked Clint Eastwood, he would say they both sounded the same... all kind of amusing.

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stupidguy2

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whitem8
Yeah, I like what I like and don't feel any shame. Fleetwood Mac Rumors? Well I have a soft spot for it...reminds me of summer time as a teenager. Supertramp Breakfast in America? Same...

But sorry I really like Paul Simon, but better than Tom Waits!???? No way...:-)

Didn't say better, that's purely subjective - only musical snobs believe in those kind of absolutes. My point is why not both? I was just throwing names out there.
I mean, has Waits recorded anything as catchy as "Mother and Child Reunion"?
And 'catchy' does imply having a 'pop' sensibility and that's my other point - I love pop and I'm not ashamed.

I am sorry, no you didn't say better, and yes you are right, it is snobbery at times to judge which artist has more merit. Hey Paul Simon is great! I love his stuff, and he has such a wonderful ear from melody. Tom Waits is another whole kettle of fish. So yeah, it is personal taste. Fair enough. This is a good thread as it is a compelling discussion about taste and personal preferences. And many times on this board it turns into a debate exercise trying to convince each other of the merits of why we like a certain artist or song.

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Big Al
I gave up musical snobbery a long time ago. Now I listen to whatever I happen to enjoy. The freedom is such a blessing.

Sure but it might mean walking down the road to bad taste and self-indulgence.
(of course I don't say it specifically for you)

To many people listen to music with their eyes. That's a problem.

I can say that there is only one thing I would never listen to: I don't know if you could call it a genre, but hereunder is my acronym for it:

Cowell
Recorded
Assigned
Performers

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More Hot Rocks
To many people listen to music with their eyes. That's a problem.

You mean like Paul Simon is waaayy cuter/hotter than Tom Waits....!?



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2012-05-02 18:46 by stupidguy2.

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tomcasagranda
I can say that there is only one thing I would never listen to: I don't know if you could call it a genre, but hereunder is my acronym for it:

Cowell
Recorded
Assigned
Performers

That's where my musical snobbery may creep in, but that's more about commerce and blatant artifice sin't it?

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stupidguy2

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More Hot Rocks
To many people listen to music with their eyes. That's a problem.

You mean like Paul Simon is waaayy cuter/hotter than Tom Waits....!?

I'd rather be a hammer than a nail

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dcba

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Big Al
I gave up musical snobbery a long time ago. Now I listen to whatever I happen to enjoy. The freedom is such a blessing.

Sure but it might mean walking down the road to bad taste and self-indulgence.

Which is subjective....one could argue self-indulgence speaks to the Cohens/Waits more than ......

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Max'sKansasCity
Pretty funny that you are catching some music snobs right here on the anti-music snob thread.
There sure are a lot of music snobs round these parts who will happily state for a fact and cut apart with a razor blade what they KNOW is great music, seperating 2 bands who play almost exactly the same type of music... calling one masterpiece, calling the other garbage.... while if you asked Clint Eastwood, he would say they both sounded the same... all kind of amusing.

True, and then there are film snobs....
I'd rather watch an Eastwood film than a John Sayles film.

I listen to whaever I like - i dont give a damn what anyone else thinks.
I dont understand this thread. I´m not ashemed of what i listen to. I have no need to explain, - I like what I like, hate what I hate - sorry, I dont understand this thread at all, - what´s the probleam here ?

Yeah, wasn't there a thread like this a while ago, the gist of which was, "I think the Clash and the Velvet Underground are overrated, what are you gonna do about it?". My answer would be, good for you, all power to ya. I love Elton John and Black Flag, I love Sugar, Sugar and Sister Ray, don't care which is cool. Worrying about that type of thing should be left to the young hipsters or something, shouldn't it?

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stupidguy2
1. I'd rather listen to Paul Simon than Tom Waits.
2. I'd rather listen to James Taylor than Leonard Cohen.
3. I'd rather listen to The Beatles than Big Star.
4. I'd rather listen to The Rolling Stones than Muddy Waters.

Let's not forget
I'd rather listen to Taylor than Wood or vice versa.

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tomcasagranda
I can say that there is only one thing I would never listen to: I don't know if you could call it a genre, but hereunder is my acronym for it:

Cowell
Recorded
Assigned
Performers

I like One Direction's 'That's Why You're Beautiful'. I haven't heard pop like that in a long time.

(quote="Big Al"]
I gave up musical snobbery a long time ago. Now I listen to whatever I happen to enjoy. The freedom is such a blessing.[/quote]

I ain't no musical snob. Like all kinds of stuff.
And Rockman gave me a needed big laugh when he posted Lesley Gore. "It's My Party" is a bloody great song.

I'm with whoever said "Why can't you like BOTH?" These nutty IORR constant "contests" on everything and everybody are a real drag.

I find Paul Simon brilliant...writing little novels in many of his songs.
Tom Waits is a great writer..but sitting through an entire set numerous times at the Troubadour in LA made me feel "Just a little of Tom goes a long way."

I don't like to be bored. That's why I always loved the Stones music. I like to rock and roll!

You can say taste is all a matter of opinion, and you're largely right, HOWEVER...I believe that there is an objective component as well. I mean it's hard to say "Mozart sucks" or that "Right Said Fred is better than the Beatles" - we're talking about disagreements of degree, not qualitative disagreements.

I love Paul Simon and Tom Waits...love JT...it all depends on the mood I'm in, where' I'm at - James Taylor is great Cape Cod music...

As long as you LOVE music, that's all that matters. Everything else is personal taste.

Except for, well...can we all agree that Kenny G. and Yanni suck?