Comments on: Best pop band, ever?

By: Pure motives « Mind, Soul, and Body

Pure motives « Mind, Soul, and Body — Tue, 27 May 2008 22:50:20 +0000

[...] websites dedicated simply to ranking things. Perhaps the easiest blog post in the world is to comeÂ up with a list and invite debate.Â Â Lest anyone think I am criticising, I haveÂ done this too, and it can be good fun.Â Although I [...]

By: MCQ

MCQ — Thu, 08 May 2008 18:43:48 +0000

Don’t know those bands, but I’m going to look them up. Thanks!

By: kwk

kwk — Thu, 08 May 2008 18:40:16 +0000

What are you listening to lately?

Lately, I’ve been hooked on Porcupine Tree and a band called “3″.

By: kwk

kwk — Thu, 08 May 2008 18:35:00 +0000

How did U2 get that whole army of cultural elitists on their side, anyway?

The same way that 50 Cent gained an army of urban worshipers and that made Creed the biggest rock band in the US – by filling a niche (a big one) and appealing to certain sensibilities and markets. I won’t argue that it takes a certain level of ability to get popular in the first place, but I think it’s pretty common for bands to ride the wave hype, luck, and a hastily given good reputation all the way to super-stardom.

I’ve just heard far too many rock bands that I think are far superior to U2 to feel OK about calling them “good” for the genre.

By: MCQ

MCQ — Thu, 08 May 2008 18:24:05 +0000

Not meaning to discredit you, just get you to agree with me!

Let’s hear about some of that other music, kwk. What are you listening to lately?

By: kwk

kwk — Thu, 08 May 2008 18:08:02 +0000

I’m obviously coming off like a ranting idiot here. I’m sorry. Like I said, I don’t disagree that certain artists are so talented that it becomes impossible to deny their talent. I just don’t think U2 is anywhere near that level, and it’s kind of irritating when obsessive fans discredit anyone who doesn’t acknowledge their dubious “facts”.

It’s obvious that U2 appeal to a certain aesthetic that I just don’t get. And as far as all their accolades and awards and etc. – I found that when I stopped listening to music that was getting all the major label music industry back-slapping I discovered music that was much more honest, rich, and innovative.

By: MCQ

MCQ — Thu, 08 May 2008 17:57:07 +0000

Don't hold back, kwk, tell us how you really feel. It must be hard to be constantly fighting that army of cultural elitists out there. How did U2 get that whole army of cultural elitists on their side, anyway? It seems kind of odd that four nobodies from Dublin could have accomplished that so successfully. Must have had an amazing PR man.

By: kwk

kwk — Thu, 08 May 2008 17:49:50 +0000

I may not like fish but I can at least acknowledge that a perfectly cooked fish by an amazing chef is good.

No. U2 are not master craftsmen. Their music is not a “perfectly cooked fish”, it’s lazy, safe, uninspiring, preachy rock created by mediocre talents that gets polished by millions of dollars of production and hyped by an army of cultural elitists who never got over a pimple-y make out session to “One”.

By: MCQ

MCQ — Thu, 08 May 2008 17:29:27 +0000

kwk, take it easy, I’m just having a little fun with you.

BTW, I never said anything about the grammys. That’s just one award. By itself, it means little or nothing. Any one award or critic or accolade may be biased or flawed, but after 20 years of multiple awards, accolades, acclaim and applause from numerous independent sources, we might have something that is worth paying attention to, no?

By: kwk

kwk — Thu, 08 May 2008 17:16:09 +0000

You obviously have U2 mixed up with some other band. When you figure out who it is youÃ¢â‚¬â„¢re really talking about, let us know.

Obviously. Because it’s inconceivable that any opinion that is different from yours can hold any merit whatsoever. Yay for ad hominem attacks!

…but hundreds of people who have spent their lives playing, recording, and writing about music donÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t all reach the same opinion for no reason.

That’s why the Grammys are so good at determining the very best music every year. If you want to find all that is worth listening to in popular music, you can start and stop with music that has won Grammys!

Your “hundreds of people who have spent their lives playing, recording, and writing about music” are not the impartial, unbiased judges that you think they are.