I was in the 7th grade. I walked into Blockbuster music and saw along the back wall a big blue album cover with four white dudes on the cover. Intrigued, I approached the listening station and listened to the entire cd. I begged my mom to get if for me which she did.
Every song was an instant hit for me. I had just discovered how to enjoy music the previous year when the messages in many of the Beatles love songs adequately voice my crush for another girl in the sixth grade.
Weezer had similar yet crunchier melodies that were very catchy. They were just what I needed for the 7th grade. A couple years later when they finally came out with another album my taste in music had evolved a bit more. Again, I headed to Blockbuster music to listen to he 2nd album. I didn’t hear the same melodies. The connections I had with the first album were nowhere to be found. I listened to 30-40 seconds of each song and put the cd back down. I later read in Rolling Stone magazine that Weezer had broken up.
I was disappointed as I had been hoping for a third-album-redemption.
Finally in the Summer 2001, I saw the green album available in some music store by NikeTown in
People talk about musicians and bands “selling out.” It’s this horrible thing that a band does that just makes them “not cool” anymore. It is changing their music or core values or whatever to sell more music and make more money.
I don’t really get how anyone can label a band a “sell out.” How do you know they sold out? Musicians are people who are constantly changing just like we are. How can you expect their music to stay the same? Musicians have to put food on the table just like we do. Is it because he has a mustache now? Is it because the records went platinum?
Some people like to discover music and then abandon it when it becomes mainstream because they don’t want to affiliate with “people like that.” If the music goes mainstream it is because the musician sold out. I disagree.
Maybe a couple examples of sell-outs are Green Day and MXPX. Many people have said that Green Day sold out. From big time punk to mainstream focusing on “teenage girls” with love stories and plays? (Haven’t they always been trying to impress the girls?) MxPx shortened their name from Magnified Plaid and toned down their Christian content of the songs from their original album Pokinatcha. Their subsequent albums were also toned down and mellowed out. Did they sell out?
How many songs are written and recorded before the 10 or 12 are put on a final album? Why only those 10-12 songs? What is the strategy? Why not release all of the songs? You could say that they are now with Rivers solo stuff. Now, is that selling out or the opposite of selling out? Wouldn’t selling out just be putting out the best songs that are going to make the most money? Clearly some of the songs on these extra albums are not the best.
If music is good, it will become popular. Popularity should not be construed as selling out.
then again... i am just a sell out.
Well said, John. I know many music snobs who only listen to "indie" or whatever it's called. They're like "have you heard of such and such band, they're so awesome", and then they act shocked and appalled when I say that I like fill-in-the-blank-band who's songs get played on the radio. Guess what, they get played on the radio CAUSE THEY'RE GOOD. Granted, lots of crap gets played on top 40 stations that is not that great, but just cause you and 30 other people are the only ones who listen to a band does not make them awesome. That actually might qualify them as sucking. Peace out.
ReplyDeleteKody K.