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Talented musicians that make terrible music

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I'm new be nice said:
Music is music man, screw the semantics. Why is it a world of difference? You place emphasis on "soul" and "meaning" as though abstraction is somehow lesser. Abstraction and craftsmanship is just as much a part of art as any other facet.
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Man, why are you quoting "soul" and "meaning"? I didn't mention either, did I? Nor did I say anything derogatory about abstraction. I just said (in an admittedly long winded tirade) that I don't think the million-notes-an-hour guitar crowd (like Steve Vai, Yngwie et al) can make good music because they are too hung up on technique and feel the need to let everyone know how much effort they've put in at every opportunity.

Is that a controversial opinion?
 
Screaming Meat said:
Man, why are you quoting "soul" and "meaning"? I didn't mention either, did I? Nor did I say anything derogatory about abstraction. I just said (in an admittedly long winded tirade) that I don't think the million-notes-an-hour guitar crowd (like Steve Vai, Yngwie et al) can make good music because they are too hung up on technique and feel the need to let everyone know how much effort they've put in at every opportunity.

Is that a controversial opinion?
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You didn't mention soul or meaning, but the terms were included in Frodo's post:
Frodo said:
Some musicians are only proficient on the technical level, but their music is devoid of any soul or identity.
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to which you replied
Screaming Meat said:
You said it way better than I did!
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Which is why I included it (although I guess he said identity, not meaning).

Anyways, it's definitely not controversial, from my experience most people hold the opinion you do, for sure! But for me, personally, I would never try to take away from someones art like that. To call it good playing but not good music.
 
I'm new be nice said:
You didn't mention soul or meaning, but the terms were included in Frodo's post:

to which you replied.

Which is why I included it (although I guess he said identity, not meaning).
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I made that reply to the bit I specifically quoted:

Frodo said:
"how many people out there talk so much but don't have anything to say?" which is basically just what you are saying. It is not about how many notes per second you can play, it is about playing the right notes.
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Which did say what I wanted to say better than I did.

I'm new be nice said:
Anyways, it's definitely not controversial, from my experience most people hold the opinion you do, for sure! But for me, personally, I would never try to take away from someones art like that. To call it good playing but not good music.
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You're a bigger man (or woman!) than me then. I just calls it like I sees it. :)

Frankly, I'd rather watch a tramp screaming whilst hitting an upturned bin with a hockey stick, than Steve Vai and the like, but my tastes are admittedly... a little odd. XD
 
Jitters said:
Robert Fripp
Everyone in metal
Everyone in prog rock
Everyone in jazz fusion
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This might be the worst post in gaf history

I aint even a musician, and these genres are super easy to get into. The only subgenre of those I could think of that would be tough listens are Zeughl, and stuff that makes use of ambient, or stuff like black metal
If you want music made for musicians, list off like Captain Beefheart (but even then, Trout Mask Replica is a great album, so idk)

anyway, this is Dream Theater OT after their first few albums, and a lot of prog metal bands
 
Skrillex. Very talented sound designer that wastes his energy on trash dubstep. He's come so close to making good music too.

Does post-reunion Pixies count too?
 
SatelliteOfLove said:
That backwards mentality is why alot of mediocre composition and singing in Prog is allowed to flourish.



Court of the Crimson King.

RED.

Discipline.

I will FIGHT you.
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I had RED listed in my post as an exemption, but took it out at the last second. So I agree RED is good. So we don't have to fight.

Everything else is still pretty meh to me. Starless is OK.
 
Amon37 said:
Tool

All talented, but their music is god awful
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God no. Talented, yes, but their music transpire exactly that. All their albums have remained more or less constantly good in quality as well, even if the quantity of albums leave to be desired (where's my new album it has been eight years).
 
DizzyCaffeine said:
cornell_scream.jpg
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Came here to post this.
 
OrlanisWorks said:
I find it odd that you'd think music that doesn't follow the typical formulas means the artists are egotistical.
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They are simply unmusical, and to make it worse, they are trying dignify genres that were never about complexity. Prog rock is ridiculously overblown, and the scorn it got when it first showed up was spot on.

Jarate said:
This might be the worst post in gaf history

I aint even a musician, and these genres are super easy to get into. The only subgenre of those I could think of that would be tough listens are Zeughl, and stuff that makes use of ambient, or stuff like black metal
If you want music made for musicians, list off like Captain Beefheart (but even then, Trout Mask Replica is a great album, so idk)

anyway, this is Dream Theater OT after their first few albums, and a lot of prog metal bands
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I never said they were hard to get into, I just said they sound like shit. TMR would be a little messy for a lot of peeps. I love it, though. I don't think it is as hard to listen to as most people think. Some of the songs will actually end up stuck in your head. Probably one of my favorites now that I think about it.
 
Yngwie Malmsteen thread?

A supergroup consisting of Yngwie, James LaBrie, Lars Ulrich and a random bass player would melt quite some brains.
 
Alicia Keys because she can sing and can (and has) composed her own music but everyone of her albums is average.

John Legend for the exact same reasons as Alicia Keys
 
ComputerMKII said:
Animals as Leaders is also a waste of talent.
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Hehe. I'd like to know what you'd like to see them doing.

Jitters said:
They are simply unmusical, and to make it worse, they are trying dignify genres that were never about complexity. Prog rock is ridiculously overblown, and the scorn it got when it first showed up was spot on.
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Hahah! To call an entire genre "unmusical" is ridiculous and downright ignorant. What in the world makes prog rock artists "unmusical?" You're opinion, I want to know more.
 
Rarity said:
How dare you! Although, it felt like she phoned in her last album...so good choice actually. Still love her overall, though.
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but Heart Attack is such a good pop song

I agree with you though. Het last album is mindless bubblegum pop songs and I think she's capable of so much more.
 
Almost every member of the Wu Tang Clan fits into this category. Their solo stuff is kind of terrible unless your name is Raekwon or Ghostface Killah (even then, Raekwon only has 2 good albums)
 
Goldenroad said:
These are terrible answers. Both new albums by both of these artists are full of great songs. Granted I'm maybe a little biased towards Phish and I get how people can not dig on some of their songs, but they have such a diverse sound that if you can't find at least one or two songs you like, you just have to keep digging.

Tedeschi Trucks Band - Part of Me http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYf3qp3qSSQ

Phish - Waiting All Night http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmxHvGCo2wQ

I'd go with the "guitar god shredders" like Steve Vai, Satriani, and Eric Johnson. Clearly they are all masters at their craft, but their craft is not songwriting. Maybe some prog-rock groups like ELP don't really do it for me either, but I can still listen due to their musicianship.
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Totally agree. Phish is great. Y'all crazy. There is a huge diversity over their catalog that is pretty much unmatched by most other bands.
 
Screaming Meat said:
Man, why are you quoting "soul" and "meaning"? I didn't mention either, did I? Nor did I say anything derogatory about abstraction. I just said (in an admittedly long winded tirade) that I don't think the million-notes-an-hour guitar crowd (like Steve Vai, Yngwie et al) can make good music because they are too hung up on technique and feel the need to let everyone know how much effort they've put in at every opportunity.

Is that a controversial opinion?
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Not controversial but extremely ignorant.
 
Kesha.

Heard her singing acapella, then found out in an interview she chose trashy pop music to break in as an artist.

Musically, she's quite talented and an accomplished singer and songwriter, which wants me to hear her without auto tune.
 
ComputerMKII said:
Animals as Leaders is also a waste of talent.
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Have you checked out their latest album? It's actually pretty good.

Actually, their whole first album is bad (especially production and songwriting wise. I kinda blame Misha from Periphery for that; his early DIY production and tone work is shoddy at best, though he's gotten better). But Weightless was a lot better and this year's The Joy of Motion is an AOTY-contender for me. It's got a lot of really cool hooks.
 
Gustav said:
Kirk Hammet. Sorry, Buddy. You're talented techincally, but you have no sense of style, soul or melody.
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Kind of backwards, actually. Back in the 80s he did have a good sense of style, soul, and melody, but his technique wasn't all that impressive. Nowadays he's just garbage all around.
 
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