"Flinstoneyerfired" <mmurph@onlink.net> wrote in a message
>> "Any number of people can prove that a certain music, Zappa's for
>> example, sucks, has no value and is of little or no interest."
> Seems like a purposeless exercise to me- either you like it or you
> don't and that will inform whether you think "it sucks" or not.
> Besides, isn't it more valuable to try to appreciate something you
> don't like- especially if a lot of others like it- this doesn't mean
> you will like it, it just means that you may learn something.
The purpose of the exercise was to repeat his claim word for word in an
effort to get him to explain how it works one way, but not the other.
As for value and music appreciation.... it's still subjective. As a
musician, I see no value in Zappa's work. I see nothing to appreciate. It
just an opinion.
As for a lot of others liking it... let's consider this;
A highly successful recording artist hits a milestone when he/she/they/it
sell one million <albums>. There are over 300 million people in the US. Over
6 billion in the world. That a million people have "voted" for that music
represents a very small segment of the population. Even if a "lot" of people
like it, it is possible, maybe even probable, there are a lot more who
don't. ... but then, it only matters if you like it or don't.
Music is an individual thing. What you like, what you appreciate (but don't
like), what speaks to you, what makes you feel, what makes you think, what
you are moved to play, what you are moved to write... all of it is very
personal to the individual. No one opinion or group of like minded opinions
validates, invalidates or in any way changes the opinion any given
individual may hold.
Aside from that, there is some segment of people that claim to like or "get"
an artist, because they are trying to create an impression of themselves.
Likely, these same people feel the need to wear their clothing labels on the
outside. Zappa was exactly the type of artist who would attract these
clowns. They get more from saying "I get Zappa and I don't like that
mainstream crap", then they actually do from listening to his music, or
appreciating his work. While I can, and do, respect other's opinions and the
work of artists I may not particularly care for, I have no respect for these
type of people. Their opinions are meaningless, because even *they* don't
believe them. They are simply parroting a line in the hopes of making you
believe they are something they are not.
