John P. wrote:
> "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.
Couldn't it just be because they do ... get it? Or do you have this
mysterious psychic power that tells you they are wrong? What you seem to be
saying here is that you think there isn't anything to get. But maybe that's
just you and not Zappa.
>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.
And you know this ... how? I really haven't seen a lot of posts saying that
"I get Zappa *and* I don't like that mainstream crap". Rather, I've seen
guys saying they get some aspect or other about Zappa and his music.
>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.
And, evidently, people who get what Zappa was doing are all this kind of
people ... or isn't that what you were saying. And, of course, that doesn't
include you. ;-)
I probably should go on record as saying that I don't like every piece of FZ
work I've heard, but some is fun, some is interestingly obtuse, and some is
brilliant.
What I find interesting is that somehow the quality of art is being found to
be nothing more than opinion. It's a view very reflective of modern times,
but IMO it's just another part of the dumbing down of society.
Don
