Music 2: Me and my arrow

Let’s see if this gets us going. Let’s slaughter a few sacred cows. I am interested in hearing you spout off against critically or popularly lauded groups. They should be well known and for the most part respected so no diatribes against the usual suspects such as Kenny G and I promise not to rant again about Christine Aguilera. So if you hate the Beatles, Arcade Fire or the Killers, or someone like that, let’s hear it. Offend me. Because my hates might target someone you like and vice versa; lets offend and then lets defend. (This is for fun: for the most part I would rather praise the good than excoriate the bad.)

I’ll start with System of a Down. After hearing and hating them on the radio I actually bought one of their cds by accident because I had never heard who sang the songs i hated but had heard the name and thought I should know what they sounded like. I had no problem passing on the cd. To me they sound like Tea Party with the runs. The lead singer who has been hailed as monstrously creative and gifted sounds to me like someone who not only has copious verbal diarrhea but is inordinately proud of it.

And how about Van Morrison? Just read another short article about problems people have in dealing with him (and of course you just have to read articles about people you don’t like) which included absolute isolation before and after the performance, a generally sour demeanor, and a strict adherence to the exact minutes contracted for. And one of the people interviewed said that (and I paraphrase) ‘yes, he was kind of an asshole but when he opened his mouth, angels flew out; he channeled pure music”. What?! Ok, I do like Brown Eyed Girl, and quite a few songs but overall I find he moves me not at all and falls a little into the Emmy Lou Harris category where as soon as they show up on stage, everyone hushes as if in the presence of god but no reason other than tradition for that feeling seems apparent.