>Subj: Re: FW: Ephemerality of uniqueness
>Date: 95-12-20 13:33:09 EST
>From: QoolDjMarv@aol.com
>To: acid-jazz@UCSD.EDU
>
> > ...when things start becoming mainstream and trendy, the "coolness"
> > of it all seems to disappear.
> >
> >I'd tend to agree with this in as much as those things that >become
>mainstream often get packaged with lots of hype and >"crass commercialism".
> And of course, the really popular >stuff gets played to death on every
radio
>station, in every >shop & down every street. This tends to put me off. I
>can >recall occasions when I liked a particular artist until they >became
>very popular; it just seemed different. Perhaps it is >merely a
perception
>thing or perhaps the artist, having >achieved mainstream success, changes to
>cater for their new >audience. I think, even less cool, is the mainstream
>>followers of this newly popular music who have no >appreciation for what
>came before. For example, Elson >mentioned the Kool & the Gang song
"Jungle
>Boogie". Lots of >Pulp-Fiction fans think it's really cool & will rave on
>about it >remaining totally ignorant about the origin of the song and >the
>whole pile of cool songs by the same and other artists of >the time.
> (Roy Ayers being my favourite and I think you >should all go out and
>listen to either "Everybody loves the >Sunshine" or "Mystic Voyage" right
>now!)
>
>I hope that I'm not flamed but I tend to rejoice when 'good' music finally
>gets its due.
>
>What I mean is two fold -- as a fan/dj and as someone working at a major
>label.
>
>As a fan, I sort of enjoy it when I hear some really 'good' music, let
>someone else here it, and they say to me, "Where'd you get that," or even,
>"What the hell is that?" I enjoy that because as a DJ, I love introducing
>new music to people. Now if I introduce a lovely 'underground' deep jazz
>joint to someone, and then at every gig I play, they ask me to play that
song
>so their friend can vibe off of it, or if they just want to hear it
>themselves...I like that. If I really love Kruder & Dorfmiester and I hear
>one of their songs in a TV commercial
>or in an MTV trailor or whatever...I tend to smile and say to
>myself..."Finally, someone else (the masses) is hearing this music." Now
>because I hear K&D on a SAAB commercial, it absolutely does not mean that
I'm
>going to take that vinyl out of my crate and never play it again...I may
play
>it more. If we love this music and its artists we can't keep it to
ourselves
>and hope that no one else hears it for the sake of keeping it 'cool.' I'm
>sure that K&D would love to sell some records and with saying that, I'm sure
>that with their musical intensity and intentions, they would not change
their
>style at all. I guess that it is nice to pat ourselves on the back for
>grooving to a music 2 years before Joe Public hears it but I'm not mad at
Joe
>Public when he finally does hear it and enjoys it. In fact, I say to Joe
>Public...if you like that, well you'll love this..."
>
>As a 'music biz' person I know that while every artists makes music for the
>love of music there are certain cost that have to be covered when you record
>an album. Most artists aren't that concerned with that aspect of the biz
>(which is why a lot of groups get shafted) and want to focus on putting out
>good music.
>
>With that being said, there is not an artist on this planet that wants to be
>in debt to their label/distributor. Also take into consideration that when
>artists re-coup their costs (marketing, ads, photos, duplication,
>distribution, video) a label/distributor is a lot more open to having them
do
>another album. Now do you think that K&D would be upset if the mainstream
>caught on to their album and they sold 200,000 copies instead of the
>hypothetical '50,000?'
>
>What if they want to distribute their own music, own their own studio, bring
>in more top notched musicians as guest on future albums? Do you think that
>they would not want that financial latitude?
>
>Mainstream is a state of mind that hardly any artists have in mind when they
>make their music. To me, this is true of acid-jazz, blues, roots (not
>dancehall) reggae, and classic rock...any music that requires some
>musicianship. Not so much of today's R&B and tootsie-roll Pop.
>
>Did this make sense?
>
>
>
>-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------
Hello All,
Time out fellas, allow me to intro myself...about a year ago, a friend
of mine really hard up on the P-Funk tip gave me a few This Is Acid Jazz CD's
and life has been a neverending groove since. I look to the wisdom of all
ya' groovesters out there to broaden my mind and wake up my soul further and
further. Thanks y'all.
Mad props to QoolDJMarv, who helped us all put things in a little better
perspective. As a disillusioned ex-Generation-X twenty something, I felt
much bitterness when "Alternative Music" went mainstream. But hey, there are
strength in numbers aren't there? Let us not discount the new people who
think "Hey, this is pretty cool stuff" but fan the flame that fuels their
appreciation. ACID JAZZ is not just music, its a passion, and passions must
be held and cultivated...not extinguished.
Maybe we're all looking for a little exclusitivity now and then, which
isn't bad in itself, but let's not get too caught up in it. It's a poison
when we stop groovin' to the music and start arguing over what it is and who
liked it first. Take it for what it is. Imagine how the Lord Almighty felt
when we all started them Crusades and Holy Wars...it happens but it just
ain't right.
If all else fails, just remember this, let's all try to focus on what we
have in common rather than what we have in difference. Peace out y'all!
-Khoteth
---------------------
Forwarded message:
From: QoolDjMarv@aol.com
To: acid-jazz@UCSD.EDU
Date: 95-12-20 13:33:09 EST
> ...when things start becoming mainstream and trendy, the "coolness"
> of it all seems to disappear.
>
>I'd tend to agree with this in as much as those things that >become
mainstream often get packaged with lots of hype and >"crass commercialism".
And of course, the really popular >stuff gets played to death on every radio
station, in every >shop & down every street. This tends to put me off. I
can >recall occasions when I liked a particular artist until they >became
very popular; it just seemed different. Perhaps it is >merely a perception
thing or perhaps the artist, having >achieved mainstream success, changes to
cater for their new >audience. I think, even less cool, is the mainstream
>followers of this newly popular music who have no >appreciation for what
came before. For example, Elson >mentioned the Kool & the Gang song "Jungle
Boogie". Lots of >Pulp-Fiction fans think it's really cool & will rave on
about it >remaining totally ignorant about the origin of the song and >the
whole pile of cool songs by the same and other artists of >the time.
(Roy Ayers being my favourite and I think you >should all go out and
listen to either "Everybody loves the >Sunshine" or "Mystic Voyage" right
now!)
I hope that I'm not flamed but I tend to rejoice when 'good' music finally
gets its due.
What I mean is two fold -- as a fan/dj and as someone working at a major
label.
As a fan, I sort of enjoy it when I hear some really 'good' music, let
someone else here it, and they say to me, "Where'd you get that," or even,
"What the hell is that?" I enjoy that because as a DJ, I love introducing
new music to people. Now if I introduce a lovely 'underground' deep jazz
joint to someone, and then at every gig I play, they ask me to play that song
so their friend can vibe off of it, or if they just want to hear it
themselves...I like that. If I really love Kruder & Dorfmiester and I hear
one of their songs in a TV commercial
or in an MTV trailor or whatever...I tend to smile and say to
myself..."Finally, someone else (the masses) is hearing this music." Now
because I hear K&D on a SAAB commercial, it absolutely does not mean that I'm
going to take that vinyl out of my crate and never play it again...I may play
it more. If we love this music and its artists we can't keep it to ourselves
and hope that no one else hears it for the sake of keeping it 'cool.' I'm
sure that K&D would love to sell some records and with saying that, I'm sure
that with their musical intensity and intentions, they would not change their
style at all. I guess that it is nice to pat ourselves on the back for
grooving to a music 2 years before Joe Public hears it but I'm not mad at Joe
Public when he finally does hear it and enjoys it. In fact, I say to Joe
Public...if you like that, well you'll love this..."
As a 'music biz' person I know that while every artists makes music for the
love of music there are certain cost that have to be covered when you record
an album. Most artists aren't that concerned with that aspect of the biz
(which is why a lot of groups get shafted) and want to focus on putting out
good music.
With that being said, there is not an artist on this planet that wants to be
in debt to their label/distributor. Also take into consideration that when
artists re-coup their costs (marketing, ads, photos, duplication,
distribution, video) a label/distributor is a lot more open to having them do
another album. Now do you think that K&D would be upset if the mainstream
caught on to their album and they sold 200,000 copies instead of the
hypothetical '50,000?'
What if they want to distribute their own music, own their own studio, bring
in more top notched musicians as guest on future albums? Do you think that
they would not want that financial latitude?
Mainstream is a state of mind that hardly any artists have in mind when they
make their music. To me, this is true of acid-jazz, blues, roots (not
dancehall) reggae, and classic rock...any music that requires some
musicianship. Not so much of today's R&B and tootsie-roll Pop.
Did this make sense?