*Flash forward: This is the most in depth blog I have ever written. Maybe my greatest achievement as a human being. There is so much info here that I was able to effectively use this blog as a text for a pop music unit in my 7th grade Music Appreciation class. Self absorbed you say? Maybe, but it also wasn't copywright infringement to photocopy the pages.
Let’s get right down to it. This is a completely confusing genre. My friends and I have been arguing about what makes a pop/rock band all weekend. Is it a sound? Is it record sales? Is it lack of a sound or record sales? But I think one thing to remember is the slash between pop and rock. These bands fuse two different genres without making one new and definable sound. Thus the genre is more open to different types of bands. Through the process of figuring out who the best bands of this genre are I have realized that this alternative adult pop/rock has several brothers including: alternative, alternative pop/rock, post grunge, roots rock, mainstream rock, and adult contemporary.
If I were to give a rough definition of pop/rock it would be music that uses catchy, mainstream, radio friendly melodies blended with a generic (or unique sometimes) mainstream rock sound.
So once I figured out the basic style of music I was going for, I began struggling a lot with how to rate these bands: Are these the 10 bands that define most precisely what pop/ rock is? Or are these the bands that emerged from the genre with the greatest contributions to popular music?
I decided on the latter for two reasons. One is that I read an article by Chuck Klosterman talking about Nine Inch Nails and how Trent Reznor began the industrial music genre and became the most famous band of the genre. Because of the popularity a lot of industrial rock fans said that NIN was not industrial rock at all. But Chuck basically said that’s dumb because without NIN the genre wouldn’t exist. The rest are just bad photocopies. The second reason is based upon the first in that I really did not want to dedicate blog space to writing about Vertical Horizon. I know I am open-minded about music, but I have my limits.
Here are the rules:
1. To be on the list the band must have at least two certifiable Billboard hits
2. The band’s popularity and appeal must have only come from being part of the “pop/rock movement? (there will be one exception).
3. The band must be fronted by a male if not completely male. This simply helps with slimming down the length of the list (which is going to be too long as it is).
4. The bands must be BANDS (no Sheryl Crow or Shawn Mullins).
5. These bands must be from the United States (one exception). There are too many new genres that get introduced if you throw British bands into the mix.
6. The top 10 bands must NOT include any of these (Train, Vertical Horizon, The Calling, Lifehouse, or Everclear).
Without further a do:
10. Collective Soul: The Hard Rocking, Well Groomed Priests
Hits: “Shine?, “December?, “The World I Know?, “Listen?, “Heavy?, “Run?
When this article was originally going to be a Top 5 list with some honorable mentions, these guys from Georgia weren’t even mentioned. But after looking into it I realized that we needed a hard rocker. History tells us these guys faded because they tried to change their sound. But I gotta be honest. I think it was because their sound wasn’t all that good in the first place. They rocked hard—but with no raw aggression (they might be an unknown influence on Creed). And their lyrics are hauntingly spiritual for a band that lost its following because they decided to shave. However, big props for their contribution of “Run? to the Varsity Blues soundtrack. That tugs at my heart strings. And I miss James VanderBeek (is that how you spell his name?).
9. Barenaked Ladies: The Postmodern Comedians
Hits: “One Week?, “If I Had a 1,000,000?, “The Old Apartment?, “It’s All Been Done?, “Pinch Me?
The Barenaked Ladies are quietly one of the more respected bands in pop/rock for one big reason: they just don’t give a crap. In fact, when I was first thinking of this list and being very picky about the style of band, they didn’t make the list because they aren’t serious enough. During their biggest record release, Stunt, the band’s keyboardist Kevin Hearn was getting a bone marrow transplant. But the Barenaked Ladies never made a fuss about it, and Kevin recovered. Plus I give these guys huge props for making us realize why men are really watching Saturday morning Japanime cartoons.
8. The Wallflowers: The Blood on the Tracks
Hits: “6th Avenue Heartache?, “One Headlight?,?Three Marlenas?, “The Difference?, “Heroes?
Most people would say that the reason The Wallflowers didn’t make it is that they could not deal with their lead singer Jakob Dylan’s dad Bob. Though I agree that this might be part of the problem, I don’t think it is the only problem or even the main problem. The main problem was the band sat on the success of Bringing Down the Horse for four years and pretty much waited away their mainstream fan base. Plus that album is one of the better albums of the 90’s and certainly one of the best if not the best represented by this list. It was just too much of an event to not do anything with. Jakob and the gang would be battling for No. 1 if they had just put out one more successful and respectable record (by the way their other albums are solid, they just didn’t take off).
On another front, I know most of you are keeping a tally of this by now, but for those who aren’t, all of the bands so far have had a hit song on a TV show or movie. “Run? on Varsity Blues, “The Old Apartment? on Beverly Hills 90210, and “Heroes? on Godzilla. Hey we didn’t say the movies had to be hits too.
7. Third Eye Blind: The Suicidal, Girl Chasing, Semi-Charmed, Meth Junkies (and your daughters listen to them)
Hits: “Semi-Charmed Life?, “Graduate?, “How’s It Gonna Be?, “Jumper?, “Losing a Whole Year?, “Never Let You Go?
The amazing thing about Third Eye Blind is that they might be the dirtiest lyricists on mainstream pop/rock radio. Their biggest hit, “Semi-Charmed Life?, is pretty much about doing drugs and doing girls. In fact, the version released as a single is missing two parts of the original song and many of the lyrics that remained were edited on the radio (such as “doin’ crystal meth will lift you up until you break?). And yet these guys were pop princes in the late 90’s. That’s because they can flat out write a catchy melody. I can sing every single one of their hits fairly easily including the lesser-knowns such as “Losing a Whole Year.?
There’s one more thing. These guys suck live. Just plain suck. It is mostly due to the fact that Stephen Jenkins’ songwriting and production talents (he was in charge of producing new bands at Elektra before their self-titled debut was released) are way beyond his singing ability. The parallels to Everclear are haunting…haunting.
6. R.E.M.: The Stepfathers of Pop/Rock
Hits: “It’s the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)?, “The One I Love?, “Orange Crush?, “Man on the Moon?, “Stand?, “Losing My Religion?, “Shiny Happy People?, “Drive?, “Everybody Hurts?, “What’s the Frequency, Kenneth??
I know I will get arguments for this placement, and I hope I do. To tell you the truth I am on the fence about it. The fact is R.E.M. is so important to the genre that they were either going to be No. 1 or not even in the Top 5. Here’s why. They have more hits than anyone on the Top 10; in fact they have more hits than most combinations of two bands put together. Michael Stipe and his mates have created material that helped to inspire almost every pop/rock band in the industry, even if they don’t know it. But the reason that they are The Stepfathers and not just The Fathers of Pop/Rock is they were conceiving several genres, some at the same time (those dogs).
R.E.M.’s greatest achievement was not in terms of hits and pop but with their influence on the American indie/underground scene. The band was instrumental in developing the whole “you don’t have to have a unique sound or any great innovations to have an identity? vibe. They became unbelievably creative for not being creative. Beautiful yet cryptic lyrics don’t hurt either. But in the end they do lose points for creating too much media attention to find out if Michael Stipe is gay. I mean that went on for a decade. Well guess what—he is.
5. Gin Blossoms: The Depressed Earth Toned Balladeers
Hits: “Till I Hear It from You?, “Hey Jealousy?, “Found Out About You?, ?Follow You Down?
If you don’t remember any of these songs, I suggest that you download them or whatever you kids do. These are just great songs period. I confess I have not listened to a full album of the Gin Blossoms, but if I did I would like it. Perfect blend of all the genre relatives of pop/rock, and it makes you think about driving on a sunny day with no really bright colors. Yep you heard right. These guys are depressed and depressing. The principal songwriter was guitarist Doug Hopkins who killed himself in December of 1993 right when the Gin Blossoms were at the top of their success. This was truly tragic for a band that really could have gone places.
Of course that didn’t stop the band from putting a single on the movie soundtrack for Empire Records. Maybe I should do a blog on pop/rock songs in movies. This is beginning to bug me.
4. Hootie & the Blowfish: The Wannabe Jam Band That Pulls the Race Card
Hits: “I Only Wanna Be With You?, “Hold My Hand?, “Let Her Cry?, “Time?, “I Go Blind?
If you were to only listen to the singles that Darius Rucker and his band put out, you would think that this band defined 90’s pop/rock more than any other band out there. But you would be wrong. You could be right, but the Blowfish won’t let you.
Hootie & the Blowfish were part of a small cult of 90’s blues/jam rock bands that flirted with the mainstream (Spin Doctors, Blues Traveler, and Dave Matthews Band), but the Blowfish didn’t just flirt with the mainstream. They dominated. One could almost make the argument that of the group of jam bands Hootie sold out the fastest. That is simply not true because the other groups had radio friendly tunes (“Little Miss Can’t Be Wrong?, “Run Around?, and “Crash?). Rucker and the gang could just flat out write a better pop song than any of these other bands ever could. The problem is not that they sold out, but that they won a huge hand and then cashed their chips and left without playing some more.
The band does a lot of great things for rock bands trying to make it today, including a battle of bands on a cruise ship, but they simply could not reproduce or add to their great success. Parallels to The Wallflowers seem in order.
Oh and one other thing. Hootie is a friend of the band’s—not lead singer Darius Rucker. But don’t you find it interesting that the band never tried to shake Darius’s identity as Hootie as much as it could have? I think these guys used the race card to put some steam into their street cred engines. It is possible that this is simply not true and the statement itself is racist, but it is worth thinking about. Plus there is the haunting reality that, as far as general appearance and even musical style is concerned, Hootie & The Blowfish are the bizarro Dave Matthews Band. Very interesting.
3. Matchbox Twenty: The Nameless Faces and Mr. Smooth
Hits: “Push?, “3am?, “Real World?, “Back 2 Good?, “Bent?, “If Your Gone?, “Mad Season?, *?Smooth?
The fact that Matchbox Twenty went from misogynists to girlfriend-less sissies that are up way too late in only two moves is inconsequential (“Push? to “3am?). The most important fact is that this band is the best representation of “the band with a famous lead singer and a bunch of musicians no one knows? on the market. That’s not to say that the other Top 10 bands don’t represent that because almost all of them do to a certain extent. It’s just the matchbox guys have the most evidence to back their claim to the crown.
That evidence is in “their? biggest hit—the Santana smash, “Smooth?, co-written by one Rob Thomas. The Latin pop hit got around 10 Grammys for Mr. Santana and more Grammys for Rob than he would ever get as leader of Matchbox Twenty. And yet they don’t seem to have lost or added any players. It’s still the same quintet, which is amazing considering drummer Paul Doucette has been known to complain about the lack of hard rocking songs in Rob’s songbook. It’s alright though Paul—you will always have “Push?.
2. The Goo Goo Dolls: The Broken and Dizzy Hair Gods
Hits: “Name?, “Long Way Down?, “Iris?, “Slide?, “Black Balloon?, “Broadway?, “Here is Gone?
The three gentlemen known as the Goo Goo Dolls were a Replacements rip off band before their acoustic tune “Name? became a smash on rock radio. Fast forward to yet another soundtrack song (“Iris? from City of Angels), and the dolls of goo finally realized that they are too emotional and too wimpy to let bass player Robby Takac keep screaming about whatever he was screaming about. After they tightened their sound, the hits rolled in. Despite the fact that everyone who knows me realizes that I am not a huge Goo Goo Dolls guy I really have no complaints. The group is making a splash right now with some new pop songs, and no one on this Top 10 list can say that except them.
Ok one complaint. I hear through rumor that they aren’t very good live. Would it be such a travesty to add another permanent member or two to the band? I really don’t see how such a move would hurt everything, especially since it didn’t hurt our No. 1 band…
1. The Counting Crows: The Greatest and Most Hopeless Pop/Rock Band of All Time
Hits: “Mr. Jones?, “Einstein on the Beach (For an Eggman)?, “Round Here?, Daylight Fading?, “Long December?, “Hangin’ Around?, Mrs. Potter’s Lullaby?, “Big Yellow Taxi?, “Accidentally in Love?
Yeah that’s right. I gave the No.1 spot to a band that has more depressing songs than good ones and a frontman competing for the worst hair of all time. Why? Well first because I can. And second…
John Mayer once said that he didn’t want to do pop music anymore because the only thing you can get from it is nostalgia (he is currently getting ready to release a new pop album—I love celebrities). If that is true, no other pop/rock band brings me back to my lonely and overemotional high school days like The Counting Crows. They are unashamed to be completely wasted in agony. But here is something that is so pop/rock about them. Their most famous song has little or nothing to do with the rest of their tunes. These guys have the craftiness (or Adam Duritz saves his happy material for a rainy day) to churn out a blockbuster happy song every few years (“Mr. Jones?, “Hangin’ Around?, “Accidentally in Love?) while keeping true to form with every other track a tribute to melancholy.
These guys complain about girls more than emo bands do, but they do it with an open sound that doesn’t necessarily cross genre boundaries yet gets very close. And they have a song on Shrek II. And they put on a good live show. And they currently have seven members!
In the end these guys beat out Matchbox Twenty, The Goo Goo Dolls, and R.E.M because I simply can’t deny the impact their songs have had on me. That is enough reason for them to be the best band. They are definitely a pop/rock band, and they matter.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Classic Blog:On a Monday I am Sleeping, on a Tuesday I am Thinking or New Title: Acid Reflux of Thought
*Flash forward: Oh to be young and 23 again. My first blog. The "finally started to think" angle is lame but there are some pretty classic jabs in here.
I am 23 years old, and in the last year or so I have finally started to think.
I owe it all to Ashley Simpson. Some of you who know me (and those of you who don't know me) might be a little confused by this statement. It is very true that I do not own an Ashley Simpson recording, and it is also very true that I have at times been "holier than thou" while speaking to ex-girlfriends and prepubescent teens on the subject of the less-than-average pop singer. But I have a confession, a confession that I need to let loose (and no it has nothing to do with my horrible use of punctuation): I like Ashley Simpson. I don't like all of her songs, in fact, I like less than 50 percent of her songs (sorry for the math Nick and Chuck), but the ones I like I enjoy for important reasons.
The song "Pieces of Me" is not just a sonic flashback like John Mayer suggested in a past issue of Esquire. It is certainly not the lyrical content; although, if we are being honest with ourselves the song is lyrically much stronger than anything Dave Matthews has put out in the past 3 years. The reason Ashley Simpson and other pop stars like her (Avril Levine, Michelle Branch, Kelly Clarkson, and Vanessa Carlton) are so important is because they give me the false hope that I too can become a celebrity that people listen to.
I am certainly not knocking the musical talent of these various artists (that would border on elitist and possibly sound like jealousy), because with the exception of Ashley, these ladies are better songwriters and singers than I am. For those who notice I am referencing only girls don't forget that the backing bands for all these singers are dominated by men. All of these celebrity singers (don't even get me started on the Paris Hilton clan of talentless celebrities) give me hope for a world that in the end I don't need to be a part of in order to contribute to the greater good. Ashley Simpson represents everything that we hope for when we are young, but if we really start to think as I finally have, she really represents the world we don't need and shouldn't want. There is so much more beyond the world of pop music that it actually makes pop music that much deeper.
Besides, why would I want to get heckled for sucking it up on the National Anthem when I genuinely suffer from an acid reflux issue?I am 23 years old, and in the last year or so I have finally started to think.
I am 23 years old, and in the last year or so I have finally started to think.
I owe it all to Ashley Simpson. Some of you who know me (and those of you who don't know me) might be a little confused by this statement. It is very true that I do not own an Ashley Simpson recording, and it is also very true that I have at times been "holier than thou" while speaking to ex-girlfriends and prepubescent teens on the subject of the less-than-average pop singer. But I have a confession, a confession that I need to let loose (and no it has nothing to do with my horrible use of punctuation): I like Ashley Simpson. I don't like all of her songs, in fact, I like less than 50 percent of her songs (sorry for the math Nick and Chuck), but the ones I like I enjoy for important reasons.
The song "Pieces of Me" is not just a sonic flashback like John Mayer suggested in a past issue of Esquire. It is certainly not the lyrical content; although, if we are being honest with ourselves the song is lyrically much stronger than anything Dave Matthews has put out in the past 3 years. The reason Ashley Simpson and other pop stars like her (Avril Levine, Michelle Branch, Kelly Clarkson, and Vanessa Carlton) are so important is because they give me the false hope that I too can become a celebrity that people listen to.
I am certainly not knocking the musical talent of these various artists (that would border on elitist and possibly sound like jealousy), because with the exception of Ashley, these ladies are better songwriters and singers than I am. For those who notice I am referencing only girls don't forget that the backing bands for all these singers are dominated by men. All of these celebrity singers (don't even get me started on the Paris Hilton clan of talentless celebrities) give me hope for a world that in the end I don't need to be a part of in order to contribute to the greater good. Ashley Simpson represents everything that we hope for when we are young, but if we really start to think as I finally have, she really represents the world we don't need and shouldn't want. There is so much more beyond the world of pop music that it actually makes pop music that much deeper.
Besides, why would I want to get heckled for sucking it up on the National Anthem when I genuinely suffer from an acid reflux issue?I am 23 years old, and in the last year or so I have finally started to think.
Classic Blog: Suffering for an Unknown Cause: Why I am an Idiot in Public
*Flash forward: I love this blog. This might sum me up as good as any of the crap I have written.
I hate being the dumb guy in a group.
I don’t think I am completely in love with myself so much that I believe I am the smartest guy in a group, but I certainly never think I am the most inept.
That is until I say something really inept.
The fact is that most of my social network is younger than me. I am soon to be a teacher, so I am, at times, the smartest person in the room at my workplace. My friends are mostly younger than me too, so sometimes I can stupidly parade around as the wise man in a group because, in that group, I just may be.
But I am not a wise man—not to the extent that I could be or other people are. I should be content with this concept because, even though this great land of ours thrives off unique individualism, it is not important nor is it even all that good to be the smartest person in the room.
There are things I know about and can talk about at length that no one in my social network can touch. In my circle of friends I am the unchallengeable jazz expert. Anything jazz is my station. My knowledge, understanding, and experience of this and several other musical genres is what fuels my outwardly-given, inwardly-driven nickname, “The Anthology?. Am I the true Anthology in any musical style?
Nope.
Jazz: I can name two friends right off the top of my head who blow me away in the world of jazz. Two friends. Not two people I met once at a bar. Not two people I read about in Rolling Stone, and certainly not two people I met on the Internet, because that just doesn’t sound right. The two guys are Ben Syversen and Lukaz Malewicz. We talked about music constantly in our friendships during college. These conversations are the basis of everything I know about jazz. Yeah I love the music, played the music, even arranged some jazz, but everything I really know I learned from talking to two guys. I went into conversations with those guys with the willingness to soak in what they were saying. If I said something stupid it was ok because they just loved talking about the music at all (for those of you who don’t know, jazz is the most talked-about art form that doesn’t make any money in the entire country. I would say the world, but I haven’t left the country so I couldn’t confirm that with reliable sources. Although Luke is Polish. I digress.)
When I enter my social network as the wise shaman, baring my intellectual soul (or lack there of) to my audience, (first mistake—your friends shouldn’t be an audience) it is easy for that soul to get crushed. But what I realize is that is not such a bad thing. Crush my soul if you want. Crush it three times or more without even knowing what you are doing. That intellectual soul won’t die. I am too pompous for that.
Besides, (cheesy ending coming—get ready) when I put myself out there to be respected or ridiculed I am bettering myself and the people around me. Whether I say something that will make them think, or I say something they can confidently eliminate from their line of thinking I have put in my deposit for a more thought-provoking community. And if there isn’t thought-provoking community in our universe we might as well just throw it all out and get rid of NBA basketball and Kelly Clarkson too.
I can’t let that happen people. I…just…can’t.I hate being the dumb guy in a group.
I don’t think I am completely in love with myself so much that I believe I am the smartest guy in a group, but I certainly never think I am the most inept.
That is until I say something really inept.
The fact is that most of my social network is younger than me. I am soon to be a teacher, so I am, at times, the smartest person in the room at my workplace. My friends are mostly younger than me too, so sometimes I can stupidly parade around as the wise man in a group because, in that group, I just may be.
But I am not a wise man—not to the extent that I could be or other people are. I should be content with this concept because, even though this great land of ours thrives off unique individualism, it is not important nor is it even all that good to be the smartest person in the room.
There are things I know about and can talk about at length that no one in my social network can touch. In my circle of friends I am the unchallengeable jazz expert. Anything jazz is my station. My knowledge, understanding, and experience of this and several other musical genres is what fuels my outwardly-given, inwardly-driven nickname, “The Anthology?. Am I the true Anthology in any musical style?
Nope.
Jazz: I can name two friends right off the top of my head who blow me away in the world of jazz. Two friends. Not two people I met once at a bar. Not two people I read about in Rolling Stone, and certainly not two people I met on the Internet, because that just doesn’t sound right. The two guys are Ben Syversen and Lukaz Malewicz. We talked about music constantly in our friendships during college. These conversations are the basis of everything I know about jazz. Yeah I love the music, played the music, even arranged some jazz, but everything I really know I learned from talking to two guys. I went into conversations with those guys with the willingness to soak in what they were saying. If I said something stupid it was ok because they just loved talking about the music at all (for those of you who don’t know, jazz is the most talked-about art form that doesn’t make any money in the entire country. I would say the world, but I haven’t left the country so I couldn’t confirm that with reliable sources. Although Luke is Polish. I digress.)
When I enter my social network as the wise shaman, baring my intellectual soul (or lack there of) to my audience, (first mistake—your friends shouldn’t be an audience) it is easy for that soul to get crushed. But what I realize is that is not such a bad thing. Crush my soul if you want. Crush it three times or more without even knowing what you are doing. That intellectual soul won’t die. I am too pompous for that.
Besides, (cheesy ending coming—get ready) when I put myself out there to be respected or ridiculed I am bettering myself and the people around me. Whether I say something that will make them think, or I say something they can confidently eliminate from their line of thinking I have put in my deposit for a more thought-provoking community. And if there isn’t thought-provoking community in our universe we might as well just throw it all out and get rid of NBA basketball and Kelly Clarkson too.
I can’t let that happen people. I…just…can’t.
--AB
I hate being the dumb guy in a group.
I don’t think I am completely in love with myself so much that I believe I am the smartest guy in a group, but I certainly never think I am the most inept.
That is until I say something really inept.
The fact is that most of my social network is younger than me. I am soon to be a teacher, so I am, at times, the smartest person in the room at my workplace. My friends are mostly younger than me too, so sometimes I can stupidly parade around as the wise man in a group because, in that group, I just may be.
But I am not a wise man—not to the extent that I could be or other people are. I should be content with this concept because, even though this great land of ours thrives off unique individualism, it is not important nor is it even all that good to be the smartest person in the room.
There are things I know about and can talk about at length that no one in my social network can touch. In my circle of friends I am the unchallengeable jazz expert. Anything jazz is my station. My knowledge, understanding, and experience of this and several other musical genres is what fuels my outwardly-given, inwardly-driven nickname, “The Anthology?. Am I the true Anthology in any musical style?
Nope.
Jazz: I can name two friends right off the top of my head who blow me away in the world of jazz. Two friends. Not two people I met once at a bar. Not two people I read about in Rolling Stone, and certainly not two people I met on the Internet, because that just doesn’t sound right. The two guys are Ben Syversen and Lukaz Malewicz. We talked about music constantly in our friendships during college. These conversations are the basis of everything I know about jazz. Yeah I love the music, played the music, even arranged some jazz, but everything I really know I learned from talking to two guys. I went into conversations with those guys with the willingness to soak in what they were saying. If I said something stupid it was ok because they just loved talking about the music at all (for those of you who don’t know, jazz is the most talked-about art form that doesn’t make any money in the entire country. I would say the world, but I haven’t left the country so I couldn’t confirm that with reliable sources. Although Luke is Polish. I digress.)
When I enter my social network as the wise shaman, baring my intellectual soul (or lack there of) to my audience, (first mistake—your friends shouldn’t be an audience) it is easy for that soul to get crushed. But what I realize is that is not such a bad thing. Crush my soul if you want. Crush it three times or more without even knowing what you are doing. That intellectual soul won’t die. I am too pompous for that.
Besides, (cheesy ending coming—get ready) when I put myself out there to be respected or ridiculed I am bettering myself and the people around me. Whether I say something that will make them think, or I say something they can confidently eliminate from their line of thinking I have put in my deposit for a more thought-provoking community. And if there isn’t thought-provoking community in our universe we might as well just throw it all out and get rid of NBA basketball and Kelly Clarkson too.
I can’t let that happen people. I…just…can’t.I hate being the dumb guy in a group.
I don’t think I am completely in love with myself so much that I believe I am the smartest guy in a group, but I certainly never think I am the most inept.
That is until I say something really inept.
The fact is that most of my social network is younger than me. I am soon to be a teacher, so I am, at times, the smartest person in the room at my workplace. My friends are mostly younger than me too, so sometimes I can stupidly parade around as the wise man in a group because, in that group, I just may be.
But I am not a wise man—not to the extent that I could be or other people are. I should be content with this concept because, even though this great land of ours thrives off unique individualism, it is not important nor is it even all that good to be the smartest person in the room.
There are things I know about and can talk about at length that no one in my social network can touch. In my circle of friends I am the unchallengeable jazz expert. Anything jazz is my station. My knowledge, understanding, and experience of this and several other musical genres is what fuels my outwardly-given, inwardly-driven nickname, “The Anthology?. Am I the true Anthology in any musical style?
Nope.
Jazz: I can name two friends right off the top of my head who blow me away in the world of jazz. Two friends. Not two people I met once at a bar. Not two people I read about in Rolling Stone, and certainly not two people I met on the Internet, because that just doesn’t sound right. The two guys are Ben Syversen and Lukaz Malewicz. We talked about music constantly in our friendships during college. These conversations are the basis of everything I know about jazz. Yeah I love the music, played the music, even arranged some jazz, but everything I really know I learned from talking to two guys. I went into conversations with those guys with the willingness to soak in what they were saying. If I said something stupid it was ok because they just loved talking about the music at all (for those of you who don’t know, jazz is the most talked-about art form that doesn’t make any money in the entire country. I would say the world, but I haven’t left the country so I couldn’t confirm that with reliable sources. Although Luke is Polish. I digress.)
When I enter my social network as the wise shaman, baring my intellectual soul (or lack there of) to my audience, (first mistake—your friends shouldn’t be an audience) it is easy for that soul to get crushed. But what I realize is that is not such a bad thing. Crush my soul if you want. Crush it three times or more without even knowing what you are doing. That intellectual soul won’t die. I am too pompous for that.
Besides, (cheesy ending coming—get ready) when I put myself out there to be respected or ridiculed I am bettering myself and the people around me. Whether I say something that will make them think, or I say something they can confidently eliminate from their line of thinking I have put in my deposit for a more thought-provoking community. And if there isn’t thought-provoking community in our universe we might as well just throw it all out and get rid of NBA basketball and Kelly Clarkson too.
I can’t let that happen people. I…just…can’t.
--AB
Classic Blog: The Messiah Complex of Jazz: Never Truly Dead
*Flash-foward: I have mixed emotions now about this article. Comments made by the BA trumpet player Ben Syversen (www.myspace.com/bensyversen) have made me rethink some ideas. So you may be seeing a sequal to this one.
In my 7th grade music appreciation class I was talking to the students about why they should not give up on jazz. I said jazz was the hip hop of its time-- rebelious, immoral, passionate, raw, and deep.
But I was wrong.
(And I had to tell these 7th graders what half those words meant).
Jazz was not the hip hop of it's time. That is like saying Lebron James or Dwayne Wade is the next MJ (whether it be Michael Jordan or Magic Johnson-- I've heard both). It is simply wrong to say such things. In fact while we are mentioning it, if I hear one more person say that Dwayne Wayde is the new Jordan I am gonna shoot myself or someone around me (more than likely someone around me-- I wanna have kids some day). First of all Jordan was overcompetitive to a fault, and somehow became one of the single greatest athletes of all time because of it. Dwayne Wade is benefiting from what MJ did. He is nicer. He flops more. He can create better. He can't score as big. He gets fouled more (at least in the Mavs finals).
Alright enough of that. So as you can see I am not into the whole "this is the new that thing" (like pink is the new orange--people including me really say that). Thus hip hop is not the jazz nor was jazz the hip hop of its time.
So what was jazz? Should I ask what is jazz? I am going to say is. Here's why.
Most people don't know this, but jazz officially died to the mainstream in or around the 1950's. The big band era before that was a fairly big deal. But R&B; (thanks to the help of artists such as Louis Jordan) was starting to take the simple rawness and sophistication of the jazz of old and spin it into a new and sellable entity. R&B started it's brutal take over as early as the 30's, but it teamed up with rock&roll; to completely take over jazz in the 50's.
So was jazz ever truly popular? To some it was. But even most of those defected eventually. Then jazz kept going-- turning into what many people today would call an eletist and academic genre. Everyone's problem with jazz is that they think that they aren't good enough to play it, or smart enough to listen to and understand it. Jazz fans became minorities. They flocked into clubs and started practicing their own art. They adapted it, added new ideas, new concepts, and jazz became an underground genre that, to this day, still thrives in little known urban clubs and academic institutions.
The entire time the rest of the musical world was simplifying the message and sound of jazz and using it in their own music, but the complete sound of jazz has never truly returned to the mainstream. Most people can't handle everything jazz has to say.
Any of this sound familiar?In my 7th grade music appreciation class I was talking to the students about why they should not give up on jazz. I said jazz was the hip hop of its time-- rebelious, immoral, passionate, raw, and deep.
But I was wrong.
(And I had to tell these 7th graders what half those words meant).
Jazz was not the hip hop of it's time. That is like saying Lebron James or Dwayne Wade is the next MJ (whether it be Michael Jordan or Magic Johnson-- I've heard both). It is simply wrong to say such things. In fact while we are mentioning it, if I hear one more person say that Dwayne Wayde is the new Jordan I am gonna shoot myself or someone around me (more than likely someone around me-- I wanna have kids some day). First of all Jordan was overcompetitive to a fault, and somehow became one of the single greatest athletes of all time because of it. Dwayne Wade is benefiting from what MJ did. He is nicer. He flops more. He can create better. He can't score as big. He gets fouled more (at least in the Mavs finals).
Alright enough of that. So as you can see I am not into the whole "this is the new that thing" (like pink is the new orange--people including me really say that). Thus hip hop is not the jazz nor was jazz the hip hop of its time.
So what was jazz? Should I ask what is jazz? I am going to say is. Here's why.
Most people don't know this, but jazz officially died to the mainstream in or around the 1950's. The big band era before that was a fairly big deal. But R&B; (thanks to the help of artists such as Louis Jordan) was starting to take the simple rawness and sophistication of the jazz of old and spin it into a new and sellable entity. R&B started it's brutal take over as early as the 30's, but it teamed up with rock&roll; to completely take over jazz in the 50's.
So was jazz ever truly popular? To some it was. But even most of those defected eventually. Then jazz kept going-- turning into what many people today would call an eletist and academic genre. Everyone's problem with jazz is that they think that they aren't good enough to play it, or smart enough to listen to and understand it. Jazz fans became minorities. They flocked into clubs and started practicing their own art. They adapted it, added new ideas, new concepts, and jazz became an underground genre that, to this day, still thrives in little known urban clubs and academic institutions.
The entire time the rest of the musical world was simplifying the message and sound of jazz and using it in their own music, but the complete sound of jazz has never truly returned to the mainstream. Most people can't handle everything jazz has to say.
Any of this sound familiar?
In my 7th grade music appreciation class I was talking to the students about why they should not give up on jazz. I said jazz was the hip hop of its time-- rebelious, immoral, passionate, raw, and deep.
But I was wrong.
(And I had to tell these 7th graders what half those words meant).
Jazz was not the hip hop of it's time. That is like saying Lebron James or Dwayne Wade is the next MJ (whether it be Michael Jordan or Magic Johnson-- I've heard both). It is simply wrong to say such things. In fact while we are mentioning it, if I hear one more person say that Dwayne Wayde is the new Jordan I am gonna shoot myself or someone around me (more than likely someone around me-- I wanna have kids some day). First of all Jordan was overcompetitive to a fault, and somehow became one of the single greatest athletes of all time because of it. Dwayne Wade is benefiting from what MJ did. He is nicer. He flops more. He can create better. He can't score as big. He gets fouled more (at least in the Mavs finals).
Alright enough of that. So as you can see I am not into the whole "this is the new that thing" (like pink is the new orange--people including me really say that). Thus hip hop is not the jazz nor was jazz the hip hop of its time.
So what was jazz? Should I ask what is jazz? I am going to say is. Here's why.
Most people don't know this, but jazz officially died to the mainstream in or around the 1950's. The big band era before that was a fairly big deal. But R&B; (thanks to the help of artists such as Louis Jordan) was starting to take the simple rawness and sophistication of the jazz of old and spin it into a new and sellable entity. R&B started it's brutal take over as early as the 30's, but it teamed up with rock&roll; to completely take over jazz in the 50's.
So was jazz ever truly popular? To some it was. But even most of those defected eventually. Then jazz kept going-- turning into what many people today would call an eletist and academic genre. Everyone's problem with jazz is that they think that they aren't good enough to play it, or smart enough to listen to and understand it. Jazz fans became minorities. They flocked into clubs and started practicing their own art. They adapted it, added new ideas, new concepts, and jazz became an underground genre that, to this day, still thrives in little known urban clubs and academic institutions.
The entire time the rest of the musical world was simplifying the message and sound of jazz and using it in their own music, but the complete sound of jazz has never truly returned to the mainstream. Most people can't handle everything jazz has to say.
Any of this sound familiar?In my 7th grade music appreciation class I was talking to the students about why they should not give up on jazz. I said jazz was the hip hop of its time-- rebelious, immoral, passionate, raw, and deep.
But I was wrong.
(And I had to tell these 7th graders what half those words meant).
Jazz was not the hip hop of it's time. That is like saying Lebron James or Dwayne Wade is the next MJ (whether it be Michael Jordan or Magic Johnson-- I've heard both). It is simply wrong to say such things. In fact while we are mentioning it, if I hear one more person say that Dwayne Wayde is the new Jordan I am gonna shoot myself or someone around me (more than likely someone around me-- I wanna have kids some day). First of all Jordan was overcompetitive to a fault, and somehow became one of the single greatest athletes of all time because of it. Dwayne Wade is benefiting from what MJ did. He is nicer. He flops more. He can create better. He can't score as big. He gets fouled more (at least in the Mavs finals).
Alright enough of that. So as you can see I am not into the whole "this is the new that thing" (like pink is the new orange--people including me really say that). Thus hip hop is not the jazz nor was jazz the hip hop of its time.
So what was jazz? Should I ask what is jazz? I am going to say is. Here's why.
Most people don't know this, but jazz officially died to the mainstream in or around the 1950's. The big band era before that was a fairly big deal. But R&B; (thanks to the help of artists such as Louis Jordan) was starting to take the simple rawness and sophistication of the jazz of old and spin it into a new and sellable entity. R&B started it's brutal take over as early as the 30's, but it teamed up with rock&roll; to completely take over jazz in the 50's.
So was jazz ever truly popular? To some it was. But even most of those defected eventually. Then jazz kept going-- turning into what many people today would call an eletist and academic genre. Everyone's problem with jazz is that they think that they aren't good enough to play it, or smart enough to listen to and understand it. Jazz fans became minorities. They flocked into clubs and started practicing their own art. They adapted it, added new ideas, new concepts, and jazz became an underground genre that, to this day, still thrives in little known urban clubs and academic institutions.
The entire time the rest of the musical world was simplifying the message and sound of jazz and using it in their own music, but the complete sound of jazz has never truly returned to the mainstream. Most people can't handle everything jazz has to say.
Any of this sound familiar?
Classic Blog: Abitrary Soul Searching: Grocery Shopping Alone
It is my personal feeling that the soul is best looked at under the microscopes of pop culture and sociology.
Why?
None of your damn business why. That's just the way it is. I tell you this not because I am trying to get extremely deep but because getting it off my chest seems the right thing to do.
I thought at first that when I wrote this I would attempt to show the loneliness inside of grocery shopping solo. However, I find that I have no feelings either way on the subject. But feelings aren't everything. Vibes are.
I am pretty sensitive for a guy, but I don't consider myself extremely emotional anymore. I used to think that I was, but I realized that finding Julia Roberts, Hugh Grant, and Zach Graph (more on this one later) vile is not a good indication that I am an emotional creature. I am a feeling person though. I feel vibes. I like music that gives off a certain vibe or sound-- not because it has great lyrics or a rocking solo. I like movies that leave me in a certain state-- not because there was a memorable quote or a great plot.
The point of all my mindless crap is that grocery stores have a vibe. And just like music or a movie, the vibe can be altered depending on who is around. In my new life as a working class bachelor I go grocery shopping alone. It would make no sense to go with anyone else if there is no one you share a fridge with. So as I was walking aimlessly through the isles looking for anything microwavable, I got a wave of feeling. I don't know what it was. There was sadness there, but it was far from despair. It was almost bittersweet. I nearly cried thinking about a song from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (the one the mom sings to Charlie when Charlie loses hope of getting a golden ticket). You know you get a vibe when a Gene Wilder movie tugs at your heart strings.
(Although I do need to go on a quick parenthetical here. Gene Wilder kills that movie. It is not just because he is as clever as Fergie for releasing a solo album about her sex life. The man has one of the most beautiful voices ever heard in movie musicals. I could listen to him sing "Pure Imagination" for an hour. Ok back to cookies and crackers).
I love getting vibes from everyday occurrences. I think they happen for me because I definitely don't grocery shop everyday. It becomes a special moment for me when I finally get up and do it. I feel like an adult. Supposedly I have been one for more than 5 years, but I think that is a load of bs.
Why?
None of your damn business why. That's just the way it is. I tell you this not because I am trying to get extremely deep but because getting it off my chest seems the right thing to do.
I thought at first that when I wrote this I would attempt to show the loneliness inside of grocery shopping solo. However, I find that I have no feelings either way on the subject. But feelings aren't everything. Vibes are.
I am pretty sensitive for a guy, but I don't consider myself extremely emotional anymore. I used to think that I was, but I realized that finding Julia Roberts, Hugh Grant, and Zach Graph (more on this one later) vile is not a good indication that I am an emotional creature. I am a feeling person though. I feel vibes. I like music that gives off a certain vibe or sound-- not because it has great lyrics or a rocking solo. I like movies that leave me in a certain state-- not because there was a memorable quote or a great plot.
The point of all my mindless crap is that grocery stores have a vibe. And just like music or a movie, the vibe can be altered depending on who is around. In my new life as a working class bachelor I go grocery shopping alone. It would make no sense to go with anyone else if there is no one you share a fridge with. So as I was walking aimlessly through the isles looking for anything microwavable, I got a wave of feeling. I don't know what it was. There was sadness there, but it was far from despair. It was almost bittersweet. I nearly cried thinking about a song from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (the one the mom sings to Charlie when Charlie loses hope of getting a golden ticket). You know you get a vibe when a Gene Wilder movie tugs at your heart strings.
(Although I do need to go on a quick parenthetical here. Gene Wilder kills that movie. It is not just because he is as clever as Fergie for releasing a solo album about her sex life. The man has one of the most beautiful voices ever heard in movie musicals. I could listen to him sing "Pure Imagination" for an hour. Ok back to cookies and crackers).
I love getting vibes from everyday occurrences. I think they happen for me because I definitely don't grocery shop everyday. It becomes a special moment for me when I finally get up and do it. I feel like an adult. Supposedly I have been one for more than 5 years, but I think that is a load of bs.
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