Country, Rap, Jazz, Blues

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Patrick
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Country, Rap, Jazz, Blues

Post by Patrick » Mon May 31, 2021 5:29 am

I have trouble listening to these styles.

Country is too cliched. Rap has no melody. Jazz is just a bunch of unrelated misfit notes. The blues are too formulaic.

Am I just an ignorant f*ck? Or am i telling it like it is.
Bad art can make you laugh
Good art can make you think
Great art can destroy you

- Me

(Did he just quote himself?? Yes! Yes I did!)

Patrick
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Re: Country, Rap, Jazz, Blues

Post by Patrick » Mon May 31, 2021 11:01 am

As you can probably tell by now, i don't have much of a filter...I just spit it out.

Which begs the question: Is it okay to be brutally honest while critiquing another artist's work?

I figure if you lie or sugarcoat, you aren't really doing that person any favours.

I usually cut to the chase, and post what instantly comes to my mind.
Bad art can make you laugh
Good art can make you think
Great art can destroy you

- Me

(Did he just quote himself?? Yes! Yes I did!)

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feaker66
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Re: Country, Rap, Jazz, Blues

Post by feaker66 » Mon May 31, 2021 2:36 pm

Hi you are entertaining for sure :) Most folks want the hard truth about their tracks. Kindness is ok also. If a track is real bad I usually don't say anything. I have lost many friends after telling them they are singing flat. I usually think "IF YOU CAN'T HEAR THAT, HOW CAN YOU MAKE MUSIC"??? On the other hand, I have put tracks out there that I have thought they were maybe average and had positive feedback. I scrapped my fav of all time and heard form someone who wanted the song, but the drums had to be removed. Never did get the feel right again. Ok, enough blabberint on. take care
Thankfully, while growing old is compulsory, growing up remains optional!

https://soundcloud.com/feaker66

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default ... dID=883613

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Paulie
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Re: Country, Rap, Jazz, Blues

Post by Paulie » Mon May 31, 2021 9:32 pm

I too call it like I see it, but it is extremely important to have a filter and know when to say things. Even more important is that your opinions be based on facts and history, not just opinions. For example:

"Country is too cliched. Rap has no melody. Jazz is just a bunch of unrelated misfit notes. The blues are too formulaic."

All four of these statements are woefully inaccurate and seem to stem from a lack of understanding of the genres.
  • Sure, there are plenty of cliches in country, but what genre isn't? Country is possibly the hardest songwriting genre to deal with, achieving success with the lyrics and story telling like the greats is incredibly difficult to do. Sure, lots of songs talk about pickup trucks, drinking beer on a Saturday night, girls in jeans, etc... but so many songs tell actual stories that paint vivid images in the listeners year. And the musicianship in the country world is top notch.... amazing guitar players, fiddle players, steel guitar players. etc.
  • Rap is really a poetry genre, albeit the content seems to be diving deeper and deeper into the worst parts of our cultural cesspools these days. Trap to me seems to be the worst, the content is often truly offensive. But, some rap songs have vocal melody hooks in the chorus. However, quality rappers are like country artists in that they tell great stories. This one I sort of agree with you on, but I understand why there is no melody. I tend to focus on the grooves underneath the rap, since hip hop/rap grooves are very popular on television today.
  • Jazz is not just a bunch of unrelated notes. In fact, the relationship between the notes is what makes jazz so difficult to play and to listen to if you are not educated in the style. Jazz improvisation is often about focusing on tension and release, how notes resolve to create a beautiful melody line that captures the listeners attention and creates various moods. And jazz is a broad term ranging from stride piano and dixieland, through big band swing, bebop, cool jazz, modal jazz, free jazz, electric jazz, smooth jazz and others. Now, if you are talking about late 1960s John Coltrane or Eric Dolphy, I can certainly appreciate your sentient, but even then the notes and sounds are all interrelated.
  • The blues is the basis of most modern music in America. Yes, there are formulas, there is a 12 bar blues, a 16 bar blues, and myriad variations of them. But ultimately the blues is about a feeling, telling a story without words. Listening to BB King or Stevie Ray Vaughan... gives me goosebumps and makes me smile.
So, what sort of music do you like to listen to? Classical? EDM? Metal? Curious to see what you consider to be "good." :)

PC
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Re: Country, Rap, Jazz, Blues

Post by Patrick » Tue Jun 01, 2021 4:43 am

Thank you both for the thoughtful replies!

I guess you're saying just because I don't understand something, doesn't mean it isn't good. I get that.

I like a ton of music from different areas...from Cat Stevens to Radiohead. John Denver was special. (I know he was country).

Taste in music is such a personal thing. I thought Coldplay was too moody, then they grew on me.

I don't consider myself to be much of a musician. I'm more of a songwriter.

You've given me lots to chew on!

Pat
Bad art can make you laugh
Good art can make you think
Great art can destroy you

- Me

(Did he just quote himself?? Yes! Yes I did!)

Patrick
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Re: Country, Rap, Jazz, Blues

Post by Patrick » Tue Jun 01, 2021 5:49 am

And feaker66...

It's so true. I've penned some stuff that I consider to be top drawer in my own mind, but only get 'mehs' from others who listen to it. But then something I've created which i feel is 'so-so' gets rave reviews.

Pat
Bad art can make you laugh
Good art can make you think
Great art can destroy you

- Me

(Did he just quote himself?? Yes! Yes I did!)

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