just to let y'all know...
the term "Pop," when pertaining to music, is not meant to demean or lower the effect or power of the: music, lyrics, performances, production, originality, songwriting, musicality, or expression of sincere (or insincere) emotions.
The term "Pop" is also used to describe bands, not songs alone (typically)
Some of the best performances, bands, and albums are pop albums:
Ben Folds Five's Whatever and Ever Amen is pop,
and sure it pulls influences from jazz, klezmer, vaudeville, classical music, and hair metal,
but some of Ben Fold's biggest influences are Elton John (pop,) Billy Joel (pop,) and Cole Porter (jazz, the original pop music.) And structurally, the album pulls heavily from classical composition, with multiple "bridges" and passages that repeat throughout the song. Those songs are 6+ minutes, but the album is still a pop album, and still an incredible album from one of the most incredible songwriters of the 1990's.
Andre 3000's The Love Below is pop
and sure it is played on hip-hop and rap stations, but "Hey-ya" for example is driven solely by a pop-punk 2/4 beat and a freaking acoustic guitar! And speaking of wierd shit inan album, that album has it all! Norah Jones cameos, incredible jazz soloists on practically every track, and an almost complete lack of any typical example of "Rap" vocals.
what an album though.
An on the opposite spectrum, an undeniable album from an artist whose brilliance is easily equal to someone like, oh, i don't know, jeff tweedy, but whos career has been more influential to all of us sample/sound/production nerds....
BECK's Midnight Vultures
an absolute dance party of a pop album, but a pop album nonetheless. An album that mixes old skool and new school funk, with hip-hop, rock, and SOUNDS!! Beck's use of random, atonal samples and found sounds can completely confuse the typical listener whose mind is bent on avoiding using conventional labels (like the term "Pop") and attaching it to anything as "Out" as this album.
Until it is fully realized that pop music is how the music is played, not what radio station is it played on,
we will allways hate eachother
but i still love you
andrew
next time, a REAL album review!
The term "Pop" is also used to describe bands, not songs alone (typically)
Some of the best performances, bands, and albums are pop albums:
Ben Folds Five's Whatever and Ever Amen is pop,
and sure it pulls influences from jazz, klezmer, vaudeville, classical music, and hair metal,
but some of Ben Fold's biggest influences are Elton John (pop,) Billy Joel (pop,) and Cole Porter (jazz, the original pop music.) And structurally, the album pulls heavily from classical composition, with multiple "bridges" and passages that repeat throughout the song. Those songs are 6+ minutes, but the album is still a pop album, and still an incredible album from one of the most incredible songwriters of the 1990's.
Andre 3000's The Love Below is pop
and sure it is played on hip-hop and rap stations, but "Hey-ya" for example is driven solely by a pop-punk 2/4 beat and a freaking acoustic guitar! And speaking of wierd shit inan album, that album has it all! Norah Jones cameos, incredible jazz soloists on practically every track, and an almost complete lack of any typical example of "Rap" vocals.
what an album though.
An on the opposite spectrum, an undeniable album from an artist whose brilliance is easily equal to someone like, oh, i don't know, jeff tweedy, but whos career has been more influential to all of us sample/sound/production nerds....
BECK's Midnight Vultures
an absolute dance party of a pop album, but a pop album nonetheless. An album that mixes old skool and new school funk, with hip-hop, rock, and SOUNDS!! Beck's use of random, atonal samples and found sounds can completely confuse the typical listener whose mind is bent on avoiding using conventional labels (like the term "Pop") and attaching it to anything as "Out" as this album.
Until it is fully realized that pop music is how the music is played, not what radio station is it played on,
we will allways hate eachother
but i still love you
andrew
next time, a REAL album review!