Pop Music
1. Pearl Jam* sucks. There is really nothing to their music. Just vocals and a guitar (okay, fine, drums and a bass, too). This kind of simplicity in music can be really effective. Consider, for example, Jorge Drexler (de hecho, he has a song called "Guitarra y Voz" (guitar and voice)) or even Norah Jones: great vocals, thoughtful lyrics, compelling (but simple) melodies. In contrast, Pearl Jam suffers from Eddie Vedder's vocals, bad lyrics, and bland (though also simple) melodies.
2. Sufjian Stevens* kicks ass. His arrangements are FANTASTIC. It's not often you get to hear orchestrated pieces integrated with choral harmonies and a nice top line on the top 40 station. I haven't listened to the album I have (got it for Xmas from HeidiB - thanks!) enough to know all of the lyrics, so I can't really comment on their depth or value. BUT, even if they're terrible, he's at worst in the same category as the Beatles. The Beatles had great music, and especially by their late period (1966-1969), the orchestrations and accompaniments were much more than the guitar-guitar2-bass-drums (though they often carried that off quite well, too). Consider Eleanor Rigby (double string quartet) or... the entire Abbey Road album. But if you stop and listen to the words, a lot of them are just stupid. Or likely only make sense if you're high. Really high.
*The purpose in comparing these two seemingly disparate musicfolk is to illustrate a comparison of emotional expression. Both Pearl Jam and Sufjian Stevens have a LOT of feelings.
2. Sufjian Stevens* kicks ass. His arrangements are FANTASTIC. It's not often you get to hear orchestrated pieces integrated with choral harmonies and a nice top line on the top 40 station. I haven't listened to the album I have (got it for Xmas from HeidiB - thanks!) enough to know all of the lyrics, so I can't really comment on their depth or value. BUT, even if they're terrible, he's at worst in the same category as the Beatles. The Beatles had great music, and especially by their late period (1966-1969), the orchestrations and accompaniments were much more than the guitar-guitar2-bass-drums (though they often carried that off quite well, too). Consider Eleanor Rigby (double string quartet) or... the entire Abbey Road album. But if you stop and listen to the words, a lot of them are just stupid. Or likely only make sense if you're high. Really high.
*The purpose in comparing these two seemingly disparate musicfolk is to illustrate a comparison of emotional expression. Both Pearl Jam and Sufjian Stevens have a LOT of feelings.