The Big Sellout

**fat_fleet** · 12-25-2012

Yeah I thought the whole MJ thing was a media crucifixion myself.

**RJMJ87** · 12-25-2012

OMG, I LOVE Michael Jackson! He could do no wrong in my eyes! He's my musical idol (so don't talk bad about him OR ELSE! haha jk). Imo, his later works were his best as he rebelled against the "system," and I love EVERY song of his, whereas I can't say the same about any other artist.

**rayc** · 12-25-2012

Whacko Jacko was a perfect case of too much money & fame meets no one game to say you've lost it. I really don't like anything he did after he stopped being an early teen Jackson. I can undertand why it was popular, be amazed at the craft/graft/innovation/regurgitation but just didn't like it.

Miller's early work was way better - & Scaggs was good with him too (didn't like sophisticated Boz at all) as was Leon Russell's early work. Particularly carni - recorded in a caravan or something.

Queen's work up until Races (& coincidentally their use of synths) was good rock with pompous rock but it translated well in my ears. After that they were too concerned with being pop in all senses of the word except the art sense.

Elvis costello's 1st 8 were simply great but it's been cherry picking since then and most def not at all since his 3rd marriage.

And so it goes. Eras/styles/motivation/popularity/insularity all have an affect on the listener given that there are a whole pile of personal biases that go with it.

Beatles? Well, Pepper's was amazing in many ways but the Music Hall lifts & pastiche's didn't convince me even back then. I liked them when they rocked & popped or were really running ahead of the pack.

I probably sold out last year when I wrote and recorded three songs that were definitley rooted in classic rock - way distant from what I listen to and normally write/record but the collaborations simply took the songs in that direction & they ended up really quite good albiet not what I would normally gravitate towards.

**Chili** · 12-25-2012

EDIT: Maybe my comments were over the top... :rolleyes. I think I sucked the life out of this thread.

Now, back on topic. I think Van Halen fits into what you're saying. They started out great then went through so many line-up changes. Enough to make your head spin. And their music suffered because of it. Never really listened to them again after they brought on Cherone.

**moresound** · 12-25-2012

Many of the *One Hit Wonders* fit this bill.

**fat_fleet** · 12-26-2012

Originally Posted by rayc

...
Miller's early work was way better - & Scaggs was good with him too (didn't like sophisticated Boz at all) as was Leon Russell's early work. Particularly carni - recorded in a caravan or something.

I probably sold out last year when I wrote and recorded three songs that were definitley rooted in classic rock - way distant from what I listen to and normally write/record but the collaborations simply took the songs in that direction & they ended up really quite good albiet not what I would normally gravitate towards.

I'll definitely check that Miller stuff out. The only song I know by Boz Scaggs is Lido Shuffle which is pretty rank. I thought it was Elton John for decades. I wouldn't mind hearing your "classic rock" tunage. Did you post em here?

Originally Posted by Chili

EDIT: Maybe my comments were over the top... :rolleyes. I think I sucked the life out of this thread.

Now, back on topic. I think Van Halen fits into what you're saying. They started out great then went through so many line-up changes. Enough to make your head spin. And their music suffered because of it. Never really listened to them again after they brought on Cherone.

I caught those comments, Chili, and didn't think they were too over the top. I've definitely heard people say similar things. I'm no MJ fan and have no sympathy for child molesters but his whole quality of life was something you'd see in the tabloids all the time and it often just made me sad...like without all the weird sexual predator stuff it was already the kind of life you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy. I didn't follow the trial that closely but just thought it must suck to be the focus of so much negative attention.

Yeah Van Halen jumped like 1000 sharks. I was 11 and into hair metal when 1984 came out and that felt like a sellout, I guess just because Warner Bros. pushed Jump and Hot For Teacher so hard and they crossed over onto MTV then. Years later I was able to dig that album, but still think they peaked a lot earlier.

**heatmiser** · 12-26-2012

I don't know if it's a by product of selling out, but don't all bands that stick around long enough decline? I can't think of any that just kept getting better and better...?

But yeah, I guess I have felt that way about almost every band I liked. At some point, they sounded cheesey as if they were selling out. I never really cared about their motivations or anything, but it always seemed like the music would get more elaborate and produced and commercial sounding until the essence of what drew me to them in the first place was all but lost.

**rayc** · 12-26-2012

flat_feet,
I did post the "classic rock", (not my description but applied by a few people and one I've now come to accept as being as valid as anything else), tracks in the MP3 Mixing Clinic but here they are in chronological order with the links going to the 3 in reasonable MP3 quality:
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/26003421/Th...ster_v1-00.mp3
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/26003421/Ha...ster_v1-00.mp3
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/26003421/MS...%20MIX%202.mp3
Recorded in collaboration with GregL, Ido1975 and JoeyM.
Let me know if the tag fits.