As the blurb says, ''This blog is a collaboration between Peter D and Kevin T .........'' although lately it is only Peter who has been keeping his end up. A combination of factors have combined to keep me away from our beloved blog, and it's Peter, liberally sprinkling ten out of tens to Johnny Cash, who is marching on with his alphabetical trawl through his entire CD collection. I do sometimes fear for his sanity, although he appears to have the stamina of a pack horse, musically speaking of course.
Peter's comments on the Rage Against the Machine v some little lad who can hold a tune and won a talent contest on the telly, for Christmas number one, makes interesting reading. I would have trouble explaining this anti - X Factor Britain's got Idol Celebrity Squares response to people here in Chile, as firstly I don't know the Spanish for 'Rage', and secondly nobody buys singles. Personally, I would like to see RATM at number one in the UK for Christmas. I think that would be splendid. They are rich, and are shouty, which often is not a great combination (small, shouty and rich would be a worse combination, or possibly small, shouty, rich and French would be really bad), although they do seem to back up their beliefs with action, particularly de la Rocha and his involvement with the EZLN in Mexico. I know this might upset Peter on Christmas day, possibly even causing him some mild heartburn, or a shaky hand for his 10am sherry, but Simon Cowell represents to me something far more evil than the hijacking of the nonsense of the UK top 40 - namely, how can you get so rich and famous by being mean?
It sounds like a simpleton statement, and don't get me wrong as there is always a place for mean, but Cowell has polished the meanness, dishes it out tactlessly, and cannot walk the talk. Of course, there are great football managers who never kicked a ball, military strategists who don't know one end of a rifle from the other, and so on. But Cowell is not in the same category as a tactical genius. He may well give a platform to people who deserve a chance at success, but he has institutionalised being nasty and turned it into acceptable TV viewing, as well as going on to often stifle the artists he seemingly champions. Someone in his position won't be bothered by an internet campaign to stifle his latest million making plaything, but 'Fuck you I won't do what you tell me' would be a healthy response to his dumbing down of talent and over-simplistic approach to people expressing themselves through music.
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I like what you are saying, you see if there was a chart battle, I would like it to be a real chart battle and not one that was manufactured by an intern at Sony BMG, the label both of these records are released on. I would like a chart battle with swords, Leo Sayer and a claymore, Jackson Browne and a rapier or a bazooka even. But mainly I would like a chart battle between 2 records that really were genuinely loved and not the result of two well orchestrated campaigns. Of course there is the irony of RATM song being took up as an anthem to individualism and then everyone falling into line in fashion.
ReplyDeleteEarly reports suggest that RATM are dicking the weird geordie wonderkid. His response come chart run down day may be something along the lines of Arse.