[78-L] Liberace--was: Well EXCUUUUUUSE MEEEEE!!! ^

[David Lennick]

On 9/17/2010 11:46 PM, Steven C. Barr wrote:
> From: "David Lennick"<dlennick at sympatico.ca>
>> On 9/16/2010 11:30 PM, Ken Matheson wrote:
>>>        It is not good to look down on someones choice of music. However
>>> most people tend to do it. The only statement a person on this list
>>> or off should make about someone elses choice of music, should be
>>> "I prefer a different kind of music.". All music is a good choice for
>>> someone
>>> out there.
>> Meanwhile, over on another list, some low-born cretins were defending
>> Liberace.
>> %$#@ them, I say, and the horse they rode in on.
>>
> The bitter reality is that Liberace was a couple of decades shy of the "Gay
> Liberation Era?!" OTOH, he may well have been fully aware of that
> situation...
> and happily merchandised his "outrageous" personality for all it might
> be worth...?!
>
> The ACTUAL question (which I lack the knowledge to answer?!) is this:
> HOW well did Liberace rank as a pop-music pianist?!
>
> Comment ca va?!
>
> Steven C. Barr
>

As far as I'm concerned, absolutely appalling. He played all the notes (and 
gazillions of them there were), and as he once famously said on Johnny Carson's 
show in 1964, he played "in the cracks", but everything about him and his music 
makes me to retch. He made a serious Chopin album which proved nothing. Bear in 
mind that I also loathe Roger Williams, Ferrante & Teicher after they got away 
from their really creative stuff which didn't sell, Bill Snyder who plays like 
Jonathan Edwards (Paul Weston) without trying to be funny, and Eddy Duchin.

But people said he put on a great show. Apparently so does Celine Dion, another 
person for whom I'd chew off my arm if I could escape from the sound of her 
voice. Why does "...puts on a great show" make up for an absolute lack of 
talent and taste?

dl