[78-L] Well EXCUUUUUUSE MEEEEE!!!

[Steven C. Barr]

From: "Kristjan Saag" <saag at telia.com>
> Steven C Barr wrote:
> > Note that I DIDN'T say that one sort of music is intrinsically 
> "better" than another / snip/
> > Music is inherently a matter of "taste"...and one/ snip
> > (if one is serious about one's "likes > and dislikes"...?!) cannot 
> justify say that "this music"
> > is somehow inherently superior to "that music"...!
> ---
> I agree with your conclusion, Steve, but I'm afraid you don't always 
> live up to it in your comments
> about different kinds of music. The "content" vs "blah" distinction is 
> just one example. Being one
> who like easy listening music, I don't like my taste to be associated 
> with "blah",
> 
Well, I don't think (I hope!) that I have ever commented to the effect
that the recorded works of Mantovani (et al) are in ANY way inferior
to those of, for example, Duke Ellington...?! I just happen (as do most
of us on 78-L?!) to prefer listening to Ellington over Mantovani or
the 101 Strings...! Also, "blah" merely expresses my opinion of "easy
listening" music...as a working (well, I once was!) musician, I hear
nothing that either interests me, or inspires in me any desire to
try and recreate it...?!

If there is any music which could claim some intrinsic "superiority,"
it would probably be the classical music of the 19th/20th century! It
is indeed much more complicated...and requires more ability from
its players...?! OTOH, the music which I perform and enjoy hearing
is Blues....which is generally based on a 12-bar, 3-chord structure!
The challenge in blues is to express emtional content while soloing
within the simple structure (and will admit that there are others
who do much better at this...?!)!

Steven C. Barr