Settling For OK

[apolla]

Something occurred to me, not for the first time, while thinking about this James Blunt dude. I've been unable to decide whether he's the 'new Cat Stevens', a musical genius in training or if he's just another jumped up twonk who thinks he's brilliant but is in fact, just as mediocre as everyone else.

Then I realised what my problem was. If he were a musical genius in training, or if he were the 'new Cat Stevens', there would be no question. I've never, ever liked Mickey Rooney, but he did get one thing right- talking in That's Entertainment, he said that true talent stands out amongst the rest. He was talking about Judy Garland, but he could've been talking about any of the greats. He of course, is and always has been, a mediocre talent.

But you know, I'd have to think about it, but I'd make Mickey Rooney my all-singin', all-dancin', all-irritatin' screensaver over anything to do with Britney/X-Tina/Jessica/Kasabian/Whatever. These are the middle ground, the safe option. None too sexy, none too hard. Nothing that could offend MTV's all-important 12-year-old audience. Nothing to offend the little-minded fools that populate Middle America and Middle Britain. Nothing to rock the boat. God forbid that music should touch upon difficult themes or ideas! Heavens forfend that music should make a person think, should challenge a generation or shake it from its nonchalance!

If James Blunt were a rock and roll god, I'd know about it. I've seen too many greats and too many fools to have trouble telling the difference. You know what the problem is these days? Telling the difference between dire and merely mediocre. There is nothing in mainstream popular music right now to set the world alight. Nothing. The occasional bar band might enlighten their audience, but that's too localised an experience to count for anyone aside from that group of people. There is nobody on a national or international scale right now.

I've been told more than once and by more than one person this week that Robbie Williams is 'very good' and 'oh, he's a great entertainer'. He is neither of these things. He as, at best, a basic singer and hides behind arrogance instead of being genuinely entertaining. Do people really think he's any good, or have they just got used to expecting less than they used to be.

I know a lot of people who hate the Doors. They can't stand Jim Morrison, but even they don't deny the power he had and continues to have, as a rock and roll icon. They might not like his music, but they accept and even respect his effect on the world. I know a lot of people who don't like Led Zeppelin, but wouldn't dream to suggest they were anything approaching mediocre. These guys inspire such strong and polarised opinions from the world entirely because they are anything BUT mediocre! You simply cannot stay neutral when it comes to greatness- it either brings you hope of a great new world or it makes you want to destroy the world!

There's always been dire or mediocre music before. Always been nonsense in the charts. Anyone remember Joe Dolce or Rene and Renata? Anyone remember Baltimora or the thousands of one hit wonders from the days of yore? Problem is, they're all one-hit wonders now. That or they're cretins that fill stadiums for writing unbelievably dull bed-wetter music like Dido or the Kings of Middle Class, Middle Talent, Middle Everything, Coldplay. There is nothing controversial about Dido, nothing difficult and nothing outstanding at all.

Please, dear people, do not settle for 'just ok'. Please do not accept mediocrity for anything more than it is. Find the music that makes your heart sing and your soul soar. Find the music good enough to make your entire being feel whole at last. Find it and hold onto it for dear life, because the imitators and the Less Thans will not do those things. The Less Thans cannot change the world- they cannot even change YOUR world.

Comments

[annearchy.livejournal.com]

Preaching to the choir, babe, preaching to the choir:)

[cadey.livejournal.com]

Psst. I'm up for changing the world if you are.