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Originally Posted by Anxiety
I know a lot of people who share that opinion. They say that they don't like Group X because they don't write their own music, etc. I tell them that the real reason they don't like Group X is because they don't like Group X's music, not because of the group not writing their own music, that's just an excuse. They usually agree with me.
So, the best cello player in the world who plays Beethoven, the best violinist playing Stravinsky, the best trumpeters playing Gershwin, that's music you hate? But if that celloist wrote the song you'd like it? I doubt that, I think that it's just you don't like the brand of music.
I do hate it when a band or artist does a cover of a song and tries to be as close to the original as possible - that's not originality as all. How ho hum. So we can agree on that, at least. But I love it when a band or artist takes a song, twists it, and interprets it completely differently than before (See Rammstein's version of Depeche Mode's "Stripped" or Johnny Cash's version of NIN's "Hole" as examples of taking a song and completely changing it around).
-Anxiety
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I guess I should rephrase - I don't hate the
music, I dislike
artists who decide the only way they can be successful is to perform other people's music. It has absolutely nothing to do with the type or style of music; it has everything to do with creativity.
As far as classical music, I don't hate the music, but I don't have much respect for people who do nothing with their obvious talent but play someone else's music. I grew up playing piano, and after 15 years I could play some pretty complex stuff, but I quit when I realized that was all I could do, because I didn't want to be
one of them. Again, it's got nothing to do with the music, because I played it for years and enjoyed it (although I didn't, and don't, listen to it otherwise).
I don't have a problem with cover songs
per se. Really, my only objection is when an artist uses other people's music to make themselves successful. I just don't respect bands like Orgy or Alien Ant Farm or the Fugees or P Puff Diddy Daddy or Michael Bolton, "artists" who make themselves successful by covering songs that were already hits. Gee, how tough is that? How legitimate do you have to be to make a #1 song #1 again? However, I enjoy hearing covers by bands when they are thrown in on an album, or as part of a tribute or even as part of a themed CD of covers showing that artist's influences. To me, there's a legitimate reason for those types of covers aside from the "well we can't write a hit, so let's record someone else's and release it so we can have a hit and be known." Or, artists who have someone write everything they record, because they can't do much else but dance and sing. It's called Las Vegas - go open for Liza if that's what you want to do.
BUt as far as your main point goes - that I don't like the music, rather than the artist - you're wrong. I have equal disdain for artists who do this kind of thing, be it metal, rock, pop, country, whatever. Now, you will find more of this happening in pop music, and I certainly don't like the Britney Spears-type crap, but I'd hate that stuff even if she wrote every song and played every instrument on her albums. I would have quite a bit more respect for her, though, than I do right now.