Daniel MorrowSelling Out or Maturing: The Difference
May 30th 2008 13:34
OK, what is with all the fuss about bands doing something different?
It seems to be that every time a band decides to take their new album in a different direction that it is greeted with cries of "sell out". We're talking Korn, we're talking Slipknot, we're talking ICP, we're talking Kid Rock, we're talking (hed) PE, and of course we're talking Metallica.
For the sake of an example, I'll use Metallica. This is a band that has copped flack on more than one occasion for "selling out". Have they really?
The Black Album:
When this album came out, many of the band's hardcore fans accused the band of selling out. Let's examine things a little deeper shall we? After they lost Cliff Burton in 1986, they pretty much found a replacement within a couple of months, finished the tour, and went into the studio to record "...And Justice for All" and then went on the road for another tour. So lets recap. They lost a very very close friend, someone who they had worked and lived with for years, and then they took next to no time for closure, then replaced him and threw themselves at work to try and block out the pain.
When it came time for the next album, they actually took some time and a new approach to writing and recording, in no small part thanks to their new producer, Bob Rock. They wrote an album of songs that they liked and were proud enough of to share with everyone else. Simply because the songs were different from what they had done before was no justification for being accused of selling out. They simply experimented with a new direction.
Load & ReLoad:
Again, all they did was take things in another new direction. They did what THEY wanted to do simply because THEY wanted to do it. But once again we see them being greeted with accusations of selling out.
St. Anger:
Again. New approach to writing. New sound, new musical direction.
Now at no time during ANY of this did they sell out. As I understand it, for them to have sold out would have involved them selling their songs to countless corporations for advertising purposes and, using their leverage as one of the biggest bands in the world, made themselves stupid amounts of money in the process.
They didn't.
If you want to accuse anyone of selling out, I'd start with these bands that write disposable, forgettable pop-rock according to all the rules of what makes a 'good' song, and then sell the song for advertising for a pittance because they have no negotiating power. These bands whose songs are referred to as "The song from that iPod commercial" or "Thats the one from the car ad". These bands are the true definition of sell outs. They are in it for the money and nothing more, no matter what they say.
And you know what? It honestly wouldn't piss me off so much if they would just admit it. But they have the gall to sit there with their side-fringe hanging over their eyes and their tight pants cutting off circulation to their legs saying "Well, we just write what we feel, and we're glad that people enjoy it".
Ok, time for me to take a breath and put an end to this rant.
Feel free to comment.
Peace,
Dan
It seems to be that every time a band decides to take their new album in a different direction that it is greeted with cries of "sell out". We're talking Korn, we're talking Slipknot, we're talking ICP, we're talking Kid Rock, we're talking (hed) PE, and of course we're talking Metallica.
For the sake of an example, I'll use Metallica. This is a band that has copped flack on more than one occasion for "selling out". Have they really?
The Black Album:
When this album came out, many of the band's hardcore fans accused the band of selling out. Let's examine things a little deeper shall we? After they lost Cliff Burton in 1986, they pretty much found a replacement within a couple of months, finished the tour, and went into the studio to record "...And Justice for All" and then went on the road for another tour. So lets recap. They lost a very very close friend, someone who they had worked and lived with for years, and then they took next to no time for closure, then replaced him and threw themselves at work to try and block out the pain.
When it came time for the next album, they actually took some time and a new approach to writing and recording, in no small part thanks to their new producer, Bob Rock. They wrote an album of songs that they liked and were proud enough of to share with everyone else. Simply because the songs were different from what they had done before was no justification for being accused of selling out. They simply experimented with a new direction.
Load & ReLoad:
Again, all they did was take things in another new direction. They did what THEY wanted to do simply because THEY wanted to do it. But once again we see them being greeted with accusations of selling out.
St. Anger:
Again. New approach to writing. New sound, new musical direction.
Now at no time during ANY of this did they sell out. As I understand it, for them to have sold out would have involved them selling their songs to countless corporations for advertising purposes and, using their leverage as one of the biggest bands in the world, made themselves stupid amounts of money in the process.
They didn't.
If you want to accuse anyone of selling out, I'd start with these bands that write disposable, forgettable pop-rock according to all the rules of what makes a 'good' song, and then sell the song for advertising for a pittance because they have no negotiating power. These bands whose songs are referred to as "The song from that iPod commercial" or "Thats the one from the car ad". These bands are the true definition of sell outs. They are in it for the money and nothing more, no matter what they say.
And you know what? It honestly wouldn't piss me off so much if they would just admit it. But they have the gall to sit there with their side-fringe hanging over their eyes and their tight pants cutting off circulation to their legs saying "Well, we just write what we feel, and we're glad that people enjoy it".
Ok, time for me to take a breath and put an end to this rant.
Feel free to comment.
Peace,
Dan
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Metal Beats
One of the worst offenders of selling out would be Aussie band Jet. It seems that every other single they release is being used to advertise SOMETHING.