Of course passion has a place in music, I'm simply saying it's an overrated concept especially when people think it's the be-all end all of musical merit, when music's merit should really be judged by, you know, the actual musical aspects.

oh, the hypocrisy is killing me

I think Bowie actually sounds more emotional in his...later years? Everything after the '90s. That being said, his early '70s output is some of the best rock music ever recorded. Although, Ziggy's appeal is 50% Bowie 50% Ronson ("Moonage Daydream" hoo lawdy). I get what Tudwell is saying, to a certain extent, even though "Five Years" and "Changes" kind of prove him wrong, but Bowie's music isn't about heart-on-the-sleeve passion or whatever. It's about competence, arrangements, songwriting, and most important, it's about David Bowie. There are certain artists where their personality alone (Bowie, PJ Harvey, a lot of hip hop artists, etc) can carry a song, or in some cases an entire album. I guess it just depends on whether you buy into that or not. But what I want you to do Tudzy is to give a close listen to Ziggy. Get high quality mp3s or vinyls or whatever you do and spend some time with it.

So having idiosyncratic lyrics = going nowhere.

he wants to play the detached, ironizing observer and also be a moving songwriter at the same time, and it just doesn't work. He's trying to go in different directions at once and as a result goes nowhere.

some more:


Tom Waits' music is better than The Beatles. no

Ani DiFranco is a better lyricist than Bob Dylan. no opinion

Bob Dylan is a better songwriter and performer than he is a lyricist. possibly

Illmatic isn't that good. and neither is Nas as a whole. the following emcees/lyricsts are all more fun to listen to: Mos Def, Redman, Big L, Eminem, Common, Talib Kweli, Big Pun. no opinion

80s Crimson > 70s Crimson false

Chris Cornell was a terrible songwriter. his vocal melodies are the equivalent of snails moving through mud with anvils strapped to their backs (with no shoes, nigga) with you completely

Pet Sounds is really good for like a year after you get over the fact that, as a teenager, you thought The Beach Boys sucked (despite not knowing anything about them) but then you realized they didn't. but after that year, it really isn't all that fun to listen to anymore. false

You know who's boring? Grizzly Bear.

"Style over substance" is a criticism I hate with a passion... except when I can use it to describe music I don't like and then it's ok.

So having idiosyncratic lyrics = going nowhere.

Ok man, just make that indie folk album you always wanted to make about jerking off to pics of girls in your high school yearbook before crying yourself to sleep so we can hear what true songwriting is.