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Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84 exptools; site laidbak.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!laidbak!chris
From: chris@laidbak.UUCP (Chris Granner)
Newsgroups: net.music
Subject: Re: Instrumental vs. vocal popular music
Message-ID: <221@laidbak.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 26-Sep-85 00:33:17 EDT
Article-I.D.: laidbak.221
Posted: Thu Sep 26 00:33:17 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 28-Sep-85 04:44:28 EDT
References: <1477@brl-tgr.ARPA>
Reply-To: chris@laidbak.UUCP (Chris Granner)
Organization: LAI Chicago
Lines: 45

>I contend that most vocal popular music, especially rock, would be
>better music, and more enjoyable, if it was instrumental only.

I was going to reply, 

"Au Contraire!!  the only thing that saves pop music is the lyrics!" 

and then, 

"Why restrict it to popular music?  Why should the divas at the Met 
get to sing trashy, schmaltzy lyrics by obscure 19th century poets 
and librettists, either -- especially the ones who vibratto the lyrics
to death?"

Having come to my senses while laidbak got around to putting me into
an editor for preparing this posting:

Sweeping Generality: most pop music lyrics are trashy, shallow and
un-original.  Notable exceptions include <fill in your list of
notable exceptions to the above Sweeping Generality>.  Where would
<yourlist[n]> be without the lyrics?

The value of a song (whether from opera, leider, chanson, musical, or
top-40 radio) is directly proportional to the degree to which the
music and the text represent a collaboration (perhaps asynchronous)
between composer and poet.  The same is true of the value of any
multi-media presentation (the song is the Ur-multi-media artform, if you
will).  Notable examples include:

	The two Cantatas by Anton Webern/Hildegaard Jone
	The Brecht/Weill musicals
	Almost all of Harry Partch's material which includes text
	"Ballad" by Sal Martirano
	Many of Frank Sinatra's songs (esp. "One More for the Road")
	Genesis: "The Battle of Epping Forest", "Musical Box",
		most of "Lamb"
	
I fear that the vast majority of "quality songs" (as defined above)
never made the charts with the bullet... but I'd be interested in
lists by others on the net. What ho?  What I'm mainly looking for
is the way and the extent to which the collaboration is evident.

-cg (...!ihnp4!laidbak!chris)

hail eris						all hail discordia


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