Cheesiness in music

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I think cheesy music is ok if it has enough qualitites apart from the cheesiness. Do you?

― man, Saturday, 23 November 2002 00:22 (twenty-three years ago)

You run a student club night, don't you?

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Saturday, 23 November 2002 00:24 (twenty-three years ago)

I have no problem with cheesiness.

― Chewshabadoo (Chewshabadoo), Saturday, 23 November 2002 01:24 (twenty-three years ago)

What I want to know is where he got that dot-man domain.

― Nate Patrin (Nate Patrin), Saturday, 23 November 2002 01:29 (twenty-three years ago)

Isn't the cheesy sound of the music part of the reason progrock and new romantic don't have much 'cred'?

― man, Saturday, 23 November 2002 01:52 (twenty-three years ago)

define a cheesy sound. is it full of holes? or rich and creamy?

― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Saturday, 23 November 2002 04:08 (twenty-three years ago)

where do you apply for cred?

― keith (keithmcl), Saturday, 23 November 2002 04:22 (twenty-three years ago)

They send you applications in the mail. Look for ones with "0% INTEREST" on the envelope in huge garish typeface. (directly below that in smaller letters it will say 'in foppy synth stuff')

― Nate Patrin (Nate Patrin), Saturday, 23 November 2002 06:32 (twenty-three years ago)

Reverb = Cheese

― Tom Millar (Millar), Saturday, 23 November 2002 06:53 (twenty-three years ago)

um, cheese...

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Saturday, 23 November 2002 11:59 (twenty-three years ago)

Is this another list thread? "Swiss Cheese Back" (Flyin Fucken A-Heads), "Kraf Dinner" (Annihilator)

― dave q, Saturday, 23 November 2002 12:22 (twenty-three years ago)

Reverb = Cheese

piffle

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Sunday, 24 November 2002 23:51 (twenty-three years ago)

nine months pass...

Does 'cheesy' denote a certain irreverence for the music, a sense of fun? Is that an acceptable definition?

Why the word 'cheese' anyway? What made that word so appropriate to describe this strange thing that you can have too much of, but also too little of, in music?

― colin s barrow (colin s barrow), Wednesday, 27 August 2003 03:56 (twenty-two years ago)

It does generally seem to imply a certain level of conventionality, a conformity to a set of aesthetic norms re form - maybe even without the substance - usually, basically, to a set of norms that doesn't appeal to the speaker.

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Wednesday, 27 August 2003 04:58 (twenty-two years ago)

Cheesy

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Wednesday, 27 August 2003 05:06 (twenty-two years ago)

This one, too, for examples -

Now That's What I Call Cheesy Music ...Vol.1

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Wednesday, 27 August 2003 05:08 (twenty-two years ago)

and more:

big cheesy inspirational songs you find yourself inspired by despite your better judgment
Best cheesy House/Techno songs?

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Wednesday, 27 August 2003 05:09 (twenty-two years ago)

sundar I think I agree with what you're saying, as far as you go. But there are gamelan anklung forms that don't appeal to me, though I don't think they're cheesy. And there are D.C. hardcore forms—very codified—that don't appeal to me. But still, something about what you said makes sense.

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Wednesday, 27 August 2003 05:17 (twenty-two years ago)

That first link, Tracer, convinves me that everything to be said on this matter has already been said. We have the full range of plausible definitions there. However, if the question, why the word 'cheese' and not some other word to denote this stuff, ie, what is it about cheese, the food, that evokes this kind of thing, has been answered, then I could not find that answer.

― colin s barrow (colin s barrow), Wednesday, 27 August 2003 05:27 (twenty-two years ago)

Yes, okay sorry I didn't read your first thing properly! I'd be interested to know if other languages actually use their words for "cheese" to describe this. "Sugary" doesn't quite get it across. If not, maybe this strange quantity is strictly an Anglo-American phenomenon?

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Wednesday, 27 August 2003 05:33 (twenty-two years ago)

Or rather, the receptors we've developed to suss it out are Anglo-American?

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Wednesday, 27 August 2003 05:34 (twenty-two years ago)

I think maybe also those conventions need to seem stale - with the examples given, prog and synthpop were everywhere for a while so their eventually-codified conventions became very familiar whereas unless you're a fan, gamelan or underground hardcore conventions haven't became so over-familiar even if you don't like them.

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Wednesday, 27 August 2003 19:52 (twenty-two years ago)

Would it make sense to describe cloyingly sentimental, conventional musical ideas as cheesy if you had the mental image of, say, camembert or stilton, rather, than, say, Kraft singles?

Or is there something about cheese, the food, that transcends high and low quality, and makes it peculiarly appropriate to descibe such music (as it does seem oddly appropriate, more so than 'sugary', as Tracer points out)? Something to do with the combination of fat, saltiness and bite? Or the colour?

― colin s barrow (colin s barrow), Wednesday, 27 August 2003 21:49 (twenty-two years ago)

I think 'cheesy' originally had more of an element of distaste to it, equating to the pungent smell of some types of cheese. Over time it has become more of a gentle, possibly affectionate, criticism so the link with an unpleasant cheese smell has been lost.

― David (David), Wednesday, 27 August 2003 22:06 (twenty-two years ago)

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