Britain vs America: round 5,324

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

"British rock comes out of art schools and universities. It is music of ideas, with originality and vision often admired above musicianship. It is forged in the glare of the merciless British music press. In a small country, with a limited live circuit and almost claustrophobic media, bands have to be very strong to survive, and very brilliant to flourish.

"US rock, by contrast, is forged on the road. In a huge country with an enormous population, American bands tour relentlessly, learning their skills in front of live audiences. It can result in very high levels of musical ability, but it is also a recipe for creating highly accomplished, road warrior showbands who pander to the lowest common denominator."

In full [may require registration]: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2005/04/16/bmfron16.xml

Any thoughts?

― se3_uk (se3_uk), Saturday, 16 April 2005 11:24 (twenty years ago)

1. this is only about rock. thereby missing out on a lot of stuff

2. many us bands came to england to make it, rather than slog on long tours

3. british rock music is very poor at the moment

4. american rock bands are more popular in britain at the moment than at any point in the last 10 years (or, at least, american rock - post-strokes, is trendy)

5. if 2 straw men fight each other, who will clean out the stable?

― charltonlido (gareth), Saturday, 16 April 2005 12:23 (twenty years ago)

Any thoughts?

other than "wow, the telegraph is a terrible newspaper these days" or "zzz zzz zzz"? no.

― grimly fiendish (grimlord), Saturday, 16 April 2005 12:23 (twenty years ago)

well, that too

― charltonlido (gareth), Saturday, 16 April 2005 12:28 (twenty years ago)

The writer should have done some research into the difference between how easy it is for a small american band to play in the uk or ec, and how easy it is for a british small band to play in the us, specifically what obstacles will officialdom make you jump through? There is a story there, for the writer who cares to look into it.

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Saturday, 16 April 2005 12:37 (twenty years ago)

It also ignores that one of the reasons that "indie" has traditionally been a lot bigger in the UK than in the US is because England is much much smaller as a country than America, and therefore easier to tour, thus easier to build up a fanbase.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Saturday, 16 April 2005 14:43 (twenty years ago)

oasis was built on passion and substance?

― keith m (keithmcl), Saturday, 16 April 2005 15:28 (twenty years ago)

Substances, definitely.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Saturday, 16 April 2005 15:30 (twenty years ago)

yes, oasis was ALL passion. that was the substance itself, this holy reverance for Noel Gallagher's own personal cannon. i mean, what else is "cigarettes and alcohol" but theft as high art, or a theft of high art. the relationship is interchangable.

but i agree, this understanding of oasis is only critical, as in not the view of them held by 90% of their fans.

― JD from CDepot, Saturday, 16 April 2005 17:45 (twenty years ago)

Redneck culture came from S. England 300 years ago by a group of rowdy, illiterate men dubbed "wisecrackers", and eventually crackers (which is translated "to boast"), hence the derogatory term for white men.

These rowdy young men moved to the Southern part of the United States where they spread ebonics, belligerence, and the card game whist, among other things. This abortion of a culture became the focal point for white redneck culture as well as black ghetto culture, and eventually rock n roll. This is one reason white English boys had such a strong fondness for the blues and other Southern trends. This also explains why poor white trash and black ghetto culture are so alike. What is Lil' Jon but Jethro from the Beverly Hillbillies living it up as a black man in the city?

While rock n roll is considered to be an American thing, it owes itself to British culture in more than one way.

― Cunga (Cunga), Saturday, 16 April 2005 21:40 (twenty years ago)

""British rock.. is music of ideas, with originality and vision."

Horse. Fucking. Shit. Please name some of these ideas, and specify what this originality and vision is. And do it without going back as far the Sex Pistols, Led Zeppelin, or the Rolling Stones. Good luck, bloke.

― Long-Forgotten Reminder, Saturday, 16 April 2005 22:13 (twenty years ago)

"one of the reasons that "indie" has traditionally been a lot bigger in the UK than in the US is because England is much much smaller as a country than America,"

another reason: none of the "indie" in England has anything to do with indie music.

― Long-Forgotten Reminder, Saturday, 16 April 2005 22:16 (twenty years ago)

"another reason: none of the "indie" in England has anything to do with indie music"

er? i see, sort of but... Rough Trade, Factory etc and if you is be talkin indie as genre then c86, Talulah Gosh etc and you don't get no indier than that.

― elwisty (elwisty), Saturday, 16 April 2005 22:42 (twenty years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.