Post by richard on Jan 16, 2020 17:51:35 GMT
I'm sure we've all had the experience of thinking a track or piece of music fantastic, only to have a friend or acquaintance or someone else whose opinion we respect being indifferent at best or, at worst, totally dismissive.
It's a case of 'Why can't they hear what I can hear?'
I used to think that it would great if there was a set of criteria by which it could be demonstrated that 'this' song is better than 'that' one. No doubt there have been attempts by some at doing just that. But even if they were successful in developing, somehow, convincing rules by which to 'judge' a piece of music, I'm sure a lot of listeners' reactions would be something like: "So what? I'll like what like, thank you very much!" But would that be the reaction of someone in denial? And, anyway, occasionally people will freely admit to liking what they themselves regard as rubbish.
I'm in two minds about this. I definitely do think - don't we all! - that some songs have a better structure, are more melodic, have superior underlying harmonies, lyrics more sensitive and true, etc, etc... But then there are people who love music just as much as I do who are not going to agree with me about those same songs!
I do know - and it's pretty obvious to me sometimes - that others simply have more perceptive musical ears than I have: they hear more of what's going on in a track than I do; they can discern subtleties I can't.
Put bluntly: isn't it likely that a trained musician will hear ABBA, or music by other artists, in a better or deeper or more lucid way than I do? And if so, does it matter? If they were to tell me exactly why KMKY is not all that - I'm not really saying they would; that's just a deliberately provocative example - should I listen to them and change my high opinion of the song?
Any views/opinions about this?
It's a case of 'Why can't they hear what I can hear?'
I used to think that it would great if there was a set of criteria by which it could be demonstrated that 'this' song is better than 'that' one. No doubt there have been attempts by some at doing just that. But even if they were successful in developing, somehow, convincing rules by which to 'judge' a piece of music, I'm sure a lot of listeners' reactions would be something like: "So what? I'll like what like, thank you very much!" But would that be the reaction of someone in denial? And, anyway, occasionally people will freely admit to liking what they themselves regard as rubbish.
I'm in two minds about this. I definitely do think - don't we all! - that some songs have a better structure, are more melodic, have superior underlying harmonies, lyrics more sensitive and true, etc, etc... But then there are people who love music just as much as I do who are not going to agree with me about those same songs!
I do know - and it's pretty obvious to me sometimes - that others simply have more perceptive musical ears than I have: they hear more of what's going on in a track than I do; they can discern subtleties I can't.
Put bluntly: isn't it likely that a trained musician will hear ABBA, or music by other artists, in a better or deeper or more lucid way than I do? And if so, does it matter? If they were to tell me exactly why KMKY is not all that - I'm not really saying they would; that's just a deliberately provocative example - should I listen to them and change my high opinion of the song?
Any views/opinions about this?
