Creation of Music is the artist's craft. Maybe you can tell me, did N'STYNK
write the tunes they sung. Yes, they can sing...but so can alot of people.
An artist is one who creates, who has drive and integrity. I can't say, w/
confidence that these guys are artists...performers yes, artists no.
Craft, in the case of N'STYNK, is the act of casting a marketable group of
people in order to sell records. This is not a judgement of good or
bad...just simply, by my definition not art. To be an artist one must try
to push the bounds of the craft, be new, creative, innovative...dare I day
talented.
Madonna, for example, is increadibly gifted at self-marketing. She hasn't
done anything ground breaking as far as music goes. She simply looks to the
underground, plucks out bits and pieces, mashes it together, and sells it on
MTV. This is NO judgement on Madonna, this is her talent.
N'SYNK, however, have not proven anything. Yes, they were picked to be in
the group...but beyond that, what have they done? Let's see what their
doing in 5, 10 yrs.
I find it hard to relate this arguement to AJ b/c one of the reasons I dig
AJ sooo much is that it ALL seems to posess integrity, granted some more
than others. I'm especially digging artists like uhhh ST Germaine,
Jazztronik, Gilles Peterson, Rainer Truby and Cinematic, for example,...for
their pushing of artistic bounds and successful smushing together of genera.
On the flip side, an example of some people that are loosing ground imho
Theivery and K&D. Don't see much mind blowing or simply solid stuff from
these guys lately....but still, I have loads more respect for the bottom end
of the AJers than any Pop Performer.
Anywho..just my 2 cents
j~
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>From: "Steve Catanzaro" <stevencatanzaro@sprintmail.com>
>To: "acid jazz" <acid-jazz@ucsd.edu>
>Subject: N'Sync * Craft vs. Art
>Date: Thu, 2 Aug 2001 07:42:16 -0700
>
>OK poseurs, for work recently, I had to listen closely to some trax from
>N'Sync's *Pop* CD. (I believe this disc sold something over 2 million
>copies
>its first week in release, topping the previous astonishing world record,
>held by none other than N Sync!)
>
>First off, everyone should know that these guys can really sing. I saw a
>bit
>of an acapella set by them and it was right up there with Boys to Men (not
>quite up to Take 6 snuff, though...)
>
>Second, the album sucks. The songs are so boring, repetitious, and syrupy
>sweet that its a bit like eating twizzlers, starburst, and jolly ranchers
>for breakfast, washed down with some cherry hi-c.
>
>Third, there *IS* some some superslick programming and production on there,
>and yes, some of it does border on the *2-Step" but its hella better,
>production wise, than most 2 step tracks!
>
>The track "Pop" produced by BT, is heavy-handed, dull, and definitely not
>garagey at all, but some other tracks are far better. Particularly, track 5
>( the name? who can remember what they were singing about?) has got some
>really hip patterns, alot like Craig David, under a keyboard part that
>borrows from the opening mellotron bit from "Strawberry Fields." Too poppy
>for all here, but technically speaking, pretty hot.
>
>Which brings me to this point for discussion. What about the fact that an
>album can sound so good yet suck so bad? Any one care to comment on "craft"
>vs. "art" in the music business today, and how AJ / nujazz relates?
>
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