Musical Betrayal

Busy Clippers

Busy Clippers

New Member
Some people take music really personally, and I'm one of them. Which artists, if any, do you feel have betrayed you and why??

NRITH's current avatar of Elvis Costello is giving me agita because it reminds me of my conflicted relationship with the music of said Elvis. I hated him for years, then I really started enjoying his work, and he promptly released North (which is appalling) and some other awful stuff, and now I cannot forgive him. And yet, in a sick way, I still have hope that he will do something good again.

Is it just me?
 
Busy Clippers said:
Some people take music really personally, and I'm one of them. Which artists, if any, do you feel have betrayed you and why??

NRITH's current avatar of Elvis Costello is giving me agita because it reminds me of my conflicted relationship with the music of said Elvis. I hated him for years, then I really started enjoying his work, and he promptly released North (which is appalling) and some other awful stuff, and now I cannot forgive him. And yet, in a sick way, I still have hope that he will do something good again.

Is it just me?
Click to expand...

Hahahahahaha!
 
Busy Clippers said:
Laugh as I writhe, Mr. Rapid Cycling Avatar, but some day Declan will do it to you! :eek:
Click to expand...

Oh, he has. Not only have all of his albums from Painted From Memory on (with the possible exception of When I Was Cruel) been unlistenable, but in person, the guy sounds like a total and complete asshole. But oh, how his pre-1994 stuff doth shine...

I was just laughing because my avatar recycling is beyond belief, so to speak.
 
Busy Clippers said:
Some people take music really personally, and I'm one of them. Which artists, if any, do you feel have betrayed you and why??

NRITH's current avatar of Elvis Costello is giving me agita because it reminds me of my conflicted relationship with the music of said Elvis. I hated him for years, then I really started enjoying his work, and he promptly released North (which is appalling) and some other awful stuff, and now I cannot forgive him. And yet, in a sick way, I still have hope that he will do something good again.

Is it just me?
Click to expand...

I once posted something similar about Southpaw Grammar on the front page, and I was immediately assaulted.

I don't think any artist can betray me (that's a little nuts), but they can betray their own talent, or their own morality. That's when I get a bit upset.

There haven't been any musicians who I have been that upset with (OK, I took Southpaw prettyy hard), but there was a sculptor who I felt was a complete moral hypocrite. When I read the (rather expensive hardcover) exhibition catalogue, and found out that his personal actions (avid hunter) conflicted with his work (spectacular critiques of war, torture and the human capacity for cruelty) I threw the book against the wall and decided to put him out of my mind.

That didn't last long. A genius is a genius, and someone who changes your view of the world earns your undying respect, even when they seem to betray it.

As Emerson said: "Every hero becomes a bore at last."
 
Not Right in the Head said:
Oh, he has. Not only have all of his albums from Painted From Memory on (with the possible exception of When I Was Cruel) been unlistenable, but in person, the guy sounds like a total and complete asshole. But oh, how his pre-1994 stuff doth shine...

I was just laughing because my avatar recycling is beyond belief, so to speak.
Click to expand...

I was a whiplash-inducing avatar swinger in late 2006/early 2007; I've walked a mile in your moccasins. :cool:

Did you see the documentary that comes along with Live in Memphis? He and Pete Thomas are being driven around in the fields and Janis McManus (that's how angry I am at him) says, "Richmond is the Thames Delta" or some equally inane thing...WFT? He needs Bruce Thomas around to wind him up enough to do good work (and I should sign up at a Costello forum and get this out of my system).
 
Busy Clippers said:
I was a whiplash-inducing avatar swinger in late 2006/early 2007; I've walked a mile in your moccasins. :cool
Click to expand...

Uh, haven't you just switched yours half a dozen times in the past two weeks?

Busy Clippers said:
Did you see the documentary that comes along with Live in Memphis? He and Pete Thomas are being driven around in the fields and Janis McManus (that's how angry I am at him) says, "Richmond is the Thames Delta" or some equally inane thing...WFT? He needs Bruce Thomas around to wind him up enough to do good work (and I should sign up at a Costello forum and get this out of my system).
Click to expand...

Yes, you should! You're taking it personally. I've never seen that, or any other documentary, or read much about him. Artists' personal lives are pretty uninteresting to me.
 
Anaesthesine said:
I once posted something similar about Southpaw Grammar on the front page, and I was immediately assaulted.

I don't think any artist can betray me (that's a little nuts), but they can betray their own talent, or their own morality. That's when I get a bit upset.

There haven't been any musicians who I have been that upset with (OK, I took Southpaw prettyy hard), but there was a sculptor who I felt was a complete moral hypocrite. When I read the (rather expensive hardcover) exhibition catalogue, and found out that his personal actions (avid hunter) conflicted with his work (spectacular critiques of war, torture and the human capacity for cruelty) I threw the book against the wall and decided to put him out of my mind.

That didn't last long. A genius is a genius, and someone who changes your view of the world earns your undying respect, even when they seem to betray it.

As Emerson said: "Every hero becomes a bore at last."
Click to expand...

That sculptor sounds fascinating, but then I enjoy contradictions. The artists who make me more annoyed are the likes of Janine Antoni (using her mouth to sculpt lard).

For me, Shakespeare's the only case in which Emerson's quote doesn't hold water.
 
Last edited:
Busy Clippers said:
That sculptor sounds fascinating, but then I enjoy contradictions. The artists who make me more annoyed are the likes of Janine Antoni (using her mouth to sculpt lard).

For me, Shakespeare's the only case in which Emerson's quote doesn't hold water.
Click to expand...

Ed Kienholz - if you don't know him, he's worth checking out. He specialized in large installations, which is why you don't see his work around much. Anyway, I've grown up a bit since then - it was a rather childish reaction, I'll admit.

I agree with you about Shakespeare, but I imagine if he ever did any interviews with Elizabethan celebrity rags he would have come off looking like a hypocritical old codger who used to write great stuff like Hamlet, but degenerated to navel-gazing work like The Tempest.

Nah, come to think of it, even his late stuff is gold.

:guitar: :guitar:
 
Busy Clippers said:
Some people take music really personally, and I'm one of them. Which artists, if any, do you feel have betrayed you and why??

NRITH's current avatar of Elvis Costello is giving me agita because it reminds me of my conflicted relationship with the music of said Elvis. I hated him for years, then I really started enjoying his work, and he promptly released North (which is appalling) and some other awful stuff, and now I cannot forgive him. And yet, in a sick way, I still have hope that he will do something good again.

Is it just me?
Click to expand...
I think my husband feels this way about ROTT and Quarry. I keep trying to change his mind, but I think one day he might throw the stereo out the window whan I put those albums on :)
 
[QUOTE he promptly released North (which is appalling) and some other awful stuff, and now I cannot forgive him. And yet, in a sick way, I still have hope that he will do something good again.

Is it just me?[/QUOTE]

North is a wonderful album:a story of losing then finding love again.A true masterpiece.
Oh Mr NRITH ,I downloaded a great 2 cd set over Xmas called Unwanted Numbers(basically live stuff that EC never put on to disc).
Pm if you would like it.

There's more info about it here:
http://www.elviscostellofans.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=6876
:)
 
Not Right in the Head said:
Sweet! Thanks for the tip; I'll download it later. My EC bootleg collection is nonexistent right now. El Manzo is also an EC fan; he may be interested in this, too.
Click to expand...


No probs.I've got lots of EC rarities if you ever want any.

I'm not so much into live gig bootlegs,prefer rare studio stuff myself.
(King of Americana is excellent.)
Oh,and Painted From Memory is a classic :p
I think it is my fav album of all time
:)
 
Busy Clippers said:
Some people take music really personally, and I'm one of them. Which artists, if any, do you feel have betrayed you and why??

NRITH's current avatar of Elvis Costello is giving me agita because it reminds me of my conflicted relationship with the music of said Elvis. I hated him for years, then I really started enjoying his work, and he promptly released North (which is appalling) and some other awful stuff, and now I cannot forgive him. And yet, in a sick way, I still have hope that he will do something good again.

Is it just me?
Click to expand...

Nelly Furtado.

Seriously, she was original and interesting once.
 
The ordinary boys- I saw them 3 years ago in the Electric Ballroom in Camden. I really appreciated their first album in terms of making a good crack at being a pop/indie specials inspired debue. But then they declined and then continued to dig -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnUFtDHwSPU

Then of course Preston appeared on Big Brother and regularly posts bitter journal entries on his website condemning fans and talking about how he's upset because he crashed his jag. boo hoo!

Why do I care???

Oh there is worse ! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xJUuN0rT5U&feature=related

And then buzzcocks related overreaction - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5kQyJ9YENY

how red is morrissey now bet he feels betrayed aswell....
 
Last edited:
TLOTFamousIP said:
Nelly Furtado.

Seriously, she was original and interesting once.
Click to expand...

Good one, I agree.

I gotta go with Phil Collins. 'Just say the word'...sussudio :confused:
He had a fan in me...
 
Dave said:
You have been holding a grudge about sussudio since the 80's? :p
Click to expand...

Nah, no grudge. Buster holds a special place in my heart :) (who do ya think honed my drummer love?! :rolleyes:) I admit I bought But Seriously and I Can't Dance, but nothing since. I will always prefer his/their older stuff.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

A
Johnny Marr, 'Hi Hello' - the worst lyrics and song title in musical history?
2 3
Replies
53
Views
10K
Bill Cummings
B
Mudbug
Test you musical knowledge
Replies
0
Views
1K
Mudbug
Mudbug
A
home street home (a fat wreck chords musical by fat mike)
Replies
0
Views
2K
Anonymous
A
A
John Lydon Is Touring In The Musical "Jesus Christ Superstar" with NSYNC and Destiny's Child Member
Replies
0
Views
2K
Anonymous
A
realitybites
Musicals
2
Replies
30
Views
9K
Oh my god. it's Robby!
Oh my god. it's Robby!
Back
Top Bottom