"The egomaniacal frontman is dead – at last" - Telegraph article about frontmen and women in rock, including Morrissey (February 14, 2022)

An interesting article yesterday in the Telegraph by Ed Power, charting the (alleged) changes in how lead singers see their role.

It's behind a paywall, but the relevant sections are below:

It’s hard to understate how seismic a shift this represents. In the alternative milieu where Wolf Alice and Black Country, New Road operate, the cult of the front person has long reigned unchallenged. Mention The Smiths and nobody thinks of Johnny Marr’s dexterous riffs. They think of Morrissey on Top of the Pops waving shrubbery over his head...

That’s because Stipe’s duties went beyond merely singing. As with Morrissey and other great frontmen and women, the job, above all, was to be an embodiment of the band. The music, rightly or wrongly, was seen as an extension of their personality. Its angst was their angst, its euphoria theirs.
 

This video is provides an example of the Smiths being Morrissey alone. Two glimpses at 37:41 and 47:54.
 
‘egomaniacs’ or ... damaged geniuses that have shaped our lives and culture for the better?


"The egomaniacal frontman is dead – at last"​




Sad, actually.
 
Like most modern "journalism," for this article to make any sense it needs to be seen through the far left lens from which it was written.

"Egomaniacal" frontmen are bad because ego is bad. Ego is bad because it is defined as a separate concept of "self," and "self" is by definition distinct from the sum "whole" i.e. the proletariat crowd that must at all times be monitored and kept in check by The State. A concept of "self" therefore causes one to stand out, and anyone that stands out is bad or "maniacal" because by defying the mandated order imposed by the state, they are dissidents and could cause an anti-authoritarian revolt.

To put it another way, "ego" can additionally be interpreted here as analogous to personality, and personality is bad because personality implies an acceptance of one's individuality, and the concept of individuality is antithetical to the notion of a homogenized, faceless populace.

Furthermore, expressive or outspoken people are dangerous because not only do they manifest individuality but they do so in a way that can sway others and pull them out of groupthink.

Personality and self expression are only permitted to exist within an ideological framework. It becomes a self-replenishing ferris wheel, going round and round, feeding and sustaining itself, with the motion of the circular trajectory construed as movement.

Everyone must obey The Rules because The Rules are what determine and maintain the communistic structure.

...it's very basic stuff. Poorly written and not original. Then again we are living in a world where grammar is seen as unimportant because proper grammar is a symptom of systemic white supremacy principles hardbaked into the education system.
 
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Like most modern "journalism," for this article to make any sense it needs to be seen through the far left lens from which it was written. "Egomaniacal" frontmen are bad because anyone that stands out is bad. Personality is bad because personality implies individuality and the concept of individuality is antithetical to the notion of a homogenized populace. Furthermore, expressive or outspoken people are dangerous because not only do they manifest individuality but they do so in a way that can sway others and pull them out of group think.

Personality and self expression are only permitted to exist within an ideological framework. It becomes a self-replenishing ferris wheel, going round and round, feeding and sustaining itself, with the motion of the circular trajectory construed as movement.

Everyone must obey The Rules because The Rules are what determine and maintain the communistic structure.

...it's very basic stuff. Poorly written and not original. Then again we are living in a world where grammar is seen as unimportant because proper grammar is a symptom of systemic white supremacy principles hardbaked into the education system.

It's just filler trying to put a positive spin on how boring Indie is.

And Indie is boring because none of them want to be character of the day on social media.
 
“Morrissey & The Smiths”
“Lennon and the silver Beatles”
“Mick and the Stones”
“Coldplay”
 
Pop music without 'ego' is just a few blokes busking outside the Arndale Centre.
The basic job of a frontman, before singing or anything else, is "don't be boring."
 
An interesting article yesterday in the Telegraph by Ed Power, charting the (alleged) changes in how lead singers see their role.

It's behind a paywall, but the relevant sections are below:

It’s hard to understate how seismic a shift this represents. In the alternative milieu where Wolf Alice and Black Country, New Road operate, the cult of the front person has long reigned unchallenged. Mention The Smiths and nobody thinks of Johnny Marr’s dexterous riffs. They think of Morrissey on Top of the Pops waving shrubbery over his head...

That’s because Stipe’s duties went beyond merely singing. As with Morrissey and other great frontmen and women, the job, above all, was to be an embodiment of the band. The music, rightly or wrongly, was seen as an extension of their personality. Its angst was their angst, its euphoria theirs.

I literally can’t think of a worse “embodiment of a band” then stipe. Any rem fan can tell you that’s not the dynamic. Nor was it w the smiths really but moz being an obvious egomaniac I could see it coming off that way? Just no w rem tho
 
Like most modern "journalism," for this article to make any sense it needs to be seen through the far left lens from which it was written. "Egomaniacal" frontmen are bad because anyone that stands out is bad. Personality is bad because personality implies individuality and the concept of individuality is antithetical to the notion of a homogenized populace. Furthermore, expressive or outspoken people are dangerous because not only do they manifest individuality but they do so in a way that can sway others and pull them out of group think.

Personality and self expression are only permitted to exist within an ideological framework. It becomes a self-replenishing ferris wheel, going round and round, feeding and sustaining itself, with the motion of the circular trajectory construed as movement.

Everyone must obey The Rules because The Rules are what determine and maintain the communistic structure.

...it's very basic stuff. Poorly written and not original. Then again we are living in a world where grammar is seen as unimportant because proper grammar is a symptom of systemic white supremacy principles hardbaked into the education system.
^ok boomer. You tell those kids to get off your lawn good.
 
Honestly though, this bit:

Mention The Smiths and nobody thinks of Johnny Marr’s dexterous riffs.

is VERY Daily Telegraph. Imagine saying that in the Guardian's offices, you'd be shot!
 
It's just filler trying to put a positive spin on how boring Indie is.

And Indie is boring because none of them want to be character of the day on social media.

and why is that? What do they fear?

OR

maybe this culture is no longer able to produce people with character.

Where are the Lou Reeds? the Patti Smiths? the Iggy Pops? the Mark E Smiths? the Nicos?


There was something in the water, that’s no longer there.
 
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Like most modern "journalism," for this article to make any sense it needs to be seen through the far left lens from which it was written. "Egomaniacal" frontmen are bad because anyone that stands out is bad. Personality is bad because personality implies individuality and the concept of individuality is antithetical to the notion of a homogenized populace. Furthermore, expressive or outspoken people are dangerous because not only do they manifest individuality but they do so in a way that can sway others and pull them out of group think.

Personality and self expression are only permitted to exist within an ideological framework. It becomes a self-replenishing ferris wheel, going round and round, feeding and sustaining itself, with the motion of the circular trajectory construed as movement.

Everyone must obey The Rules because The Rules are what determine and maintain the communistic structure.

...it's very basic stuff. Poorly written and not original. Then again we are living in a world where grammar is seen as unimportant because proper grammar is a symptom of systemic white supremacy principles hardbaked into the education system.
EXCELLENT post!
 
"The band frontmen of the past, who were historically
idmaniacally driven (pleasure) and egomaniacally driven
(reality), have been replaced by the modern day frontmen
who are superegomaniacally driven (morality). That's why
ya got a much more borin' music bein' made these days".

- Turkmund Freud
 
There are no new egomaniacal frontmen because there are no bands any more.

Instead of egomaniacal frontmen we have egomaniacal individuals who did nothing to write their own music and don't have anything to represent.

There are no rock bands formed in the last 20 years that are tracking for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The only new rock band I can even name from the past 5 years or so is Greta Van Fleet and they are so new they sound exactly like Led Zeppelin.

Frontmen aren't dead.. Rock is dead.
 
said the exact same thing on hear years ago,true originals are gone,they wouldnt even get through the revolving door of a record company these days as they would be seen as troublemakers and people who couldnt be moulded and controlled.
 
Dave Gahan
 
Dave Gahan
the wildest thing dave ever did was die on the operating table after a drugs overdose,suppose that makes him the wildest of the wild,apart from that he has never said anything of note over the last 40 years and im saying this as a very early fan of depeche mode.
 
Like most modern "journalism," for this article to make any sense it needs to be seen through the far left lens from which it was written. "Egomaniacal" frontmen are bad because anyone that stands out is bad. Personality is bad because personality implies individuality and the concept of individuality is antithetical to the notion of a homogenized populace. Furthermore, expressive or outspoken people are dangerous because not only do they manifest individuality but they do so in a way that can sway others and pull them out of group think.

Personality and self expression are only permitted to exist within an ideological framework. It becomes a self-replenishing ferris wheel, going round and round, feeding and sustaining itself, with the motion of the circular trajectory construed as movement.

Everyone must obey The Rules because The Rules are what determine and maintain the communistic structure.

...it's very basic stuff. Poorly written and not original. Then again we are living in a world where grammar is seen as unimportant because proper grammar is a symptom of systemic white supremacy principles hardbaked into the education system.
EXCELLENT post
Pop music without 'ego' is just a few blokes busking outside the Arndale Centre.
The basic job of a frontman, before singing or anything else, is "don't be boring."
And have a unique voice. Which Moz has of course. That's why Colditzplay, Ned Sheeran, and 95% of bands are generic musak crap.
 

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