Jul 16, 2009

Passionless

Art, good art, at least, is borne from challenge. Tragedy. Loneliness. Depression. Trauma. Self-loathing.

This is why bands always end up sucking once they become rich. They retain the talent, but the art becomes so emotionally self-effacing that it loses its idiosyncrasies.

Are there good, happy artists? Sure, but they are exceedingly rare. Suffering simply produces a much more dramatic, engaging outcome.

So basically, if you're a great artist, more than likely, you will have to live a shitty life at some point. And maintain it, to some extent. A commitment to good art is a commitment to... a shitty life? Except, it's not shitty, I suppose. Your job may be. And your house. And your clothes.

But your life, if not measured in shitty things, in theory, may be exceedingly awesome. That's the idea right? Right.

Ok then.

6 comments:

Steph said...

Yea man both holly mcnarland and dashboard both started to suck once they tried to make happier music.

Dave said...

agreed... when Dashboard re-recorded a full-band version of Hands Down, i was happy at first to hear the drum part... but after the 3rd or 4th listen, something was decidedly amiss.

Same song, less passion.

I felt the same way when i saw Weezer last year and they played "falling for you"... and why the heck Rivers lets Brian play the guitar solos is beyond me.

Dust said...

Which is why Hip Hop is so awesome - because being popular is all about having street cred and maintaining a level or respect via fear and intimidation through song.

Even after you've made it rich (, biatch), you can still get gunned down.

This means you have to travel with armed guards and occasionally get arrested for firearms and/or drug possession and end up in jail.

And if you don't, you can rap about how fly you are and how many ho's you have, create your own label, sign more struggling artists, collaborate with them - they provide the struggle, you provide the capital and the brand.

Bottom line - the struggle never ends if you're black.

-d

Simon said...

Unless you're kanye, and rap about your crazy ass girlfriend.

Dust said...

Crazy ass girlfriend = SUFFERING.

Remember your crazy ass girlfriend(s)?

-d

Simon said...

ouch. low blow.