[Kerrigan]

The New York Times

Never one to keep his opinions to himself, the Rocket Man has waded into cyberspace with all guns blazing.

He claims it is destroying good music, saying: “The internet has stopped people from going out and being with each other, creating stuff.

“Instead they sit at home and make their own records, which is sometimes OK but it doesn’t bode well for long-term artistic vision.
...
“I do think it would be an incredible experiment to shut down the whole internet for five years and see what sort of art is produced over that span.
---------------------------------------------

MacNN was a nice place, I'm going to miss it. And all those other good times, with Hamster Dance, Badgers, Rick Roll, Chocolate Rain...

Internet, you will be missed.

That is, unless we can do something to change Sir Elton's mind. Can you guys think of anything?

[Doofy]

Originally Posted by Kerrigan 

That is, unless we can do something to change Sir Elton John's mind. Can you guys think of anything?

Point him towards the gay porn?

[design219]

Elton needs to get over himself. The 70s are no more.

[Dakarʒ]

I don't feel the love.

[OldManMac]

I would guess that he already knows where that is. He's just a temperamental spoiled rich kid, who was in the right place at the right time, made a fortune (and spent a lot of it), and apparently feels threatened by what's out there now.

[Doofy]

Hmmm... ...Internet shut down?

Loads of post-it notes on the local Starbuck's window saying "Teh Apple Store is down!!1!" ?

[::maroma::]

Originally Posted by Kerrigan 

“I do think it would be an incredible experiment to shut down the whole internet for five years and see what sort of art is produced over that span.

I actually think it would indeed be an incredible experiment...incredibly damaging. It would bring the world's economy to a screeching halt, cost millions of people their jobs, and block millions of children from the educational aspects of the Internet. And that's just a few things that would go wrong.

But hey, it would get people to talk to each other again.

Oh Elton, you're so visionary!

[analogika]

Elton John is - completely correctly - lamenting that the computer age has utterly changed the creative end of the music business for a great many people. It is perfectly understandable and reasonable that he sees this as a bad thing.

But to see people seriously respond with "you can't turn off the internet! It would cause a global economic breakdown!"???

Hello, stupid!

[design219]

The airplane changed a few things too.

[::maroma::]

Originally Posted by analogika 

Elton John is - completely correctly - lamenting that the computer age has utterly changed the creative end of the music business for a great many people. It is perfectly understandable and reasonable that he sees this as a bad thing.

But to see people seriously respond with "you can't turn off the internet! It would cause a global economic breakdown!"???

Hello, stupid!

Hi, moron!

[Arty50]

Where is Keith Richards when you need him?

[Doofy]

Originally Posted by analogika 

Elton John is - completely correctly - lamenting that the computer age has utterly changed the creative end of the music business for a great many people who weren't talented enough to release their crap to an unsuspecting world in the old days.

Fixinatedness.

[Kerrigan]

I kind of agree with Elton's sentiment. Instead of doing creative things, we're sitting around wasting time talking about a celebrity on the internet. Good art is usually created by people with unique life experiences, not by blobs who sit around online all day.

[Rumor]

He's just pissed that people aren't pirating his music.

[Doofy]

I actually agree with both of the above statements.

[Rumor]

You make it sound like you've never agreed with me before.

[Doofy]

I agree with that statement too, although I resent its implications.

[lpkmckenna]

He claims it is destroying good music, saying: “The internet has stopped people from going out and being with each other, creating stuff.

“Instead they sit at home and make their own records, which is sometimes OK but it doesn’t bode well for long-term artistic vision.

False alternatives. Musicians still get together and create stuff, using a computer instead an expensive studio.

Neither computers nor the internet are hurting artistic vision. Shut up, Elton.

[analogika]

Originally Posted by ::maroma:: 

Hi, moron!

That's a rebuttal if I've ever read one!

[::maroma::]

Originally Posted by analogika 

That's a rebuttal if I've ever read one!

Well, a coherent rebuttal was not necessary. I'm stupid, remember?

[Doofy]

Originally Posted by lpkmckenna 

False alternatives. Musicians still get together and create stuff, using a computer instead an expensive studio.

What the problem actually is is to do with the fact that the airwaves are now swamped with loads of stuff which nobody has vetted for quality.

In the old days, to get to that expensive studio and get a release, you pretty much had to go through a whole load of quality control. The quality product would then be presented to the potential buyer, right in front of his nose.

Nowadays, there's next to no quality control in place to stop young Johnny from releasing whatever it is he's just taken half an hour to do in GarageBand. As a result of this, finding proper quality music amongst all the guff is becoming something akin to a Where's Waldo game.

You can observe similar effects in the way Google's first zillion entries for almost any query are going to point to a 404 blog page.

I believe that this sort of thing is what Elton's really on about.

[Rumor]

Originally Posted by Doofy 

I agree with that statement too, although I resent its implications.

We both like boobies.

[Doofy]

Originally Posted by Rumor 

We both like boobies.

I wholeheartedly concur.

[zro]

You mean thanks to modern technology people are more now than ever able to do it themselves?? People who would never have had a chance at making much less distributing a record 20 years ago can now do it for hundreds of dollars? ZOMG teh internets must die!

[Buckaroo]

I like Elton Johns music, but I don't like him. He wants to be a little Hitler and decide what is best for everyone else. Music is not everything. Sure it is important, but it is not the most important thing in life. Neither is the internet, but that does not mean that he has to be so stupid.

[Buckaroo]

Originally Posted by Doofy 

I wholeheartedly concur.

I have to admit, boobies are one of the top ten. Big ones.

[Dakarʒ]

They're my Top 2.

[Buckaroo]

Originally Posted by Rumor 

He's just pissed that people aren't pirating his music.

Yeah, I bought all his stuff on CD years ago (always at discount), and I just transferred it over to mp3. I don't think he's produced anything recently that I want to own.

Maybe he's starting to go senial (spelling?). He does act very upity when he goes to events.

[Buckaroo]

Originally Posted by Dakarʒ 

They're my Top 2.

Both of them?

[Dakarʒ]

I reserve a slot for right breasts, and on for left ones.

[Dakarʒ]

Uninteresting story:

When I was in catholic school, I remember once every two weeks we'd be sent to the library to pick out a book. And as I used to recall, in one of the more mature entertainment sections I'd invariably run into a book whose cover always bothered me/creeped me out.

This thread just reminded me of it. So I looked, and lo and behold

[Rumor]

Originally Posted by Buckaroo 

Yeah, I bought all his stuff on CD years ago (always at discount), and I just transferred it over to mp3. I don't think he's produced anything recently that I want to own.

Maybe he's starting to go senial (spelling?). He does act very upity when he goes to events.

Senile. Though the PC term is Dementia.

I can't recall him releasing anything in the last few years either.

[Rumor]

Originally Posted by Dakarʒ 

When I was in catholic school

That explains a lot.

[Dakarʒ]

You know it.

[Doofy]

Originally Posted by Rumor 

I can't recall him releasing anything in the last few years either.

Well, he's married now. Dave has him tied to the kitchen sink like a good little housewife. No time for musak!

[seanc]

He's admitted he's a technophobe and that article is written by the Sun.

IMO the Sun is the tabloid equivalent to J Dvorak.

[Chuckit]

So is this supposed to be his excuse for why he hasn't produced anything worthwhile in years?

[lpkmckenna]

Originally Posted by Doofy 

What the problem actually is is to do with the fact that the airwaves are now swamped with loads of stuff which nobody has vetted for quality.

Uh, are you telling me most of the stuff on top 40 radio is made with GarageBand? Or that they made it to radio without going thru the major labels? Because neither is true.

Besides, the airwaves are filled with crap because they've always been filled with crap.

[besson3c]

The internet has changed the signal to noise ratio when it comes to finding good music, that's for certain. It's much easier to add to the noise than it was in years past, but there is still signal within that noise.

[analogika]

Originally Posted by lpkmckenna 

Uh, are you telling me most of the stuff on top 40 radio is made with GarageBand? Or that they made it to radio without going thru the major labels? Because neither is true.

Besides, the airwaves are filled with crap because they've always been filled with crap.

There is way more MySpace than there has ever been "airwaves", major label releases, or radio.

[Chuckit]

Originally Posted by besson3c 

The internet has changed the signal to noise ratio when it comes to finding good music

Even if you're not looking for music by searching "random dude who plays music" on Google? I mean, where is all the noise that's being generated by the Internet? Radio? TV? iTMS?

[Doofy]

Originally Posted by analogika 

There is way more MySpace than there has ever been "airwaves", major label releases, or radio.

Added to which, since digital radio there's now more "airwaves" than there's ever been.

[Kerrigan]

Any last requests before Internets close tonight?

[OldManMac]

Yes; stream Michael Jackson's version of the Elton John classic; Don't Let Your Son Go Down On Me.

[Doofy]

In the old days, someone wanting to be a rock star had to have a little dedication. The hoops they had to jump through to get to the position where they'd even be noticed by a label would be quite substantial. Mostly, you had to actually be able to play or sing. Mostly, you had to be able to take direction from your producer. Mostly, you had to have a certain quantity of mojo. And you had to do something called "paying your dues".

Record companies would wake up in the morning to find perhaps 50-100 demo tapes in the mailbox, created by dedicated people who'd already somewhat paid their dues. Easy. 30 seconds, next tape please.

Nowadays, the potential artiste no longer has to pay their dues to create the demo. GarageBand, bish bash bosh, "the record company people are going to love this when it lands on their doorstep tomorrow because I'm a unique little flower with oodles of talent". And of course, it just means that if they want to find the good stuff, the record company has to go hire a backhoe loader to shift through all the crap that's on top of it.

...And so it's easier for that next Pink Floyd to be overlooked.

So the record company, wishing to retain sales volume, pops along to Simon Cowell and orders up yet another boy band.

That's just the pro side. Not even mentioning all the MySpace and MP3.com clones or the plethora of streaming radio stations run by some prats who fancy themselves as the next John Peel.

[Rumor]

Sometimes I am overwhelmed by the sheer amount of crappy music.

For the last few years, I've listened mostly to electronic music and gone to live shows at small venues.

[lpkmckenna]

Originally Posted by Doofy 

In the old days, someone wanting to be a rock star had to have a little dedication. The hoops they had to jump through to get to the position where they'd even be noticed by a label would be quite substantial. Mostly, you had to actually be able to play or sing. Mostly, you had to be able to take direction from your producer. Mostly, you had to have a certain quantity of mojo. And you had to do something called "paying your dues".

Yeah, that's the myth old-timers always tell themselves. The truth: mostly, you had to look like a sellable product and sound "current." You could be the most dedicated funk band in earth, but you aren't getting signed in the grunge era. And your little rant about "paying your dues" is at least 80 years old. You sound like a blues musician from the 50s talking about rock'n'roll. Or a rocker from the 70s complaining about disco. Or...

Originally Posted by Doofy 

And of course, it just means that if they want to find the good stuff, the record company has to go hire a backhoe loader to shift through all the crap that's on top of it.

Oh, those poor record companies. Boo hoo.

Originally Posted by Doofy 

And so it's easier for that next Pink Floyd to be overlooked.

I'm a huge Floyd fan, but that's a terrible example. They were pretty awful to begin with, but they got noticed because of the multimedia aspect of their performance.

The best thing about the computers and internet is that you don't have to fit into some record company's closed-off idea of what will sell.

Originally Posted by Doofy 

That's just the pro side. Not even mentioning all the MySpace and MP3.com clones or the plethora of streaming radio stations run by some prats who fancy themselves as the next John Peel.

If you don't like that stuff, just listen to the radio. It's filtered thru your gatekeepers of quality, the record companies.

[Mel O. Drahmatik]

Interwebs: File->Quit

Oh the drama!

[Kerrigan]

lpkmckenna: Remove stick->From anal cavity

Such drama!

[Rumor]

Originally Posted by Mel O. Drahmatik 

Interwebs: File->Quit

Oh the drama!

So, who is this troll?