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Hydrocronics

Selling out. What an over-used word, sadly.
I'll start off by saying that my father has been playing guitar for over 38 years, and my mother has also been playing for years and years. My father plays at Folk festivals around Ontario, and I've seen people ask him for his autograph and tell him "You're famous!" (late-teen-agers and college student-aged people, as well as older age groups.) I come from a very musical family, and I've heard many stories about being a musician travelling around the world and etc etc.
First of all, when bands change their style after a few albums, people may say they are "selling out." Changing style = selling out? This is not right. It is only natural to evolve as people and musicians. That is part of being human...you're life interests as well as musical preferences/interests change depending where you are in your life and what is happening to you/your family and friends at certain stages of your life. If everyone always played the same music, every album would be the same.
Also, you have no idea the pressures/stress the artists are under when they are writing their songs or making record deals.
And if a band has to apparently "sell out" to become famous, well quite frankly, that's just plain old bullsh*t.

Take it from Tool...

"I met a boy wearing Vans, 501s, and a dope beastie-tee, nipple rings, and new tattoos that claimed that he was OGT, from '92, the first EP. and in between sips of coke he told me that he thought we were sellin' out, layin' down, suckin' up to the man. Well now I've got some advice for you, little buddy. Before you point the finger you should know that I'm the man, and if I'm the man, then you're the man, and he's the man as well so you can point that ****in' finger up your ass. All you know about me is what I've sold you, Dumb ****. I sold out long before you ever heard my name. I sold my soul to make a record, Dip ****, and you bought one."

In other words, it's easy to judge someone you've never met or know nothing about besides what you read in the Tabloid's.
You go and buy a record and say "they sold out" if their new album is different from their first 3. They are people. People change, they change their (life)styles and their mindstates. A life-shattering tragedy could occur to someone, or someone could become a born-again Christian or whatever (insert religion of choice) for reasons you couldnt possibly understand because the petty sh*t you've gone through is nothing compared to what they've seen and been though. So before you go judge people like that, think about that. If you still want to stay in that same bullsh*t state-of-mind, then f**k you. The people who are willing to change and try new things (such as make a record of a different type of music and not care what the they look like in the public eye, and write/record songs that suit them and relate to their current struggles/beliefs, they are the real humans. Someone who writes what they want because they like what they are writing, someone who writes songs for themselves. Dont write songs for other peoples approval, write them for you, and you'll always at least be original. The people who want to hear the same type of music over and over again are actually the ones who have "sold out." They have sacrificed their individuality, creativity, and originality and become assimilated into a faceless society...and without our individuality, we are not human at all, we are machines.
I could rave on forever, but I figure that's enough...time to smoke a joint. Peace. Please change you're attitudes, some of you.

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There is a circular room with many door. Minds lie behind them. Many of the doors are closed. When one has the door open, they can clearly see that everyone else' doors around the room are closed. However, the ones with the door closed cannot see whos is open.

"When you smoke herb you see the system in front of you." - Bob Marley

The Mind is Open.

 

PsYcHoLoGiCaL

I agree. I would like to make a long post about this, however your post pretty much summed the whole thing up. Ive pretty much just sat back and watched alot of people say stuff like that or even that the popular music is all junk just because its popluar, even though there is really no reason why they think it is junk, they just do it because... well to tell you the truth I have no clue why they do it but, hey good post.

Hydrocronics

Thanks.

Wired Hatred 420

"so you can point that ****in' finger up your ass."

I dont know why but that hella made me laugh!!! Wait...it could be cause of the bud.

Freestyler420

Yeah what really leaves me dazed and confused is how a bunch of my friends (mainly the stoners, plz no one get offended) hate mainstream rap, JUST because it is mainstream and its popular to hate popular music (i am laughing my ass of right now) . I am one of the few stoners at my school who likes some popular music, just go with what you like I listen to: Hiphop (all kinds), Reggea, blues, rock like beatles and pink floyd, techno/electronica sometimes, jazz, blues and the only music I really dislike is country. I listen to classical when i am stoned and alone and need to releive some stress

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Legalize it, don't criticize it...

 

Beelzabong

"what's a sellout chef?"

"a sellout is an artist who makes money"

(paraphrasing of course)

schwadood

Good post, Hydroponics! If an artist is selling out, he is changing his sound, or just making a sound, to make money and thats it. At that point he ceases to become an artist and is now an entertainer. For some reason, I can hear when an "artist" has done that, or has always been that. Whatever music the person is making comes off as cold and sterile.

An artist needs to have the freedom to change. He needs to be able to express himself in any way he wants to. An example from ekoostik Hookah (a band which has never been accused of selling out), if you're getting a crazy Slipjig, you're gonna want a Silver Train when its done. The first is an insane and odd-meteres psychadelic journey, while the other is a country song about a traveler. Nothing wrong with either song, but they are worlds apart from each other. Bands often stereo-type themselves, and then the music gets bland. In a way, they dug their own rut. Good bands never define themselves, and never limit themselves. I realize I just rambled, but I'm high, and have forgotten what the topic was, really, so I'll shut up.

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peace and much love

spade

i am so happy to see some people that actually think for themselves and aren't afraid of telling people about it. damn. i couldn't have said it better myself. i tried, but i think you made it come out better. that rules.

nice post.

DoritosMan

The only band i know that sold out. Its a band called raimundos (its from here). well they made really good hardcore rock back in 96-99 Then their last 2 albums they changed, they REALLY changed. And if you understood a little bit about them you would think they sold out too. So after a couple months the band leader quit the band coz himself said that the band sold out and he didnt want to play that kind of music anymore. And the rest the band kept on. They went back to their original rock style and got my trust back...I'm telling you, if you listen to something like "esporrei na manivela" or "Nariz de doze" and something from their newer crap like "Mulher de fases" or "Me lambe" even if you dont understand the lyrics you can tell that their level of musicalaty(is that a word?) went really down....just download them...

oh well i said the usual crap i say

But Hydro got everything else right and i agree with him.

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another tasteless and odorless latin american

I pity the fool that dont use the search engine!

bo-battie

i don't hate popular music because it's popular to do so. i hate popular music because most popular music sucks (IMO). there are exceptions, because there IS the odd group that became popular because they're actually good, not because they changed their sound to what the record label execs wanted them to.

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250604
former cannabis analyst

"just because i stand above you doesn't mean you understand me"
--qwel