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.

__________________
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.