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From: Mike Curtis
Date: Thu, 15 Jan 1998 13:01:53 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Re: What is good?

On Thu, 15 Jan 1998, Barry B. Bean wrote:

>On Thu, 15 Jan 1998 10:39:32 -0600, D. Garrison wrote:

>

Nope. It simply means that you like it.

I like some music that is DEFINITELY not GOOd music. I'm sure all of us
have some favorites that fall into this category. You like Bob Dylan? So
do I - but his singing is not "good music", even though we both like it.

>No it isn't. That doesn't mean its not a good time, good fun, or any
>of a thousand other good things, but music is not 100% subjective.
>There are some standards by which music can be judged.

Precisely.

>Naturally, you're free to disagree. Music criticism isn't anywhere
>near an objective science, either. However, there are standards for
>intonation, timing, tone, phrasing, and presentation, as well as
>frameworks for each genre. Given that, it is possible to listen to a
>performance and declare with some authority that one just heard a
>good or bad performance, no matter how much someone else enjoyed it.
>
>As an example, Kenny G. sells records by the million. He apparently
>enjoys his work, and has legions of devoted fans. But is he a
>musician on a par with Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Lester Young,
>Coleman Hawkins, et al.? Of course not.

But then again, Kenny G doesn't play the same kind of music as the jazz
giants. I think of his music more along the lines of industrial strength
Preparation H, a product designed to soothe the irritated amongst us. But
(no pun intended) technically, each note is perfect, identical except for
pitch, perfectly timed, and all that. I see him as an example of "good
music" that I can't stand for more than a few minutes at a time.


-- IronMan Mike Curtis
My CD "Doin' It All Myself" available in Tower, Blockbuster, Camelot, PX