Controversial Music Opinions...

[zecho]

I really don't understand when people say "I'll never pay over 10$ for [recorded music]!".

Like, they seem to equate the quality of the content based on how they can access it... (CD, vinyl, download, tape, neural implant) ...and that seems wrong to me. Because what we're paying for is "the music" and not how it's delivered to us (yeah, I know that prices can vary between formats and for good reason but that's not the point I'm making here). They seem to put an arbitrary hard limit on the format without knowing what the content truly is (and while we can sample recordings nowadays pretty easily, that's also beside the point I'm making). I can understand constraining oneself to a budget but that should be an overall concern and not a per format price point. It seems... needless.

But I come at this as someone who for over 25 years has gladly spent what disposable income I have on "buying music", if that matters at all.

Sure, you can think of it/them as "pieces of plastic or digital nothingness" but if that's the case, why are you bothering to buy them at all if that's your attitude? And if you aren't buying them, how else are you supporting the artists/bands you're listening to recordings of (and I'm not talking theoretically, I mean actual you've done it instead of buying a disc or download)?

I have a contradictory view on this. On the one hand, music is absolutely worth money, and the people who make it deserve to be compensated for it. At the same time, I (and many, many others) cannot even come close to affording all of the music that I enjoy. I would love to give the artist $10 for every album of theirs that I listen to, but I just don't have the ability to do that. So I could either stream, pirate, or cut out the majority of music that I enjoy to be able to afford my absolute favorites. None of these are optimal to me, as none of them provides an answer to every problem. Piracy doesn't support the artist monetarily, streaming doesn't provide ownership or access to everything and it just barely compensates the artist, and purchasing doesn't provide the ease of access or affordability of the other two options, but it does support the artist the most. Before streaming took off, there was a service that wanted to offer downloadable music to people in exchange for watching advertisements, and while that will never happen now, I think it was the best option. It would have paid the artists, provided easy access to the consumer, and not only been affordable, but free.

And to answer your question, I personally buy merch when I can and see shows frequently, which both support the artist more than an actual purchase of an album usually would, as well as also buying music. That said, I listen to a lot of music and the hard truth is that I don't support the majority of musicians I listen to. It really sucks, and I do feel guilt for it, but the only thing I could do differently is just not listen to them, and that's a lose-lose situation. There is no really ethical solution to this problem besides being wealthy enough to buy thousands of dollars of music a year, and most people just aren't.

[MrLobster]

At the same time, I (and many, many others) cannot even come close to affording all of the music that I enjoy. I would love to give the artist $10 for every album of theirs that I listen to, but I just don't have the ability to do that.

That sounds like living on a budget, I do the same thing. I'm definitely not rolling in cash and many times people have tried to tell me that "I can't eat a CD".

Might I recommend then that you pace yourself. The music will still be there the next time you have cash to spend.

Otherwise it kinda sounds like you're just being greedy with consumption.

[MrLobster]

He's young, and 22, and I asked him point blank if music should be paid for in any form outside of streaming and he told me no. I asked there's NO artist that deserves your money directly and he said no.

So, this young person pays for streaming services? That's feeding into the music ecosystem... more so than the fan could do with radio play at least. There you can't even pay not to have commercials.

The main reason I won't pay for a streaming service is lack of what I want to listen when I want to listen it. Geo-locking content blows and I'm not trusting enough that I'll always have access to an internet connect. So I buy physical media and encode to put on a play any time, any where. And if a HDD dies, then I still have it, I just have go though the effort and time to encode again.

[Space Suicide]

So, this young person pays for streaming services? That's feeding into the music ecosystem... more so than the fan could do with radio play at least. There you can't even pay not to have commercials.

The main reason I won't pay for a streaming service is lack of what I want to listen when I want to listen it. Geo-locking content blows and I'm not trusting enough that I'll always have access to an internet connect. So I buy physical media and encode to put on a play any time, any where. And if a HDD dies, then I still have it, I just have go though the effort and time to encode again.

He was a co-worker. It was brought up due to me and him mentioning my money spending on vinyl and CDs since it's a "waste" of money.

[MrLobster]

Good thing it's your money and you can do whatever blessed thing you want with it.

He's also allowed to view it as a waste, personally I think he's wrong (WRONG WRONG VERY WRONG RED ALERT DO NOT TRUST WRONG) but he's allowed to think that. Kinda curious to know how he spends his money and how that it more... uh... useful.

[zecho]

Otherwise it kinda sounds like you're just being greedy with consumption.

It sounds that way because I am. The point is that I'd like to support these artists, don't have the income to do so, but am still going to listen to what I want. I do have a spotify account, but I also have a music player full of music, most of which I didn't pay for. So I am being greedy, but when it's as easy as it is to get music today, I'm not going to stop because of an ethical dilemma. I have literally no defense for this, it's just the way things are now, with more music available than ever before. That said, I spend more on music than anyone I know, but that's still not enough to obtain everything legally. Again, it blows and it's unarguably wrong, but the decision comes down to listening to the music vs not listening to the music and I would rather listen to the music, ethically or not.

[Space Suicide]

Kinda curious to know how he spends his money and how that it more... uh... useful.

Lottery tickets, dietary supplement pills and MMA bullshit.

[MrLobster]

Lottery tickets, dietary supplement pills and MMA bullshit.

Things tossed into the garbage, things literally pissed and shit out annnnnd... I guess "entertainment". Gotcha. Check.

You still have my vote.

[Haysey_Draws]

I'll never get into the whole "just streaming music" mindset. I started working just before the internet and napstar, so i got into buying my music physically. I must admit it did suck, only having to go by what a written review says about an album or a single song you heard before buying a whole album, and said albums being pretty pricey (metal in the UK was always £15-20 per album, and only the big artists were ever on sale) it was always a gamble if you'd get an album you loved or just end up with the one song you liked. Then everyone started downloading for free, and a load of the younger gens think this is how it should be because that what they know. It is great being able to hear an album before you buy...but i still buy what albums i like. Giving money to streaming service is essentially just 'renting' the music, they can (and will) remove stuff without warning, you could lose entire albums you love because of that. I mush prefer using streaming to decide what i want to buy, then own it myself...but thats just me.

[GulDukat]

Not sure where to ask this:

Elvis Presley vs. Chuck Berry...

Who was better?

[botley]

Not sure where to ask this:

Elvis Presley vs. Chuck Berry...

Who was better?

Better at what?

[WorzelG]

I'll never get into the whole "just streaming music" mindset. I started working just before the internet and napstar, so i got into buying my music physically. I must admit it did suck, only having to go by what a written review says about an album or a single song you heard before buying a whole album, and said albums being pretty pricey (metal in the UK was always £15-20 per album, and only the big artists were ever on sale) it was always a gamble if you'd get an album you loved or just end up with the one song you liked. Then everyone started downloading for free, and a load of the younger gens think this is how it should be because that what they know. It is great being able to hear an album before you buy...but i still buy what albums i like. Giving money to streaming service is essentially just 'renting' the music, they can (and will) remove stuff without warning, you could lose entire albums you love because of that. I mush prefer using streaming to decide what i want to buy, then own it myself...but thats just me.

I’m happy to do both, I’m fine paying for a family plan to Spotify but I’ll still buy what I love. I’ve paid for Gary Numans new album campaign, Rammsteins new album and I bought all the NIN over the last few years - I’ll sometimes take a gamble if there are cheap CDs from Amazon, like I bought some Kanye West, a Kendrick Lamar (which I regretted as it was to pimp a butterfly, I much prefer Damn), but there’s few bands I will take a chance on unless I’ve heard it first or heard such good things that I’ll take a gamble

[thefragile_jake]

I always thought I liked The Mountain Goats, but the more I listen to music from John Darnielle he just annoys the shit out of me.

[WorzelG]

I kind of get where you are coming from, but to be fair, he was a shy young man who, overnight, was the biggest rock star in the world and hailed by fans and the media as the spokesman of his generation. That was a real mindfuck and he probably was just trying to adjust.

I know this is from ages ago but I just noticed. This is what pisses me off the MOST about Pearl Jam AND Nirvana - all that whingeing about fame, look for tv performances in the 90s - they went on all of them, don’t whinge about fame while getting your face on tv every fucking week- the hypocrisy not to mention the ludicrous circus that was Kurt and Courtney

[zecho]

Not sure where to ask this:

Elvis Presley vs. Chuck Berry...

Who was better?

Berry.

[Pillfred]

Wrong thread.

[GulDukat]

Berry.

Berry was cooler and more badass (and wrote his own stuff), Elvis had a better voice, both are great. The jury is out for me.

[piggy]

Except that Chuck Berry was a skeezy-ass pervert.

[zecho]

Except that Chuck Berry was a skeezy-ass pervert.

If I decided not to appreciate art made by skeezy-ass perverts, my art appreciation would have a hard limit at the beginning of the 80s. Jimmy Paige, Iggy Pop, David Bowie, anyone you can name just about, did fucked up shit back in the day. I'm not gonna stop listening to the music that I love because the dead guy that made it did some shitty stuff.

[piggy]

But I feel like there's a difference between doing stuff with groupies while they're probably consenting, and filming unaware people (including minors) who were just using the toilet. I guess when people go beyond typical rock star debauchery, I personally have a hard time looking past it. Anyway, moving on. I don't want to stir anything, because you do have a point.

[ryanmcfly]

My controversial take: I cannot stand any song by The Beatles. I have respect for the impact that they've made on the musicians i love, but damn their music is lame.

[zecho]

My controversial take: I cannot stand any song by The Beatles. I have respect for the impact that they've made on the musicians i love, but damn their music is lame.

The most controversial take.

[SM Rollinger]

Metallica is lame

[Haysey_Draws]

Baby Metal are bloody FANTASTIC!

[WorzelG]

When is Morrissey going to be finally cancelled??? Now he is supporting a group that is too racist for Nigel Farage. And I would bet a thousand pounds that absolutely none of the people he’s defending or siding with would have liked The Smiths or Morrissey solo especially with all that enforced vegan shite. It’s like he’s deliberately alienating his own fanbase yet they all make noises about fuck Morrissey but he still enjoys some success - bizarre

[Exocet]

Morrissey has always been like this though, he doubles down when people get annoyed, sometimes to the detriment to his career, has always said stuff that makes people uncomfortable in the Smiths, the front cover of their debut album is from a Gay porn film, he openly said he wanted Margaret Thatcher to be assasinated, he spoke about abortion, gay rights, animal rights, he got shit for calling reggae music vile, because of the homophobia, he called Madonna a prostitute.

i think he is possibly Islamophobic he has a deep problem with Islam in the UK and Europe.

he has always pissed people off.

[WorzelG]

Morrissey has always been like this though, he doubles down when people get annoyed, sometimes to the detriment to his career, has always said stuff that makes people uncomfortable in the Smiths, the front cover of their debut album is from a Gay porn film, he openly said he wanted Margaret Thatcher to be assasinated, he spoke about abortion, gay rights, animal rights, he got shit for calling reggae music vile, because of the homophobia, he called Madonna a prostitute.

i think he is possibly Islamophobic he has a deep problem with Islam in the UK and Europe.

he has always pissed people off.

what did he say about abortion ? Never heard that, although he hates women (except his mum) so it wouldn’t surprise me!
It makes me laugh, one of the people who collaborated with him recently says she didn’t know of his political views, how? He spouts off on his own website and it always takes off on social media because it’s controversial, and I think if you lend support to someone like that you should at least look at his website to see what they’re like these days

[Haysey_Draws]

I dunno, he always came across (to me) as someone who once stood for something but now just wants to be the centre of attention by way of being a complete twat. I never was really into the Smiths to begin with honestly, even less so with his solo work, but he is at a level where he would have to really shit his bed to get people to cancel him...like be an actual child rapist or something. Most people will (depressingly) look past what he says as just "being Morrissery"

[GulDukat]

My controversial take: I cannot stand any song by The Beatles. I have respect for the impact that they've made on the musicians i love, but damn their music is lame.

I mean, it's your opinion man, but have you ever listened to the second half of Abbey Road?

[ryanmcfly]

I mean, it's your opinion man, but have you ever listened to the second half of Abbey Road?

Yep. It just doesn't do anything for me.