on 12/11/03 12:03 PM, Efrén del Valle at efrendv@yahoo.es wrote:
Skip,
I think the problem with you is that you're only respectful (at least verbally) with other musicians. I'm under the impression that the rest of the mortal beings are dispensable to your eyes or do not deserve as much respect as the laymen. You're in a higher division maybe?
You'd have to ask Joseph Zitt, division commander and one of the few people with balls anough to like Weord Al publicly. Seriously -- people complaining that their favorite artists should release certain stuff or not release certain stuff deserve what for.
I think my comment was nothing so serious for you to chime in in such manner. Again, I just said that I'm a bit tired of Masada String Trio releases, nothing more.
Actuall, you wrote as follows: "Denying that Masada has been overexploited at this point seems pretty absurd. And with regards to those theoretical financing purposes, I don't see why a MST album should sell more than another Naked City live volume or something in the style of "The Gift". " End quote. I don;t think John Zorn feels the Masada music is over-exploited, and it's his to live with and deal with. As long as he feels that way and really goes for it when he makes it, it ain;t done yet. I don;t find this absurd. I think it's more absurd that someone is telling him he should maybe make another record in the style of THE GIFT.
You haven't discovered the Holy Grail by saying if you don't like that, go fuck yourself. That's too obvious and a bit childish too. In fact, that's one of the reasons why I like Zorn's "policy" so much. However, when someone says something negative about your heroes, you can't be objective enough to accept different opinions. Your truth is not universal, Skip.
Who said anything about Holy grails? if you don;t like someone's output, don;t buy it. Don;t whine like some little teenage girl that you're not being serviced in the style of some previous album you already liked.
Nor is no one's. I don't find your cinism about the Dave Douglas argument we had here too impressive, to tell you the truth. Back then I thought "Freak In" sucks and I still do, regardless of the effort DD invested in its making. That doesn't make it a good album for me. You respect him? Me too.
I respect Dave enough to know that I'd better keep an open mind as to what he's playing even if I don;t like it during the phase when I first hear it. I know better than to dismiss a Dave record whether or not I like it. I may say "I don;t get it", but I know more than to say "sucks". That's how I express respect.
I don't think I'm entitled to say such a thing for any special reasons. As a consumer or fan or whatever I am entitled to have an opinion, even if it's NEGATIVE. Curiously enough, you've dismissed other musicians that you dislike (I particularly remember Björk) without a hint of respect and questioning their musical capabilities and nobody said anything.
As a consumer or fan, you're entitled to an opinion. But telling someone what they should be releasing -- especially someone like John zorn -- is jumping past an opinion and saying you know better than they do what they should be doing. And you don;t. None of us does. But HE does. And musically, I'm pretty qualified to discuss someone's technical resources on an instrument. I
haven't seen you claiming respect for other artists that have been clearly dismissed either, probably because you don't care at all about their music.
"Probably"? What the fuck do you know about what I "probably" care about? Just because I have not made my opinions of, say, TIm Berne a matter of public discourse doesn;t mean I don;t know or care about him or his music. Just because I'm not typing my reaction to every artist mentioned on this list doesn;t mean I haven;t checked out the music.
To summarize, I think your reaction is totally over the top and a bit incoherent.
We all know your command of the language, pee wee. You're the only one who has ever accused me of being less than coherent. I'll attribute it to that lack of command of English. I'd hate to think anyone could be that stupid, so I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. sh