Music Vs. Politics
I've never been a fan of music with a message. I don't really care about some random dude's opinion and I don't listen to music to learn stuff.
So, while I applaud the most recent effort from Trent Reznor and his apparent protege, Saul Williams, for its eschewing of the recording industry, I also don't really care for the music. The idea was to release Saul's record with two options - pay nothing for a decently encoded (192 kbps) MP3 download, or pay $5 for a high-quality, lossless format MP3 download.
It's a good idea gone awry for a few reasons:
1. Since they are forgoing traditional distribution means, there is no preview of the record. I couldn't find samples on the site or anywhere else. Since I don't know Saul Williams, there's no reason why I'd pay if there's a legitimate free option.
2. The $5 button says
I want to directly support the artists involved in the creation of this music.
The free option button says
I'm not concerned about that.I just want the music.
Neither of these is true, but again, I'm not paying for a record by a guy I've never heard.
3. The name of the record makes me uncomfortable and is a blatant bite of a classic. I've read that this guy is an award winning poet, so he probably carries the requisite cache to use the word in an "artistic" manner. In the title track, he says "I say N____, you say nothing," and I can comply with that. I might just go ahead and not listen, either.
4. This is the whitest rap/funk/soul album ever. Even the track that does nothing new with a Public Enemy riff is bland and lifeless. Does this guy think he can out-rap, out-wit, or out-funk Chuck D? It seems to be a whole album of poetry about the plight of the African-American and yet it's been honktified. (Crackerized?) Bleh.
5. The cover of Sunday Bloody Sunday is straight up. Nothing new, and again, nowhere near as good as U2 did it. Williams and Reznor didn't funk it up or add anything. So why even record it? Check out the TV on the Radio version of Mr. Grieves if you need a primer in effective cover songs.
I don't like being scolded and I won't even write the title of the album on this blog because I don't use those words. Also, I have a sneaking suspicion that the anti-RIAA effort could have as much to do with not getting permission to use Sunday Bloody Sunday as it does Trent Reznor's anti-industry sentiment. The bottom-bottom line is that it's just not a very good record. I'm glad I took the free option and it turns out I don't care about supporting the artists that created it after all.
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2 comments:
You have to expect as much from someone as notoriously self-absorbed as Trent Reznor. I have been a little familiar with Saul Williams for a few years, and have to say I'm a bit surprised he's taking this route. I could care less about the play on a classic Bowie alter-ego (I see it in the same light I see most Ministry album titles: cheeky puns designed to assist sales and notoriety, while having little if anything to do with the concept of the album). It still makes more sense than Gnarls Barkley. But to say this parody is YOUR new alter-ego, well, that's just not very poetic in my book. It's more like the piracy which has the entire music industry's panties in a bunch right now.
Also, Ziggy Stardust was a good record behind the marketing/concept/alter-ego. Not the case here.
Gnarls Barkley strikes me as a goofy side project that got traction accidentally. You know, both members have cred for miles and probably trotted this out at a hipster event or two (e.g. Coachella) to launch it. Have you heard Gnarls Biggie?
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