Speaking Of Talentless Garbage....
A few years ago myself and a friend of mine I was living with at the time, would routinely wake up on Saturday mornings, stumble out of our rooms and settle in for a morning of sadomasochistic Video Hits viewing, verbally identifying and subsequently solving the problems of the music industry as we went. It was fun, in some sense of the word, and I miss being able to do it. So a couple of weeks ago I thought I might relive some good times, and tuned in to Channel 10 to see what the kids were calling 'music' these days. Granted I only have myself to blame, but I was sickened to my stomach to see that singer named 'Abigail' (who, from what I can gleam from her website, wants us to think she's a serious singer/songwriter) had released a techno version of Smells Like Teen Spirit*. My first reaction was to turn it off immediately, which I did, but the horror was so great that I had to turn it back on to find out who was responsible.
Now, there may be some naysaysers reading this who think that I am over reacting to this travesty, and if you are such a naysayer, then there's every chance that my forthcoming explanation will have no effect on you. Skip to the second half of this post if you are such a person.
It's not like reworking classic songs with a techno beat is anything new. We have been enduring this gross 'artform' (and I use the word loosely) for some time. Also, it's not as if the people who engage in making these abhorrent reworkings have only stuck to songs that were popular but had little meaning. I mean, they have really ruined some great and important songs in the past.
The reason the reworking of 'Teen Spirit' saddens, offends and sickens me so much, is because that song is not just a song for me. It represents me, and my generation, and clearly defines thoughts and feelings I had at the time of its release that I couldn't have hoped to articulate. That song (and that band) were a beacon at a time in my life when I needed it the most, and it brought all the likeminded people I knew together and gave us something to belong to. Something that said "this is us". If you think I'm being melodramatic, overly sentimental, or you just can't understand that, believe me when I say - fuck you.
SO, once the horror subsided to the piont where I could breathe again, my first thought was "how could the remaining members of Nirvana allow this to happen?" It was causing me great distress that they would
sanction such a thing. Then I discovered that Courtney Love (pictured) has sold her controlling percentage of the publishing rights to Nirvana's back catalogue. Read this to get more of an idea of how horroble this lady is (I particularly like the part about "remaining tasteful").
I realised that I can't hold Abigail, nor the producers who created her version of 'Teen Spirit' responsible for destroying such a precious thing. I really can't even hold the people who like the techno version responsible for making it popular. The blame rests squarely on Courntey Love's shoulders, and it just goes to show that even though you married someone you were in love with, they can still be killing your spirit and everything you stood for, long after you're gone.
*I am aware of the irony involved in providing a link to the website of someone I don't want to promote, so don't bother pointing that out
Now, there may be some naysaysers reading this who think that I am over reacting to this travesty, and if you are such a naysayer, then there's every chance that my forthcoming explanation will have no effect on you. Skip to the second half of this post if you are such a person.
It's not like reworking classic songs with a techno beat is anything new. We have been enduring this gross 'artform' (and I use the word loosely) for some time. Also, it's not as if the people who engage in making these abhorrent reworkings have only stuck to songs that were popular but had little meaning. I mean, they have really ruined some great and important songs in the past.
The reason the reworking of 'Teen Spirit' saddens, offends and sickens me so much, is because that song is not just a song for me. It represents me, and my generation, and clearly defines thoughts and feelings I had at the time of its release that I couldn't have hoped to articulate. That song (and that band) were a beacon at a time in my life when I needed it the most, and it brought all the likeminded people I knew together and gave us something to belong to. Something that said "this is us". If you think I'm being melodramatic, overly sentimental, or you just can't understand that, believe me when I say - fuck you.
SO, once the horror subsided to the piont where I could breathe again, my first thought was "how could the remaining members of Nirvana allow this to happen?" It was causing me great distress that they would
sanction such a thing. Then I discovered that Courtney Love (pictured) has sold her controlling percentage of the publishing rights to Nirvana's back catalogue. Read this to get more of an idea of how horroble this lady is (I particularly like the part about "remaining tasteful").I realised that I can't hold Abigail, nor the producers who created her version of 'Teen Spirit' responsible for destroying such a precious thing. I really can't even hold the people who like the techno version responsible for making it popular. The blame rests squarely on Courntey Love's shoulders, and it just goes to show that even though you married someone you were in love with, they can still be killing your spirit and everything you stood for, long after you're gone.
*I am aware of the irony involved in providing a link to the website of someone I don't want to promote, so don't bother pointing that out
posted by I Am Man I Am You. at 8:51 PM
6 Comments:
I don't know Bill, seems like a pretty appropriate place for it.
I mean, at least it was a welcome change from the malignant 'R&B' all the suburban white kids worship...
I'm only vaguely familiar with the lyrics, but isn't 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' kind of about Kurt's discomfort with being a pop commodity? Making a chart-oriented techno remix is rubbing it in.
I was at work a couple of weekends ago and someone had put Video hits on...along with the talking head with the pseudo faux hawk that was hosting and the feeling that every song played was very simlar to the one before, I came to the realisation that, just like Abraham Simpson, I use to be with it, then they changed what it was, now what is it, I find scary. Either that, or we are hurtling ever faster toward the apocalypse.
And supported, Courtney Love is the she devil. Glass her.
Abe Simpson speaks the truth. As do you Skin Flute.
What about those fucking Rogue Traders...? picking not the whole song but just the riff everyone will recognise and constructing their own "song" around it, so that way they still get half the royalties...ow. I mean was there ever a more cynical, soulless approach to making music? ouch
Indeed camdesus. The Rogue Traders represent everything that should be flushed down the music industry toilet.
They are, in every sense of the word, gross.
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