. Music would be very boring if everyone liked the same things!
indeed!
By all means I agree. But putting a little pressure to the released material, from articles in the newspapers to NOT buying the product, sometimes is the catalyst, the missing element to create better music. It is a huge conversation, but since music has also a deeper yet clear to most of us, financial motivation, which in many ways influences the artist and the final offering-product-record, we can not just close our eyes and judge the final outcome in reference only to the artist. Sometimes this outcome has very little to do with the artist. From releasing an album of material without the artist's approval (see Dylan LP), or pressing for new material to follow a successful album, imposing producers, musicians or directors, not respecting the will and aesthetics of the artist about the track listing and order or even the cover work or kind of promotion. Eric Clapton, from all people, had at least an album turned down in the 80ies by the record company that considered the material not commercial, and I guess Bob Dylan and many other artists had a similar experience even if it was in the form of kind suggestion. I hear that Dylan was capable of making most of the mistakes by himself. The wrong choices of material to include, the muddier production he preferred even the musicians he chose over others. And during his interviews he is cryptic, so that you get out more confused, I can only guess that he is so wise as to build a myth around him, rather than explain his work. And I admire him for that, since it is my firm belief that art needs no explaining . But some of his works simply do not have the qualities we are used from him, and as a fan, buying his new record before I even listen to it, I am disappointed, because I feel cheated from my money and more importantly from my time. Time and money I could invest on someone else. I guess, after all, that a few revealing words wouldn't do the trick either. If something is average or below average, can't be lifted with words of explanation. I know he is an artist, and at the same time a human being, so he have to experiment and eventually fail sometimes. But here is the problem: as a musician with a broad fan base and potential for the great audience of a hit record, the company has ways of both taking the money of the fans and at the same time boosting the same artist with the well operating promotion system it has. So it is a double trap for fans, even if the usual moto used by companies is : "Don't like, don't buy". I guess after all I am not such a big Dylan fan, since I have reservations. But this is a bit off the above conversation, a big topic that I prefer to discuss rather than write, so I will leave it just here.
