Album Rating: 5.0

to quote the dude from that one movie "rock and roll is a risk. You risk being ridiculed"



if you care too much about the image and about the commerciality of your band, the band will go nowhere. you need to do it mostly for the love of music

Album Rating: 4.9

if you look the world entirely in black and white those statements are true



however in the real world, you have to have both the ability and passion to be in it for the love of music, and also be level-headed enough to release that you need to know how to market that music to the people you want to hear it. And if you can't do both of those things yourself, why then you get someone who can and put em in your band

Album Rating: 5.0

but neither nirvana nor the pixies did that, and they're two of the most acclaimed alt rock bands in the world

Album Rating: 5.0

Fuck the real world. Escape is necessary. A vessel for rage, channeling the artistic and conveying the emotion. Unshackled by a natural talent and given a skill with which to craft a timeless piece of expression that connects to those who don't even seek.



Make sure you do it with a swish haircut and radio sound though.

Album Rating: 4.9

@Nateman Nirvana didn't do it? They sold themselves up the river and far away for Nevermind, and Kurt himself admitted it was a huge sellout. Listen to Bleach and listen to Smells Like Teen Spirit and tell me that isn't appealing to the widest audience possible. Now that's a case of taking it too far and making bad music as a result of being scared



Pixies on the other hand, didn't do it, and while they're acclaimed by their fans (and rightly so) as one of the best bands ever I can guarantee you the majority of the public has only heard of them through the Fight Club soundtrack



but sure, let's continue encouraging artists to starve themselves and quit their jobs because we like their music. Who cares about them making enough for a decent living as long as they're living up to our standards of what music should be, am I right fellas??

Album Rating: 5.0

He who fucks nuns will later join the church.

Album Rating: 3.0

lol calling Nevermind bad music smh

Album Rating: 5.0

yeah, but isn't nevermind largely cancelled out by In utero tho? because they went a completely radio unfriendly route,



and I see what you mean. Musicians and bands need to have a sense of the industry in order to really make it.

Album Rating: 4.9

Sure it is. I love In Utero. But saying Nirvana never did it is factually just wrong. Just because they followed it up with a great album, doesn't stop Nevermind from existing entirely (unfortunately).



You're right. We can sing the praises of "real" artists who starve for their art and make all their best stuff while they're in emotionally dark praises, but when it comes down to it we need to encourage the idea that they can actually make a living off their art while still loving it and having a passion for it. The idea that the two are mutually exclusive is ridiculous, and even dangerous

Album Rating: 5.0

Nah it dilutes it and in doing so makes it pointless.

Album Rating: 4.9

guess every artist who's "the real deal" has to leave their house, live on the streets, eat out of trashcans and be in withdrawals from drug use huh. otherwise obviously they're faking it and should be binned, utter tripe, utter bollocks

Album Rating: 5.0

so.....musicians don't deserve stability? there's no way to be emotionally and artistically on point while being commercially successful?

Album Rating: 5.0

Of course they deserve stability but in compromising what they actually feel they've bullshitted their way through and been sucked back into the system that they kicked against.



Who starts a band thinking 'I need to make this financially viable and give my self a comfortable source of income' Joe Twang and the Bland Bullshitters that's who.

Anyone with that mindset doesn't deserve success.

Album Rating: 5.0

"Who starts a band thinking 'I need to make this financially viable and give my self a comfortable source of income' Joe Twang and the Bland Bullshitters that's who."

Literally nobody would start a band with the aim of making money, because for the most part, you're going to lose money you dimwit.



"Anyone with that mindset doesn't deserve success."



And yet here we are.

Album Rating: 5.0

I just want to clarify since this is an ongoing discussion:



The Beach Boys, in terms of commercial success in the States, their largest market, were irrelevant. Their albums were tanking (Friends peaked at 126, Sunflower at 150) and didn't even reach the top 40 after Wild Honey, and would only get that high with Surf's Up (no. 29) and 15 Big Ones (no. 8) (not counting Endless Summer selling millions and paving the way for the band's short living resurgence from '74-'77). Before Jack Rieley was hired as their manager, they were pretty much living off concert revenue, whatever royalties they received from Capitol's reissues (upon signing with Reprise, Capitol deleted the band's entire catalogue, cutting off all royalty flows from the band), and whatever they could scrounge up from their international label contracts.



If you're practically broke, and need to tour non stop to even make a living, would you try to aim for commercial success? Damn right you would. And that's exactly what Mike Love aimed to do once it was clear that not only was Brian going to be out of commission and unable to contribute, but the other Wilson brothers were aiming for their own solo careers, and also able to collaborate with Love and Al Jardine. The irony in all this is, once the band were financially secure, Mike filed for bankruptcy in '82.

Album Rating: 5.0

That is a hell of a clarification

Album Rating: 5.0

So, would you try to make some money to guarantee your financial security after years of having pretty much nothing to show for all your effort?



There is only one answer and it isn't no. Don't delude yourself into thinking otherwise because it's plain foolish to think so.

Album Rating: 4.9

don't bother about trying to get a logical answer from him that actually addresses the question, it'll never happen

Album Rating: 5.0

A man can dream.



Forget logic, we gotta sacrifice it all for the art.