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09-27-2008, 12:43 AM | #21 (permalink) | |
Pale and Wan
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Location: Aus
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You can't really judge any art objectively, because there are no criteria for judging something purely aesthetic. You can objectively judge the technical skill involved in the music but that is the least part of what makes music great.
I would say that some people have more knowledgeable opinions, but in the end it still all subjective. Quote:
And if you say you can objectively judge music, what makes your opinion superior to those who disagree with you? Last edited by Fruitonica; 09-27-2008 at 06:11 AM. |
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09-27-2008, 05:57 AM | #22 (permalink) | ||
Back to mono
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Location: Pittsburgh
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Quote:
I can see where you're coming from, that an artist's or album's influence at a certain time certainly biases its reputation (Elvis Presley, anyone?), but one could make an argument that, since the Beatles and Bob Dylan consistantly capture the imagination of multiple generations, their music has some sort of inherent staying power. (I'm playing devil's advocate here, but I'm really interested in responses to this). Still, like jackjammer said, the problem is that some critics do seem to judge from a detached base, which ruins the purpose of music. No one listens to an album because it's "good"; we listen to music because we can relate to it. If it is possible to objectively judge music (and I don't think it is), that exercise has no purpose. Quote:
How do some people have more credible opinions (and how do you tell?)? Perhaps experience (i.e., listening to lots of music), but as you said, it's still subjective (and listening to a lot of music would only tend to further bias one's opinions, I would think).
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09-27-2008, 08:02 AM | #24 (permalink) |
This Space for Rent
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Theres a few things about this, that as much as everyone wants to argue logically, comes up as issues:
1. I think we can all agree that Revolver is better than The Backstreet Boys' Christmas Album. This opinion is so unanimous that there must be some inherent quality in one, that is the opposite of the other. What is it? 2. Furthermore, about certain people having better opinions: I really think it's a combination of exposure and open-mindedness. For example, if you asked me to name my 10 favorite bands now, we could all agree its much more eclectic than it would have been 5 years ago (90% Classic Rock) and also of much higher quality 10 years ago (Mainstream radio 1998-Korn, Limp Bizkit, Soundgarden, etc.) So clearly something changed in those 10 years to make my musical tastes change to something more accepted (widely assumed among people into music as 'better quality'). The only things I can think of are the two I mentioned. It's NOT just a matter of opinion-everything is/everything isn't. People who prefer McDonald's to a really nice restaurant can have that opinion...but nobody takes it seriously...why? Its the same deal with music. |
09-27-2008, 01:02 PM | #26 (permalink) | |
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Lets put it this way: A 13 year old girl who's favorite artist is Miley Cyrus gives you an opinion on an album you dont know if you'd like or not, versus someone in his 30's that owns thousands of albums, and has very informed opinions on music, even if he doesnt have the exact same taste as you. Whos opinion would you take more seriously? In theory it wouldnt make a difference, but I think in practice, it almost ALWAYS does. |
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09-27-2008, 01:14 PM | #27 (permalink) | |
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How am I egotistical? I'm just bringing up an idea. Settle the fuck down. Ignorance of music does factor into liking it or not, its not a black and white world. You're just being naive for the sake of your argument. |
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09-27-2008, 01:14 PM | #28 (permalink) | ||
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But that's not objective. If you happen to be a teenager who's into teeny pop, whose opinion will you respect more? In this instance, it's subjective. Quote:
1. I'm pretty sure there are people who will disagree. Similarly, I'm pretty sure that most people in the world would prefer "No Jacket Required" to "Psychocandy." Still, would you rather have the Phil Collins album? 2. But exposure and open-mindedness is still a subjective trait; it ties into your personal listening experience. Why is that opinion more objectively valid than your opinion 10 years ago? Just because nobody takes an opinion seriously doesn't mean that the opinion can be completely disregarded, nor does it mean that the entire field (whether it be music or fine dining) must, therefore, be open to objective analysis. What universal, independent law states that a fancy restaurant serves "better" food than your generic fast food chain?
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09-27-2008, 01:25 PM | #29 (permalink) | |
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1. Excellent point, and made without assuming Im egotistical as well. 2. The difference is how much music one is exposed to. I essentially have the same tastes, however, the amount of music Ive been exposed to changed it. Im not saying its BETTER than anyone elses-to me it is because my exposure has led to me discovering music thats better IMO. The point Im trying to make is that the amount of music people are exposed to tends to broaden their tastes, thus having a more informed opinion, thus having a larger influence over other tastes/more compatibility, which is viewed as "good taste" (again, Im NOT being egotistical-Im simply raising the point that those exposed to more music tend to be compatible with more music listeners) Might I also add that In no way do I consider my tastes broad, Im simply trying to play devils advocate. |
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