Bigmouths Strike Again: Close Down The Net Edition
The internet's effect on musical creativity is the sort of thing about which reasonable people can differ. Where's it all headed, and which way should we go? For this and more, we turn to one of our most reliably loquacious bigmouths.
The internet has stopped people from going out and being with each other, creating stuff. Instead they sit at home and make their own records, which is sometimes OK but it doesn’t bode well for long-term artistic vision. It’s just a means to an end. We’re talking about things that are going to change the world and change the way people listen to music and that’s not going to happen with people blogging on the internet. I mean, get out there — communicate. Hopefully the next movement in music will tear down the internet. Let’s get out in the streets and march and protest instead of sitting at home and blogging. I do think it would be an incredible experiment to shut down the whole internet for five years and see what sort of art is produced over that span. There’s too much technology available. I'm sure, as far as music goes, it would be much more interesting than it is today.Guess the advocate for internet abolition, then take the jump.
Quote via The Sun.
Posted at 10:24 AM in Bigmouths Strike Again
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He strangely makes a lot of sense.
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I am going to quote South Park for a second "It doesn't matter if someone downloads a song or tow of yours at least you know you have fans. even if they do download your music illegally, if its good enough they would go out to see your concerts" I completely agree with what they said. Why is Elton John complaining. isn't it ironic that one of the most successful musicians (also one of the richest) are complaining about illegal download when they could afford someone to download a song. if anyone it should be indie bands or people not in successful bands or groups
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At Jonathan: I don't think he was complaining about downloads, just that people tend to do a lot of things on their own more easily now and they need to interact with others.
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did you even read the article? he didn't mention illegal downloading at all...
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You aren't producing hit records on a regular basis anymore...so Mr. John, what's your excuse for your shitty output since the 1980's?
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Jonathan, where in that quote does Elton John complain about illegal downloading? I'm not finding it...I think this is more about the idea of creativity and the lack thereof when it's reduced to being sat in front of a computer screen and not walking out the door down to a local space to rehearse or whatever the case might be. I tend to think he's making plenty of sense in regards to the idea it's about who's making the music, not who's consuming it.
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nice one, Ju Bean.
and that has to be the best reveal picture, ever.
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I just noticed that penis earring he's wearing and it gave me the creeps!
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"too much technology" isn't an excuse for anything, and every time that the way people do any given thing changes to a different way, there are people who resist that change. usually the people who find themselves less able to understand how or why things have changed.
fuck 'em.
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My guess was Avril.
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I just noticed that penis earring he's wearing and it gave me the lolz!
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The internet -is- the new "streets". And better than the street outside your door, the people you'll meet are most likely from more diverse backgrounds than that in your neighborhood. This wide range of perspectives hopefully will help expose you to the new ideas and cultures other than what you're used to. You might or might not agree with this other person, but at least you won't be ignorant of their opinion. Nothing beats physical contact, but the internet definitely breaks down the barrier that is distance.
How else can we all gather here and argue about the dumbest things?.....
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This is just typical Elton moaning.
Loads of people are still playing music with friends in local spaces. Making music alone with your computer is just another option we now have. Plus, it opens music up to the socially retarded.
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Haterz --
He's still standing, yeah, yeah, yeah.
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Let's not forget this is the man who said all photographers should be shot.
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Let's forget this man, period.
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I disagree that the internet is stopping people from going out and communicating. Has he not seen "To Catch A Predator" on Dateline NBC? People are heading out in droves. DROVES!
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Ju Bean, this man has done enough in his career that he doesn't need to go out and make anymore hit records. I'm perfectly fine listening to the old ones.
And sure, you can meet a lot of people on the internet from different backgrounds and get different points of view that you wouldn't have without it, but how meaningful is it? People need to get out and socialize more and be part of a real community, not just an internet community.
Even though his five year hiatus idea may be a bit extreme, I think it would be an amazing social experiment to see what people would do without internet. See if people even remember how to act socially without it.
And the whole illegal downloading thing, Jonathan, where the fuck did that come from?? He said nothing about that.
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In a related riff, I'm noticing more and more at shows that people are not talking to each other after bands finish their set. There seems to be little interaction about what they just saw. Instead, they reach to the devices (cells, handheld, iphones, etc). Anyone else seeing that?
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I'm still waiting for someone to confront him about his weave/toupee and did he really think we wouldn't notice his balding one decade and the fact that he has a giant head of hair the next.
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Corey,
My problem with Elton John's statement is that he is suggesting that because HE has been at a lack for substantial creative inspiration since the 1980's, he seems to think everyone else is. He is implying that everything that has come out since the advent of the internet has been lackluster - which is not only bullshit, it demonstrates how out of touch he really is. And for someone who thinks the modern age is so ghastly, he sure doesn't mind riding the gravy train that comes along with duetting with Eminem on award shows or sticking Justin Timberlake and Robert Downey Jr. in his music videos.
I love his older work just as much as any fan would, but I'm just exposing hypocrisy; especially when someone thinks their celebrity allows them to completely negate almost a decade and a half of music. So to that I say - Fuck You Elton John.
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does the internet actually stop people from going outside? Theres no reason you can not use the internet and then go outside.
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I agree with Elton. People need to disconnect from the Internet and take a look at all the talented musicians that may be sitting next to them in Internet cafes, or whatnot, rather than emailing their new best MySpace friends in Iceland who just started a band.
I'm writing this on the Internet, of course, and the irony has not escaped me.
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i love elton john!
no internet for five years. that'd be pretty awesome. the streets would suddenly be covered with millions of pale people not really sure where they're going. i'd be one of them.
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My guess was The Unibomber but, hmmm, it's Elton John...
I hate technophobes, especially when they're aging, obsolete crooners motivated by fear that young, technologically savvy musicians are going to steal their dollars by being innovative and relevant.
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Facebook, MySpace, and other social networking spaces really do give you a weird, false sense of connecting to people online. Why go to the trouble of hanging out with that friend you had in college when you can just look at their photo album from when they went to Albania last month?
I think it is funny that he seemed for a while like he was talking about the horrors of online collaboration... the good old days of the Postal Service!
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nothing else matters about this entire post other than the cock and balls earring...too funny.
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But, but, BUT!!! Without the Internet I would have no social life!!!
Elton is WRONG WRON WRONG
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without the internet i would never have seen Elton's hilarious cock n' ballz earring!
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I agree with him on this.
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Ju
I think his attack is more on the internet itself than the creativity of musicians and artists right now. I can see where you get that idea from the quote, but I don't think he's trying to condemn society as a whole, just the lack of real social interaction because of the internet.
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I'm so sick of people claiming that because we use technology, we don't love each other enough or something. Didn't they say stuff like this about the walkman, too? The internet has actually helped the social interaction of most people I know... they've met friends, sig-others, whatever.... people that they'd never have met in real life but formed 'real' relationships with.
Also, if Elton thinks music would somehow become more interesting without the internet, he's got to explain how we'd ever find out about any of it; the internet has eviscerated the traditional, and even alternative, music presses to the point that no one would ever know anything aside from top 40 or what was five miles away from you. It would probably take five years just to bring that infrastructure back....
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looks like the internet bitch is back!
eh eh?
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