The image or the music?

[millersnose]

we were all young once

and when we were young we were all seduced by an image of rock stars

record companies recognise this and therefor have determined largely that image is more important than the music

gangster rap is the most obvious example of this...same as boy bands

they have all the bases covered

i think the younger you are the more susceptible to image ...look at el barbo and bob marley for example....

 

[Anonymous]

I think you'd be surprised millers. I genuinely like Marley's music, and always have. It was the first music I ever really owned, a tape of Legend when I was about 9. Back then I didn't even know anything about him, just loved the music.

Obviously image has a bit to do with some people's musical taste - and often a lot to do with it - but I don't think it really matters.

 

[millersnose]

only pulling your leg el g

i think image has become more important than the nusic for most youngsters

even back in my day tone death kids all went for the sex pistols image...even tried to look like them..although most couldnt actually stomach that out of tune wallowing the sex pistols tried to pass as music

 

[Quint]

Yeah The image was a big thing I agree.
Hell I used to have the tight black jeans and the Metallica shirt and the long hair etc etc....and loved it
But I'm all grown up now.... :lol:

 

[SP]

i never have gone for a bands image, i always go for thier music, especially thier lyrics, if they are good and meaningful (and they write the lyrics themselves), i will buy more of thier stuff

 

[Trollhammaren]

As if any pop star will get a deal if they are unattractive!!! It's ALL about image with the youngins. I boycott radio and music television anyway to avoid that.

But it's about image, or more so lifestule in all genres. How many white shirts are you going to see at a metal concert? Not a lot. How many hardcore fans are straight-edge vegans? Plenty. The discourses associated with the genres are something that people associate with.

 

[millersnose]

lets face it

if unattractive people like joe cocker janis joplin carole king ray charles van morrison came along today they would not get a recording contract despite being more talented than just about everyone with a contract today

unless of course they switched to rap were you thrill the teenies with stories of what a gangsta you are

 

[Samwise]

Very very true, yet this point does present quite the conundrum. The phenomenon that is Joey Fatone.

This guy is both hideous and talentless. Therefore we are presented with the problem, how did Joey Fatone get anywhere in the music world? Did he win a sweepstakes contest?

 

[dimitri]

peter andre has both the image and the talent

 

[Ron Jeremy]

Peter andre :lol :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

He's in the same category as Bob Downe & Jason Donovan :lol:

I do agree image plays a huge part in music, i like a mixture of both in most cases, however bands like the police & the Eagles didn't reall have a certain image...yet i love them both.

 

[KulaShaker]

Celebrities, mainly female, are selling their bodies these days. Example? Beyonce. Even though I despise rap, hip hop, r&B and the like, I admit that she has a great voice, however she continues to degrade herself by dancing that is hardly dancing, plus undressing for the camera. The same applies to Britney and co.

With a lot of urban music the guys sell other people's bodies. As if they would get that many girls in real life, if they weren't stars. And how do they become stars? By talking themselves up. And the cycle continues. Plus they talk themselves up to be so good, such tough gangsters. I know real gangsters who shit all over them. The music industry has got to grow up and start selling music.

 

[brook]

lets face it

if unattractive people like joe cocker janis joplin carole king ray charles van morrison came along today they would not get a recording contract despite being more talented than just about everyone with a contract today

unless of course they switched to rap were you thrill the teenies with stories of what a gangsta you are

I disagree that noone unattractive would get a contract (look at George in Australia - katie is hardly a sex symbol but her voice makes up for it)

but theres no doubt it makes it much harder for them to get real exposure or sales

 

[millersnose]

who is george?

who is katie?

 

[brook]

Actually they are a band that face exactly the problem you describe

A youngish Aussie band that get huge reviews and actually sell a lot of albums (compared to most aussie bands that is - so still pretty modest really)

However get virtually no actual promotion because the lead singer is a rather large girl and they dont look as good on the magazine covers

So I don't think its so much a matter of not getting the contract - but getting exposure is an entirely different matter

 

[millersnose]

who are they though?

which major label are they contracted to?

 

[Quint]

Katie From George has the best singing voice I've heard in a long time!
She must have been classically trained,\.

 

[brook]

Millers - wouldn't know the label, I'll check when I get home tonight.

 

[Red Bear]

Millers, does it matter if a band is on a major label or not?

 

[brook]

Well in some ways it does matter.

The major labels have a lot more money and influence to spend on promotion - it is MUCH harder (although not impossible) for a band to break into the big time from an independant label.

Still in regards to george while I'll have to check when I get home I have a feeling they are with mushroom which isn't insignificant in Australia.

 

[Trollhammaren]

The girl from George has a much better voice than 99% of pop crap out there, but image SELLS!! And kids and trendy 20 somethings don't care about the music really. They just want to look cool. But seriosuly, will this ever change? As long as I'm happy with what I listen to I don't care about anything. Although, I do find it very hard not to cringe when I flick past channel V and other things..