Artists make art. Musicians make music. Need to stop the pretentious behavior of referring to musicians as artists. They do it because they want to be taken seriously and they want the allure of fine artists to justify the ridiculousness of selling music as commerce. Musicians are musicians, not artists. Furthermore, Artists are not musicians. Most, if not all musicians are musical entertainers, especially in the music business. Art does not entertain. Instead of referring to musicians as artists, call them creative musicians, if in fact they are being creative—and I believe most are. The music industry has always been hostile toward artists. Some experimental musicians are creative enough that the music industry tolerates them but that's because they sell records.
If you are going to use a personal definition of “art” that doesn’t correspond to the definitions found in dictionaries, then you should probably define it. Because music is pretty universally considered an art. Is your objection that “art” often refers to visual arts? If so, I’d like to point out that visual arts are subject to commercial forces, too, by which I mean that visual artists who want to make a living by their craft must sell their work, too. Or maybe your objection is that only avant-garde works qualify as “art”? Avant-grade works do sometimes avoid market forces by earning grant money or something similar, but competition for these grants could be considered another form of market. A market that prioritizes respectability rather than pleasure, which isn’t an improvement by me.
I think I should have made a better question more elaborate, not a quick one like this that has just the joke that would work only during a conversation, with a beer.
Just have to say that I absolutely love seeing the word, “wanker, “ in written conversation. Just the absolute best thing I read today(even though I don’t think of you as a wanker). Thanks for all your insights.
As a fellow Aussie, I’d like to apologise for today’s Australian contribution. Your work has meant a lot to me for decades and has directed me to a lot of great music I otherwise would have missed. I appreciate ‘Book Reports’ as well. Thanks for all of it.
Alongside yourself (though you came later) in my college years John Rockwell shaped my lifelong love of all types of music; glad to hear he's still around. Before college it was the crew at Stereo Review: Chris Albertson, Noel Coppage, Joel Vance, and especially Steve Simels. It was the last whose profile stated he found his love of Sibelius of little use in attracting girlfriends who led me to wonder who Sibelius was and from there to reading John Rockwell to learn more about classical music around the same time that I obtained Stereo Review's mail order guide to "The Standard Repertoire."
I was a long time subscriber to Stereo Review and Steve Simels was my favorite critic until I encountered Mr. Christgau. I also loved the equipment reviews by Julian Hirsch, who taught me the meaning of wow and flutter.
Mr. Simels is still at it practicing the art of the put down in his blog as seen here putting the New Yorker’s Amanda Petrusich in her place (almost as good as my all time favorite from Mr. Christgau regarding Eric Clapton’s Journeyman LP (What did you expect him to call it--Hack?). https://powerpop.blogspot.com/2025/12/honk-honk-whos-there.html
Artists make art. Musicians make music. Need to stop the pretentious behavior of referring to musicians as artists. They do it because they want to be taken seriously and they want the allure of fine artists to justify the ridiculousness of selling music as commerce. Musicians are musicians, not artists. Furthermore, Artists are not musicians. Most, if not all musicians are musical entertainers, especially in the music business. Art does not entertain. Instead of referring to musicians as artists, call them creative musicians, if in fact they are being creative—and I believe most are. The music industry has always been hostile toward artists. Some experimental musicians are creative enough that the music industry tolerates them but that's because they sell records.
If you are going to use a personal definition of “art” that doesn’t correspond to the definitions found in dictionaries, then you should probably define it. Because music is pretty universally considered an art. Is your objection that “art” often refers to visual arts? If so, I’d like to point out that visual arts are subject to commercial forces, too, by which I mean that visual artists who want to make a living by their craft must sell their work, too. Or maybe your objection is that only avant-garde works qualify as “art”? Avant-grade works do sometimes avoid market forces by earning grant money or something similar, but competition for these grants could be considered another form of market. A market that prioritizes respectability rather than pleasure, which isn’t an improvement by me.
I think I should have made a better question more elaborate, not a quick one like this that has just the joke that would work only during a conversation, with a beer.
good grief, tim a bringing shame to oztrayans and calling someone such as yrself a wanker
sorry bob, we're not all like tim a!
Well... you now you're a good critic when people insult you. Compliment indeed.
Just have to say that I absolutely love seeing the word, “wanker, “ in written conversation. Just the absolute best thing I read today(even though I don’t think of you as a wanker). Thanks for all your insights.
As a fellow Aussie, I’d like to apologise for today’s Australian contribution. Your work has meant a lot to me for decades and has directed me to a lot of great music I otherwise would have missed. I appreciate ‘Book Reports’ as well. Thanks for all of it.
I appreciate "Book Reports", too. "Fortress of Solitude" by Jonathan Lethem is one of the most memorable books I've read.
Alongside yourself (though you came later) in my college years John Rockwell shaped my lifelong love of all types of music; glad to hear he's still around. Before college it was the crew at Stereo Review: Chris Albertson, Noel Coppage, Joel Vance, and especially Steve Simels. It was the last whose profile stated he found his love of Sibelius of little use in attracting girlfriends who led me to wonder who Sibelius was and from there to reading John Rockwell to learn more about classical music around the same time that I obtained Stereo Review's mail order guide to "The Standard Repertoire."
I was a long time subscriber to Stereo Review and Steve Simels was my favorite critic until I encountered Mr. Christgau. I also loved the equipment reviews by Julian Hirsch, who taught me the meaning of wow and flutter.
Mr. Simels is still at it practicing the art of the put down in his blog as seen here putting the New Yorker’s Amanda Petrusich in her place (almost as good as my all time favorite from Mr. Christgau regarding Eric Clapton’s Journeyman LP (What did you expect him to call it--Hack?). https://powerpop.blogspot.com/2025/12/honk-honk-whos-there.html
Thanks a lot for that link. I see Stereo Review is available on various archives.
I have a question, since Europe is the enemy number 1 of United States, which are yours favourite European albums? Claudio
Western Europe is a death cult.
Phish still fishy....wanker's delight? GLORIOUS!
HUGO B. (not 83)