Mojorule Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 Not to be pedantic, was Nesmith was a well-established musician in the LA folk/country scene long before "The Monkees" came along. He was the "hootmaster" at The Troubadour's Monday night hootenannies, and he even had a publishing deal for his songs. He had stuff recorded by Linda Rondstadt and the Paul Butterfield Blues Band. Peter Tork was also a "real" musician before getting selected for The Monkees. He was a part of the Greenwich Village folk scene. Ah, that'll teach me to wisecrack. Always an education. Did MN sport the woolly hat before the Monkees too? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelR Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 1329954305[/url]' post='1129724']I agree. Next to Bruno Mars, I liked her Grammy performance best. Ok, she's not the singer Adele is but who is these days? She's a passable singer, a passable musician, very easy on the eyes and writes catchy tunes. That's what it takes to become a star these days. And if you saw the story about her on 60 Minutes a while back, she's in control over every aspect of her live shows. Now that's impressive for a 21 year old. Folks, we've got to get over the fact that musical talent alone does not make a star. You can probably go to any medium size town in the US and find young women with more musical ability than Ms. Swift. But most of them don't have the drive or the luck to get where she has gotten. As far as I'm concerned, she's to be admired not criticized. Agreed. Her performance was very entertaining and musical. definitely to be admired. It was refreshing to not see so much of the rap and urban music that dominated in the past few years.....not that theres anything wrong with it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rar Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 I know this is weird, but one of the things i remember about mike nesmith was that his grandfather invented the zipper. Probably urban legend. I think so. Whitcomb Judson is generally credited with inventing the zipper, and a quick google didn't show he's Mike's grandfather. However, his mother invented Liquid Paper (when Mike was 13), started a company to sell the stuff, and became rather wealthy as a result. She eventually sold the company to Gillette for $48M in 1980 -- just about the time it became clear that typewriters would be replaced by computers, eliminating the need for Liquid Paper, in the not terribly distant future. Her fortune might have something to do with why Mike was a little more casual about being a Monkee than the other three. -- Bob R Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 I think so. Whitcomb Judson is generally credited with inventing the zipper, and a quick google didn't show he's Mike's grandfather. However, his mother invented Liquid Paper (when Mike was 13), started a company to sell the stuff, and became rather wealthy as a result. She eventually sold the company to Gillette for $48M in 1980 -- just about the time it became clear that typewriters would be replaced by computers, eliminating the need for Liquid Paper, in the not terribly distant future. Her fortune might have something to do with why Mike was a little more casual about being a Monkee than the other three. -- Bob R i once bought 50 cases of liquid paper on ebay ....BIG mistake Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retrorod Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 This person says it better than I can: http://www.vulture.com/2011/12/taylor-swifts-precociousness-problem.html?imw=Y&f=most-viewed-24h10 Or this: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andrea-lampros/taylor-swift_b_928371.html I have nothing against her personally. But her success is a tribute to 1) her own ambition, 2) marketing and 3) sex appeal. Sorry -- and I acknowledge this may be sexist, but I contend it is reality -- but with her voice, if you put 50 pounds on her, nobody would care about her. Adele can do what she does because she has a hell of a voice. If you want an "artist" who is very much a product of marketing and is literally a "Cover Girl," then, yeah, Swift fits the bill. But please don't confuse those qualities with artistic talent. So, your opinion is formed from such so-called 'journalistic tripe' as you supply for backup? Or is it your own personal opinion? I happen to like what I have heard from the young lady... Success, argued with, is success nonetheless, depending on how you define it, I guess! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mojorule Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 I think so. Whitcomb Judson is generally credited with inventing the zipper, and a quick google didn't show he's Mike's grandfather. However, his mother invented Liquid Paper (when Mike was 13), started a company to sell the stuff, and became rather wealthy as a result. She eventually sold the company to Gillette for $48M in 1980 -- just about the time it became clear that typewriters would be replaced by computers, eliminating the need for Liquid Paper, in the not terribly distant future. Her fortune might have something to do with why Mike was a little more casual about being a Monkee than the other three. -- Bob R Well the fortune, or the fact that he figured he could always tippex his signature out from the contract if the band turned out to be duff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mojorule Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 So, your opinion is formed from such so-called 'journalistic tripe' as you supply for backup? Or is it your own personal opinion? I happen to like what I have heard from the young lady... Success, argued with, is success nonetheless, depending on how you define it, I guess! Yes, but it can degenerate very quickly into suck and cess... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhanners623 Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 So, your opinion is formed from such so-called 'journalistic tripe' as you supply for backup? Or is it your own personal opinion? I happen to like what I have heard from the young lady... Success, argued with, is success nonetheless, depending on how you define it, I guess! There are many things that go into forming my opinion. If you want to call it "so-called 'journalistic tripe,'" then it is a free country and you can do that. It doesn't make Taylor Swift sing in tune any better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guth Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 So much of this conversation is exactly why I choose not to know anything about what most of you are talking about. I find that I enjoy life and music a lot more since I unplugged from that BS. I just try to listen and respond. I don't listen to much in the way of current popular music these days. (I'm actually going backwards, starting to work my way through some of the older country legends, a genre that I wouldn't bother with in my youth.) Like many others, I have nothing against Swift. It's just that what little I've heard of her music has done nothing for me. So I hesitated before opening this clip for viewing. After watching/listening, my opinion of her certainly hasn't changed. And I have no idea who the guy Zak is, but in all honesty, I thought his vocals were much better than hers. So that's my response after listening, free of any of the BS. To each their own and all that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JuanCarlosVejar Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 this is just Apalling !!! Nasty !!! JC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-minor7 Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 I dug this clip and the easy bubbles from the 2 youngsters. Lightly singing young girls a primal format/force on this planet and she fills the seat to 10 of 10. May she bloom on and never fall too hard. Thumbs up for the guy also. . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-minor7 Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 The 21 year old version of me just tapped me on the shoulder and said I've become cheesy. Okay then, , , what can I do . . . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mojorule Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 I have no idea who the guy Zak is, but in all honesty, I thought his vocals were much better than hers. You'd just adore High School Musical, Guth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisA83 Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 I think this is a good 'off the cuff' performance to be fair, and how many of us could sing AND play the guitar after one lesson? And how many 'stars' do this sort of thing? I think it was quite fun I don't know, it's just easy to jump on the backs of young people because they're successful and not to our taste. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
57classic Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 I'm with Dhanner on this one. T. Swift is, to my mind, more of a marketing creation than musician. Though she seems to have plenty of appeal, I just don't understand it. I'm sure when she performs at those awards shows the musicians in the audience must scratch their heads at how much attention she gets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mojorule Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 I think this is a good 'off the cuff' performance to be fair, and how many of us could sing AND play the guitar after one lesson? And how many 'stars' do this sort of thing? I think it was quite fun I don't know, it's just easy to jump on the backs of young people because they're successful and not to our taste. I'm inclined to emphasize your inverted commas around 'off the cuff' here. Perhaps Zac Efron is a master wordsmith and we just didn't know it (perhaps he also has a hidden career in LA besides the Hollywood one, and also runs a Hootenanny every week), but even Lou Reed at the height of his powers would struggle to improvise lyrics that coherent (think 'Sister Ray' versus the rather consistent satirical dig at Ellen Degeneres...). Given that both of them had a verse or two or three to add on the subject, and that Taylor ends up adding a litany of things that have happened on the show, methinks quite a lot of forethought and rehearsal went into that one. That level of rehearsal hardly constitutes one guitar lesson. Mind you, my dad has never had a guitar lesson in his life, and never owned a guitar. But when I bought me my first instrument he picked Ghost Riders in the Sky out without any practice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisA83 Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 I'm inclined to emphasize your inverted commas around 'off the cuff' here. Perhaps Zac Efron is a master wordsmith and we just didn't know it (perhaps he also has a hidden career in LA besides the Hollywood one, and also runs a Hootenanny every week), but even Lou Reed at the height of his powers would struggle to improvise lyrics that coherent (think 'Sister Ray' versus the rather consistent satirical dig at Ellen Degeneres...). Given that both of them had a verse or two or three to add on the subject, and that Taylor ends up adding a litany of things that have happened on the show, methinks quite a lot of forethought and rehearsal went into that one. That level of rehearsal hardly constitutes one guitar lesson. Mind you, my dad has never had a guitar lesson in his life, and never owned a guitar. But when I bought me my first instrument he picked Ghost Riders in the Sky out without any practice. Yeah it did have the feeling of trying to look spontaneous...but even so, he messed up a few chords so he's obviously not a fluent guitar player. It's easy to judge, that's all I meant. And at least they were having fun, not miming, actually playing (acoustic guitars, and a Gibson at that ); you don't see many big names doing that sort of thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mojorule Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 Yeah it did have the feeling of trying to look spontaneous...but even so, he messed up a few chords so he's obviously not a fluent guitar player. It's easy to judge, that's all I meant. And at least they were having fun, not miming, actually playing (acoustic guitars, and a Gibson at that ); you don't see many big names doing that sort of thing. Well I agree that it was fun. Still trying to work out what to make of Ellen's rather composed response. She was an actor though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pottski Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 No sound on the 'puter here at work.....I'll hear this one tonight. I suppose Swift has talent, but for me it's talent that appeals to a much younger generation than mine. I've seen her do a tune or two live on television and she certainly benefits from auto-tune in the studio. I sure ain't no Caruso but I can hear it when things get "pitchy" (as Randy J likes to say). Her voice has no maturity at this point in her career.....to my ear it lacks any character or "soul". Given time I might grow to enjoy her voice......but not now. I'm glad I'm not the only one who has noticed her lack of decent pitch during live performances. I see that with a lot of performers though. Makes me wonder if it is a monitoring issue and less of a vocal ability issue. Or it could be a combination of the two. I think Taylor Swift is a talented song writer in terms of her generation but have never been impressed with her voice or guitar playing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee M Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 I'm sure when she performs at those awards shows the musicians in the audience must scratch their heads at how much attention she gets. Perhaps, but I'm sure they are also envious of her commercial success. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul E Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 Taylor Swift may not be as good musician/singer as say Sarah Jarosz but she has found her nich and is a sucsess. It's like saying Mick Jagger or Bob Dylan aren't as good singers as Steve Perry or Justin Hayward. It's all subjective. You all know what opinions are like, a certain orfice we have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
57classic Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 Taylor Swift may not be as good musician/singer as say Sarah Jarosz but she has found her nich and is a sucsess. It's like saying Mick Jagger or Bob Dylan aren't as good singers as Steve Perry or Justin Hayward. It's all subjective. You all know what opinions are like, a certain orfice we have. More power to her for her commercial success, no gripes from me. I knew someone would bring up the Dylan comparison. Don't think she'll ever be an icon like Dylan or Mick. Dylan had a lot of serious $hit to say and a hell of a way of saying it. Mick's place in R&R history is also pretty safe. Not really a fair comparison for either of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brannon67 Posted February 26, 2012 Share Posted February 26, 2012 I think Taylor has talent. She is an attractive young woman, and plays and sings well. I just dont care for her style, that teenage angnst stuff, boyfriend/girlfriend pop stuff she does. But as far as her voice and guitar playing, I think it fits. Just not my cup of tea so to speak. I do respect her for what she does. More power to her. Im looking forward in the coming years to hear her more mature stuff, kind of like what happened to John Mayer. He dropped that sappy stuff, and started playing and singing really good bluesy stuff later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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