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Topic History of: Jimmy Webb on song writing and “American Idol” Max. showing the last 5 posts - (Last post first)
Author
Message
JK2006
The lesson (which I'm always telling Tommy, Charlie, my nephew Oliver and other twenty somethings) is - don't get deflected from the only thing that matters - improve the standard of what you do, whether it's simple, catchy and one dimensional or complex, introvert and uncommercial. What is important - do the best you possibly can, even if you're the only person who ever hears (or sees) it (Van Gogh?).
GG
"In this era of worshipping superficiality in everything (politics; media; social behaviour) it is that much more popular."
You've nailed the whole thing right there JK.
I agree with everything Jimmy says with one exception. As a current pop songwriter who is in the belly of the beast of it, the politics of placement and big-time publishing are as they ever were, and to say otherwise is either naive(and I don't think Jimmy is) or just removed.
Isn't it great to see the writer alone at the piano singing that great song?
JK2006
Indeed it is; like Opportunity Knocks was - but horses for courses; the problem is expecting great writers or performers to emerge from a contest for instant, superficial talent.
In this era of worshipping superficiality in everything (politics; media; social behaviour) it is that much more popular.
DJones
„(…) something like American Idol would have been laughed out of town in 1967, 68 (…) as a real piece of garbage, as something not hip enough to be taken seriously”