Åkerfeldt vs. Wilson

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 swilson wrote:

>"And I think that bands such as the Mars Volta, Radiohead, Sigur Ros, and Tool have made it okay to >use the word ‘progressive’ again. It isn’t the kiss of death it might have been a few years ago. "- >Steven Wilson

>You didn't specifically  mention anything about media perspective in that interview, which is the one >I was referring to.  By "kiss of death" do you mean the media? 

Yes, abolutely.  It's always been OK with me to play whatever music you want.  The problem is purely one of public and media perception.

>You have also been talking out of both sides of your mouth about how PT is "progressive". 

>" I can't really answer this question as PT has always tried to avoid any generic >classification " "we make "porcupine tree" music, I guess.  These days I'm not really >sure I know what "progressive" means"

>"Progressive rock is a big part of Porcupine Tree,” 

No doubt I've contradicted myself and changed my mind about many things on many occassions, as we all do, but actually I don't really see how these two statements are in opposition.  Progressive music cerrtainly *is* a big part of the band, but I would hesitate to describe us as a "progressive rock" band.  The idea of genre is a sticky one for any musician, and probably works against being truly "progressive", ironic though that may seem.  My answer will also very much depend on the agenda of the person I'm talking to, and what their understanding of the word might be.  For example you and I may understand "progressive" to mean a music which creates new hybrids of other forms of music (combining classical with rock, or trip hop with metal, whatever..), innovation, and artistry and ambition in both musicianship and production.  It's the first two of these that I personally find Transatlantic fail to fulfill, being too indebted to a blueprint laid down 30 years ago for my taste - but then again I don't believe that they ever claimed the music was supposed to be anything especially innovative, so again I was totally wrong to criticise them on that basis.  However, some journalists have another agenda that basically equates "progressive" with music that is unfashionable, vaguely ridiculous, and indulgent.  It's important to know what this agenda is when discussing your music with them.  To not know or care what their agenda might be may be righteous, but it's also career suicide.

>I'm not giving an interview as an acclaimed musician, you are.  I don't think it's fair to compare >someone who is a music reviewer, to a working musician.  The two have completely different >functions.  As I've said before, I respect that you have strong opinions on music, but I don't respect >that you willing bash another musician in a published interivew.  If you want to bash another >musician in a publication, why not become a reviewer?

In a way I'm flattered that you place my opinion so much higher than that of a reviewer, but your distinction is arbitrary.  A musician is a music lover (or hater) just like anyone else.  Why you believe a musician's printed opinion should be more significant than a reviewer's says a lot about the respect with which you hold other musicians, and I applaud you for that.  But I should say that the most hurtful things I have ever read about myself have been not from other musicians, but from reviewers such as yourself.  A reviewer's words are more painful precisely BECAUSE you know that they don't understand what it is like to struggle for self expression.  At least another musician has some kind of right to criticise, knowing as they do what it takes to get even a slight foothold in this most heartbreaking of industries.

Here's one for you....I F***ING HATE THE RED HOT CHILLI PEPPERS!!!!  And you can quote me on that....

SW

Thanks for clearing that up, Steve.  I'm not a publically critiqued and interviewed musician, so unfortunately I don't quite understand how the media needs to be handled.  I'll make sure that I take more into account than just the man's words in the future.

"Here's one for you....I F***ING HATE THE RED HOT CHILLI PEPPERS!!!!" 

Yes Steve, I do hold the muscian's opinion higher than those of reviewers.  Most reviewers have no idea about not only the musical element of music, but also the expressive and the laborous parts of music.  Not many reviewers are ever going to understand just how laborous it is to work on new matierial in a rehearsel space, or find a new dimension of playing matierial in a recording studio.  It's bloody hard to groove to an incomplete recording in the studio when you can't see the drummer hitting his damn cymbals. 

I've no doubt said some hurtful things in reviews I've posted here, but that's part of the reason people read them.  I say some good things about many musicians too, and it's likely that someone else has said the complete opposite of what I have.

Poll Question: Mikael Åkerfeldt or Steven Wilson?
Poll Choice	Votes	Poll Statistics
Mikael Åkerfeldt (Opeth)	59	[44.03%]
Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree)	75	[55.97%]
This topic is closed, no new votes accepted