derivative music?

What are your feelings on derivative music?

Who cares? Either one enjoys it or one doesn't. The lineage does not matter to me - virtually all music has it's roots and influences elsewhere. It is virtually impossible to be totally original. Anyway, no two people hear the same thing when listening to music. Some hear influences, some imagine them and some just appreciate (or not) when listening anew. I never have any pre-conceived notions when setting out and along that journey I may hear things which I perceive to be overt influences from elsewhere but always look at the piece as new. As with all music, I want to be moved in some way. Any music has the potential to do that - derivative or not.

Just shut up and listen to the music

I voted "so long as it sounds good...". I generally don't have that much of a problem with derivative music, especially not outside Prog where it's more common. But there are, of course, exceptions.

(almost) never as good as the original, but not bad automatically was my choice

Edited by Sean Trane - November 02 2006 at 06:55

Glueman wrote: Some hear influences, some imagine them and some just appreciate (or not) when listening anew.

Edited by inpraiseoffolly - November 02 2006 at 08:26

All of it is derivative.

¡Plop!

Sean Trane wrote: (almost) never as good as the original, but not bad automatically was my choice   but i hesitated with     shows a lack of originality (not systematically either)   and   tends (often but not always) to fall flat on its face, but does have it's moments       Glueman wrote: Who cares? Either one enjoys it or one doesn't. The lineage does not matter to me - virtually all music has it's roots and influences elsewhere. It is virtually impossible to be totally original. Anyway, no two people hear the same thing when listening to music. Some hear influences, some imagine them and some just appreciate (or not) when listening anew. I never have any pre-conceived notions when setting out and along that journey I may hear things which I perceive to be overt influences from elsewhere but always look at the piece as new. As with all music, I want to be moved in some way. Any music has the potential to do that - derivative or not.       I don't agree at all. Sure you can be influenced and still produce great works, but derivative also means copying of plagiazing. Roots are important at least on the analysing process...   And your pleasure with highly derivative music either means:   1- you treat music like general entertainment (rather than art and culture), which means that if McDonalds is strongly inspired on Burger King (or Pepsi and Coke) >>>> who cares it's all the same   2- you are probably encourageing people to just be content on living out their fantasies as third rates Emerson (maybe not in terms of talents but certainly in terms of recognition/fame/notoriety) and giving derivative music the same value as original oeuvres. And this might lead to weakening the general arts in order to make it plain and accessible entertainment >>> like kids out on a Saturday at the movies, not being able to see their first choice of movie because sold-out so they go see just about anything else instead >> who cares right ??? It's all the same .... (crap)

Hi Hugues,

The problem with this 'art vs entertainment' dualism is that with time art becomes entertainment, so the lines between one and the other are blurred... the real issue here (and you seem to be addressing it, too) is, IMO, more about something I like to clumsily call 'aesthetic cowardice'; namely obsessively indulging in one's own little artistic world and being afraid to look outside it.  But cowardice and courage can only be personal and subjective, so the way out of one's ivory tower can also only be personal and subjective. So a generally derivative piece of music doesn't have to be personally derivative to someone,  it can be adventurous enough to lead one out of stale habits.

¿You end up listening to something else?