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There is no such thing as musical "trash"


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Old 23-06-2015, 13:44
TheTruth1983
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Just because I (or you) do not like something, does not make it trash. Who am I (or who are you) to decide that a particular song/band/album is "trash"? Maybe we are the ones who are lacking?
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Old 23-06-2015, 14:30
Rocketpop
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Just because I (or you) do not like something, does not make it trash. Who am I (or who are you) to decide that a particular song/band/album is "trash"? Maybe we are the ones who are lacking?
What about when the artist themselves admits the product they has created is trash? An example being REM on their 'Around the Sun' album.
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Old 23-06-2015, 14:51
Doghouse Riley
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It doesn't bother me what other people like, it can hardly make any difference to me.

But I do know what I don't like.

Some tunes with a few basic chords, not much of a melody and very repetitive lyrics. These I find usually very forgettable. That's my definition of "trash."
Quite often songs are "written" around a basic chord progression, this limits the scope of the refrain.

The classic songwriters wrote the melody first, then fitted the chords round it. This sort of structure can make a song more enduring.

However, a lot of good pop songs of many eras, (including Motown) were written around some basic chords, but it's something individual about the tune that makes them memorable.
For example, everyone can recognise "Maggie May.," but there's very few chords in that song.

Trouble is, "most of the best combinations of notes, have already been used," so a lot of new songs can remind you of something else.
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Old 23-06-2015, 14:52
Soupietwist
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What about when the artist themselves admits the product they has created is trash? An example being REM on their 'Around the Sun' album.
Or "Cut the Crap" by the Clash. Hated by Strummer.
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Old 23-06-2015, 15:08
TheTruth1983
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What about when the artist themselves admits the product they has created is trash? An example being REM on their 'Around the Sun' album.
I'm sure there are fans out there who enjoy albums branded by the artists as trash. After all, artists are often their own worse critics
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Old 23-06-2015, 22:15
SweetHeartHolly
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To me, the following songs are trash.

"Sin Wagon"-Dixie Chicks
"White Trash Wedding"-Dixie Chicks
"My Last Name"-Carrie Underwood (This song beating "What I Can Not Change" at the Grammy awards was a sheer and severe freaking farce!)
"Follow Your Arrow"-Kacey Musgraves
"Biscuits"-Kacey Musgraves
"Girl Crush"-Little Big Town

God bless you always!!!

Holly
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Old 23-06-2015, 22:24
Grabid Rannies
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I know full well this is retroactive, and that I can anticipate being pilloried for using such an outdated example, but for me, the at least chart-achieving output of acts such as 'Limp Bizkit', from and of that era, I will happily and unapologetically describe as 'trash'.
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Old 24-06-2015, 00:50
mrkite77
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What about music that's deliberately broken? Like Glitch.

"It has been described as a genre that adheres to an "aesthetic of failure," where the deliberate use of glitch-based audio media, and other sonic artifacts, is a central concern."

Example:
Tipper - Chrome Splat

It's like reveling in what people call trash.
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Old 24-06-2015, 08:04
Inkblot
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As soon as I read the thread I thought, New York Dolls.

But I thought "trash" was just American for "rubbish", and whilst that song is a mess, it isn't rubbish.

It must be to do with intent. Someone who sets out to write a disposable three-minute pop song, and comes up with Waterloo, isn't producing rubbish. But when someone sets out to write a moving, heartfelt song and comes up with There's No One Quite Like Grandma.... well, I think there's a difference.
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Old 24-06-2015, 09:42
Doghouse Riley
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As soon as I read the thread I thought, New York Dolls.

But I thought "trash" was just American for "rubbish", and whilst that song is a mess, it isn't rubbish.

It must be to do with intent. Someone who sets out to write a disposable three-minute pop song, and comes up with Waterloo, isn't producing rubbish. But when someone sets out to write a moving, heartfelt song and comes up with There's No One Quite Like Grandma.... well, I think there's a difference.
Great!

That killed me!
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Old 24-06-2015, 10:24
Asarualim
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What about music that's deliberately broken? Like Glitch.

"It has been described as a genre that adheres to an "aesthetic of failure," where the deliberate use of glitch-based audio media, and other sonic artifacts, is a central concern."

Example:
Tipper - Chrome Splat

It's like reveling in what people call trash.
I don't think glitch is an example of trash. As a genre it just uses a different sound palette to most other music, but the quality is still there as with any other genre. It can still have great production values, it can be aurally pleasing, or disturbing, or shocking, or emotive, or anything else other genres of music can be, it just uses sounds and techniques to achieve a certain sound. I make glitch music myself, and I don't for a second consider anytrhing I've done as trash, much less set out to create trash music.

If you want trash though, I'd offer Exhibit A - The Fast Food Rockers. Undeniable trash of the very worst kind.
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Old 24-06-2015, 19:33
mrkite77
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If you want trash though, I'd offer Exhibit A - The Fast Food Rockers. Undeniable trash of the very worst kind.
How about artists with purposefully horrible singing like Wesley Willis Fiasco. or IceJJFish or Biz Markie?
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Old 24-06-2015, 19:34
Eraserhead
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This subject has been covered many times in the past and the upshot is always the same (and valid) which is that musical taste / appreciation is entirely subjective, so I think it's OK for someone to say that, in their opinion, a certain song (or entire genre of music) is "trash" as far as they are concerned but that doesn't mean that it's objectively bad, rubbish etc. but rather that they see no merit or worth in what they hear.

I'll happily complain that the entire output of Stock, Aitken and Waterman's productions in that "classic" late 80s / early 90s period was trash but that's purely my personal taste. I'm well aware that other people love that stuff, therefore it isn't trash if other people find something enjoyable in what they hear. But to my ears each song is no better than a three minute fart.

I'm also well aware that many people would find plenty of "trash" if they pulled my record collection apart. Each to their own.

I've just listened to that "Bitch I'm Madonna" song and I think it's a pile of cack but that's just my opinion. If other people like it that's fine.

I suppose if anything is actually trash one should conclude that everyone hates it without exception. Not sure if I know of such a song...
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Old 24-06-2015, 22:15
mgvsmith
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This subject has been covered many times in the past and the upshot is always the same (and valid) which is that musical taste / appreciation is entirely subjective, so I think it's OK for someone to say that, in their opinion, a certain song (or entire genre of music) is "trash" as far as they are concerned but that doesn't mean that it's objectively bad, rubbish etc. but rather that they see no merit or worth in what they hear.

..
I accept that most people believe that musical taste is entirely subjective which for me draws comparison with fashion.

But then I think of literature and visual art and I could provide you with reasons why Shakespeare and W B Yeats are better writers than E L James (Fifty Shades) and have produced literature of better quality. I could do the same for visual arts, where I might suggest that Pieter Bruegel the Elder does better landscapes than my mother-in-law. Would you seriously be saying that there is no way to distinguish why some of these works are better than others?

I can accept that The Beatles 'Day in the Life' is actually a better song than Black Lace's 'Adagoo'.
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Old 24-06-2015, 22:23
gold2040
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I dare anyone to like this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYtzNl48F60

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Old 24-06-2015, 22:52
mgvsmith
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It does actually sound better live.

https://youtu.be/3A3t8SNC5Mc

It is of course playing with ideas about noise and music and is possibly unlistenable but that doesn't make it trash. It's experiemental and bridges the gap between music and sound design.

And it has been very influential, check out this Japanese documentary on experimental music, 'We don't care about music' (2009)
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Old 24-06-2015, 23:08
eugenespeed
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Of course there is

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PdKGDMhau4
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Old 24-06-2015, 23:20
gold2040
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It does actually sound better live.

https://youtu.be/3A3t8SNC5Mc

It is of course playing with ideas about noise and music and is possibly unlistenable but that doesn't make it trash. It's experiemental and bridges the gap between music and sound design.

And it has been very influential, check out this Japanese documentary on experimental music, 'We don't care about music' (2009)
I would like your thoughts on one Yoko Ono

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdZ9weP5i68
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Old 24-06-2015, 23:25
crease
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How about Daniel O' Donnell anyone willing to put forward an argument that his music has any redeeming features?
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Old 24-06-2015, 23:25
P_P
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To me, the following songs are trash.

"Sin Wagon"-Dixie Chicks
"White Trash Wedding"-Dixie Chicks
"My Last Name"-Carrie Underwood (This song beating "What I Can Not Change" at the Grammy awards was a sheer and severe freaking farce!)
"Follow Your Arrow"-Kacey Musgraves
"Biscuits"-Kacey Musgraves
"Girl Crush"-Little Big Town

God bless you always!!!

Holly
Most of these are songs that I really like. What makes you think that they're trash?
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Old 24-06-2015, 23:52
ohglobbits
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I suppose if anything is actually trash one should conclude that everyone hates it without exception. Not sure if I know of such a song...
No, you'd just say 'almost everyone considers it trash'. I don' know why objectivity has to fly out of the window just so as not to offend people who think 'There's no right or wrong opinon'
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Old 25-06-2015, 00:15
barbeler
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How about Paralyzed by The Legendary Stardust Cowboy?
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Old 25-06-2015, 00:17
eugenespeed
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How about Paralyzed by The Legendary Stardust Cowboy?
Best song ever
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Old 25-06-2015, 00:26
SweetHeartHolly
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Most of these are songs that I really like. What makes you think that they're trash?
What them songs cheer lead is what I think make them trash.

God bless you always!!!

Holly
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Old 25-06-2015, 00:33
crease
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I know you're exaggerating ,but Bowie loved him, The Cramps covered him and Kenny Everett compiled him, you're not going to get that with Little Mix
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