yes, another Christmas rant
I'll get back to the self-indulgent composer-artiste-geek-speak about Diabolus Ex Machina tomorrow... I've got something I've gotta get out.
Well it's after Thanksgiving, which means that unless you live in a yurt in the Himalayas - no, come to think of it, you'd probably hear it there too - you're hearing the inescapable bastardization of Christmas music.
Now, I know - I've kinda trampled this ground before, and please, please, PLEASE - you have to understand - I've never been a fan of Christmas music to begin with... but what people do in these arrangements in the name of raking in the yuletide buck... it's unbelievable. I don't hold Christmas music as sacred - I hold musical TASTE as sacred.
Just today I was unable to avoid hearing:
- A version of one of the "old chestnuts", sung by some young Karen Carpenter wannabe in a coy, limp-swing stringy arrangement that went from 3/4 during the verse to 4/4 during the chorus. AWKWARD!!
- A big band jazz arrangement of yet another "oldy-but-moldy", led primarily by the trombone section, complete with wah mutes and waaaaaay too many glissandi (imagine my horror when I found out it was the Duke Ellington Orchestra!).
- A fresh new ditty in a bluesy-swing style about "Evil Santa" coming to visit. Or something like that. And no, it was not good.
- A version of "Carol of the Bells" that sounded like it played on a Casio VL-Tone. No dynamics. One synth patch. One note at a time - no harmony, no counterpoint. And it was an extended arrangement in a deconstructed Philip Glass/minimalist style. Oh Holy Boring.
That's just one day! And there's 22 more days of this to go!!
The only thing I can figure is that each and every recording artist/producer must think they've gotta put their own stink on these already-stinky tunes, or they haven't really earned their holiday fiscal fruitcake.
Well it's after Thanksgiving, which means that unless you live in a yurt in the Himalayas - no, come to think of it, you'd probably hear it there too - you're hearing the inescapable bastardization of Christmas music.
Now, I know - I've kinda trampled this ground before, and please, please, PLEASE - you have to understand - I've never been a fan of Christmas music to begin with... but what people do in these arrangements in the name of raking in the yuletide buck... it's unbelievable. I don't hold Christmas music as sacred - I hold musical TASTE as sacred.
Just today I was unable to avoid hearing:
- A version of one of the "old chestnuts", sung by some young Karen Carpenter wannabe in a coy, limp-swing stringy arrangement that went from 3/4 during the verse to 4/4 during the chorus. AWKWARD!!
- A big band jazz arrangement of yet another "oldy-but-moldy", led primarily by the trombone section, complete with wah mutes and waaaaaay too many glissandi (imagine my horror when I found out it was the Duke Ellington Orchestra!).
- A fresh new ditty in a bluesy-swing style about "Evil Santa" coming to visit. Or something like that. And no, it was not good.
- A version of "Carol of the Bells" that sounded like it played on a Casio VL-Tone. No dynamics. One synth patch. One note at a time - no harmony, no counterpoint. And it was an extended arrangement in a deconstructed Philip Glass/minimalist style. Oh Holy Boring.
That's just one day! And there's 22 more days of this to go!!
The only thing I can figure is that each and every recording artist/producer must think they've gotta put their own stink on these already-stinky tunes, or they haven't really earned their holiday fiscal fruitcake.
posted by jim at 8:35 PM
1 Comments:
It is moments during the holiday season like these which lead us to appreciate the finer music of life all the more.
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