Radcliffe Wrote:
mcaputo Wrote:
There's plenty of other music out there that I would call noise. Bob can write a melody like no other and within that framework he takes more chances that payoff more than 'maybe' anyone I've ever heard. I had an inkling I wouldn't win you or perhaps others over with these ten tracks. That said, your comment is somewhat informed in that some of Pollard's back catalogue could be categorized as such, but the tracks I put up are about as white noise free (except for tape hiss on the first track), straight up, complete songs filled with seamless hooks. Which leads me to believe you gave it a cursory listen and moved on. Really, I don't care. I was just pointing something out. I already know the OB is filled with plenty of Bob haters anyway.
I don't mean "noise" in the tape hiss/tv static way, I mean noise in the sense of all sound waves, organized or not. I'm not arguing, and never have, that Pollard can't write a hook - my point has always been that that is ALL he can write. For all the claims of his cult, he just doesn't know how to construct an actual working pop song. You say you hear the payoff - I say I don't. There's never a sense of build-up or climax in a Pollard song IMO. And without that climactic payoff a pop song is merely an ad jingle. "Supernatural Car Lover" is the closest thing on the tenner to what I'd consider a successful song. Up to the instrumental break it actually seems to be going somewhere, but then after that break it just hits the usual Pollard 3rd gear and repeats itself to no effect and then fades out. And that's as good as he gets.
Also, I find his vocals the epitome of merely adequate.
You ever hear of a band called Belleville? They write better songs than this.
Good comments by the way >>
Just curious what your definition of an actual working pop song is ?
With Pollard, the promise has always been better than the real thing. The payoff is the melody (the ride), where's he going doesn't matter all that much to me. There's no gravity to Bob's lyrics, so you can throw that one out. Now Bob Dylan or Neil Young, I get something completely different out of their arrangements/songs from a listening standpoint.
Discussing music is overrated.
Thanks for the Belleville comment A.M. Appreesh. That said, I do not concur.