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Damn!!

Some can of worms here...

As one guy already said, this conversation has been had before many times. I have personally started this conversation (allbeit in more palatable words) at least twice before.

I feel where this issue is coming from. I still think OST and Stay Tuned are by far the greatest PUTS albums. I was a little taken aback and, if I'm honest, a little disappointed initially with both Stepfather and Fun DMC. I didn't dig the use of synths and I can feel what you're saying about the "clean" sound, but that clean-ness amazes me because you can hear how much both Mike and Chris have developed as engineers. It's pretty amazing to listen to Next Step vs Carried Away because the freakin' SKILL it takes to make sh!t sound this good is phenomenal and I respect that whether or not I like the beats as much and the older style.

BUT... Having said all of that, I think Carried Away is THE illest sh!t! Already, half the tunes on there are among my all-time favourite P songs. On that note, THANKS to the P for delivering such a great album. I may be guilty of being stuck on that '93 sound, but for my money Carried Away is the best PUTS LP since Stay Tuned.

And speaking of money, in response to Thes' comments about this being the last physical release, please please please please please please please please please please don't do that.

I think I can count the tunes I have downloaded on one hand. Why? Because I love being able to hold the CD or record, I love the artwork, I love reading the production notes etc and I am the most neophobic b-boy out here. I still make arrangements with a freakin' midi orchestrator from 1996!

For what it's worth, I have bought all of the P's albums on CD. I have OST and Stay Tuned on vinyl too, as well as half the 12" releases. We need to keep this possible. If you're on these forums and you're downloading sh!t (especially if you're not paying for it), shame on your ass!

Oh, and at the risk of starting another riot, Thes made a comment about not really digging Midnight Marauders when it came out. I'm with that. In fact, I still don't really dig it. It has a couple of classics but I don't think it' anyway near the first two LPs or even as good as Beats, Rhymes & Life. I can totally take it or leave. I know I'm gonna cop some sh!t for that, ha ha ha!

Peace.

Have yourself a good listen to on and on on Stepfather if this sort of thing really gets on your pickle (I don't see why it should).

Back on point for a minute:

I was reading a Roger Ebert movie review earlier today (only had a problem with Roger a couple of times), and it got me thinking.

It seems like one of the biggest points of any criticism is to look at the artist's objective, and see how well they meet it. You can't put a Wallace and Gromit cartoon up to the same standards as Braveheart, or Saw VI up against Brokeback Mountain, and expect everyone to take you seriously.

And it also seems like one of the biggest pitfalls of criticism is the Comparison. Critics have an all too human desire to hold up each new thing up against the older things that they liked and/or hated. "LL Cool J was way better," or some sh!t. In my opinion, you really have to hit each new thing as a pure standalone, and if you have a comparison, then it should be a footnote.

I think that a few critics reviewing the P are thinking that their objective is something it's not, and I think they are hitting the comparison pitfall a little too hard. I get this "listened to it once... it was aight" or "their flow's bland and their beats don't impress me" feeling about their attitude, and it just seems dismissive because they were looking for something else when they heard it. To reiterate what I said earlier: it's about where the artist takes you, not what you wanted to hear.

JK93 said:

EarthTraveler said: I quite like this, I always thought I was probably the only one with Or Stay Tuned listed as one of his favorites.
What makes it so good though?
Maybe, it has sort of a special meaning to me too, since it was the one putting me on to the P.

For me it came along at a great time in my life. I had just recorded my first professional demo and I had some good people supporting me so I was on this "I'm gonna make it in muisc" tip. Turned out not to be the case, but felt good to be able to dream about it in an almost self-convincing way. I moved out to Italy and, despite having noble intentions, ended up spending a year just smoking weed, listeing to the P with new friends (some of whom are among my closest to this day) and writing new music.

Came back to the UK and the reality of "adult life hit me. I couldn't keep waiting and counting on my music to get picked up. I had to get a real job and grow up and all that apparently depressing sh!t...

That was when Noonen came out... perfect timing!

Yes but at the same time i always believe that you gotta do what you like.

You gotta like your job or else life will be a long road......and depressing.

SactownConnection said: To me, it seems only a minority of people really get into a job that they LOVE.

Most people find a job that they just "tolerate" or "don't mind." I'm currently in the "don't mind" range with my state cubicle job. I could do it for the rest of my life, and the people are down-to-earth, but I'm ALWAYS looking for a way toward that one job that blows the top off everything else.

Of course, if I had my way, I get money from beat-making or movie-reviewing or something...

Word that. I have a job I find okay. It's boring and reptitive but the money is good (especially for Devon). I got married last year, we got a dog, and I bought a huge house in the middle of Devon and built my own studio in it so it's worth it for me. I can make music for my own enjoyment and for friends to enjoy.

I'd love to get paid (even a modest amount) to make music, but I reached a point where I realised I would miss out on a lot in life if I did nothing but keep scratching out a living doing it.

Unfortunately, for most of us, that's the way life goes.