Elton John wants to 'shut down' the Internet

[Reist]

http://in.movies.yahoo.com/070801/139/6iwhi.html

I thought it was somewhat humorous, showing how some people just can't keep with the times. However, his comment about how 'sitting at home and making your own records doesn't bode well for long-term artistic vision' struck a nerve, especially since I'm involved with SF.

[jimtyrrell]

Were it not for the internet, I would never have heard his complaints.

Honestly, I don't think it's made good art any more scarce. It's just allowed a lot more art (good and otherwise) to be seen than ever before. If the world is too big a place for Elton John, I'm sure he can saunter over to where the plug meets the wall and fix the problem for himself.

[roymond]

Yeah, 'cause Radio, Telephones, TVs, VHS, CDs, DVDs and Gameboys didn't have anything to do with keeping people from getting outside and marching in protest.

[Caravan Ray]

Elton isn't such a luddite as he claims. He's always pretty quick to jump on the latest toupee technology.

[Billy's Little Trip]

He said, "I do think it would be an incredible experiment to shut down the whole internet for five years and see what sort of art is produced over that span".
Well, John is entitled to his opinion. But I think the same art would be produced, just not very many people would know about it, in my opinion. You're either an artist or you're not.

[Hoblit]

He said, "I do think it would be an incredible experiment to shut down the whole internet for five years and see what sort of art is produced over that span".
Well, John is entitled to his opinion. But I think the same art would be produced, just not very many people would know about it, in my opinion. You're either an artist or you're not.

While I believe you're right about the 'artist or not' thing... artists thrive on audience. You take away the audience, you might still have inspiration, but you lose motivation.

[Billy's Little Trip]

He said, "I do think it would be an incredible experiment to shut down the whole internet for five years and see what sort of art is produced over that span".
Well, John is entitled to his opinion. But I think the same art would be produced, just not very many people would know about it, in my opinion. You're either an artist or you're not.

While I believe you're right about the 'artist or not' thing... artists thrive on audience. You take away the audience, you might still have inspiration, but you lose motivation.

That's not always true. I will admit I like acceptance and praise, but my motivation is that I love the deep soulful feeling I can only achieve from playing music. Also it's to purge my feelings that I have trouble expressing, so they don't build up to dangerous levels, lol. If I wasn't always writing, playing or doing something creative to get that release, I'm afraid to think of what I might do.
I don't think the internet is stopping people that want an audience, from getting out in the meat world. People that get into music for the soul purpose of making them rich and famous, audiences are important.
But I do think a lot of true artists could easily go un recognized if it weren't for the internet. Then when someone has an interest, the meat world is the next step.
I think "Brad Sucks" might be a good example. He got internet interest first and now takes his music to the clubs. Would he have gone straight to the clubs if there wasn't an internet? Maybe, maybe not. If he was surrounded by a small group of narrow minded people and family that gave him negative feedback, he may have just been a closet song writer.

Another example is a girl I met on the internet from Finland. She has played piano for around 12 years and started playing guitar a few years ago. She is very good, but she came from a small town with people around her that thought she was crap. A friend put one of her tunes on youtube, and requests for more started pouring in. Because of people on the net telling her she was good, she picked up and moved to the City and I believe is now going to school for music.
I asked her to join up here at song fight. She's very sweet and would like to play with other people. She's a solo act right now. So if you see a girl named Miljah, that's her, so be nice to her.

[WeaselSlayer]

I think it's obvious that Sir Elton John doesn't understand the technology and therefore places unfair blame on it. The internet has basically allowed the most fluid discourse of art and communication the world has ever known. If you can't put yourself out there in this digital age, you really just are a fucking loser. Starting a record label, getting people to see your independent movie, displaying your art, it's all easy to do and cheaper than it's ever been.

[Leaf]

Elton John is a self centered prima dona... frankly, I don't find his efforts particularly artistic, and it's quite clear some random dude naming himself after a part of a tree has more merit in his opinion than some retard with a nerdy stage name who uses PROPS for attention.

This is the bitter cry from a privileged person who sees that art is returning to it's roots... the enjoyment of the people, NOT the financial benefit of a few.


SUCK it Elton, you know you want too....

[NatchDan]

For a guy who doesn't write his own lyrics, he sure has a lot to say.

Note: Before anybody picks me up on it - I have just asked Niv to write me some lyrics for Anomaly - But I wouldn't put it under the name NatchDan, whereas Elton has no problems with that.

[sausage boy]

I like this quote "There's too much technology available."

At what point was the technology too much? Was the creation of the laptop the thing that sent it over? Earlier than that? Typewriters? Oh, the coathanger! Fire?

[Leaf]

I like this quote "There's too much technology available."

At what point was the technology too much? Was the creation of the laptop the thing that sent it over? Earlier than that? Typewriters? Oh, the coathanger! Fire?

I believe Elton is referring to the butt plug.

[jack]

the only thing elton john loves more than man-ass is seeing his name in the news. the bitch is back.

[HeuristicsInc]

It was a pretty useless article, but I liked "the coathanger"!
It sounds like he's just whining and he makes bad points.
-bill

[anti-m]

"...All I can do is write at the piano."

How, exactly, is writing at the piano inherently "more social" than blogging or, god forbid, using "technology" to write music? Oh, and by the way, the piano is relatively new musical technology... in the grand scheme of course.

Honestly, I picture him delivering this diatribe armed with earhorn, shaking his cane... admonishing those damn kids to get off his lawn.

[Billy's Little Trip]

For a guy who doesn't write his own lyrics, he sure has a lot to say.

Note: Before anybody picks me up on it - I have just asked Niv to write me some lyrics for Anomaly - But I wouldn't put it under the name NatchDan, whereas Elton has no problems with that.

In the great words of Wreckdom, Awwww Fuck!

[sausage boy]

The coathanger is one of my favourite inventions. Who invented it? Did they invent it before or after the wardrobe? If after, how did they hang stuff up in wardrobes before that? If before, what did they put the coathanger in?

The first band I was in was called Coathanger.

Elton John Hates Technology sounds like an awesome song title. Sidefight?

[jimtyrrell]

Not to beat a dead horse (says the man with the whip), but...

"I do think it would be an incredible experiment to shut down the whole internet for five years and see what sort of art is produced over that span. There's too much technology available. I'm sure, as far as music goes, it would be much more interesting than it is today," he added.

Okay, and who's gonna bring it to you? Virgin Records? Sony? Sounds like a recipe for creative homogenization to me.

If he was a writer (lol @ NatchDan), would he be saying we'd get 5 years of good books by shutting down the libraries?

[roymond]

Devil's advocate:

He's primarily a performer and that's where he's coming from. While he makes records for fun and profit, he's been on the road his whole life (whether he should be is another discussion).

He's a damn good songwriter. He has written some of his own lyrics, but he's had an amazing partnership with a great lyricist. Saying he can't speak as a creative because he only writes the music is like saying Elvis Costello can't write shit because his bass player came up with the bass part. Come on.

Whether or not you personally like his genre, voice, piano playing, hats or eye glasses has nothing to do with the fact he's been able to communicate with millions of people over many decades. Pop music isn't about the music being the highest of art forms. It's about music as a vehicle for style, fashion, trendy accessories and occasionally some sort of relevant message.

He's obviously spoken out of his comfort zone (I know...none of you have done this). And he's at a stage where he can observe things with an ignorant indifference or he can lash out and sound the fool. Big deal. The fact that we spent this much time getting bent out of shape over his personal views about technologies ruining art is more about us than him.

And it seems he's more the voyeur than the man-ass lover, so back off on the irrelevant disrespect to sexual orientation, which only highlights your own insecurities about people-not-like-you.

Other than that, I'll vote the party line

[king_arthur]

"Hopefully the next movement in music will tear down the internet. Let's get out in the streets and march and protest instead of sitting at home and blogging," he said.

But wait, we're not finished with the movement in music that was going to tear down the big record companies that were stifling creativity in music!

As a medium for homebodies making and distributing music, the internet has barely been around for five years, ten at the most. In the 80 or so years of music being available via records / radio / mass media, that's less time than the cassette tape was in power. And the cassette tape was really the first time that pretty much anybody could record their music by themselves and distribute it in a format that pretty much anybody else could listen to.

Marching and protesting against the internet? Umm, yeah, can somebody set up a website to let us know when and where the march begins? You'll get a lot more people there... Burn Down the Mission indeed...

Charles

[The Weakest Suit]

so elton has no qualms about major record labels controlling what art people listen to then? i do agree with him that most of the albums coming out now are shit, but that's what the record labels want to release. it's quick and easy, the artists are gone in an album or two, and the record company has made money off of them. it's not about art. there is an assay written by steve albini here:
http://www.arancidamoeba.com/mrr/problemwithmusic.html
i don't know if i came across this from the songfight boards or not, but it's a very interesting read.

[Spud]

Elton, who recently announced that his albums would be made available for digital download...

Oops.