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Originally Posted by strandinthewind
I think that if LB was a true idealist, he would have released GOS on the net and never subjected himself to FM. But he did not do that. He made that choice to go to the very commerical FM. Given their history, which has been beaten and rehashed to death over the last 15 years - hence my feeling that he plays it up a bit, LB certainly did not go into the FM sessions with blinders on. So, while I think LB (and FM and SN for that matter) really does want to make every thing as good as he thinks it should be, LB clearly wants commercial success and all the things that come with it.
I think people think I am being unfair to LB by saying this. I am not. I like LB. I think he is brilliant. I am glad to hear new music from him. I flew from Atlanta to Chicago to see his Soundstage thing. So, its not about disliking LB  I am just saying LB has a 25 year history of sort of appearing like he is so anti-establishment, anti-commerical, etc., but in the end he craves commercial viablity and always likes to appear like he is "selling out" to get it. I think after all of these years that feeling cannot be genuine - rather, I think it appears contrived after all of these years. I mean why else would he go back to the very commerical FM every time he needs commercial viability  Some suggest it is because of his love for SN. While I think that has alot to do with it, I also think LB realizes he likes the way he lives and FM can provide him with the commerical success to keep living that way mostly in his own terms - I mean the GOS songs on SYW are not THAT different than GOS solo copies we all heard
In the end, LB could sell tapes out of the trunk of his Mercedes ( ) and I would buy them because I like his work.
As an aside and just a general comment, I think it is so interesting people in general seem to think commercial viability is a bad thing. I mean its not like every song of the radio is horrible |
I don't think you're unfair. It sounds harsh to a lot of his loyal fans but I totally understand what you're saying here. I adore Lindsey and his music, but his contradictions are old schtick. I do think his tortured artist idea of himself is probably sincere. Still it's old hat and has become annoyingly hollow. I really expected he'd grow out of this type of posturing by now. For years he's talked in interviews like commerciality and radio hits are a bad thing. He's so full of it. Like when he says stuff in the DR doc like, it would be ok if the new cd isn't a mega hit as long as the "right" ears or "right" 300,000 people heard it. By "right", would that be 300,000 pseudo-macho rock critics and musicians? These are not the people falling at his feet on the tour. Spare me!
He's claims kinship and musical fondness for anti-Mac bands like the Clash and Ramones. Of course that grew out of a time when those bands were darlings of the male music critics. I think he's tried too hard for too long to distance himself from the girlie, pop-machine image the band had during Rumours. LB in the Clash? Who does he think he's kidding? What a waste of talent! A man with such a natural melodic sensibility and inate blueprint for the formula "hit", toiling in a punk band? Even when he uses those funky elements in his "experimental" songs, he does it best within the tightly crafted formula he's genius at. I don't think Lindsey wants to trade bank accounts with the Ramones, either.
Not that I'm against Lindsey's claiming a need for experimentation, just not for it's own sake. Not because it sounds cool, either. Lindsey goes overboard ranting about experimentation and not caring about commercial success. I don't think he really means it the way it comes off when he talks this way. I agree with the person who said Lindsey blows this smoke to impress critics and fellow rockers he wants acceptance from. He's gotten great nods from a lot of musicians and critics, yet he's also always been obsessed with not being seen as a weenie playing guitar and writing lothesome pop tunes for a chick band. It's sad he's still grinding this axe. These days it's beneath him. He's more than proven himself over the years. The man is still "as insecure as ever" as he once said in a very early interview.