****R.e. Battle of the bands who will be remembered?****
Acquiesce.
"I wouldn't go so far as to call a dog filthy but they're definitely
dirty.
But, a dog's got personality. Personality goes a long way."-- Jules in
Pulp
Fiction.
Indeed, it does. It's what propelled Oasis to reach the top of the
proverbial
Britpop ladder and it's what keeps them there. It's what leads rock
journalists
to believe that The Verve are more than another flash in the pan. People
remember personalities. BUT...
"Ah, so by that rationale, if a pig had a better personality, it'd cease
to be
a filthy animal. Is that true?"-- Vincent in Pulp Fiction
Personality does not automatically equal quality. It can add to a
musician's
appeal and it can be their only appeal, but exactly where does that get
them if
their charisma distracts from the music and they get remembered for
little
else? There is more to memoriblity than what kind of energy the group
exudes.
Pink Floyd, for example, were the godfathers of faceless rock bands and
yet
they've garned a rabid group of fans who'll defend them until their
dying day.
In a situation where the music overshadows the personality, there's most
likely
going to be a little more respect involved in the memories than if
someone
simply remembered a musicians for being obxonious and stupid
(**coughlaimgallaghercough**). A personality can grow old, but music
usually
keeps evolving and stays interesting. People generally stay the same
throughout
their lives; the can become more or less pleasant, but the essence of
the
person is always there. And thus is the case with Oasis and The Verve.
Unless
they manage to pull off something musically brilliant that is wonderful
enough
to erase all memories of their arrogant and vaugely laughable remarks,
they're
losing out to Radiohead in my book simply because Radiohead will be
around much
longer; Noel Gallagher is so bereft of imagination and creatvity that he
has
sunken to stealing from his own material (like Don't Go Away and Slide
Away
aren't the same song) and The Verve's current release is overwhelmingly
mediocre. RH, on the other hand, seem to have a long career filled with
great
albums ahead of one.
I rest my case.
Paige B.
"If life gives you lemons, swell up and die"-- the Great Philosopher
Dogbert