ska invita
back on the other side
A list in response to his list!
Reason One: It Is A Promotional Exercise And Thus Compromised.
He’s saying a Public Display of Taste is crass, and if done by musician it’s a promotional exercise. All publicity is a promotional exercise I guess, but it needn’t be crass and show-offy. This article is specifically about Favourite Lists, other list-types are available, and if you’re being honest about what are your favourite tracks then it won’t be a list of smartarse tunes, it will be ones that are favourite to you, that have meaning to your life, and that others may find a bit cheesey. I think it’s quite easy to tell when someone shows of on a favourite list.
That said a list which is billed as “tells us about tunes you know that others may not” definitely has its place and can be a handy way to go and look up some tracks you might not know.
Reason Two: The Phrase 'Favourite Record' Is Conceptually Incoherent.
Yeah it can be a bit vague what people mean by favourite but it’s not impossible – it definitely doesn’t mean best. Favourite has to have longevity – your favourite at a point in time may or may not stay that way, but usually when you pick a favourite record you explain why you picked it, so not too impressed by this point.
Reason Three: It Is Frequently Racist And Sexist In Effect.
Don’t agree with this at all. He may feel uncomfortable just picking white men in his favourite list but that’s his problem – if I only listened to white men I’d be troubled too. A favourite list should be honest and not a diversity box ticking exercise.
Reason Four: … And It Encourages Tokenising Gestures, In Response
It does seem to. For example I really don’t believe the amount of rock musicians who claim to love Coltrane’s A Love Supreme really do. Tokenism and posing is always around so if you don’t like it just don’t do it and leave the poseurs too it.
Reason Five: It Is Dishonest To Ignore Friends, And Creepy To Rank Them.
Not a problem Ive had but there you go.
Reason Six: Talk About 'Favourites' Misrepresents How Listening Shifts Over Time.
Yeah those short-lived favourites get left out, but if you whittle all the thousands of favourite records you should have down to 13, a ridiculous thing to try and do anyway, you inevitably should be going for the favourite of favourites, the ones whose favourite shelf-life never seems to fade. Or just put a proviso that it’s this weeks favourite.
It is interesting to think about those favourite records you rinsed out and forgot about since though.
Reason Seven: People's Favourite Records Can Be Really Boring. On Purpose.
Didn’t understand this…was he saying he listens to really boring average middle of road music a lot and so this cant be put on a favourites list? And then he has to lie about the fact he listens to it? Why not just be honest about this dross? If you like it you like it. Fess up.
Reason Eight: It Encourages The False Idea That "Best", "Better Than…" And "Worse Than…" Apply to Art.
I agree to a point, talking about The Best isn’t helpful. Conversely I hate this postmodern relativist flatland idea that everything is equal, but ranking things on a podium isn’t much better. But this is about Favourites not Best, so basically irrelevant.
Reason Nine: People Lie About What they Actually Listen To.
So he listens to shitloads of Beck but didn’t even realise he likes it so much? Strange chap. I think I’d know. Nice name drop in there though about meeting Beck backstage at a Bjork gig. One for Reason Four
Reason Ten: Favouritism As Such Is Conservative.
Favourites are personal totemic stuffed animals. Yeah that’s probably true, but its not mutually exclusive to engaging with new music, which is what he seems to suggest. I like to have favourite stuffed animal tunes – they keep me company through that hard times and the good. Nothing wrong with that. Worse is ripping up everything good that you’ve loved for the sake of showing how new wave you always are.
Reason Eleven: It Is Driven By Ad Revenue Structure.
Internet lists are great click bait its true. I first came across music lists as a Thing when watching the High Fidelity movie. Have done a few on urban over the years – the internet has definitely taken lists to another level. They are pretty silly on one level but also do create reactions – such as the anger that the FACT albums of the 90s list created. Lists aren’t all bad, a good one can turn you on to some new tunes and be a nice piece of memoir about the list compiler. To refuse to do it because someone might click on it and help keep a website in business is pretty ridiculous I think.
Reason Twelve: It Falsely Implies That Personal Investment In Music Is Transferable.
No, a favourite list is personal and you should explain the personal reasons in the little bit of text you write about it. It never falsely implied otherwise I don’t think – though people feeling pressure to love classics from a time before they lived is a Thing, a First World Problem Thing, but it is a Thing.
Concluding Reason Thirteen: It Encourages The Use Of Numbers To Rate And Rank Music, And That Is A Bad Thing.
Agree, don’t like stars on any reviews, but this is pretty much nothing to do with Favourite Lists, of which most people fully understand the limitations.
Reason One: It Is A Promotional Exercise And Thus Compromised.
He’s saying a Public Display of Taste is crass, and if done by musician it’s a promotional exercise. All publicity is a promotional exercise I guess, but it needn’t be crass and show-offy. This article is specifically about Favourite Lists, other list-types are available, and if you’re being honest about what are your favourite tracks then it won’t be a list of smartarse tunes, it will be ones that are favourite to you, that have meaning to your life, and that others may find a bit cheesey. I think it’s quite easy to tell when someone shows of on a favourite list.
That said a list which is billed as “tells us about tunes you know that others may not” definitely has its place and can be a handy way to go and look up some tracks you might not know.
Reason Two: The Phrase 'Favourite Record' Is Conceptually Incoherent.
Yeah it can be a bit vague what people mean by favourite but it’s not impossible – it definitely doesn’t mean best. Favourite has to have longevity – your favourite at a point in time may or may not stay that way, but usually when you pick a favourite record you explain why you picked it, so not too impressed by this point.
Reason Three: It Is Frequently Racist And Sexist In Effect.
Don’t agree with this at all. He may feel uncomfortable just picking white men in his favourite list but that’s his problem – if I only listened to white men I’d be troubled too. A favourite list should be honest and not a diversity box ticking exercise.
Reason Four: … And It Encourages Tokenising Gestures, In Response
It does seem to. For example I really don’t believe the amount of rock musicians who claim to love Coltrane’s A Love Supreme really do. Tokenism and posing is always around so if you don’t like it just don’t do it and leave the poseurs too it.
Reason Five: It Is Dishonest To Ignore Friends, And Creepy To Rank Them.
Not a problem Ive had but there you go.
Reason Six: Talk About 'Favourites' Misrepresents How Listening Shifts Over Time.
Yeah those short-lived favourites get left out, but if you whittle all the thousands of favourite records you should have down to 13, a ridiculous thing to try and do anyway, you inevitably should be going for the favourite of favourites, the ones whose favourite shelf-life never seems to fade. Or just put a proviso that it’s this weeks favourite.
It is interesting to think about those favourite records you rinsed out and forgot about since though.
Reason Seven: People's Favourite Records Can Be Really Boring. On Purpose.
Didn’t understand this…was he saying he listens to really boring average middle of road music a lot and so this cant be put on a favourites list? And then he has to lie about the fact he listens to it? Why not just be honest about this dross? If you like it you like it. Fess up.
Reason Eight: It Encourages The False Idea That "Best", "Better Than…" And "Worse Than…" Apply to Art.
I agree to a point, talking about The Best isn’t helpful. Conversely I hate this postmodern relativist flatland idea that everything is equal, but ranking things on a podium isn’t much better. But this is about Favourites not Best, so basically irrelevant.
Reason Nine: People Lie About What they Actually Listen To.
So he listens to shitloads of Beck but didn’t even realise he likes it so much? Strange chap. I think I’d know. Nice name drop in there though about meeting Beck backstage at a Bjork gig. One for Reason Four
Reason Ten: Favouritism As Such Is Conservative.
Favourites are personal totemic stuffed animals. Yeah that’s probably true, but its not mutually exclusive to engaging with new music, which is what he seems to suggest. I like to have favourite stuffed animal tunes – they keep me company through that hard times and the good. Nothing wrong with that. Worse is ripping up everything good that you’ve loved for the sake of showing how new wave you always are.
Reason Eleven: It Is Driven By Ad Revenue Structure.
Internet lists are great click bait its true. I first came across music lists as a Thing when watching the High Fidelity movie. Have done a few on urban over the years – the internet has definitely taken lists to another level. They are pretty silly on one level but also do create reactions – such as the anger that the FACT albums of the 90s list created. Lists aren’t all bad, a good one can turn you on to some new tunes and be a nice piece of memoir about the list compiler. To refuse to do it because someone might click on it and help keep a website in business is pretty ridiculous I think.
Reason Twelve: It Falsely Implies That Personal Investment In Music Is Transferable.
No, a favourite list is personal and you should explain the personal reasons in the little bit of text you write about it. It never falsely implied otherwise I don’t think – though people feeling pressure to love classics from a time before they lived is a Thing, a First World Problem Thing, but it is a Thing.
Concluding Reason Thirteen: It Encourages The Use Of Numbers To Rate And Rank Music, And That Is A Bad Thing.
Agree, don’t like stars on any reviews, but this is pretty much nothing to do with Favourite Lists, of which most people fully understand the limitations.
)
