Random Music Talk CXXIX: Gump attends a concert

[iron yuppie]

To PFan's point, it makes you wonder what the end game is for pandemic restrictions in the US. The political polarization here is such that a vaccine mandate will never happen, and with seemingly nothing that will incentivize holdouts to get vaccinated, it looks like an endless cycle of loosened restrictions followed by a new variant that brings the restrictions back.

And to Cobbler's point about our inability to enact effective national policy, I think it's obvious to any sensible person that Covid has made the problems with federalism patently obvious. The more responsible states and cities are basically reduced to begging in order to get people from other states to take things seriously. For example driving into Chicago there are enormous signs asking people to quarantine if they are arriving from a hot spot, but there is absolutely no way to enforce that.

 

[LuckyNumber7]

The end game is absolutely vaccine mandates. To think otherwise is silly. No shots no school no kidding. We’ve had other vaccines virtually mandated if not formally. This is no different.

 

[iron yuppie]

I'd argue this is significantly different given that every single aspect of the pandemic has been politicized since the moment it entered the country, and probably even before.

 

[LemonMelon]

Folks can only hide behind a difference in politics for so long. Conservative politicians eventually had to take their Ls on segregation, abortion, gay marriage, etc. It's time for them to roll up their sleeves and get their shots.

 

[cobl04]

Unfortunately, vaccine hesitancy and outright anti-vaccine aggression are so embedded and accepted now. I know a not insignificant number of people who are intelligent who won't get the vaccine, and there is absolutely no incentive that will convince them otherwise.

 

[cobl04]

Going back to greatest hits, I thought of two more excellent ones - Elvis #1 Hits and 40 Licks.

 

[gump]

Folks can only hide behind a difference in politics for so long. Conservative politicians eventually had to take their Ls on segregation, abortion, gay marriage, etc. It's time for them to roll up their sleeves and get their shots.

Oh the politicians have had their shots. Even boosters.

 

[LuckyNumber7]

I'd argue this is significantly different given that every single aspect of the pandemic has been politicized since the moment it entered the country, and probably even before.

But we are talking end games here. The end game is absolutely to get vaccine compliance, especially the longer we go on with non-complicating data from the vaccines.

 

[LemonMelon]

Oh the politicians have had their shots. Even boosters.

Absolutely. Should have specified that I meant the Republican constituents being used as political pawns.

 

[namkcuR]

Going back to greatest hits, I thought of two more excellent ones - Elvis #1 Hits and 40 Licks.

Had that one in my list:

Rolling Stones - Forty Licks - 2002 - I gather that not all hardcore Stones fans love this one, that they maybe see it the way some of us see The Best Of 1990-2000 - two many new songs, glaring omissions, etc. But I've always been a casual Stones fan, and this comp has every track I'd think of to listen to and is a great primer. The first disc especially is great.

And yeah, I thought of Elvis too, just didn't get to typing it out.

 

[lazarus]

Thought y'all would get a kick out of this:

 

[DaveC]

lol that's pretty great, although they really should have gone with nowhere man or the eggman for john.

 

[bono_212]

I would've been really happy with The Walrus, as well.

 

[HeartlandGirl]

But we are talking end games here. The end game is absolutely to get vaccine compliance, especially the longer we go on with non-complicating data from the vaccines.

I agree. Especially now that Pfizer has full FDA approval, I think vaccine mandates are coming. I know people whose kids were required to have the covid vaccine before they could go back to their universities this fall. If colleges can require MMR vaccines (among others), I think covid vaccines will be next.

ETA:
To add some music to this post, I discovered the house music of Sofia Kourtesis today. So good!

 

[cobl04]

Fuck Kanye West.

 

[lazarus]

Throw him into a fucking volcano.

 

[bono_212]

Ew.

 

[LuckyNumber7]

Musical genius, misunderstood

 

[DaveC]

I would've been really happy with The Walrus, as well.

but the walrus was paul.

eggman john and walrus paul would have been hilarious, though mother nature's son is by far the best name for paul i can think of.

 

[LuckyNumber7]

Apparently calling yourself a genius has very positive associations:

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/r-kelly-reportedly-considered-himself-134200012.html

 

[LemonMelon]

Of course Donda is fantastic and easily one of the year's best albums.

 

[DaveC]

whatever. i don't care if it's the best album ever made by a factor of a million. i'm not supporting that guy anymore.

 

[lazarus]

Yeah, IMO it's honestly kind of gross to voluntarily listen to new material by a piece of human garbage like that.

As Dave said I literally don't care what he has to say musically or lyrically anymore. And I don't know why anyone would.

 

[LemonMelon]

I'll throw out my Kanye records the day I decide Be My Baby is unlistenable for being written and produced by a murderer and abuser. Of course, it's one of the most soulful and life affirming songs of all time and couldn't imagine a world without it.

Those first few Kanye albums changed my life and I still find songs like Last Call, Spaceship, Gone and I Wonder to be inspirational, the next best thing to an antidepressant. My life is better for having that music as part of it not because of who its creator is now, but for who he was caught on wax at that moment in time. Those songs can inspire people to do great things and find inner strength, so that's why I go back to them.

I'm not going to try to convince anyone to listen to Donda, just like I'm not going to argue the next Ariel Pink record will be 100% apolitical and probably really good because we all have our own specific lines in the sand that can't be crossed. I felt hopeful and uplifted after listening to Donda and that's what I wanted. The worst thing about it is that a really shitty troll of a man got my streaming revenue. I shared my feelings here because it's a conflict that I think many of us have run into at some point.

 

[cobl04]

I'll be listening to it today as well. He's a piece of shit but I am still going to give his music a shot, and I'll continue to love everything up until and including TLOP. And I can enjoy Donda and still say fuck Kanye. We all have our biases. How many other artists do we continue to voluntarily listen to despite the heinous shit they've done?

 

[monkeyskin]

Personally, the only musician I’ve ever enjoyed that crossed a personal line in the sand was the singer from Lostprophets. Great times in my late teens but every memory is now tainted.

I’ll get around to Donda at some point, maybe, but there’s more than enough to occupy my time right now and interest is low. Kind of like new Woody Allen films.

 

[lazarus]

I didn't say anything about throwing out the old stuff and never listening to it. I'm talking about continuing to be interested in their new material after they've turned into a monster and are actively promoting abusers and rapists, including letting them have guest spots on the album??

Yes, we all have our own places where we draw the line. I'm curious what it would take for you to stop wanting to experience Kanye's new expressions. Would he literally have to release a Nazi-themed concept album or something?

I’ll get around to Donda at some point, maybe, but there’s more than enough to occupy my time right now and interest is low. Kind of like new Woody Allen films.

Well there's a difference there in that Woody was accused of something that was never taken to court (and would likely get thrown out considering Mia Farrow's own behavior and how dubious the "evidence" is).

Kanye didn't have to be accused, it's all the shit that's come from his own mouth. If Woody starts advocating that people molest children, I'll stop watching his films.

 

[monkeyskin]

He’s been accused for years but never convicted. But his output in recent years has dropped off for me. My wife and I rewatched Midnight in Paris recently and enjoyed it, but since then it’s just been Blue Jasmine and Irrational Man that felt worthwhile to me.

It’s easier to move on from someone’s work when you stop enjoying it. But Allen and West are both big enough names that if they produce something critically acclaimed again it won’t go unnoticed and I’ll check back in then.

 

[LemonMelon]

Yes, we all have our own places where we draw the line. I'm curious what it would take for you to stop wanting to experience Kanye's new expressions. Would he literally have to release a Nazi-themed concept album or something?

When the art/artist barrier is crossed in the content w/r/t problematic artists, I can't listen to it. Even if Donda had a few MAGA bars on it I would be incredibly turned off. Thankfully, it wasn't an issue in this case.

Haven't listened to Ryan Adams since he got exposed because so many of his songs have to do with fucked up relationships.

 

[lazarus]

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