Fred asked: > is > Madonna as good a songwriter as Joni Mitchell?
No way. > Does > her body of work > demonstrate the same level of craft and inspiration > in the manipulation of > the materials? Well, that depends on what you define as "work" and "materials." I define her "body of work" very broadly, beyond the recorded notes on her albums. And on that basis, I would say "yes," it does demonstrate the same *level* of craft and inspiration--though a very different type. A little more seriously, I think Fred's point is well-taken. The line between personal taste and "objective" critical assessment is a good deal fuzzier than his post might seem to paint it, but nonetheless I think it is useful because the latter forces/allows us to approach music/art in general and specific artists in particular from different vantage points. And the end result is often a change in taste itself--broadening to include formerly distasteful work, and a deeper understanding of the tastes we already have. Take the recent good-natured banter among myself, Bob, Billy, and Bree over PJ. I certainly could talk about what PJ's music means to me personally--in a taste sense--but taking a step back to try to place her gifts in a critical context against those of Joni, Dylan, and the like might just help open a door for Bob and Bree to enjoy her more than they did previously. And if it doesn't? No harm done--in the process of arguing my own understanding of my love for all of these artists has certainly deepened, and I'm sure this is true for others, too. I'm certainly a little too into the horse race/ranking thing than I should be, but it's less of a contest than a thinking mechanism for me. --Michael NP: Mary J. Blige, _No More Drama_ If Madonna's music means more to you > (not *you,* but "you") > personally than Joni's, if she grooves you more, > speaks more directly to your > inner life, then fine ... no one can argue. But if > everyone's work is equally > valid, if there is no attempt at objective > examination, then what's > excellence? > > -Fred ===== ____________________________________________________ "I'm just a little bit heiress, a little bit Irish, A little bit Tower of Pisa whenever I see ya, So please be kind if I'm a mess." --Rufus Wainwright, "Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk" Send your FREE holiday greetings online! http://greetings.yahoo.com
