Well, this is my first post to the mailing list, I've
been reading it for about a month now, but this whole
discussion has finally spurred me to post my two
cents. First of all, I can definitely see the point
of those who are criticizing TRT, although I don't
really agree with it. It seems to me like they have
always been "big" and melodramatic, their songwriting
and production have just become more polished and more
direct on TRT. I guess this accessibility can come
across to some people as too "thought-out" and
emotionless, but to me it seems just as genuine as an
album like Diary, just on a grander scale.
I guess this whole argument over TRT is just an
extension of the classic indie vs. mainstream conflict
that has been going on forever. The whole idea that
bands who become more accessible (like SDRE have with
TRT) are somehow pandering to the masses and selling
out their "integrity" for cash has always seemed a bit
presumptuous and kind of elitist to me. The indie
rock community saying that bands can't write catchy
songs or sell records is almost as creatively stifling
as the mainstream community saying that they have to.
But I digress, I'm getting a little off the subject
here.
To get back to the album, I would rather have Sunny
Day write a few heartfelt, if somewhat corny lines
like "Everything and everyone, and in the end we all
are one" than censor themselves because they were
afraid of not being "cool" enough. Besides, I think
we can all agree that hearing an epic song like One on
the radio would be a welcome break from the braindead
rap-rock that's clogging the airwaves right now.
I guess it's all just a matter of perception. What I
see as ambitiousness might (perhaps justifiably) come
across to you as pretentiousness, and vice-versa. I
can't really persuade you to like TRT, but I hope this
post has at least allowed you to see why some people
(like me) do.
-Andrew
np: Built to Spill -- Randy Described Eternity
Bootlist:
http://www.crosswinds.net/~aschutz/bootlist/bootlist.html
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