50 Words for Meh!

I think for about the last week, I've been having this conversation with people about music and how sometimes, people should just call it quits.  You got one good song in you? AWESOME. Do it. You have one good album? Excellent! Put it out. Have about a five year run when you're going to be the best there is? Beautiful. Go with it.

Probably going to suck after that? STOP!

One of the flaws in our society is this idea of "stick-to-it" ness. Okay, most of the time, this probably isn't a flaw. However, in some cases, it really can be.  I know that I'm the person who always encourages endings, but, in music, it's really important you figure it out.

We have this idea if you can produce this one great work of art (of whatever type) then you can do it again and again AND AGAIN.  Maybe you can. But sometimes, you can't. Sometimes you only have this one piece of greatness in you. Of this type of art, anyway.  Not to say that's all you have for all areas.

But if you do just have this one piece of greatness in you, do it. Let your greatness shine. Let people be moved by your song, let them be floored by your album.

And then, if that is all you have in you, STOP! Don't cheapen the magnificence of what you've done by lumping a bunch of crap along next to it.

There is this artist I love. I love her a lot and have really felt deeply committed to her talent and musicianship for a long time now. However, recently she put out an album of updated versions of her older songs.  And you know what? I kind of hate them.  She also put out a new album, the first one in a while. And you know what? The tracks I've heard from it, I kind of hate. One of them just came off as rehashed stuff she's done before and the other one was just hideous.

I'm sure some people will say I'm just not "getting the vision." Maybe I'm not. There were a couple of songs on her last album that didn't move me and this newer work seems to be following in the footsteps of those songs. Even despite the meh notes on the last album, I still found the scope of it to be astounding. This? Not so much.

In conclusion . . . know when to stop. Or at least, know when you need to take a lot longer time before you put something out where other people have to listen to it. Please? Thanks.