Corky - - that's a tremendous jump even from the last post I saw from griz - - hmmm, I rarely do this but
Whooooooooooooo
OK - have been thinking about this for a long time and guess it's just my day to be a long winded pain-in-the-butt
Please understand this is a general - and for me a long overdue - rant - - not directed at anyone -
I promise - I love the NESP family and brag about you every chance I get ! ! - even if I have to manufacture an opportunity
- - but a post was a catalyst for something I think needs to be brought up - - yet again - - maybe more as information for any "drop-ins" who may be new to the seeminly inevitable after-angst of a Taylor appearance than any other reason
this also is
not about stifling legitimate constructive criticism - nope, even Mother Hen doesn't think Taylor walks on water - - -
for example I agree with Segerhicks - - for me personally HK was about a B or B+
but think the AI backup singers contributed big time to the one weak spot and since people who had nothing to compare it against have been telling me they thought he was great - I'm going to grade on the curve and give him an A -
now back to my rant - -
I guess you might say this is about dealing with negativity by taking a deep breath, slowly exhaling, and realizing that Taylor is a very talented, very smart young man who will find his way through all the crap anyone lays down in his path just like he always has - - and that he has a lot of support in the right places - - - - like us for one stellar example
OK here we go and thanks for playing "AH dumps a major load of frustration"
One - -
this always drove me crazy on GC every time Taylor was on TV - - and from everything I've seen / heard around the web - Taylor's fans are prettty much the only ones who do this and we are sometimes ridiculed for it - -
we tend to hold him to an impossible standard of perfection in just about everything he does - - impossible because each one of us has an "ideal " performance, hairstyle [ dear gawd folks there were gel wars
], clothing style, interview response, etc. in our heads and there is no way he can be all things to all people - -
what always confused the bejeebers out of me was that after a "cooling off period" most people realized that the appearance had been just fine - WTH ???
Two - -
why would any of us expect the same pop-tastic entertainment news writers who have disliked Taylor from day one to suddenly fall all over him ? ? ? ?
anyone who appreciates the style of music Taylor excels at will "get" the performances and they are the only ones who really matter in the marathon of Taylor's career
we stress out over opinions of some writers who don't like him or anything he stands for musically - - -
yet we seem to forget about - -
> the true music critics with actual credentials who had very nice things to say about Taylor and his CD when it hit - - especially his own songs with
Soul Thing in particular getting excellent reviews -
> and things like Taylor being invited to sit in with musicians who garner tremendous respect among serious music lovers - including the Warren Haynes Christmas Jam and pre-jam in Asheville last December when he was in a blues "harp off" with freaking John Popper ! ! or having the likes of Keb'Mo'
sit in with him for his encore song
Sweet Home Chicago at the Chicago HOB concert - then moving with Keb' to Buddy Guy's club and having Shemekia Copeland join him on stage ! ! and we can add Willie Nelson - Willie had Bo come up on stage and be introduced but Taylor actually sang in 2 [or was it 3 ?] numbers, blues harp with Snoop Dog and it worked ! !, Allman Bros, Marty Stuart , Gov't Mule, , , , , , ,
Shutting up now with these last thoughts for the "next time" - - -
for my money I'll take having Taylor be a welcomed guest on stage with the likes of Widespread Panic and Robert Randolph if I feel the need for validation of his talents as a musician over any attempt to evaluate him based on asinine comparisons of cross genre "numbers"
and I'll take some honest comments from say one NPR interview over a dozen snarks by a bunch of pop culture hacks who rarely do more than quote each other and are usually too lazy to do even a little web surfing before they interview or review anyone - -
amazingly those who prepare and put in some effort to learn about Taylor almost invariably end up liking him
so perhaps, since Taylor does not provide them with the easy story lines of say a Brittany, it is a case of casting pearls before swine - or in this case some modified Bard before hacks - -
The fault, dear Taylor, is not in our stars, But in ourselves, that we are underlings - - - - - - - disillusioned journalism majors with little power over their lives and therefore resent the hell out of someone who is willing to stand tall and fight for what they value and believe in
[this is a pet theory and there is more to it for another time ]
- - - geeze if Gray was around he'd be handing me that dead horse picture about now - - - -
