The big word "PRETENTIOUS"

[GeorgeRendon]

I don't know if this has been discussed here but, and since I'm new here I may as well start a topic on this word.

 

I've been listening to RUSH lately and even saw the "Beyond The Lighted Stage" movie and there was a part there when Neil Peart used the word Pretentious as some people would describe their music or his lyrics. Now I LOVE Rush so I would be bias here and won't call their lyrics that way (well, maybe their 70s music). But I know there are tons of Prog Metal musicians out there that play multiple time signatures and never ending guitar, bass, keyboard and drum solos just to show off and use topics that only PhDs or Physicists can understand. So, where do you draw the line? I believe what Mike Portnoy said in Metal Evolution when he said that "there will always be a kid somewhere who would want to play a 50 piece drum set" just to know that he/she had achieved a high level of musicianship. But I've heard some do it and sacrificing the melody of the song. When can you tell that a particular band is just PRETENTIOUS in making music?

 

Dream Theater?

[CureTheSane]

I'd be more inclined to say that all bands make the music they want to make.

Only bands who may be a bit pretentious would be those who try to write a 'hit'

However when they try to do this is usually works, or at least turns out to be an ok song so it's not really a big deal.

[KarpetRydOFunk]

I think it should be clarified that pretentious means to present oneself as greater or more important than one actually is.

[CureTheSane]

No reason that can't be applied here.

So self important that they think they can do whatever they want and it will be right

Axl Rose would be a good example of being pretentious, this fed through to his music and a 10 year journey to make something he thought was amazing and elite, when it was actually pretty shit.

[Darkstone]

I think it should be clarified that pretentious means to present oneself as greater or more important than one actually is.

Yeah, i think it's more a reflection of their behavior rather than the music, although sometimes it can be both.

When a band has gotten so big that they know they can release anything and still make a fortune ala The Beatles, U2, perhaps Bon Jovi.

Then there's the young wannabes. I got to the point where i just couldn't stand Silverchair for this very reason.

Then there's the muppets such as the Gallagher brothers and the like.

Actually, come to think of it, i think "pretentiousness" (an even bigger word) is probably a prerequisite for any type of performing artist.

[CureTheSane]

Kiss - The Elder and also that movie they made.

[Darkstone]

I'd also add Guns N' Roses "The Spaghetti Incident" and Dokken "Shadowlife". Although, i think the latter may have been more of a "Fuck You" to their label (and ultimately their fans) instead of an act of pretention.

[Geoff]

Only bands who may be a bit pretentious would be those who try to write a 'hit'

However when they try to do this is usually works

 

Haha. Try telling that to the 99% of bands/artists that never "made it."

[CureTheSane]

Well I was referring to band who had already made it and therefore became (more) pretentious.

Until then, they are all doing what they have to do, any means necessary

[Silverkin]

I don't know if this has been discussed here but, and since I'm new here I may as well start a topic on this word.

But I know there are tons of Prog Metal musicians out there that play multiple time signatures and never ending guitar, bass, keyboard and drum solos just to show off and use topics that only PhDs or Physicists can understand. So, where do you draw the line?When can you tell that a particular band is just PRETENTIOUS in making music?

 

Dream Theater?

Ah but surely there are PhDs and Physicists who love music too and it would be unfair not to create something for them.

 

I think of pretentious as being linked to 'pretence' - so for me, one form of it would be bands who created something 'out there' just for the sake of causing controversy or to create a talking point without really believing in what they were doing.

When it comes to listeners,it'd be those who claimed to love and 'understand' a piece just to appear educated or enlightened when in reality they can surely see it has no substance.

 

I'm thinking some of the manufactured pop bands are likely to fall into the pretentious category too but it's weird, I'm struggling to name any off the top of my head.

 

Dream Theater? Hymn of a 1000 voices felt pretentious to moi

[Silverkin]

You really got me thinking about this one!

 

For me, pretentious is when you make someone else feel small for not sharing your interest or knowledge eg rolling of the eyes/thinking ‘Oh you idiot’ if someone says Music school instead of Conservatoire, or Grunge instead of Djent.

 

The times things like that need to be accurate are rare.

 

There’s nothing wrong with using the proper terms, it’s how/when you use them I reckon.

 

I heard a story in the workplace and staff were allowed to play their music one week. One person hated pop/rock etc as he thinks it has no merit to it. When it came to his turn he deliberately played the most obscure inaccessible piece of contemporary classical he could think of. To me, that was sooooooooo pretentious (though I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall to hear the comments that would have been going round).

It actually does a disservice to the music he loved too as it potentially risked confirming people's opinion of that style as unlistenable and turning them off from it even further

[Nick C]

Someone thinking their music is high art or over important....it's just entertainment at the end of the day.

[GeorgeRendon]

WOW! Thanks for the replies. I never really thought about some of the different views you guys have written. Especially about those artists who tried writing a HIT. I was only thinking like what Nick C. wrote about that's why I started this post under the PROG ROCK AND METAL sub forum.

 

And YES, Silverkin - PhDs and Physicists also love music. Some maybe listening to Pink Floyd or Dream Theatre while inside their laboratory.