Crazy Frog Is #1 In The UK...Almost

[Asuka's Gonna Kill You]

I agree that there are a lot of worse bands out there than Coldplay, but I think it's a sad day for music when most of Britain starts using Coldplay as a musical barometer with regard to talent.

They're so... fucking... boring! I know that Chris Martin's mummy probably paid an awful lot for those private piano lessons, but can't he just bust out some honkey-tonk every now and then to entertain me?

I like blues, darnit, and if I hear a piano I want to hear it being played properly, none of this God-forsaken pseudo-classical bullshit. Don't they have a guitarist? What does he do for half of the live show? Sit around and masturbate?

RK/ZB!

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Edited May 25, 2005 by JohnnyPerfect

[fineintent]

Chris Martin is by far one of the best song writers in the UK as well. If you hate them then I'll be having a lovely time as the new album flys to number one  (Y)

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[R.W.]

Chris Martin is by far one of the best song writers in the UK as well. If you hate them then I'll be having a lovely time as the new album flys to number one  (Y)

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Yes, because commercial success = talent.

Coldplay aren't nearly as bad as is being made out, they're pretty much just there, but to sugest that Chris Martin is one of the best song writers in the UK is laughable considering the wealth of talent about.

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Meh, musical talent is always subjective. I think Martin is a tremendous songwriter, but if others disagree, that's there choice. I'm sure the things they like I think are the biggest piles of rubbish in the world.

Of course, you always get comments like "Coldplay release second tune LOL OMGI'MSOFUNNY", but it's more exagerration than anything - anyone with a semblance of a musical ear can of course tell the immense difference in key, time signature and basic musical form of "Yellow", "Trouble", "In My Place", "The Scientist", "God Put A Smile Upon Your Face", "Clocks" and even "Speed Of Sound".

Hmmm. Strange tangent I went off there. Oh well, sod it.

[tristy]

Ian Curtis... now there's a talented songwriter from the UK. (Y)

[FunkAsPuck]

Not anymore.

[ClaRK! Kent]

Don't play the "musical ear" card with me, RW.

I've played guitar for about 12 years now, and piano for 6, and I can safely say that whilst, yes - Coldplay's songs obviously aren't exactly the same, that's an exaggeration, and they have the odd shift in tempo - the overall mood of the songs are incredibly similar and dull. It's not about the technical construction of the song, which seems to be all Chris Martin and his classically-trained ilk (ie: Athelete, etc) can really aspire to, it's about how the song sounds and the feel of it, and IMO Coldplay are incredibly samey.

They use the same piano scale for almost the entire second album, there's a bit of classically-trained music trivia for you.

As fineintent noted, commercial success doesn't equal talent, else we wouldn't even have this thread bitching about the fucking Crazy Frog in the first place. The majority of the British public wouldn't know musical talent if punched them repeatedly in the face, as evidenced by our charts, our choice of Eurovision entry, and the fact that the Spice Girls have sensed that the musical climate is right for them to reunite.

I don't think I'm particularly funny for playing the "Coldplay release second tune" card, no, but it's a point that has some weight behind it.

Chris Martin's songwriting is flawed at best, IMO. He's got a lot of weaknesses, which he usually hides behind his elevator music/easy listening piano licks and guitar-by-numbers guitarist (who isn't him, it's a different member of the band) to get by. I quite liked "Trouble" and "Yellow" as songs, but once you realise that they're essentially a one-trick pony, then it loses its appeal for me.

When did the British people become so neutered to passion, emotion, and raw talent that Chris Martin become some sort of demi-God for songwriting to aspire to? Jesus H. Christ, that's a sad situation.

If you want better songwriters, in Britain/British, than Chris Martin, then I'll name a few here, in no particular order...

Morrissey, Peter Doherty, Noel Gallagher, Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon, Patrick Wolf, Nick Drake, Kele Okerke, Thom Yorke, Robert Plant, Robert Smith, Alex Kapranos/Bob Hardy, Matt Bellamy, David Bowie, Sam Herhily, etc.

That's just a few off the top of my head. Most, if not all of them, are still writing songs/active today, so there's no excuse for saying Chris Martin is our best songwriter.

RK/ZB!

[therockbox]

When I first heard "Wires" I thought it was Coldplay. They all sound the same.

[ClaRK! Kent]

I like the Rock Box.

ZE MAN SPEAKS SENSE.

RK/ZB!

[Liam]

"Morrissey, Peter Doherty, Noel Gallagher, Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon, Patrick Wolf, Nick Drake, Kele Okerke, Thom Yorke, Robert Plant, Robert Smith, Alex Kapranos/Bob Hardy, Matt Bellamy, David Bowie, Sam Herhily"

That's the list you posted, and to an extent, I agree with a lot of them. But I think Martin is easily better than Pete Doherty (yeah, so sue me) and better than Alex Kapranos by a country mile.

Also, just because there are people that are better than him, doesn't make him bad. I would never have said he was the best song writer in the UK, but I find it hard to say that he isn't one of them, as he is as good as quite a few of the people you have listed as well.

And then you said "most, if not all....".....Nick Drake's been dead for about 30 years.

Edited May 26, 2005 by rvdwannabe

[ClaRK! Kent]

Ooops. Well, most then. Grr.

You either love or hate Doherty it seems, so I won't argue with you on that one. I like Kapranos' style a lot, he's very witty and good at what he does, so that's where I'm coming from there.

Martin just annoys the Hell out of me, really. Alas.

RK/ZB!

[Liam]

Ooops. Well, most then. Grr.

You either love or hate Doherty it seems, so I won't argue with you on that one. I like Kapranos' style a lot, he's very witty and good at what he does, so that's where I'm coming from there.

Martin just annoys the Hell out of me, really. Alas.

RK/ZB!

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Anyways, it's always subjective. Two of my favourite British song writers are Sal Belamir (Amplifier) and Aaron Stainthorpe (My Dying Bride), but people would dismiss this as either no-one knows them, or because in Aaron's case, he writes doom metal, so most people don't think that he can write good songs, or something.

[ClaRK! Kent]

Doom metal? Interesting.

A lot of more 'alternative' artists don't get the recognition because their style is very far removed from what seems to be your basic "this is a well-written song" theory (ie: the Lennon/McCartney mould, arguably) or whatever. Which is why I included Muse, Hope of the States, and Patrick Wolf in there. Has anybody else heard of Patrick Wolf, or is it just me/my friends?

RK/ZB!

[TMM]

On a somewhat related note, has anyone seen the adverts for the teddy bear ring tone? A fucking TEDDY BEAR ringtone? Thank god my TV was muted when that came on, I'm afraid of what that's gonna be!

[R.W.]

Don't play the "musical ear" card with me, RW.

I've played guitar for about 12 years now, and piano for 6, and I can safely say that whilst, yes - Coldplay's songs obviously aren't exactly the same, that's an exaggeration, and they have the odd shift in tempo - the overall mood of the songs are incredibly similar and dull. It's not about the technical construction of the song, which seems to be all Chris Martin and his classically-trained ilk (ie: Athelete, etc) can really aspire to, it's about how the song sounds and the feel of it, and IMO Coldplay are incredibly samey.

They use the same piano scale for almost the entire second album, there's a bit of classically-trained music trivia for you.

As fineintent noted, commercial success doesn't equal talent, else we wouldn't even have this thread bitching about the fucking Crazy Frog in the first place. The majority of the British public wouldn't know musical talent if punched them repeatedly in the face, as evidenced by our charts, our choice of Eurovision entry, and the fact that the Spice Girls have sensed that the musical climate is right for them to reunite.

I don't think I'm particularly funny for playing the "Coldplay release second tune" card, no, but it's a point that has some weight behind it.

Chris Martin's songwriting is flawed at best, IMO. He's got a lot of weaknesses, which he usually hides behind his elevator music/easy listening piano licks and guitar-by-numbers guitarist (who isn't him, it's a different member of the band) to get by. I quite liked "Trouble" and "Yellow" as songs, but once you realise that they're essentially a one-trick pony, then it loses its appeal for me.

When did the British people become so neutered to passion, emotion, and raw talent that Chris Martin become some sort of demi-God for songwriting to aspire to? Jesus H. Christ, that's a sad situation.

If you want better songwriters, in Britain/British, than Chris Martin, then I'll name a few here, in no particular order...

Morrissey, Peter Doherty, Noel Gallagher, Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon, Patrick Wolf, Nick Drake, Kele Okerke, Thom Yorke, Robert Plant, Robert Smith, Alex Kapranos/Bob Hardy, Matt Bellamy, David Bowie, Sam Herhily, etc.

That's just a few off the top of my head. Most, if not all of them, are still writing songs/active today, so there's no excuse for saying Chris Martin is our best songwriter.

RK/ZB!

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Why not? You obviously were trying to be a smartarse with your comment. Figured I'd just put you in your pseudo-intellectual-but-actually-a-teenage-punk-who-needs-a-smack-in-the-face place. 12 years on guitar is supposed to impress me BTW?

Oh, and as I've seen you say, musical talent is subjective. Your opinion on Martin's songwriting talent is not definitive now, is it.

RW/FP!

Edited May 26, 2005 by Rabid Wolverine

[kliq]

Lets be honest with each other, the British music-buying public don't exactly have a good track record:

Aqua, The Cartoons, Mr. Blobby, Fast Food Rockers, Las Ketchup, Akon and a whole pile of Europop.

While the fact that the Crazy Frog is going to be #1 in the charts is an absolute absurdity, and the fact that Axel F is being tarnished along with it is an outrage in itself, I'm really not that suprised.

[tristy]

I can't believe I'm the only one that thinks Ian Curtis is one of the UK's best songwriters.

[Liam]

I can't believe I'm the only one that thinks Ian Curtis is one of the UK's best songwriters.

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I was going to agree, but went to post, and then got distracted.

Yes, he was.

[Colly]

Yes indeed he was. That cool black and white picture of him thats always in the NME, don't you think theres a slight resemblance to a slightly smartened up Pete Doherty? Its eery.

[Reflecto Is My Favorite Poster]

Okay. Let me take stock of the situation.

On the one hand, on this side of the Atlantic, we've got a poor economy that will likely make it so that everyone works either at Wal-Mart, McDonald's, or goes into the army to fight for oil companies, we've been hijacked by Christian Fundamentalists, possibly led by the Anti-Christ, and are generally doing our best to send the world into the End Times.

On the other...Britain is going to have the Crazy Frog ringtone at number one on the pop charts.

Somehow, I feel almost proud to be American at this moment.

[ClaRK! Kent]

Bastard Yank.

I hate punk, RW, well - anything that calls itself punk these days, at least. I have a very strong, seething hatred for Green Day and suchlike.

12 years on the guitar isn't supposed to impress anybody, it's supposed to provide a background to what I'm talking about, ie - the level of music training I have. Just a fact.

And there's nothing pseudo about my intellectualism, biatch.

RK/ZB!