0 Exactly, Iran and Saudi should not be compared (on this issue at least) with Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Lebanon etc. My wife keeps telling me that the religious-guided oppression of minority groups in this region (because, the more you know, the aqibah, hijab and abiyah are all not mentioned in the Qu'ran, but are instead a much later social construct) is eerily similar to her experiences growing up in the US. Maybe that's why they want to hang out here so bloody much. I was talking to an Italian friend of mine, Lidia Al-Qattan, she's been here for about 60 years and was married to a famous Kuwaiti artist (she also curates the amazing family home/museum for his work known locally as 'The Mirror House'). She was telling me how in the 70's here and in Beirut too it was like being in cartoon 70's Paris. Big beehive hairdos allover the place, women in heels and miniskirts. Then the Muslim Brotherhood guys would come from Egypt, get involved in the politics here and things started to change. Now I can see that liberal attitudes are possible in a country run on Islamic law, but so much tribalism gets in the way of positive change to this day and will into the future.
So I heard Kelly Clarkson's 'Heartbeat Song' on my daughter's stereo and thought; that's a blatent rip off of Jimmy Eats World 'The Middle'. I was going to post both videos to shoe you guys, buy apparently I'm not the only one who has noticed this obvious plagerism http://www.kerrangradio.co.uk/music/news/jimmy-eat-worlds-the-middle-ripped-off-by-kelly-clarkson/
It's sufficiently different, in my opinion. In truth, there are loads of songs which sound very similar to earlier ones down through the years of pop and rock. People tend not to make a song and dance about it though [sorry, couldn't resist]. Unless a musician is original and pushes the musical boundaries [and risks being a success at all], this will only happen more and more as songsters discover songs in their heads and lay them down only to find that they've been done before, or very similarly, at least.
Unless it's a really huge hit and people have a chance to sue somebody, nobody cares. No-one ever gets sued for an obscure limited edition Japanese 2-ep picture disk b-side do they?
I've always wondered if we'll ever "run out" of music. I mean, there can only be so many combinations of notes that sound any good and you'd think at some point they'll all have been discovered.
Certainly all great Rock and Pop rythmns, tunes and riffs are pretty much used up. Everything is a re-hash. It's making the re-hashes sound original. Unfortunately, as LTL would probably tell you, originality goes out the window when people put making money over making music. Musicians need to go back to early 60's rock and pop to fine influences again. That's where most of the best original riffs and melodies came from.
People need to write what is in their head/heart rather than looking for reference points. One of the worst aspects of modern music/talent shows/Brit schools is that people (and for some reason, particularly girls) think that to 'be famous' you need to sing like a certain person or in a certain way. And the majors/TV directors are complicit in this by encouraging all the dreadful vocal gymnastics - so you end up with young girls thinking that do be a 'good' singer, you need to be some hideous warbling hybrid of Jessie J and Whitney. A good singer is one that can hold a note and put it out there with feel and meaning, whilst it's distinctively 'their' voice. If people do that, there's no plagiarism. The Marvin Gaye ruling was bad news if it's upheld.
Great news that Clarkson has said he will make another car show, hopefully he has May and Hammond with him.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-32372223 The 74-year-old was the last of the Fab Four to be inducted as a solo artist, where he was hailed as "one of the greatest and most creative drummers". PMSL !!! THE LUCKIEST more like !
If you don't like him fine, but there are loads of people who really like him. No one is forcing you to watch him.
( or the BBC allowed it to happen ) I don't know him , but he ruined ( or the BBC allowed it to happen ) what was a good car review programme IMHO . It has ne been the TRUE top gear for years now , it has been the Jeremy Clarkson show . Good riddance to THAT imho .
That he shouldn't just **** off just because he is disliked by some. Like him or loathe, he entertains and is great TV material.
