No, you shouldn’t bin his records, if you still enjoy the music. It won’t change him and only you will lose out.
It’s like being a vegetarian, fine, but it won’t eliminate dreadful animal farming and slaughter.
I adore The Who and Townshends solo work.I didn’t bin it all after he got in the mire for his research. I’ve seen hundreds of interviews with him, particularly early ones and he is/was a belligerent self centred idiot at times. Still a musical icon to me. He did seem to become more humble post caution…funny that.
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Yes you’re right to be conflicted. We’re contradictory creatures, capable of producing great art but also capable of producing the hydrogen bomb. If we only accept art that was made by those whose opinions and views coincide with our own, we become more narrow minded and less rounded critical thinkers (there are the obvious exceptions, i.e. those who have embraced fascism). Ezra Pound held deeply unpleasant views. Evelyn Waugh and T. S. Eliot were by no means progressive in their political outlook, but this does not mean that Brideshead Revisited or The Waste Land are amongst the very greatest cultural achievements.
Clapton’s racism was extreme, and was and is wholly objectionable, and truly mystifying as he has an obvious deep and abiding love of black music. Yet he remains one of the most important figures in popularising blues music and bringing it to a much wider audience than it ever had prior to the sixties blues boom. It’s not always a comfortable situation but I love his music whilst having a low opinion of the man.
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I don’t like Claptons politics or his music particularly. I was a fan of John Mayall’s Blues Breakers and Cream but after that I found Clapton average and bland. I certainly didn’t need him to murder I Shot the Sheriff to discover reggae.
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Hi Shep,
I’ve no time for this thread and have deleted my posts from it, I stumbled on it by accident and frankly some of the apologist comments I cant stomach and have no time for, not to mention the misinformation and exaggerated and patronising claims re Clapton and Reggae.
No, I’ve replied to you as you mention Dread At The Controls. Caveat emptor if buying CD or listening to streams.
The best way to hear Mikey Dread is on the original vinyl. Most CD reissues and digital files were released posthumously and may have dubious probity and or have been messed with. For example the classic World War III album on CD ( not to be confused with Beyond World War III which is a slightly different album) has been oddly remixed in places with a totally unnecessary and obtrusive DATC radio style jingle over it.
I recently listened to Dread At The Controls on Tidal which sounded ok-ish but not a touch on the original LP which can probably be found for reasonable money. I also listened to Mikey Dread At The Control Dubwise on Tidal which sounded terrible.
Anyway, I wont be responding further to this thread but as always happy to correspond via the Reggae thread.
Bless up!
I met Mikey Dead in the early 80’s at the BBC Manchester - nice man and there’s a signed copy of ‘Pave the way’ in my rack of LP’s. I find it sad that many of the artists I photographed are no longer with us. Mikey Dread Gregory Isaacs James Brown Nina Simone Prince. All gone to the studio in the sky…bit amazed Lee Perry (but pleased!) is still here
I think some artists are truly beyond the pale. So I haven’t played a Gary Glitter Greatest Hits LP in, what, 40 years? I liked it before reading about what a b******* he was, but even the odd cover version makes me feel a little queasy now.
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When it comes to Paedophiles and rapists 100% MJ, Gary Glitter and R Kelly are three I just can’t hear anymore.
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I had to ditch the two Lost Prophets albums I used to own many years ago. Shame because I quite liked their early music, but after reading of what Watkins had admitted to, I was physically unable to listen to his music.
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Yes that’s an extreme one and would definitely mean you could no longer listen to or enjoy an artist’s music. I sweated through Roy Harper’s trial a few years back until charges were either not proven or dropped.
I generally avoid seeking out biographical info on artists - I have a sneaking suspicion there are a considerable number who might fall into the ‘undesirable’ category! Some, like Watkins and Gadd, are just unavoidable unless you live on a desert island.
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That is a good question. The answer is probably, maybe even assuredly yes. As an example, one of my favorite rock artists is Todd Rundgren. Todd though, has published quite a varied and some even think questionable body of work. But his ardent fans (to those of us with a more critical eye) claim affection for what we think trash. And while their affection for Todd influences their taste (we would say) my personal affection for his art allows me to shrug off what I see as misses.
Also, it may not be an affinity for an artist’s music that attracts or repels listeners, but views or lifestyle. Lots of examples there.
Good question. It makes us reflect on whom we are. A mirror. At least for someone willing to take that path.
I knew Van did (and thus shun him now) and Clapton too? Sheesh. Well…I’m glad I always felt him overrated. I just heard on a Sirius Blues channel (BB channel probably?) a BB interview in which he was questioned about blues players verses jazz players. This followed a Charlie Christian song. BB said blues players were relatively in elementary school and jazz payers were in college. Hey…BB said it…and that (as I play and call myself a “jazz wanna be”) is what I always thought of Clapton. Nice rock/ blues player, but he never really impacted my style or playing. Santana, Steve Howe, Jeff Beck-yes. Sorry Eric. And now I find out he’s are a jerk.
Quite often I read a bio or even autobio on an artist or sportsman I admired for performance and end up disliking them personally. Clapton is a case in point, the race issue is bizarre given that he had literally previously gone deep into the USA to ensure that Skip James got the appropriate royalties for Cream covering I’m So Glad, had a black girlfriend and championed so many black artists to the point that I think he has put this incident right, but it went further. He treated people in general abominably, using his girlfriends sister who he was also having an affair with to deliver his narcotics, drunk to the point of falling over on stage and being unable to play, he was cheating his audience. This at least in part is put down to his childhood and his Mother’s rejection of him but then it strikes me that he is throwing it all back in the face of his grandparents who did so much for him. However, he has sought to at least try to put things right, his drug rehabilitation “Crossroads” project is very laudable, and in his latter years sobriety seems to treat people with a whole lot more respect.
I guess there’s a balance to be struck between being judgemental and understanding.
Regards,
Lindsay
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Well…my opinion is based on both having a sphere of influence, and both made comments that are harmful to public health and also social order. So…they don’t get a pass here from me. I saw the comment above about Morrissey, and honestly know very little about him. I checked out his Wikki bio (no huge endorsement of Wikki, just convenient.) Hm… really? Odious? Ok…
It’s an iffy comparison. Virtuosity is more readily associated with jazz players than blues men and women. As a musician yourself, I’m sure you appreciate that blues is not limited to, or even overly concerned with, technical prowess. I agree that Jeff Beck is a much more accomplished, all round musician compared to Clapton, as is Allan Holdsworth, Frank Zappa or John McLaughlin. Compared to those players Clapton is much more limited and one dimensional. He lacks the fluid stylistic mastery, ability to adapt, and sheer range of expression that marks out the very best players. However, what he does, he does exceptionally well. He is amongst the very finest players to have emerged from the 60’s blues boom. He is a bluesman extraordinaire and I disagree that he is overrated.
The music we like we justify as reason enough to ignore behaviour. Behaviour is a ready made explanation as to why we don’t like the music we don’t like.
Mikey is dead?
Died: 15 March 2008 apparently.
Wow you must have some great memories/stories, Gregory is one of my all time idols such a cool guy I read in David Rodigan’s autobiography that of all the Jamaican artists he met that Gregory was the one that had the greatest aura about him and was someone with whom you wouldn’t mess and Lee Perry must have been a great subject to photograph.
I’d love to see some of your work if you could direct me to some examples.
search photographs of the smiths - click print sales where there are some of these. no1 in google search just now…
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