Dance Monkey Dance!!

[broken9500]

Am I the only one that is uncomfortable with an audience's (albeit natural but in my opinion unfair) concepts and declarations about what Ed (or any other artist for that matter) "should" be doing?

This happened with Elvis, Brian Wilson, Bob Dylan, and pretty much every other artist whose work resonates with people.

Again, it's completely natural. I get it. It's like anything else. We feel a certain way, receive a certain inspiration or vicarious sense of accomplishment or satisfaction and we want that to be replicated time and time again and then increased. I get it. But here's the thing, with art (be it rock and roll, a good movie, a beautiful painting whatever) the artist is the one that has to be inspired...and then our reaction to it, be it positive or negative, is simply what it is. And even more to the point, aren't we, the audience, the first ones to cry foul when we feel our favourite audience is just copying themselves, pandering to us or cow-towing?

Just seems to me that our favourite music, films and anything else was created, to a certain degree, inside a vacuum, independent of what the artist thought we'd like or dislike...AND...our least favourite art is that which is contrived solely to appease us.

Am I right?

[RevolutionMan]

i agree with you, but i think it is more of the media with columns, articles, critical reviews etc, rather than the audience. the reason the band or artist has an audience in the first place is because someone is drawn to their music or their lyrics or inspirations musically or whatever.

media brings things down, then people read it, get that into their heads and than new opinions follow.

[broken9500]

i agree with you, but i think it is more of the media with columns, articles, critical reviews etc, rather than the audience. the reason the band or artist has an audience in the first place is because someone is drawn to their music or their lyrics or inspirations musically or whatever.

media brings things down, then people read it, get that into their heads and than new opinions follow.

That brings up the question as to whether or not the "media" is an extension and reflection of the audience of if it is an independant force with its own agenda. I think it acts in both capacities, sometimes all at once, sometimes in segments. Not to get too historical or philosophical, but it brings up the timeless exploration of what the "media" is supposed to be: a watchdog and leader for the layman or simply a voicebox which exists simply to describe plainly what is happening...as complex and multi-dimensional as this is, I'm not so sure we're simply oversimplifying and taking the easy way by blaming it on the media...but, we'd be naive to think they don't play a very significant role in this situation.

[I'm_your_IceCreamMan]

Come on people, it's not the over-reacting fans, media or any one thing - it's the INTERNET AGE! A celebrity gets shit-faced and starts a brawl in a club or bar, better believe there will be a hundred different message boards discussing it. Sammy or Dave says something to some cat in St. Louis or New York about the mental state of EVH or some "imminent Van Halen reunion", anyone in the world who has access to the internet knows about it that day. There's no hiding anything anymore - and everything is blown out of proportion, whether or not it is intended, good or bad, etc etc. "Ed should be doing this, Sammy should be doing that, Dave says this" - we might or might not give a shit, but it's all gonna be discussed regardless.

[broken9500]

Come on people, it's not the over-reacting fans, media or any one thing - it's the INTERNET AGE! A celebrity gets shit-faced and starts a brawl in a club or bar, better believe there will be a hundred different message boards discussing it. Sammy or Dave says something to some cat in St. Louis or New York about the mental state of EVH or some "imminent Van Halen reunion", anyone in the world who has access to the internet knows about it that day. There's no hiding anything anymore - and everything is blown out of proportion, whether or not it is intended, good or bad, etc etc. "Ed should be doing this, Sammy should be doing that, Dave says this" - we might or might not give a shit, but it's all gonna be discussed regardless.

Your definately right in that the internet has created almost immediate communication but this concept of "dance monkey dance" is as timeless as the colonel forcing Elvis to do those stupid movies "because you gotta give them what they want!" It's as old as the mass hysteria that broke out in protest of Bob Dylan "plugging in." It's as tragic as the conflict surrounding Pet Sounds.

[steve mcqueen]

A true artist does what he/she likes.....regardless of public perception or demand....we as the ones who appreciate it should not be the ones who "inspire"
once we do..... the artist ceases to exist
Ed has said in the past that as long as it touches just one person.....then it was worth it.
we as fans sometimes get caught up in wanting the same thing over and over....because that is what touched us in the first place....
It's like that retaurant customer that orders the same dish time and again....then complains when the chef takes it off the menu.....they need to trust that chef and respect his talent and dedication and learn to experience his other creations.....at least try it.

[Axxman300]

Your definately right in that the internet has created almost immediate communication but this concept of "dance monkey dance" is as timeless as the colonel forcing Elvis to do those stupid movies "because you gotta give them what they want!" It's as old as the mass hysteria that broke out in protest of Bob Dylan "plugging in." It's as tragic as the conflict surrounding Pet Sounds.

There it is.

If Jimi Hendrix had lived he would have gone on experimenting with music that wasn't popular. His fans would have left him and said that he'd burned out and sold out. Worse, he might have tried a comeback album featuring disco (many black artists from the 1960s had comeback hits with disco).

We never got to see Jim Morrison get lame, and he was on his way too.

Then there's poor Randy Rhoads, he would have left Ozzy to study in Europe and he'd probably be teaching at USC or Grove while releasing accoustic albums here and there, much to the ire of hardrockers everywhere who would blame him for everything that went wrong in the 1980s.

In short, what the Eddie bashers really want is for him to die. That way the real Ed doesn't conflict with the "Fantasy Ed" that they've fabricated in their sick little minds. They cannot handle the fact that Edward Van Halen is actually a regular person with feelings, who has a body that isn't 22 years old anymore and (heaven forbid!) has a different view of how his life should be lived and how music with his name on it should be made. How dare he! Sure, Eddie Van Halen, along with his band, was one of the hardest working and most accessable rockers ever. From 1978 until 1996 they were everywhere, every continent save Antartica, every medium from T.V., radio and magazines. You couldn't do anything without seeing Dave or Sammy either on the magazine rack or on the tube and they were always on the road. There are greater bands (Pink Floyd and the Beatles) that have put out far less for their fans than Van Halen has.

Yet all of that is not enough for a few sad and sorry indivduals. You see them on this board all the time talking about how Ed owes them this and Ed owes tem that. Maybe they're latent homosexuals, who haven't learned to deal with their feelings towards Ed. I think this is true because the only thing Ed hasn't done for me as a fan is give me a reach around. That's gotta be it because I've gotten great music, went to a great show, have some great live DVDs and have had some great times with their music playing in the backround. My guess is that as soon as the nay-sayers come out of the closet and embrace their homsexuality they will stop bashing Ed.

[I'm_your_IceCreamMan]

That last paragraph was too much! LMFAO!

Oh man, homosexual Ed fans, come on out of that closet...I think we've seen it all now. Talk about a reach (no pun intended).