Is this great or what (or do I just not get it)

[MrBump]

No, I don't get it - it reminds me of a comedy sketch that you might have seen on Not The Nine O'Clock News, or something.

Loved the bit where he retuned a little in the second piece!!!

Mark.

[Ian Price]

The only credit I can give for that is that he made the guitar sound like a banjo in parts.

I really, really didn't like it. I listened to some of his other stuff, just to see if he was having a bad day. Evidently he wasn't.

[38thBeatle]

I do wonder about this stuff sometimes- am I really stupid for not getting it? Was the song called "The Emperor's New Clothes" I wonder.

[Ian Price]

Absolutely shocking is what I call it. I just don't get it and never will. The audience applause sounded a bit hesitant as well - perhaps everyone was waiting for the 'cool' people (or person) to clap.

To my ears this even makes return to forever sound good.

[Plexi Ken]

I think Stewart Lee had Derek Bailey as his specialist subject on Celebrity Mastermind last night.  I missed it.

He did indeed and got a huge score.


Avant-garde music isn't for me but I'm not going to slag-it-off as I believe there is room for all types of expression via the guitar. In fact, I enjoy the notion that there are some who's musical experimentation almost everyone will dislike. For me, this is 'art' more than 'music'. He's trying to play the guitar the way Jackson Pollock painted.

[Dmoney]

I think Stewart Lee had Derek Bailey as his specialist subject on Celebrity Mastermind last night.  I missed it.

He did indeed and got a huge score.


Avant-garde music isn't for me but I'm not going to slag-it-off as I believe there is room for all types of expression via the guitar. In fact, I enjoy the notion that there are some who's musical experimentation almost everyone will dislike. For me, this is 'art' more than 'music'. He's trying to play the guitar the way Jackson Pollock painted.

agreed. pollock had too much time on his hands as well.

[FELINEGUITARS]

It sounded like the noise a young child with ADHD would make on a guitar

I know we live in an age where we must accept, respect and appreciate everybody's expression but I found it unlistenable

It was only because there were people making such a fuss about him that I raised the question

I wonder how much of it is like the "Emperors New Clothes"

[Philly Q]

Avant-garde music isn't for me but I'm not going to slag-it-off as I believe there is room for all types of expression via the guitar. In fact, I enjoy the notion that there are some who's musical experimentation almost everyone will dislike. For me, this is 'art' more than 'music'. He's trying to play the guitar the way Jackson Pollock painted.

I agree, sort of.  To me, something is "art" if there's a genuine intent to make an artistic statement, even if it looks or sounds like rubbish. 

If you get a 6ft canvas and paint it red because something drives you do it, that's art.  And then if Charles Saatchi comes along and buys it for £20,000, fair enough.  But if someone else says "I'll paint a canvas red because Charles Saatchi might pay me £20,000", that's NOT art.  IMO.

To come back to Derek Bailey, he sounds exactly like me, semi-drunk, farting around on a bad guitar with too-high action and too-heavy strings, unable to think of anything I can play.  The difference is the intent - for me it's accidental, for him it is, presumably, planned or at least has some guiding sense of direction.  He's art, I'm fart.

But I still think the end result is absolutely unlistenable.  :P

[Ian Price]

But I still think the end result is absolutely unlistenable.  :P

Yep.

I do think that 'visual' art is easier to pass off as art than 'musical' art. Maybe it's 'non-musical' art. I've listened to it again and it sounds even worse, I just can't hear what there is to like about it. I don't like whisky either and can't see what people like about that.

[tomjackson]

Lovethe text comment below:-

'he only plays weddings'

I thought it was that guy who dubs over Clapton and Santana at first

[Ratrod]

If anyone played like that on my guitar, I'd pry it from his hands, slap him and tell him to learn to play something else.

So how much does this guy cost the tax payer?  'cause this must be heavily subsidised like all nonsense 'art'.

[Ian Price]

So how much does this guy cost the tax payer?  'cause this must be heavily subsidised like all nonsense 'art'.

Not much considering he died in 2005.

[Johnny Mac]

His dead is he? What a loss to the guitar he was.

It's the audience that gets to me rather than him. What on earth would you want to go and watch that rubbish live?
There's an easy way to answer am I not getting this or is it shite. Ask a child to listen to it and they will tell you what they think of it, without a load of arty pretentious bollocks colouring their opinion.

We shouldn't give this any attention as it may encourage others that were influenced by him.

[maverickf1jockey]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ED_iX8JxkiE&feature=fvw
I thought this had some good elements at the start but trailed off a bit.

Like the majority of 'art' music it would benefit from some sort of accompaniment in another medium to better show the intent to the uninitiated.

[dave_mc]

I agree, sort of.  To me, something is "art" if there's a genuine intent to make an artistic statement, even if it looks or sounds like rubbish. 

If you get a 6ft canvas and paint it red because something drives you do it, that's art.  And then if Charles Saatchi comes along and buys it for £20,000, fair enough.  But if someone else says "I'll paint a canvas red because Charles Saatchi might pay me £20,000", that's NOT art.  IMO.

To come back to Derek Bailey, he sounds exactly like me, semi-drunk, farting around on a bad guitar with too-high action and too-heavy strings, unable to think of anything I can play.  The difference is the intent - for me it's accidental, for him it is, presumably, planned or at least has some guiding sense of direction.  He's art, I'm fart.

But I still think the end result is absolutely unlistenable.  :P

agreed