Separating the Art From the Artist. - Music

Gershyn

What do you guys think of the idea of people not listening to music because an artist is a controversial/hateful figure ? For example, people getting angry about Ariel Pink, or even the more recent Devin Ruben controversy?
Personally I believe that someone's qualities as a person are in no way able to change my opinion of their music, but that's just me. What do you guys think?

Patman360
Serenity Now

Gender: Male
Age: 31
Location: Cork, Ireland

Moderator

I doesn't affect my listening one bit, I just tend to know very little about the personal lives of most of the artists I listen to, either way it wouldn't change me listening to what I want.
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Gershyn

Patman360 wrote:

I doesn't affect my listening one bit, I just tend to know very little about the personal lives of most of the artists I listen to, either way it wouldn't change me listening to what I want.

Yeah same, I think that at times knowing about the artist can inform you about the lyrics and such in a way that could potentially change the meaning or emotion behind the lyrics, like knowing about John Darniell's life when listening to The Sunset Tree, but that's more of a different meaning behind the lyrics than it is a different quality to the music itself.

HoldenM
To Pedantically Split Infinitives

Gender: Male
Age: 29

I do my best to separate the two, but sometimes that's next to impossible. For example, part of the reason that For Emma, Forever Ago is so interesting is the story behind it. Now, the album is still incredible without knowing the context in which it was created, but finding out the origins of that album, at least for me, has drastically shifted the way I look at it. Sometimes the artist, and the reasons for why their work is as it is, is inescapable.
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Gershyn

HoldenM wrote:

I do my best to separate the two, but sometimes that's next to impossible. For example, part of the reason that For Emma, Forever Ago is so interesting is the story behind it. Now, the album is still incredible without knowing the context in which it was created, but finding out the origins of that album, at least for me, has drastically shifted the way I look at it. Sometimes the artist, and the reasons for why their work is as it is, is inescapable.

This is absolutely true. I wish I could edit my initial statement to say that I usually separate the two, because like you said, sometimes it's impossible. Albums like The Secret Eye of L.A.Y.L.A.H. are very interesting and atmospheric, but are certainly more creepy in atmosphere when you find out about the disturbing stories behind the album (mostly talking about The Secret Eye of L.A.Y.L.A.H. here).

Hayden

I try my best to separate them. There are some musicians that I love as people, but hate their music. Same vice versa.

Burzum, Charles Manson and Phil Spector have all killed people, but they've all released music that I enjoy... so.. Anxious

I just try to forget that.
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koner1
Biggest Jilm

Gender: Male
Age: 26
Location: Massachusetts

Separate them. There are endless artists I would be bashful towards if I was so caught up in their fame/infamy.

Applerill
Autistic Princess <3

Gender: Female
Age: 30
Location: Chicago

I really like Bruce Springsteen, even though he's really a communist that works for Obama. He did make that beautiful song "Born in the USA", though. He at least USED to really love America. He's not like Neil Diamond or Lady Gag-Me. Eww, liberals.

sp4cetiger

Anyone who listens to the Ronettes supports murder. Put down the knife, hippies!

craola
crayon master

Location: pdx

Hayden wrote:

I try my best to separate them. There are some musicians that I love as people, but hate their music. Same vice versa.

Burzum, Charles Manson and Phil Spector have all killed people, but they've all released music that I enjoy... so.. Anxious

I just try to forget that.

you forgot the sex pistols!

but yeah, people are broken/screw up. yours truly is broken too, so i've no place to judge the artists whose works inspire me.

of course, as was said earlier, there are some stories/origins that work very well to support the music created. i think knowing the story behind some of cloud cult's earlier work fits into that boat. the music is great regardless, but once i realized the loss he kept referring to in his music, it was exponentially more powerful than before.
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