Critics and fans use the music of their youth as reference points. For years, people seriously wondered who "the next Beatles" were going to be, and classic rock bands were the de facto yardstick for rock quality. Michael Azerrad More Quotes by Michael Azerrad More Quotes From Michael Azerrad Just as not all popular albums are wonderful, not all wonderful albums are popular. Michael Azerrad albums wonderful The online musical universe has become Balkanized, with many sites focusing on minute niches. That works well for reaching very specific demographics, which is wonderful for advertising, but it flies in the face of the common wisdom that people's tastes have become more diverse as music of any description has become a mouse-click away. Michael Azerrad musical wisdom people Bon Jovi's trick is to use heavy-metal chords and still sound absolutely safe. Rock & roll used to be rebellion disguised as commercialism; now so much of it is commercialism disguised as rebellion. Michael Azerrad rocks use sound You didn't have to be a huge rock star; you just had to do well enough to continue doing what you wanted to do. It wasn't about hitting the jackpot, it was about sustainability. Michael Azerrad hitting rocks stars Ten percent of the American population thinks that Barack Obama is a Muslim. Those are the people that have not learned the skill of filtering information from the vast barrage of inaccurate information that we're all faced with everyday. I think that's a very 21st century skill. Michael Azerrad skills people thinking Naturally, no one knows more about music than musicians. They talk about their own work all the time, but they rarely get to talk about other people's music. Michael Azerrad musician knows people I'm always very careful to make the distinction between music criticism and music journalism. A lot of people don't. But criticism doesn't require reporting. You can write criticism at home in your underwear. On the other hand, journalism takes legwork - you have to get out there and see things and talk to people. Michael Azerrad home writing hands Now that the generation that grew up on '80s indie-rock has attained influential positions in the culture, that music is the new yardstick. And that will shift yet again some day. Michael Azerrad indie-rock rocks generations For Nirvana, putting out their first major-label record was like getting into a new car. But the runaway success was like suddenly discovering that the car was a Ferrari and the accelerator pedal was Krazy Glued to the floorboard. Michael Azerrad ferrari car labels Back in the day, in '91 or so, I tried to interview Fugazi for Rolling Stone, which the band felt stood for everything they detested about corporate infiltration of music. They said, 'We'll do the interview if you give us a million dollars of cash in a suitcase.' Which was their way of saying no. Michael Azerrad rolling dollars giving A lot of music fans are still interested in insightful perspectives on music - maybe even more interested than ever, since everyone needs help making sense of the incredible variety of sounds that have sprung up in the wake of the Internet revolution. There's a lot of room for unique, qualified voices who can provide good reads. Michael Azerrad sprung-up voice unique I would roll out of bed and immediately start working, and keep working until it was so late at night that I couldn't stay awake anymore. Then I'd go to sleep and wake up the next morning and do the same thing all over again. I did that every day for three years. Michael Azerrad sleep morning night There's no glamour in Nirvana, no glamour at all, in fact. Michael Azerrad glamour facts There's a whole apparatus for indie bands now, but back in the eighties it was just getting built. The early people really took it on the chin. Michael Azerrad chins band people Nine Inch Nails' sound is dominated by clanging synths and sardonic, shrieking vocals. Michael Azerrad nails nine sound The most surprising and rewarding chapter to write was the Butthole Surfers chapter. I'd always thought of them as a bunch of drug-addled reprobates - which maybe they were - but it turned out to be more complicated than that. Michael Azerrad drug complicated writing I really believe in the power of music - and I mean literally the power of musical tones - to rearrange the way you can think. Michael Azerrad mean believe thinking I have this theory, bands with enigmatic lyrics attract crazies. Michael Azerrad enigmatic band theory As a journalist, I'm not supposed to be the subject, but as an author, I'm fair game - another ingredient in the media soup. Michael Azerrad media soup games People shared everything: information, equipment, their floors, whatever. There was strength in unity. Michael Azerrad unity information people
