Comments on Hit Self-Destruct: Move Over Once

qrter beat me to it, but Across the Universe
2009-07-02T04:17:44.932+12:00
qrter beat me to it, but Across the Universe made me feel exactly the same way. The story and structure of the film are paper-thin, it just piggy-backed on the emotions the music elicited. The worst offense was the climax which used "Hey, Jude." The song so naturally builds up and climaxes, that for a second I was fooled into thinking the movie did the same.

Ha, yes, Across the Universe.. You know wh...

2009-07-02T02:29:53.881+12:00
Ha, yes, Across the Universe..

You know when a song you really, really love on a personal level gets used in, say, a slick car commercial, or something involving footwear? How annoying and sort of misplaced that can feel?

Now imagine feeling that for two (2) hours straight, the horribleness building on itself, becoming completely overwhelming..

Thanks for your comments, everyone, I appreciate i...

2009-07-01T22:51:51.485+12:00
Thanks for your comments, everyone, I appreciate it as always.

To be honest, I don't really have a firm "position" on Guitar Hero/Rock Band, which is why, upon reflection, the above blog post seems to vacillate so much. All your points are well-taken and and I'll try and respond in detail once I think a bit more about it.

Sorry! But qrter I did like that you called Across the Universe excruciating. I only saw the trailer and it looked horrifying.

I have mixed feeling, based on the fact that there...

2009-07-01T07:01:01.506+12:00
I have mixed feeling, based on the fact that there are really three generations here -- my parents, mine (I'm 27), and the kids who are 15 or 20 years younger than me who are growing up on these games. The Beatles were my first musical obsession, at age 13 (thanks, Beatles Anthology!), and while I generally listen to music on iTunes in shuffle, I can only listen to the Beatles as individual albums, because they put so much work into making each one a unique whole. I thought Guitar Hero looked stupid, until I borrowed a friend's game and controllers and got totally hooked, and now I love it when a song from one of the games comes on the radio because I really do have a better sense of how it's put together musically.

So as far as I'm concerned, a Beatles Rock Band is the best thing to ever happen, but I can see why people wouldn't want that generation behind me getting introduced to music only as a series of videogame challenges, both from the listener and the musician sides. Pushing buttons isn't the same thing as playing the guitar, and will traveling through the various epochs of the Beatles mean anything to kids who don't have a sense of the vast cultural and musical difference between Help! and Magical Mystery Tour?

Basically, I think this points up once again that modern videogames really are best aimed at people who did grow up playing them in the '80s and '90s, so they have context and skills, but who didn't step right into a world of 3D shooters and Xbox Live and GTA. I have much younger brothers who are 12 and 13, and I do wonder how different things are for them.

I have to say, I love The Beatles but I couldn'...

2009-07-01T03:56:47.943+12:00
I have to say, I love The Beatles but I couldn't care less about "The Beatles: Rock Band", it just seems to be the next obvious route for the game to take.

It also seems completely in line with all the horrible merchandising the band has been doing the last couple of decades, like that excruciating film Across the Universe..

Oh god I am that man who says this type of music is alright in its place.

When you listen to music, it's a very holistic...

2009-07-01T00:38:07.918+12:00
When you listen to music, it's a very holistic experience; I can hear and enjoy the music without engaging with it on a low or technical level.

However, playing Rock Band, I gain a much deeper understanding of the mechanics behind the song: the rhythms here, the vocal acrobatics there. I feel viscerally the changes in intensity. Rock Band encourages a closer engagement with the music, and thanks to the repetition required to get good at a song, a player is more likely to remember the details of a piece than if they just listened to it on CD.

(Sorry - Deleted previous due to typos!) I've...

2009-06-30T23:48:42.319+12:00
(Sorry - Deleted previous due to typos!)

I've never really subscribed to the idea that Guitar Hero / Rockband is discouraging kids from playing a real instrument. While the games are immediately accessible I think they show their limitation as 'instruments' pretty early on (apart from the drums which I think are actually a fantastic learning tool - one that should probably be embraced by music teachers rather than shunned).

At the end of the day - Most people who pick up an instrument get put off and give up in the first few months, it doesn't matter what comparable experience they have. However, there will always be the ones who understand the reward and payoff from continued practice, and persevere. If these games are getting more people to even pick up and try, then nfor my money it's increasing the number who will potentially stick at it and become the next
groundbreaking act.

But only time will tell I guess?

2009-06-30T23:44:30.044+12:00
This comment has been removed by the author.

Comments on Hit Self-Destruct: Move Over Once

Ha, yes, Across the Universe.. You know wh...

Thanks for your comments, everyone, I appreciate i...

I have mixed feeling, based on the fact that there...

I have to say, I love The Beatles but I couldn'...

When you listen to music, it's a very holistic...

(Sorry - Deleted previous due to typos!) I've...