"Overrated" is an overused term

[mat.bez.lima]

I always am amazed in
how easily people call
an album that they
don't love or like much
"overrated". Please,
NOBODY's taste must
be used as a standard
to rate all music in the
world. We all are
different human beings
and are sensibilized
very different things,
this is because there
are so much musical
genres and styles in
the world. I am not
very fond of hard rock,
but I would never take
anything away from
Led Zeppelin, they are
truly legends and
geniuses of music, it
just happens that hard
rock is not really my
thing (tough I LOVE
Stairway To Heaven).
People should be also
less impulsive and
think much more
before call an album
overrated. If people
begin to make this,
they would not
necessarily love or like
an album or band, but
would certainly be
much more
understandable of what
makes a certain artist
and album so great.
Another thing: we all
have tendencies to
dislike what we aren't
used to. I didn't loved
Sinatra and Beatles in
the first listens. I only
say that like or not like
an album after many
listens. Another critic
that I see many people
making against album
that they don't like is
"all tracks sound the
same". This is a bit
relative. When you love
a genre, you will easily
differentiate every
track of another. I
believe that it is not a
problem by any way
that all tracks in album
share the same style,
mood and
arrangements, if the
most of tracks are are
good. This isn't
something that
necessarily detracts an
album (Pet Sounds,
Getz/Gilberto, In The
Wee Small Hours and
Songs For Swingin'
Lovers! show this
situation very well).
Certainly there are
people that not like
much albums that are
this way, people that
prefer much more
albums with many
styles and moods,
there is nothing wrong
in being this way, but I
will say one suggestion
for these people begin
to appreciate much
more albums in that all
tracks are similar from
start to end: divide the
album in parts. You
can listen first the 1st
half of the album and
another day listen to
the second half.
Listening this way, you
won't be "tired" and
you will be with a fresh
mind when listening
the remaing tracks and
you will be capable of
appreciate these tracks
much more.
Another question also
is that for many people
detract or make terrible
critics and statements
against extremely
acclaimed artists and
albums is almost
synonimous of
coolness. Sgt. Peppers
is suffering of this kind
of attack by many
people. Another point
here is that people
sometimes underrate
albums or artists that
they did not like so
much as they expected
and use every kind of
arguments to even call
the album bad, like
saying that the album
is dated. In fact, every
music is dated because
retracts a moment in
society's culture and
values. This is not a
problem, this is a
quality because one of
the greatest powers of
music is transport the
listener to other times
and culture. Again,
Peppers examplify this
very well, it is an
album that so many
people criticize and call
overrated and dated
because they did not
love the album and
they also, maybe
inconsciously, think
that the album is not
great or even say that
is bad because did not
corresponded their
expectatives. Our
subconscient can make
these kind of
distortions in our
opinios eveinwhen we
have good and honest
intentions. Peppers is
dated like every album
is, including albums
that are released
today, all albums born
dated. Peppers is the
representation of hippie
and flower-power
movement and songs
like With A Little Help
From My Friends and
She's Leaving Home (a
very underrated track
in my opinion) are a
perfect painting about
all that context.
To conclude what I am
saying, I saw every
kind of opinion here. I
saw people detracting
Peppers as being bad
and overrated and at
same time praising Pet
Sounds as being a
masterpiece, but I also
saw people detracting
Pet Sounds as being
bad and overrated and
at same time praising
Peppers as being a
masterpiece. Mission
accomplished, I wanted
to say all this since I
joined RYM and I am
full of relief because I
finally said all this.

[bootsy]

Didn't read all of what you posted but I agree with the title of the thread. I can't stand when people use the word.