nothingfails

wasn't Avril Lavigne sued for stealing an old new wave song for Girlfriend? Whatever happened to that?

nothingfails

Coldplay are one of the biggest bands in the world right now.... a lot of "hip" people love to make fun of anyone they see on the chart because it makes them look more indie rock if they thumb their noses at Coldplay instead of coming out of the Coldplay closet and risk losing "coolness".

dvduser6

Make that 3. Satriani and Robert Smith are the two artists that made me want to play guitar back in the 80's. Granted, those guys are worlds apart from each other, but I listen to a lot of different kinds of music.

Rocketdog2000

I was just going to mention that, but you beat me to it. Rick Rubin had a hand in that one, too. They released the album on his record label.

Rocketdog2000

I have to wonder, did someone lose there job at Pitchfork? If not, I question why you continue to make make such merit less, asinine statements here.

Since the two artists you mention have about as much in common as say, oh, you and a resemblance of any kind of intelligence in trying to make a point, I'll just pass that one off to you again thinking your statements somehow make you look "cool" or "hip". Unfortunately, neither point is true in your case.

Yanni, for one, has never been accused of being influential by anyone's standards. If you think so, that says much worse about you than any insult you may have been trying to sling.

Satariani, on the other hand, has taught and influenced many a guitarist. Again, you may not like him (or those influenced by him), but your personal taste in music doesn't mean shit compared to the truth. The guy is popular, regardless of how you feel. (Or me, for that matter)

You can think what you want, and have an opinion, but that doesn't make it so because you think it so. As soon as you stop confusing the two, you'll be much better off.

JasonF

The Rubinoos. The suit settled about a year ago.

No word yet on whether the Rolling Stones are suing Lavigne and the Rubinoos for ripping off "Get Off My Cloud"

Giantrobo

or...

They simply don't like their music.

DonnachaOne

"You're taking this very personal."
I haven't made any statements devoid of merit. Anything I've written that isn't obvious hyperbole can be supported by facts, but don't let those pesky facts get in the way of your uninformed opinion. Continue.



Wrong Rocketdog, both Joe Satriani and Yanni are musicians who are most well-known for performing instrumentals. See, something in common! Both artists also have names ending in "i", and are insufferably bland. But, I do admit there are many differences, nor did I ever write the contrary. If you're going to argue points it helps if you don't invent them.



Does it bother you that much that Yanni has more fans than Satriani? Man, this Coldplay thing must be killing you. I hear they have at least... double the fans of Satriani's.



Popular with those eight people, sure. Nothing better than kicking back listenin' to some Satriani while gazing at Christian Riese Lassen paintings and knockin' back a Zima, am I right? I love how your usage of "the truth" in this statement is synonymous with "my opinion".

Wait, they're not making Zima anymore? But it was so POPULAR!



By golly you're right RocketDog! Wait, what was your point again? Oh, right, you were stating your opinion (which you never actually articulated so that you could get to the ad hominem attacks quicker - gotta admire that efficiency), "Satriani is more popular than Yanni", as fact. Nah, that's idiotic and ignorant, sorry. They're both boring, but Yanni's got more fans and album sales, those are empirical facts, and there has to be tons more sad losers who emulate Yanni than there are who bother with Satriani once they hear guitar with soul. I didn't see Coldplay fans wetting their beds this much when Sum 41 released "Pieces", which sounded just like "The Scientist".

But it does seem you're very upset, so I'll give you this gift. As you're a Satriani fan, you will no doubt appreciate this jpeg of the color taupe.



EXHILARATING.

Rockmjd23

Wiki says Satriani now has the most Grammy Award nominations of anyone (14) without winning. Not sure how accurate that is.

Rockmjd23

Yeah, but he posts way too many pics of himself on here.

DonnachaOne

The number is accurate data - he just beats out Alan Parsons - but the holder of that record is Brian McKnight, with sixteen nominations and no wins. Also, all of Satriani's noms have been for "Best Rock Instrumental Performance", proving that you can always be a big fish if the pond's small enough.

Heh, one year he was beaten in that category by The Chemical Brothers, and the song had lyrics. You'd figure Satch could win that.

Michael Corvin

Looks like a 1 vs 1 in here with Rocketdog and DonnachaOne. I've posted a couple of intentionally silly posts, but DonnachaOne wins for bringing the funny in what are supposed to be serious posts.

Rocketdog has it right. You can dislike Satriani all you want but saying the guy isn't influential is naive at best. I also like how you are equating album sales to influence like the two are synonymous. Nice. Somebody take the keyboard away from the Coldplay roadie.

Let's lighten things up in here:
<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/EFIipZNtbEs&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/EFIipZNtbEs&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

Dr Mabuse

I agree.

Jason

By this logic, these people should be loving Satriani, who has never been commercially popular.

ScissorPuppy

I don't think U2 likes to sue people. If that was the case they would have sued INXS 5 or 6 times since 1991, and ESPECIALLY after the song Afterglow on the newer alblum. Besides coldplay may have been "inspired" by the sounds of Radiohead and U2, but I can't think of any particular song they "ripped" off.

Jason

Of course they don't.

Adam Tyner

U2 didn't sue Negativland, though.

B5Erik

Satriani's never been commercially popular? Are you kidding me?

I used to run a record store (from the late 80's through the mid 90's), and Satriani was hugely popular. That he still sells out concerts at decent sized theaters and has respectable sales numbers for his albums says a lot. This industry isn't exactly known for longevity in careers anymore (bands staying popular for more than 5 years is the exception, not the rule).

By the way, Satriani has 4 Gold albums, one of which also reached Platinum status. (He's got a bunch of Gold home video releases as well.)

ScissorPuppy

I wasn't aware of this...

Interesting read, but from what I've read so far it looks as if they used samples of actual U2 songs, not to mention using the Name U2 on the album cover. I would put this in a different category than suing people over songs that sounded "similar".

Rocketdog2000

Wrong again. My point is that you are confusing your opinion with facts and the truth. I don't mind people having a differing opinion. I only mind when they are trying to pass their opinion off as some sort of universally accepted version of the truth.


The latter part of that statement may be true to you, which makes it your opinion, but not true for everyone, or for that matter the truth in general. It's subjective, not fact, so how is that supported by facts? Since the guy has had a successful career releasing albums, touring and working with other popular artist since the mid-80's, I'd say his music is very interesting to other people.


Wow, if those are the best (and too obvious to mention, really) comparisons you come up with, that's pretty weak. And, again, half of your statement is based on your opinion, and not on any real truth. Seems your the one inventing things here.

Not at all. I don't give a shit about Yanni. When did I ever say I did? This isn't about who we like or don't like. We could be talking about anyone, that's not what I have an issue with.


Again, because you seem to be confusing the two. Just because you, or I, think or feel a certain way about something, doesn't make it so. The facts do. The facts show that Coldplay, Satraiani, and yes, even Yanni are all popular artists who have had successful careers recording albums and touring - regardless of what you or I think individually about their music. Our opinions don't play into the truth of the matter, yet somehow you don't seem to understand that.


I made my point numerous times fairly clearly, I thought. (As I have again here).Your blindness to it can only be caused by your ignorance, or just continued confusion on the matter. I never stated Satriani was more popular than Yanni, only that he is popular in general, and more influential. When have you ever read about someone being influenced by Yanni? The same can not be said about Satriani, as any real investigation into the subject would reveal. To further make the assumption that just because someone like Satriani is technically adpet at playing means he somehow lacks soul is more ignorance on your part. It only shows you obviously aren't familiar with his music at all. And again, you can't seem to make a statement without trying to pass your opinion off as some kind of fact.

Dude, (or chick, whichever it may be). As I've stated numerous times, I've got no problem with folks having an opinion, let alone a differing one. I only take issue with it when someone is trying to pass their opinion off as truth, or the only one.

You don't like Satriani, we get it. But it's not really who we are talking about that's the problem. That's not what I have an issue with. To believe, or put forth the idea that just because you don't, that other people (or the greater consensus of them) don't as well, however, is. Your opinion is just that, your opinion. You want to put it out there, go for it. Just don't try to offer it up as anything other than that. If other people agree with your opinion, great. But don't assume that your's is the only one, or universally accepted - and don't confuse it with the actual truth.

I'll try and make this real simple for you. Just because you find someone's music boring doesn't mean it is. It only means you think it is. You could say "I personally find (insert random artist here)'s music boring.", and I'd have no problem with you whatsoever. However, it's when you go assuming that just because you think that person's music is boring that everyone else does, too, or to further insinuate that because you believe that, it somehow makes it the only truth, or even true at all, is pure ignorance and bullshit. That's what I take offense with.

Alright, I'm done. If you can't grasp that simple concept, you never will, and there's no point further arguing the subject. But thanks for the spar.

Sean O'Hara

Truly, they are the Duran Duran of the new century.

Sean O'Hara

I like the White Stripes.

I like Lily Allen.

I like the Killers.

Hell, I own Bat out of Hell 1 & 2.

But Coldplay is an awful, derivative band.

NoirFan

Coldplay are certainly derivative, but "awful" seems like a pretty strong word. They make pleasant, inoffensive mid-tempo pop/rock. Let's reserve the "awful" label for bands that truly deserve the moniker, like Nickelback and Hinder.

nothingfails

I don't see Duran Duran? I mean, maybe you hate Coldplay, but Duran Duran? Maybe My Chemical Romance is DD, but hell, even said about 15 times on this thread by 15 other people, Coldplay is Radiohead + U2 and watered down enough to appeal to people who find Radiohead "weird". I hear nothing Duran Duran-ish about them.

nothingfails

I like Killers more than Coldplay myself, but Coldplay are on a Justin Timberlake/Beyonce/Kanye West level of popularity, something White Stripes, Lily Allen and Killers will never be on. It's like in high school how I had friends who loved female singer-songwriters but they HATED Alanis Morissette because Alanis was selling 15 million albums vs. what Juliana Hatfield, Babes In Toyland or Heather Nova were selling. Was Alanis worse? I doubt it, it's just that Alanis was so commercially successful that liking her would've been comparable to liking Mariah Carey or TLC, so they hated her just because she sold so many albums.