Madonna and Prince are not even 50 years old yet let alone their careers.

Who says people don't want to hear their new songs? Believe it or not kids are more familiar with Musicology and American Life albums compared to their 80s albums

RipHer2Shreds said:

DavidEye said:

Really?

SimonCowell said:

Oh my, David.

CinisterCee said:

DumbassCowell said:

Okay, then, DavidEye...*backs away slowly*

Hey,I didn't say I agreed with everything he said

DavidEye said:

DavidEyeoopsImeantSimonCowell said:

Simon isn't even a music critic. He isn't smart enough. He always says too much. I like Alicia Keys but her lyrics are passable at best and doesn't he realize how she interpolates her butt off in the service of composition?

Of course he went too far and not deep enough with the Prince and Madonna comments. As we all know the key to music biz success is radio play. They got none. If Simon had investigated a little he would've realized that "Call My Name" was on the Hot 100 for 16 weeks with scant radio play. Madonna got none. To get radio play you have to spends hundreds of thousands of dollars. Does he know any of this?

I agree with an awful lot of what he said.

dragondayz said:

If he truly believes this, why does A.I. place a 28 year old age cap on contestants.
Unless he thinks they're gonna find a 20 year old with those skills and sensibilities.

Let's get real.
A.I. is about leading lambs to the slaughter for the music BUSINESS.
And we all know that the current state of the music BUSINESS is about making the fastest buck with a minimal investment, not about grooming quality talent for the long term.


tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...rmusic.htm

Ok, I know I'm going to receive a lot of criticism for this, but I'm not a huge Simon fan. I watch American Idol from time to time, and I feel a little sorry for the people, talented or extremely untalented, who are "judged" on that show. Really Simon, Randy, and Paula have attained more fame and wealth by capitalizing on these kids' pursuit of a dream. I'm not so sure about the judges' or the public's judgment either. Look at Star Search, many of the losers are the ones that went on to become huge stars. It remains to be seen if Clay Aiken is going to be around in the next decade.

Interestingly,even Paula Abdul recently stated the she was happy that she never had to compete on a show like American Idol. She said that she lacked the confidence to put herself in that position. Well, Paula made it, why can't some of the other "rejects" who have talent, but not the kind of image or whatever, make it , too, with hard work and determination? At least a show like Star Search didn't crush someone's spirit. For me, even though Simon appears to be correct and honest in his criticism at the time, some of the "losers" make grow into something great coz frankly they are very, very young. I just hate to see their dreams be "derailed" a bit by his sardonic comments. Ironically, it's those "losers" that are keeping Simon and the rest before the public and that money rolling in, so HE should be thanking THEM.

Sometimes I think the contestants would be better off just pursuing their dream on their own, putting their energy that they would have used in a show like American Idol into nurturing their talent and making their own connections. The bottom line is that if an artist believes in his talent then NOTHING is going to stand in his way. I have a couple of friends who just plain couldn't conceive of doing anything else but dance, and guess what, they have been dancers/choreographers for many years now. "No," just wasn't an option. And for the seemingly untalented or image-lacking ones, maybe there is some other aspect of show-business for which they would be perfect: I have another acquaintence who was employable in a smaller, regional theatre or cruise ship market, but frankly too short and soft-voiced to be cast on Broadway. So now, her dancing career a thing of the past, she is a talent agent.

As far as his commentary about other successful artists, I'm sure they're not concerned about his opinions. Madonna, Prince ,Janet or other established stars didn't need Simon advice to "make it" in the industry, so why should they care what he has to say now? I'm sure Janet isn't losing any sleep because Simon Cowell thinks Damita Jo is weak. Concerning younger artists, well, maybe Ashlee is gleeful about Simon's support given all the critcism she has received of late. And although Josh Stone and Norah Jones are good, the market can become saturated with those blues/jazz types, too. I like ALL types of music. I like the variety, and I have a feeling that most of the general public feels the same way.

I do agree with Simon about "guns" being over-marketed, but many people share his opinion. He is not the first person to bring up the issue. I'm not sure exactly what the solution to the problem would be. Artistic freedom is very important. And I would think that MOST consumers just don't take the lyrics that seriously. We look at it as art or metaphor, not a way to live one's life just as one might interpret a controversial poem or novel. In fact, many artists use their art as a warning. That's one reason why education is so important because we learn how to sift through and analyze all types of art, including music. However, there have always been and will always be "fanatics" using art to justify their own agendas,hatred, or in some cases destruction.
[Edited 2/7/05 14:45pm]

We all know Simon wont say anything unless it gets him attention.

alicia is a good singer/ performer but not a good songwriter, "some people just want everything"

simon is a attention seeker who knows that if he doesn't say anything contraversial it won't get printed and his show wont have free publicity

Thank you!!!

Two years ago, Simon came out with a book kissing Beyonce's and Justin's collective asses. He called them both the best young talent around.


Plus, he defends Ashlee Simpson.


Simon in a year will turn around and say something completely different from what he said here.

For Simon it's all about who is hot at the moment.