From: jfe@alchemy.tn.cornell.edu (Brian Chung)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.korean
Subject: Re: Hot food and pop music
Date: 16 Dec 92 19:52:27 GMT
Distribution: soc.culture.korean
Organization: Alchemy International

In article <8953@dirac.physics.purdue.edu> bark@bohr.physics.purdue.edu (Bark Kwangyl) writes:
>Well, Brian, I think talking about intelligence of pop/rock music is
>a ridiculous idea first.  Futhermore comparing one country's pop music
>to another, whose cultural backgrounds are  totally different, is more
>ridiculous idea.
>Instead of that we should talk about whether you like/understand it or not.
>When you try to understand a music, you are using some reference  of your 
>own. And here comes the problem.
>What is your reference?  The British/American pop/rock culture which
>is the alpha and omega of pop/rock culture?
>Sure, if that is your reference, every other  coutry's pop/rock music is
>just low grade junks. 

	My reference is my life experience and my own intelligence.  I
lived (and still do) long enough to sample quite a variety of Korean
popular music.  And I lived in North America long enough to do the same
for the Western popular music.  And I just happen to like a song with
a poetic lyric.  Peter Gabriel, Rush, Genesis write such songs, and
I like them very much.  On the other hand, I don't consider NKOTB or
Debbie Gibson to be any good.  In James Choi's immortal words, I think
they suck.  Now, I turn to Korean popular music.  Do I find any kind
of intelligence in lyrics?  No.  The writing is just simply atrocious
at the level of NKOTB.  However, I enjoy older songs like Sun Goo Ja.
Now, there's something that I can call a good song.

>One more thing!
>Wheather you look down on those Korean  pop songs or not,  there are huge 
>population in Korea enjoying it. 

	A great pity, I'm sure.  The lyricists should really go back to their
roots and look at the songs like Sun Goo Ja.  However, it seems like they
are only concerned with writing songs with sappy/tearjerker lyrics to make
quick bucks...or in this case, quick wons.  Music doesn't progress with
this kind of attitude, we need someone who experiments.

>tHey fully understand/like those songs you describe as low grade, unintelligent
>and not lyrical.  ( This part about not lyrical is especailly outrageous
>comment showing one's ignorance. )

	How's that?                                                  

>tHey do not understand much the British/American pop/rock which you praise 
>as the good pop/rock music.
>What you gonna do? Teach them the english lyric and preach about what is
>really good pop/rock music from British/American standard?
>
	Nope, tell them our pop genre could be better, much better, in
fact by writing some intelligent lyrics.  But if you are satisfied with
music that has some danceable rhythm but no lyric of any redeeming value,
then I guess there's not much I can tell you, other than asking you just to
listen to, say, Solisbury Hill or Family Snapshot or Lamb Lies Down on
Broadway or Sun Goo Ja.  (Can you tell that Sun Goo Ja is my favorite
Korean song of all time?  :)  )


-- 
T. H. Brian Chung                      | Happiness is...              
Internet: jfe@alchemy.tn.cornell.edu   | "Tea, Earl Grey, hot."
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Newsgroups: soc.culture.korean