Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Newbie]

Bare (or is it 'bear') with me as i try to make my point here, i've had a cocktail or two ...

I know, that in the past, most threads here about Korea and their music is all about bashing K-pop, which I completely understand. Yet I don't want to bash it here cuz I appreciate it for what it is ... simple, mind-numbedness entertainement. It is nowhere near art or anything like that ... and the fact that Korean singers spend their weekends getting hit on the head by giant foam thumbs, or swinging themselves on whatever else useless intrument of entertainment they may find, is complete testament to this fact. Nonetheless, there are some catchy melodies that can't helped but be laughed at.

Anyway, my problem is this: Do any of you know any Koreans that recognize or appreciate any music that was made before 1990?

It kills me. When I tell Koreans that I like the Peppers, all they can say is "Oh yeah, Californication" Or, I like U2 ... "Yes, With or Without You is very nice"

But when I try to talk to them about the original shiznit, I'll be lucky to get "Oh yeah, I know the Beetles" When I can sing along to a TV commercial playing Buddy Holly or The Monkeys, they look at me like I'm a freak.

They go nuts over crap like Eminem, Linkin Park, Arvil, and the Balck Eyed Peas, but god forbid they should know any Otis, Marvin Gaye, Stones, Cream, The Who, Temptations, Miles Davis ... REAL MUSIC. I've tried on numerous occasions to expose them to this stuff and they have no patience for it.

Please, someone tell me that I'm just keeping the wrong company and that you know Koreans that can appreciate the true geniuss of music like these I have mentioned.

[prosodic]

Let me guess, you've been talking to a bunch of college students.

[peppermint]

Lots of college students love Queen, and there seems to be a certain segment of the population who got stuck in the mid eighties hair metal thing. Just last night I was at a party and a girl in her mid twnties asked me if I knew the singer from Skid Row, because she thought he was handsome.

[Apple Scruff]

When it comes to music, Koreans don't know nothin' about nothin'. Their love affair with hip-hop music (and everything that comes with it, like corn-rows, basketball jerseys, and arm-bobbing "Yo yo yo"s and "Yea yea yea"s) is wrecking the universe.

[little mixed girl]

there's good korean music, bad korean music and all the stuff inbetween.

i really am annoyed by the way so many posters here like to call korean music "crap" or "simple", as if everything coming out of england is pure gold.

this goes for any country in the world, there's gonna be music u like and music that u hate.
but i don't see any reason to go on and on about it.

as i've said before i think bands like the white stripes SUCK, i think most rock music is GARBAGE, i would rather listen to enka or (*gasp*) country than hear "alternative" or "indie" music, which to me sounds elementary schoolish.

i think that eminem IS better than the beatles, yes that's right, i come from a different generation!! i will quickly take boa, christina agularia(sp), or soulhead over elvis.
face it, it's a difference in taste.

and i have never heard of "creme" or "otis"...and i have no burning desire to go after them...

[the_beaver]

LMG, as much as I'd like to stick your head in my fridge and mount you from behind I have disagree with your musical comments.

[rapier]

Westerners are very snotty and snobby about music, and their judgements of what is good and what isn't, and further judgements on the personality of who listens to what..Of course the more alternative, older, and less known a band is, the more kudos it has.
It's like wine for the working class, anyone can be a connoisseur.

[Apple Scruff]

[discostar23]

Ok first of all You are complaining they don't know anything earlier then the 1990's and you contridicted yourself (with or without you U2 came out in 1987).

I agree the koreans have strange at best tastes in music. I am not about to judge them because as I have come to realize not everyone has the same views on what is good and bad in music.

Also the people you mentioned Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding I think you would be hard pressed to find an individual in their 20's who knows who these people are and knows the impact they have had on music. Same goes for Cream. Really the only reason I know this music is because of watching re-runs of Ed Sullivan and sifting through my fathers record collection.

I am not disagreeing with you that these people and bands are important and the pop music sucks the biscit at the moment but you just have to come to realize that being so educated in music seems to be a western thing.

[Blind Willie]

[Blind Willie]

[sparkx]

[crazylemongirl]

I teach middle school boys so maybe their tastes are slightly skewed. But I had a number of covers of I've heard it throught the grapevine and the kids preferred the marvin gaye version.

What was more shocking was that they preferred the louis armstrong to the ramones version of its a wonderful world.
Which was totally the opposite of what I expected.

Anyway I don't require my kids to like my tastes in music rather that they listen to it and tell me what's wrong about it in english. I'll often say that if we all like the same thing the world would be a very boring place.

I'm happy to say that my music collection reflects that, I can listen to buena vista social club, avril, the stones, decepticonz and a bit of opera in one aftertoon and call it good, but that's my taste.

Anyway we're doing video killed the radio star today as we're doing a lesson on technological changes I'll let you know whether they prefer the version by the buggles or the presidents of the united states.

[hojucandy]

i find the OP's observations to not mesh at all with my own experience. he must be talking only to kids...

i am always intrigued by the tastes in musc here. there is a deep appreciation of jazz, and unusual obsession with progressive rock, lots of interest in early pop and classic rock... and some of my younger friends are crazy about punk.

go into a cd shop in seoul, or busan... there is even a special section for progressive...; and a huge jazz section. if no-one liked this stuff they would not stock it.

the koreans i know listen to the doors, king crimson, miles davis, coltrane, eagles, sam cooke, simon and garfunkel, mozart, bach... as WELL as k-pop. i also have korean friends who enjoy gugak, esp pansori.

in short, i find no difference between the diversity of musical tastes here and in any other country i have visited... and that is quite a few... (except perhaps PNG where people are into pacific pop to the exclusion of anything else!

638

[Apple Scruff]