Can music be objectively good and/or bad?: a conversation

(The following Facebook conversation was likely not intended by its instigators to turn into a discussion of the nature of art, but I think it came out interesting, despite starting with music albums I don’t have opinions about. All participants like each other. No universal truth was proven, though you can tell what side I'm currently on, so you have my invitation to join.)


John: Really pleased to see Run Devil Run (easily the most underrated McCartney solo and maybe solo Beatles album) and Back to the Egg get some love - but come on, Venus and Mars over Band on the Run is pure trolling.

Miles: I enjoy Venus & Mars more than Band on the Run.

Aaron: You're not the only one, but do you really think it's a better record? I mean..I enjoy Wild Life more than I enjoy Imagine. I don't think it's better.

Jeff: The whole "best" vs. "enjoyable" thing is puzzling.

Concerts, lies, and memeing gone ape

The specific meme that prompted me to post my old Mary Timony concert review was one that dominated my Facebook feed for two days before slowing down. Its basic form: list ten bands/ artists. Declare "I have seen these ten bands -- but I'm lying about one of them". I don't understand why it was *quite* such a hit, but it had real charm. It was a chance to learn about your friends' musical tastes (if for some lame reason your friends don't write interminable blogs about their musical tastes), and let them re-live favorite concert memories for you. Some people also got into the guessing aspect, the "How well do I know this person?".

Some people, I gather, found it aggravating, and posted pictures of Batman slapping Robin and yelling that he didn't care what concerts Robin had seen. (I think this was from a late 1977 comic, when Robin was wearing safety pins and affecting a Cockney accent.) Me, what I liked best were watching the more affectionate variations get spun. Such as: