Spokesperson for a generation?

[leutin]

I was watching the Southbank show last night with Mike Skinner from The Streets and while I don't know a huge amount about his work, I was suitably impressed and at times saw a comparison between Mike Skinner and Karl in terms of poetry & commentary.

Although Skinner is largely considered a rap artist there's a similar style of delivery to some of Karl's work (in particular Ring Road), and after it was mentioned that Skinner was considered 'a spokesperson or commentator for a generation' I wondered if the same could be levied at Karl ?.

I know from conversations with friends about Underworld's work, some of them feel that Karl's lyrics reflect their lives (particularly in the older, darker days), which begs the question - could Karl be considered a spokesperson for a generation............albeit a slightly mature one than that of The Streets ?

[dubman]

eeeeeh, i dunno.

most of the comparisons to skinner, however misguided, were mostly unfavorable, considering that the lyrics to ring road were pretty bad (imHo) and the ranting quality of it bore enough passing similarity to make the link for the critics and mock accordingly.
being the voice of a generation would usually mean that whoever this person is can actually speak for a generation. as vivid and descriptive karl can get with his abstracts, he's voicing an aesthetic, a background, a scene, a moment, an alternate eye. and up until recently the voice has been in service to the music, not the other way around. if it speaks to other people then it's that any dark or tough time can be lent to it because it's so deliberately vague. he's not doing anything larger than that, he's not representing anyone other than himself or his experience, and thats good enough (even preferable) without having to widely exaggerate it by affixing that kind of label.

so, unless we have an entire generation of reformed drunks who crawl/ed in dangerous places for poetic satisfaction, i think it's safe to say karl's a guy with an audience but doing his own thing

skinner, as far as i can tell, lives/lived a life like anyone else on the couch, out to clubs, having money/relationship troubles, and doing stupid shit... he just happens to know the moments to note and write about in ways that capture it perfectly. theyre both grand and exciting poets, but feel vastly different. karl doesnt even focus on himself, much less on himself as if anyone could relate to it. ring road was all about exteriors and trying to just.. describe the day and the feel. he just found himself in places. skinner is all about him, how he fucks up in little ways, and how we know exactly how that goes...

ah fuck it you get the picture.

[matt]

Originally Posted by leutin

Although Skinner is largely considered a rap artist there's a similar style of delivery to some of Karl's work (in particular Ring Road), and after it was mentioned that Skinner was considered 'a spokesperson or commentator for a generation' I wondered if the same could be levied at Karl ?.

That seems like a ridiculous comment as surely delivery style is irrelevant and lyrical content should be the comparison. I mean, an artist could read out a shopping list or phone directory in the same 'delivery style' as Mike Skinner but that wouldn't make them a spokesperson for a generation. UW lyrics tend to be obscure/random and hardly constitute astute policitical comment or anything, so I'd have to say no, I wouldn't consider Karl a spokesperson.

I'm also curious as to just how many drugs your friends must have taken if they feel older UW lyrics reflect their lives?!

[leutin]

Originally Posted by matt

I'm also curious as to just how many drugs your friends must have taken if they feel older UW lyrics reflect their lives?!

Hehe - let's just say that most of us walked on the wild side a little more than perhaps was good for us and that contributes partly towards my question (not comment) about the generational and maturity aspect.

You see most of us are older and wiser now and while Skinner's observations don't really reflect our lives too much nowadays (I'm talking in respect of me and some friends here) Karl's still seem to resonate. What I find interesting about his words is that they're observational without being judgmental or acerbic. Lines like "Young blokes cuss outside the job-centre" or "many predators" are reasonable examples - observation with an edge of danger without being scathing or judgmental in anyway.

Okay, 'spokesperson for a generation' is probably a bit OTT but as a kid John Lydon & Paul Weller reflected my life in the same way The Streets reflects my son's now. As I've matured, that old commentary become nostalgia and largely irrelevant. But I've found a calmness and acceptance portrayed in some of what Karl writes these days which does speak to me. Partly because it's a calmness that an angry middle-aged git like me works hard to find now that the days of excess have largely gone.

I guess my question was me just wondering if there was anyone else here who felt the same way? But as dubman so correctly said "ah fuck it you get the picture"

[big screen satellite]

i like mike skinner and the streets (and the rest of the beats - his label) output

and underworld too....

both speak for me....

[Mike]

Originally Posted by big screen satellite

both speak for me....

I just like the bleeps and the bloops, they speak for me and my ear drums

[IsiliRunite]

We might find it hard to steer this conversation clear of a slight pretentious vibe.

[dubman]

it's not hard... we can dodge the topic, and the awful connotations that "voice of a generation" carries (seriously, it's music mag speak, it's up there with "elder statesmen"), and just find nice ways of saying "it's all good man i like music"

let's not try at all, it might sound pretentious if we do

[boywithjavelin]

Mr Skinner reminds me of the kind of person that steals stuff at festivals. But that's neither here nor there...

Me reckons Karl's lyrics are gobbledygook. But then again isn't a large part of what we encounter everyday, the same? Incomprehensible, Throw-away?

As someone once said: Life is made up of the moments its made up of.

We should rejoice in these seemingly ordinary moments. When our attention is drawn to them they becomesignificant. The artist (usually involuntarily uses them to give his audience a momentary glimpse of beauty and hope amidst chaos and emptiness.

Pretentious? Nah... Art School mate.

[Leon]

Originally Posted by dubman

it's not hard... we can dodge the topic, and the awful connotations that "voice of a generation" carries (seriously, it's music mag speak, it's up there with "elder statesmen"), and just find nice ways of saying "it's all good man i like music"

let's not try at all, it might sound pretentious if we do

Like the word "soundscapes"?