It seems as though everyone has an opinion on the Beck and Kanye West Grammys controversy. Five-time Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Michael McDonald, who has worked with acts like The Doobie Brothers and Steely Dan -- Coachella anyone? -- is the latest musical mind to add his thoughts on the subject.
He was on the Dan Le Betard Show with Stugotz on ESPN Radio, of all places, and his hosts asked him about the situation. McDonald was not all too pleased with Kanye's antics and later comments on TV.
"I don't think it even really bears too much thought," McDonald said. "It's pretty obvious what Kanye's problem is. When Kanye gets to a point where he can actually put a couple of notes together either vocally or two bars of valid music playing an instrument, then he might have a right to criticize somebody else. Until then I think he's just talking to hear the sound of his own voice."
Somebody might need to gift-wrap McDonald Kanye's collection of albums in vinyl and mail it to him. The argument that because he does not play an instrument is about as ignorant as it gets when it comes to criticizing another genre of music.
McDonald tried to back away from the comments by saying he does not like to criticize other forms of music, but cannot help himself by going even further with his dinosaur view of the way music is created.
"The whole kinda cut-and-paste thing is a certain kind of artform all by itself. I don't know if I call it songwriting from a musician's standpoint. ... Beck is obviously a consummate musician. He plays instruments, many instruments. He can make his own record without having a fleet of computer operators onboard," he said.
Apparently he forgot that computers were used to help create everything he was a part of from the engineering to the mastering and making sure that every voice and sound is at its best. The Beatles and Abbey Road Studios were pioneers in using electronics to add an extra unique twist to their music.
Today a whole new genre of music is being created with computers, but he probably would dismiss that as drivel.
The Kanye West vs. Beck beef, or situation, or whatever it is, appears to have been settled by the artists and they are fine.
As is with Kanye, however, things are never that simple.
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