That track is lo-fi alt-pop, not the fully-produced chart-topping pop of a Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, or Justin Bieber. Sheeran charts strongly in that major-league context. That’s different vs. the song you share, but I am not going to try to discuss why. We can stop the hijack and stick with Quincy.
I adore Mariah Carey, Aliyah (RIP), Janet Jackson, and any number of highly-produced R&B acts. I like stripped-down alt-pop as well. A few years ago this amazing song by Szjerdene grabbed me by firmly by the ears and never let go. Then I heard this live alternate version and it grabbed me by the heart, like as if Szjerdene was there in the room with me. Szjerdene is like an SR-71 and that drummer, bassist, and guitarist are like a squadron of F-14s escorting that mysterious bird into the musical stratosphere with a full complement of auditory firepower. Music, man, it’s the most important thing in the world. I’m not trying to shit on your tastes, it’s all good, never personal.
Agreed - no worries. My only point is that you are stating you don’t like Sheeran. I am not commenting on whether I like him or not, I am stating he is successful and respected at the highest levels of pop music, so the fact that Quincy Jones name-checked him is entirely understandable.
I have to congratulate for that example as it was entirely free of hooks, groove, melody, or anything interesting whatsoever. It sounded like some quirky eighth-graders who learned how to play their instruments yesterday.
Which part of the song is the “hook” can be subjective (and songs can have multiple hooks.) In this case I would say the hook is the “go back at ten” line, accompanied by the bass note (root and octave) alternating between a B and an A (a whole-step interval which gives the section a dominant feel even though the guitar is playing major chords.) No, an eighth grader could not play that syncopated rhythm guitar part with that kind of consistency. I’d also describe the line “walking back home in the rain” as a mini-hook.
If you seriously don’t think the verse is a melody…I don’t know what to tell you. It’s not a complex melody. It’s restrained and tasteful. The song isn’t going to be burning up any dance floors, it’s not that kind of song. But hey, it’s not gonna be everyone’s cup of tea. I grant that. If ya don’t like it, ya don’t like it.
Good pop music doesn’t need to break musical ground; drawing from earlier influences in a tasteful way is good enough for me. Belle and Sebastian are great at this.
The Blues Are Still Blue - nails the David Bowie/T-Rex sound.
I’m A Cuckoo - the chords draw from Thin Lizzy [RIP Phil Lynott] - (also referenced in a poster on the wall in the video, and in the lyrics itself.)
I read an in-depth interview against the various charges against Ringo that have been brought up and in my mind we’re all roundly shut down.
Q may be a genius but he’s still an asshole. No fucks given in return.
Somehow I think you didn’t say what you meant to say. A comma can be a big thing.
Wow. I never heard or saw the videos before.
He seems to be part of some kind of “Nashvillized” music industry. The songs are lame, but they dress it up a little hipper and add “spontaneous” moments in the videos that “draw you in.” and make you think it’s more “edgy” than it actually is. Does anyone think that Eds visual look isn’t the reason they are able to sell him? It’s a gimmick. I can’t understand how you sell those slower songs to children though.
I think that you will find older gentlemen in the music industry do talk about newer artists respectfully because of their popularity, and how hard it is to be an actual on the ground popular artist, and their knowledge about how the hit was shepherded. They are professionals and have that perspective. We don’t. But we also don’t have to take everything they say at face value.
I would have phrased that differently:
“Shoot man, you produced “We are the World”. But don’t worry - you’re only 85. You still have time to make up for that.”
You’re quoting me saying something I didn’t say.
The Out of Towners was released in 1970. * Shaft* was released in 1971.
Just saying. (Yeah, doncha hate people who say “just saying?”)
He’s got some solid music bona fides. (Read his Wikipedia page to get an idea.) That said, I’m more on your side in the matters of tastes. I listen to a lot of Top 40 radio, and whenever it’s a song that annoys the shit out of me (and good fucking God, do I hate “Shape of You”), it seems to be an Ed Sheeran song. Cat’s got good business and popular music sense, that’s for sure, though; can’t fault him for that.
Ah, interesting. Well then Isaac Hayes certainly owes Quincy a tip of the hat, at the very least! 
That’s the point. If someone wants to start an “I think Ed Sheeran is meh” thread, they are welcome to. He came up here because Quincy mentioned him in the interview and Jacquernagy scoffed at Sheeran’s worthiness. You can not like him - I don’t seek out his songs - but his accomplishments are top shelf and Quincy Jones commenting on him makes perfect sense. Per Uke’s comments, both Quincy Jones and Ed Sheeran make “overproduced pop” - again, you can not like it, but it sells, and it is easy to see why Jones sees Sheeran as someone continuing in a similar space.
Absolutely agreed.
I have to confess to feeling a little disappointed in Q after reading that article. I’ve always viewed him as a classy guy with a good sense of humor and amused by much of life, and as a sophisticated and romantic ladykiller, but in this interview he comes across as petty and vulgar and more than a little hypocritical. For example, during the Thriller and Bad era, he couldn’t laud Michael Jackson enough. And following Jackson’s death he stated that Michael was (in a sense) his ‘little brother’. Now he calls him greedy and Machiavellian. And I’m sorry but I’m just not big on referring to women as motherfuckers. Yes, I know he’s an old jazz guy and that’s how they all talked, but for some reason I thought he was the kind of guy who was above all that. His musical chops are beyond question but I think quite a bit less of him as a man I’m sorry to say.
ETA: I was also sorry to see him attribute JFK’s assassination on the mob. It’s like he hasn’t learned anything about it beyond the speculation of the time.
I suspect that he was perhaps thinking of “magpie” when he said “Machiavellian.” Makes more sense to me. Or he simply doesn’t understand what the word means.
If Jones had just given a shout out to Sheeran, I wouldn’t have thought much about it…maybe I’d have thought “really?” but not bothered to post anything. It’s the fact that he slagged off the Beatles and then went on to praise Sheeran. I just couldn’t let that go!!
Hijack over! Just wanted to make my reasoning clear!
Interesting point. I’ve tended to think of Jackson as somewhat Machiavellian (or at least fairly manipulative) myself at times, thus Jones’ use of the term may have resonated with me beyond the context of his mention of it in the interview.
Jackson was clearly manipulative in a way common to serial pedophiles. Pay off weak/poor/abusive parents for the use of their children.