Any Major Dude With Half A Heart

The poll results are (well, they have been for a few days): more than half of Any Major Readers want to beat James Blunt severely. You were given a choice of four answers, and voted to the question “What shall we do with James Blunt?” as follows:

Celebrate is talent…………………….7%
Let others listen to him…………..12%
Beat him severely…………………..53%
James who?……………………………20%

I reckon the administration of a severe beating is a little harsh on Mr Hillier-Blount. I actually do like some of his songs, so I’d be in the 12% who’d advocate tolerance. I have to: my wife is a big Blunt fan.

I can quite understand why people might hate Blunt’s music, even why they think his existence is toxic to pop music (but surely pop has always survived such artists). I can’t understand though why Blunt attracts such irrational reactions from people who are usually quite tolerant. It reminds me a little of the Disco Sucks movement, when whatever merit there was in the music would be disregarded in favour of a Taste Police-led mob mentality. What I really cannot buy into is the notion of Blunt’s upper middle-class background somehow disqualifying him from making pop music, or that this should influence our reading of his music. The sociology of pop leaves me cold (even as a sociology graduate!); Blunt should be judged on his music alone.

I have reviewed Blunt’s new album, All The Lost Souls, for publication (a copy of the review is here) and, some misgivings aside, found it mostly inoffensive and in parts even attractive. As a bit of a fan of the Bee Gees’ late ’60s/early ’70s ouevre, I rather liked “One Of The Brightest Stars”, which totally rips off the chorus of “Run To Me”. Frankly, should the Gibb brothers sue Blunt for plagiarism, our floppy-haired friend would receive a metaphorical severe beating. That song’s piano intro borrows liberally from another song, but I can’t work that one out (I thought perhaps something by Gilbert O’Sullivan, but can’t place it at all). Any readers have an idea?

James Blunt – One Of The Brightest Stars.mp3
Bee Gees – Run To Me.mp3