Salutations, traveler of The Internets! Welcome to William's Bloody Hell, so named after our founder, Sir Bloody William.
He is seen in the likeness above in a rare, 19th century woodcut. This
image was rumoured to have been
commissioned after a bout of unpleasantness
in the White Chapel district of London. Do enjoy your stay and peruse our many, varied offerings, much of which cannot be found elsewhere!
:: Today's soundtrack: The Cure "End of the World" ::
So, my affiliate, Rhiannon, spoke of something interesting in her blog the other day that kind of got my pissed off motor running (as I'm sure she's aware if she read my guestbook entry). She mentioned that she was a member to a Pet Shop Boys fan forum and that she brought up there that she didn't think their latest album was any good. She wasn't saying this to be mean or make fun of anyone, mind. She's a die-hard Pet Shop Boys fan through and through (her online handle is "Pet Shop Girl"--how much more proof do you need??). No, she said it because it was true, and she gave for instances and everything as to why this album was bad. Well, apparently all the fanboys on that forum went into an uproar over this as to how anything Pet Shop Boys say and do is utterly brilliant and how can she have the nerve to call herself a fan and blah blah blah.
Well, you know what I think of that? I think those forum fanboys are brainwashed idiot wannabes. Seriously, if you're a REAL fan, you know when your favourite band, even if you truly worship them, has screwed up and done something not quite up to snuff. You know their discography, you've heard just about everything they've ever done, and come on now, can you honestly say that EVERY song they've ever recorded, EVERY performance EVER is utterly perfect and a masterpiece?
Anyone who knows anything about me will tell you that my fave band is The Cure, and I will admit honestly what of theirs I love and what I can't stand. Yes, I love them and seeing them live is a rapturous experience to me, but that doesn't mean they are faultless. I will readily admit that their self titled album wasn't as good as I'd hoped, that there are tracks on it I feel "borrow heavily" from some of their earlier work, and that there are at least three songs on the album I can't stand and disregard them as ear crushing noise. There are even songs on past albums that I'm compelled to skip such as "The Kiss" on the Kiss Me album (and that's my second favourite record they've ever done) and "Cut" on Wish. But the fact is, I know them. They've had nearly as many line up changes as Menudo, but 90 percent of the time I can tell you who was on for which albums and sometimes some of the other bands they've performed with. I know the order their albums were released and what singles they put off each and it is my personal goal to own all of it. I love the Cure, but that doesn't mean I have to defer as every song they've ever done as brilliant.
Being a fan, a real, hardcore fan, I know when they rock and I can tell when they horribly don't. I can distinguish good from poor. Which is why I say that those Pet Shop Boys forum fanboys are brainwashed. They've trained themselves to automatically believe that if it's PSB, then it's great, and we all know nobody's THAT perfect. Yes, I buy Cure albums as they come out without even hearing anything off it first, but that's because I give them the benefit of the doubt. I will listen to their album the whole way through at least three times before making up my mind; I haven't already decided in the record shop BEFORE I hear it that it's the best album of the year.
Also, I say wannabes because it seems to me that it's those types who are quick to defend even the sucky stuff are those who can't even pick their favourites songs; all they say when you ask them is "OMG, I can't pick just ONE!" Can you narrow it down to top three or five then? "NO! I love them ALL!" Ugh. Are you serious? NO ONE can get progressive enjoyment out of EVERYTHING like that, can they? I mean, not unless they're on some sort of experimental, mind altering drugs. The people who claim to "love them ALL" are the wannabes who probably haven't even heard them all. Yes, okay, granted, they're you're favourite band and everything, but you've GOT to be able to pick out certain songs from the lot that you feel are truly exceptional. (For those of you keeping score at home, I can narrow my fave Cure songs down thusly: fave album/singles: "Like Cockatoos," "Charlotte Sometimes," and "From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea." Fave B-sides "Used to Be Me," "This Twilight Garden," and "The Big Hand.")(and, no, I'm not saying you HAVE to have heard all their songs to claim fan status, just the desire to WANT to hear them all, and please don't claim to have heard it all if you haven't, because that's where the wannabe setting comes in)
I guess what I'm saying is, you can't say someone is not a fan if they can find fault with their idols every once in a while. Being a fan doesn't mean swallowing everything they give you and calling it ice cream. In fact, I'd say it is the TRUE fan who can not only point out the flaws, but who has earned the right to do so. If you can indicate how the band has let you down and have valid reasons to back it up, then your standing as a fan should not be diminished, but heightened. That's my thoughts on that, anyway.
William (true fan of the true fans)
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