Jacob Collier: Brilliance or Overkill?
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- Опубліковано 6 бер 2024
- So I've been a fan of Jacob Collier for a little while now and I've always been intrigued by whatever hate he got. I'm a professional bassist and I've been getting more into music journalism and this is my foray into it. I hope to make a bunch of these video essays about various artists and musicians. I put hella time and energy into this video and I hope at the very least to start a conversation. Please give all constructive criticism in the comments and lmk what you think.
I made this whole thing before Djesse Vol 4 came out so a lot of this is now reframed but the essence remains true in my opinion.
The title and thumbnail are a little inflammatory because that's the game. You wouldn't be here in the first place if it wasn't. Forgive me.
I cut a lot of it down now I feel like it deserves a second part. wtrv njoy
I dont like JC for the same reason I don't like acts like Polyphia. It feels like music written to demonstrate musical techniques/ideas, and where the end product inevitably feels conceptually and aesthetically disjointed.
I feel like if JC gets all of his joy out of demonstrating musical techniques/ideas, that'll inherently resonate with others with a similar mindset. If it doesn't resonate with others then that's fine but it shouldn't be a huge deal.... After all, the joy of creation is different for everyone but it's by far the most important.
Polyphia doesn't bother me because they're aware of their campiness and lean into the cool-for-cool's-sake of the shred stuff, which ends up sounding more interesting than all the joe satriani ripoffs from the 80s and 90s. Jacob isn't as self-aware and throws in a lot of things that are supposed to sound artful and interesting without giving too much thought.
I really like Welll and Little blue from jc's new album and Goat and nasty from new levels new devils, some of my fav songs from those artists and definitely aren't faltering conceptually/aesthetically. I like most of Polyphia's songs but some of JC's songs I dont really get yet, but I feel that I need to just give his music a few more listens because its quite new to me. I think thats the main reason people dont like music by Polyphia and JC, they have so many complex ideas, you cant really comprehend it all in one or two listenings, but that doesnt make it emotionless technical show offy garbage
@@spanzotab I agree. I'd never listen to polyphia every day, but they're cool every once in a while.
Not to mention, they really do have a lock on the aesthetic. Even down to hensons's plug ins (which are fantastic btw).
@@somerandom9520 Rachmaninoff has much more complex ideas then both JC and Polyphia but still makes his musical ideas sound moving. Even the most strange ones. Listen to Rachs Etude and Preludes. you'll see that it has nothing to do with that these guys have so many complex ideas that you can't comprehend them. It's simply they are lacking the artistic touch. Especially JC even though Polyphia sounds more or less like gimmicky music as well.
I don't think I personally like any of his music, but I do think he's very talented. He would make an amazing music teacher though.
I describe it as liking the idea of Jacob Collier's music, but just not actually liking the music itself.
funny that no matter how talented a person is there music cant cut it
@@manageable His music is awesome. What's not to like?
@@victoza9232 His music is awesome, it just never clicks with me emotionally. As a result, I'll usually listen once and be like wow that was cool theoretically, but musically...it just somehow doesn't do it for me.
@@victoza9232it’s generally overly complex and syncopated to the point of ridiculousness and he’s just not a very good singer in general
Jacob Collier is cool and all. I love his enthusiasm, and I think he's talented. But he is *not* boundry pushing.
He's not using complex and interesting techniques to expand on what we think music is, he's just re-iterating. Using complicated techniques to make simple, paletable, and incredibly unchallenging songs. I really love music, and the theory behind it. If he was making geniunely unique songs that *drew attention* to the weird techniques he was using, if his music was difficult and new, I would love it. Instead, I just find him making very boring music and then his entire fanbase gushing about how complicated it is.
This isn't really doing anything for anyone. It's pure novelty to prop up mediocre music.
He also tends to pull all attention to himself in the music world, just by nature of his reputation. Which sucks. He's seen sort of as a diety, as someone who's "won" music, who's better than everyone else at everything. He has more emotion... he has more theory.... he knows more instruments... and he's THE MOST humble... it's not a competition. It's art. It's not about who can be the most musical. It's about how you express feelings and ideas.
And the truth is, I just don't think he's expressing anything interesting.
Jacob Collier's music gives glee vibes.
Your last sentence (glee vibes) really sums it up for me. We see this over and over again with really technically proficient musicians: they have tons and tons of skill and just ... really shitty taste. It's like the dudes playing all these insane tap-melodies and using their guitar as a drum and whatnot, and then _still_ making songs that just go nowhere and have terrible lyrics/vocals if they do have vocals. Music with zero emotional nuance.
On the other hand I like that JC is just making the music that _he_ wants to make. I don't think he should change anything per se.
perfect
That's the thing that pisses me off so much, his fans act like he is the second coming of Christ, when there are Records from decades ago that are far more musically challenging and innovative, he's doing a lot but he is not doing anything at the same time
This is a wild take, lol. I'm probably not gonna change your mind, but since I saw it recently, his approach to guitar seems innovative: ua-cam.com/video/WknTbYOet4c/v-deo.html
Plus lyrically most his music is insipid garbage. Its like not more than generic motivational or cheesy lines that you’re used to hearing in pop music anyway and half the times have nothing to do with thr title of the song.
I’ve always felt that style in a song doesn’t really come from music theory, the same way style in a novel doesn’t really come from the vocabulary, it can help you tell a story but even with very limited knowledge you can make some something as expressive as the velvet underground or bob dylan. Jacob’s style seems to come from the tools he has as a music savant, playing around with modes keys, semi tones and genre blends which really leave me only thinking about music but never about life. Like when he includes funk, it’s not about wanting to dance, or desiring a partner or really live in the world as much as it’s about the musical motifs that make the genera up, acting as part of a math equation like homework assignment of a song. All that being said, literally nothing against the guy, I’m glad he gets to explore these ideas all day, but I think the music becomes difficult to stomach when it feels like he’s ASKING me to feel something that I’m just not going to feel. There’s no equation for that kind of thing.
Nailed it. This is exactly how I feel when I listen to his music; all from the brain and nothing from the heart. In an interview he said that he never pays any attention to lyrics at all, and that most of the time he has no idea about the meaning of the song. This explains a lot for me. He is obviously too focused on the chords, scales, time changes and everything else in the music...but the mood, the feeling and the emotion of the song are alien to him. I haven't found a single cover from him that is better than the original..not one!
You nailed it when you compared it to a large vocabulary. Jacob is like someone waffling on using huge, complex, beautiful words...but not really saying anything. Jacob uses 30 sentences when he could just use one.
@@mikesmithzLyrics don’t really matter in conveying emotion in music. All Beethoven’s Sonatas, Mozart Sonatas, Bach preludes and fugues are without lyrics and convey more emotion than anything else written under the sun.
With that said, I think Jacob’s issue, is the same issue every other musician has, is the fact that writting truly unique, profound music, is REALLY hard. Just a simple chord progression is like I, IV, V is enough to create something incredible, but to know how to use those chords in such a way that impress upon the mind something that last decades is a creator with the richest and most vivid imagination. Jacob is not simply not that, not by this point.
@juanramonsilva1067 I disagree. To me, lyrics are the most important part of the song, the lyrics are the reason I go back and listen to songs multiple times. There's a reason most people find it easier to listen to songs with lyrics over instrumentals, you only have to look at the charts to see this is true (how many instrumentals are in the top 100?). The music hooks you, but it's the lyrics that make people return to a song. Lyrics add a layer of complexity that music alone can't provide - you might know exactly how Mozart felt when he wrote the songs...but that's all, I need the lyrics to provide more context and not just the overall feeling.
Jacob's music doesn't really have a problem - it's music aimed at musicians, and according to all the awards he's won, then he is quite successful. But his music is dull and boring to non-musicians. Very, very dull. By far and away his biggest problem is there's no repetition in his music - nothing repeats at all. From the intro, to the verse, to the chorus and everything else..everything is always changing. This is the number 1 reason people like myself hate his music - there's nothing to sing along to! You can't hum his songs, or dance to them, or sing along with them, or sing them in the shower. It's just a blob of sound, endlessly droning on (like this post). Seriously, find one cover of a famous song by Jacob that is better than the original...I'll wait. His covers might be more interesting, but not a single one is better.
All jacob needs to do to make his music popular is to add repetition, that's it, problem solved. But he doesn't really seem to care about being popular, he would be bored by it.
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Hasve an upvote good sir. That is exactly my thoughts. Excellent teacher, horrible musician. I have NOT ONCE heard that that something came to his mind because of an emotion. He always goes into the technique and why he used it. There is zero intrigue to his songs. The music follows from his technique whereas with a musician like Bernard Purdry the feeling comes first and the music is a consequence of that. Jacob has it completely backwards and it's noticeable.
I would like to hear Jacob play in a jazz combo where he is not the leader of the group. I think in that context, his creativity would come out in a more relatable and expressive way.
I doubt it. I mean it would be servicable I'm sure. But have noticed that he always talks about a technique he is using but never that he dreamed of something or wanted to express and emotion? It's very noticable. He always talks about songs in a very technical fashion.
Jacob collier makes music for high school music teachers
A person could know every word, every definition, every conjugation, every declension, every case, every tense, every plural, every exception, every cognate, every spelling, every pronunciation, every mispronunciation in the English language...
...and still have nothing to say.
Except that person could talk about the depth of the language. Is where Jacob excels. But the minute he touches an instrument it's just asdoaeksiurgsafjoiedemdimdxa. So many things at once, they almost make a noise
Nobody has ever said it any better
If the listener doesnt know much about conjugation, definition, variety of words etc. How could you possibly understand what the man is saying?
Thats why only real musicians are mostly the ones who loves,respect,understand Jacob Collier
Normies with untrained ears issue are the ones who hate Jacob, i used to be one. But after training my ears and studying music theory, i can finally hear and feel his magic.
well said
“I am musically misbehaving for a living.” ❤
I love his talent and openness overall, but that coment s straight up pretentious. Thats when i knew he also knows what to say in order to make his myth get across. It s not like i'm sick of ppl playing characters for a living, but i currently don't like when they do 60% honey + 40% tea in the cup. I get he's a genius but he can be boring just when he tries to be a ppl person and doesnt connect. But as far as him talking, he's way more interesting than what his music sounds, at the end of the day. I ve been doing My best to dig his act so far, so i'm not nitpicking and bandwagoning. All i know is, if he has all that talent and has won all those grammys, like him or not, theres something he's doing right. Period.
Fun video, I've talked with a friends a fair bit about the Collier love / hate. My 2 cents: I dislike his breathy voice and layering harmony stuff, it doesn't please my ear regardless of how complex or technically impressive it might be. On the other hand, when he does write more "simply" I love his songwriting - like the beautiful "the sun is in your eyes (voice memo)
Finally and maybe most significantly - his personality is really open and confident and I think it brings out people's envy. His goofy socks and clothing and being so constantly cheerful is so surprising and unusual that it's easy to doubt its authenticity, and makes me self conscious of my own insecurities. Funny how hard to tell the difference between narcissist celebrity and authentic eccentric.
100% agree
You would also be happy 24/7 if you were earning proper money from doing exactly what you love without any need to “adjust” your art to trends, mainstream etc… 😂
I have a conjecture the people who hate him just have clinical depression. If you're jealous of him, wait till you find out women exist.
I was amazed from the 1st moment I accidentally found his music (around the release of Djesse vol.3). I binge watched his Logic Sessions and interviews as he was very engaging. Even if without very deep music theory knowledge people could enjoy those. Then I attended 3 concerts (1 solo show, 1 headline show and 1 concert at a bigger festival) in a year. That decided everything.
Until the first moment seeing him live in Lisbon I had some "snobbish" thoughts sometimes. I didn't necessarily love his voice for example. I had a concept on my mind, what a good singer sounds like. I was amazed by everything else, but that.
In the end he helped me to free my mind from this concept. And after a 19 years long break I returned to singing. Now I practice different instruments and I sing every day. Which was my everyday life before. And I can enjoy and support other people's art much more, without judging it.
So besides his brain tickling rhythms and harmonies, his pure love and acceptance is transforming this World. I guess Jacob is the very first (and so far) only human being who has such a big platform and who's constantly talking and teaching about unconditional love. In his case, through his music. I hope our evolution will turn more and more to this direction. Quantum biology is already talking about this concept. Life is not about competition as Darwin thought. But cooperation. This can bring a crazy big shift. And it's also fun. :)
p.s.: I don't think that the most complex and deep art can be or should be consumed everyday. I don't listen Bach, Coltrane, Zappa, Björk or the Beastie Boys on a daily basis. But I also can't watch Kubrick that often or I don't read the I-Ching all the time. :)
That was wide and deep and beautifully written.
The first comment on yt i read with a P.S. hugs!
Same here, judgy thoughts intrude from time to time, but that's just the petty mind complaining about the boundaries it has put up for itself. Jacob's limitless curiosity and his spreading of love and acceptance through music is a gift that I now cherish and try to pass on.
Well said! Can relate 🙌
Nice to see you have it truly mapped down. Real music lovers don't typecast themselves in niches.
Good video. One thing he is missing completely is Jacob's live interaction with the audience. When he performs - he feels the reception right back, it is an incredibly deep connection, and with time - he can also predict the reaction to his studio work...
It is also interesting to hear when fans list their favorite song of his: it usually goes either towards the usual suspects (Moon River, Little Blue), or the weirdest tracks that some would consider just noise (Butterflies, Now And Then I Think About You), and it is fascinating how he can trigger something with different songs in different levels, almost on a subconscious level...
My first ever concert experience was Jacob Collier, and nothing else after that can even come close to how incredibly receptive, personal, visceral, and unifying the experience is. When he harmonizes the audience, being a part of that is truly special. The emotional and spiritual impact his music has cannot be understated either. When he performed He Wont Hold You live, I was going through a really tough time in my life, and within that one performance, I had fallen out of a deep depression that was trapping me for months. Sure its not for everyone, but, for those that he does resonate with, it hits deep.
@@connor.chan.jazzman Real. I saw him live at SFJAZZ, and while he did the harmonization - what I was missing was being in a crowd of weirdos like me, who connect to this music on a neurological level, having this connection with him, the quantum mechanics of back and forth. Instead, it was an auditorium of the most polite members of SFJazz - the non-profit organization, I am sure they loved the concert and all, but it was not the type of crowd that would start harmonizing in its own. For reference, he dedicated the encore song to a 99-year old lady, who caught his attention and told him how much of a fan she was...
Amazingly said!
>Some would consider just noise.
Never has this been a respectable opinion at all, especially when the music in question is not noise music. Butterflies is my favorite track of his, and it's literally not noisy. It's clean and deliberate.
I find Jacob to be such an inspiration source. Since I discovered him I've been watching interviews and listening to his music, it helps my creativity. Watching his song breakdowns is just mind blowing, mind you I don't understand half of it but I write down stuff I think might be useful for mixing, I take notes on things I don't understand and will search for later on. It's like a class, but a cool and relaxing one. And I appreciate him taking the time to show the world his creative process.
I don't like all his songs because well, music is personal, subjective, and I just don't enjoy all of the genres equally, but that doesn't mean I don't recognize the work and talent.
I think Jacob creates from a place of home and all his songs have immense passion and joy for music packed alongside all those beautiful harmonies. Good for him and for his creative freedom.
Thank you for the video.
There's a reason we use the word "play" for music. Most adults working in the field now and historically, forget what the word means.
Collier absolutely does not forget, and brings everyone together for the joy of play.
I've been a musician for 70-plus years, and always said, "You don't _work_ the piano."
@@thesoundsmithI mean, sometimes you do, but when you do it's a good thing. 😉
With all his talent and skills, why is his music so bland, sentimental, middle of the road, derivative, boring?
I think his music can be sentimental and even corny, I understand that critique, but I don't really think you can say it's bland or derivative, there's just too much color in it to say that. Whether ot not you like the color in his music is a different story.
Why is sentimental a bad thing 😭
He just makes what he wants. You can always don’t listen to it 🤣
First, I admire and respect Jacob as an artist and musician immensely. And I like what I’ve heard from him. He’s a musical genius, that much is quite obvious.
I think people need to realize though that musical genius and creative/artistic genius don’t always perfectly overlap- and different artists have very different approaches to their art. Many artists use fairly limited musical talent to create amazing art, because their talent is in conveying feeling/story, or they have some X factor. While some artists like Jacob are so musically gifted that they use their art primarily to push the boundaries of what’s possible musically.
I think of many of the greatest musical artists of all time (John Lennon, Kurt cobain, Bob Dylan, etc) and the fact is, the majority of them were by no means virtuoso musicians, and often they didn’t even have an understanding of theory. They were geniuses in other ways, and that’s what people are missing because they seem to expect Jacob’s obvious genius to automatically translate into timeless classic songs like those written by John Lennon. Well, that is possible, but we need to realize that these are different types of geniuses.
Bland or boring definitely aren't descriptors I'd use. I don't particularly like his music but I definitely don't find it boring.
I've always had trouble getting into his studio albums, but seeing him live was an absolutely incredible experience that truly made me a fan.
Musicians like Collier approach music like athletics. Their interest is in virtuosity and technicality, and less so in artistry or feeling. And that’s cool, it’s not my cup of tea, but it’s cool. He’s having fun pushing the boundary’s of what can be done.
I prefer someone more like John Lennon, who had very little care or focus on technical skills, but his feel, emotion in performance, and song writing is unmatched.
This is completely fucking made up. Nothing you're saying makes sense at all. I don't think you've actually heard his music. Listen to Djesse vol 3 or vol 4 and try to tell anyone that.
I'm not a fan at all, but it's obvious you've never heard his actual music.
Wrong. His music is all about expressing himself. He said that in a podcast recently. People wrongfully assume he's all technical, when actually, he's only using theory to better express his heart.
@@scary5455too bad his heart is boring and his songwriting is some of the blandest I’ve ever heard. Half of them just sound like ultra generic pop songwriting. No greater metaphor or similes or poetry to them. and then as albums none of the songs thematically come together and make the album work as a whole rather than just a bunch of songs released at the same time.
nail on the head@@Anewevisual
Yeah I definitely have always aligned more with the Lennons of the world. My favorite part of making music, and the thing I've put the most time into getting good at is songwriting. Technical skill has significant diminishing returns in my opinion.
I don’t like everything he has done, but I love his music and I encourage him to keep approaching music the way that he does. His more recent Little Blue Mahogany session filmed in the church with some random fans is absolutely incredible, and the version of Here comes the Sun shows his playful side really well.
A genius in harmony but a bad song writer. But the King always have a new Clothes…
wow, that's a pretty accurate one.
And also a bad singer. His voice is always so breathy and pinched. I don't think he's ever had proper vocal lessons, and if he did he didn't learn anything from them.
@@Sanquinity why is a breathy voice bad? Do we need everyone to sing the same?
@@Sanquinityobjectively he’s not a bad singer. It’s fine if you don’t like his style.
@@letstalkmovies4801he is not bad but he is not great. Go listen to wagner sopranos like bridget Nelson to see a real "singer"
Sure, Jacob Collier’s music is significantly more complex than most popular music out there. That hasn’t stopped it from bringing me to tears countless times. The idea that there is some absence or even lack of emotional content in his music is absolutely absurd to me.
I think if it makes you emotional, then you're in the minority... it's a common criticism because it's a common experience with listening to his music... unless you're referencing tearing up to like little blue or something, which is definitely emotional, but also definitely on the simpler side of jacob
@@carlsong6438 Have you seen his live shows? I would definitely argue that his music is "emotional" and not just for a small minority. And even if it was the case, it's such a weird criticism. "Your music is not emotional enough". Lol. There are no rules. Just do whatever appeals to you.
@@carlsong6438what says the most about an artist isnt found in the majorities opinion, but in those who have been moved by him the most
I am brought to tears on maybe 2/3 of what I hear from him. Music is vibration, which reaches beyond the aural. The emotional content is rich and deep, and shifts rapidly at times. Some (like myself) don't like roller coasters and get a bit nauseous at the idea.
But as a musician, I find that JC always delights...
I think what says the most about an artist is not necessarily found in the opinion of the majority, but rather in the people who were moved by him the most.❤
Back when Lou Ree sadly died, someone ended his obituary for Reed by marvelling at "the mystery of how someone could have so much genius and so little talent" or words to that effect. I think Jacob Collier has the opposite problem.
talent = curiosity + bravery is the paradigm shift i need
I don't need to know melodic theory to be moved by Mozart or Bach or The Beatles or Coltrane or Nina Simone.
Collier paints with every colour, every meal he serves is candyflossy dessert, there is no space for shade between the sunshine.
400+ tracks just tells me you are compensating for something.
_"It's not the notes you play, it's the notes you don't play" -Miles Davis_
This should be top comment. Cheers
Miles Davis is a snob elitist who thinks his way is the only right way. It often is the case more is more. Complicated and simple music can be just as good.
Absolutely
I don't know melodic theory and I am constantly moved by Jacob. And for the longest time I didn't understand why Classical is good and then I started enjoying that too. It's just about listening well and letting the music get to you. The theory and such is just bonus stuff if you want to understand everything that happens in the background. Jacob isn't trying to compensate for something, he's trying to express everything. I don't think there's anything negative to it, he's just being himself and a lot of people love him for that and that's about it.
@@matijademsar2983 "he's trying to express everything" is exactly why I think it's trash
I started out liking Jacob when i first found him in high school. I was really just starting my own musical journey of learning how to play, sing, write, be in a band, etc. Then I went to college to study composition and theory and he'd pop up occasionally, mostly watching his YT covers and theory talk videos, which I found interesting in thinking about.
Then when he made his move to being a somewhat mainstream, pop artist putting out albums, I didn't really connect at all with it, and kinda just let it pass through me as I was busy studying and listening to different composers and bands. I'd still give a listen to when he puts out a track, especially when it would feature some artist I enjoy, like Kimbra. But it still never clicked with me.
When Djesse Vol. 4 came out a coworker told me about it, and I put it on and honestly disliked a majority of it.
So yeah, Idk what to say about it. It seems like the more theory and musical pathways I'd journey down, I actually was less hooked by his music. It always seems more interesting to hear him break down something to me than actually connect to his songs. The discourse around him is odd seeing too. He seems like he has very defensive fans and very offensive critics. I guess I could see why on both ends. Personally, I think there's tons of artists/composers that break "rules" as much as him, while sounding less like a facsimile of whatever genre he's going for. I also don't think people should rip on him for some of the offlandish reasons I've seen given. C'est la vie
For me I kinda started getting to know about him while i was already a bit into more "complex" soundscapes like yeah some mathrock, midwest emo, alt-rock and just into a bunch of other genres in general. I usually can appreciate that he knows music theory and he seems like a chill af guy but I never really felt anything from his music specifically. Like the songs aren't bad or anything close to that but I just don't get anything out of it. I get way more from bands like "toe" (japanese mathrock band, they are incredible live), "the cabs" (japanese emo with mathrock elements), radiohead, Squid (UK based band that does experimental post-punk I guess, genres are weird) or even just rappers like Tyler the Creator and Vince Staples.
The discourse around him seems mega intense like you said. Under videos criticising him there will always be people defending him a lot or people agreeing (both sides being mega harsh). One argument is always that the music is "too complex" for others to understand but I personally never feel overwhelmed or anything by something he does nor do the complex parts add anything for me. Could be just me tho.
@@zakki9491
Dude, let's start a band
@@wyattgranger5870 Funnily enough I wanna eventually learn to play drums (and maybe bass) to play with a band if I get the option to but I need to buy an e-kit at least first to really properly learn.
based takes honestly. I wish he had commited to the jazz scene and not gotten so popular. I think that sort of environment wouldn't diefy him in the same way.
I met him in August in Bristol, UK. He is such a real guy, and genuinely has time for anyone, he explored his work with me and his influence and why he does what he does and at one point he simply said that music is meant to move you, whether it’s through dancing or through your feelings, and that’s what he tries to get out
Awesome video dude! I mostly agree with everything you're saying.
It bugs me when I hear about people talking shit on him because if you know the kind of person that he is and how he portrays himself, it's almost impossible to dislike him. Then that liking sways towards his music.
I'm sure he's really a friendly, openminded and sensitive person, not getting stuck in criticisms, always finding the creative flow because he has great and well-reflected awareness of it. But maybe that's the problem, I like some contrast in music: also the "bad" sides of life, the negativity. You need plus and minus to get real power (like a battery). Collier is a plus-overkill. Everything is good or even excellent in his music.
Not an awesome video. A bait title and bait content.
@@stocksamque bom que ele faz música com excelência, não?
For the Most part I don't care about the dude I'm sure he is a great person but his music simply isn't it has cool ideas specially with harmonies and he plays around the melodies of the song well enough but his songs just aren't that good it's very boring and simple pop song writing so I just don't get the Gigantic praise what he does almost works some times and it can be very beautiful at times but it's just that. As I don't really have a problem with him other than maybe I wish he did something interesting with the great skills he has instead of music that just feels like it's trying to please the lowest common denominator.
@@phlipclip5097 lol wtf is bait content. Isn't the whole point of content to be enjoyable... I get the thumbnail being clickbait but that's about it. Nothing wrong with that.
When I first found Jacob, I found his music hard to listen to, but at the same time so interesting I couldn't look away. Everyone was praising him as the next Mozart so I really wanted to delve deeper. So I went on and on, listened for a few days and then couldn't anymore, watched his session breakdowns and started appreciating his music more and more. I am not very musically educated and I think that's one of the things that held me back at first, but what I also figured out is that in order to really enjoy Jacob's music, you have let go of all your preconceptions about music, stop comparing him to anything else and just get lost in it. And when that happens, his stuff is nothing short of magical. When I'm in the right mood, it never fails to just utterly strike all the feels and take me on a damn journey. So basically it's just something else. I agree that you can't listen to it every day, but I also feel that it's like that for every kind of music.
I listen to him everyday. He is my serotonin booster.
Same! Bridge over Troubled Water is my new meditative peace (piece) in the morning every morning
Are you okay?
Not sure if I sould feel happy or sorry for you
What strikes me about Jacob is his determination to make the complexbity of the musical world that he inhabits accessible to and enjoyable by people who are not necessarily steeped in music theory or privileged with the kind of upbringing and education that he had. He is extraordinarily intelligent and self-aware, especially for one so young, but there is also something child-like in his approach to making music, and the way that he wants to share it with anyone who is willing to listen. For someone so immensely talented, who must hear the word genius about a hundred times a day, his lack of ego is nothing short of astounding. Nature blessed him with a remarkable gift that providence has nurtured lovingly. Rather than being weighed down with the burden of his takent, he is the acme of grace and generosity. He could be such a nob, but he isn't at all, nor anything like it. That in itself is something wonderful and, to my mind, deeply moving.
I know I'm not alone in that. Just the other day, John Henny, the voice teacher and UA-camr, reviewed Jacob's collaborative take on Bridge Over Troubled Waters. It's the sixth time that John has reacted to Jacob, and it ends the same way that the others before it did - with John in tears. I think I know just how he feels - it's not just the song, it's something about the spirit of the man who made it. In a world that currently seems to be fully loaded with shit, we can at least count ourselves fortunate - if we choose to - 5that it contains something as beautiful and pure as Jacob Collier and his art.
This was such a great video breakdown. Yep, thoughtful and most insightful take. On a truly incredible musician, Jacob Collier. And having spent the last few days listening to Jacob’s latest album, Djesse 4. I would most definitely agree with you. That, it’s best not to listen to Jacob’s music every single day. Especially since there is so much to fully absorb and unpack. His live concert album, and also the Proms concert that, Jacob did a few years back, where he had a full concert orchestra, famous world music singers, and even Take 6, all backing him - really do show Jacob at his very best. I’m really happy that Jacob has had the opportunity to complete his maximalist epic music project ‘Djesse Vol. 1-4’. But really do hope that, he will take the time (in between touring) to produce smaller pieces of music, pared down song cycles, orchestral pieces, movie or tv soundtracks, that can fully embrace, whatever next this truly remarkable artist chooses to do next.
I can so vividly remember reading in a biog about the jazz legend, MilesDavis, earlier younger performance life that, whilst initially attending the prestigious Juilliard School that, Miles was already doing late night gigs (wood chipping/jam sessions) with various Jazz big bands and iconic singers. There are early recordings of Miles playing with Billie Holiday and Sarah Vaughan.
I mean, it was pretty much obvious the where and the what, what Miles Davis was going to do next.
Returning back to Jacob Collier’s music, performance career, so far. Well you can hear it in his music albums. The bus journey to and from the Royal Academy of Music, must’ve so stimulating, exciting and inspiring. Mainly because you can circumnavigate/criss-cross London on the bestest of days and literally hear a cacophony of richly textured sounds, come across a whole diversity and culture of people. Something of which is reflected in Jacob’s eclectic sounding music styles. But I also like the fact that, Jacob, in quite a few most recent interviews has doubled down on the need for him to now collaborate with various other elite musicians, music groups and solo artists. Even so, Jacob’s best work can still be found on the breathtaking ‘In My Room’. Which gets better and better with each and every listen. My one suggestion to Jacob is to put the ‘Logic’ tech stuff, on pause for a moment. And get back to the craft and art of songwriting. Fine tuning, downsizing, stripping back, what he can already do best. Everything within moderation yes. But this is not a criticism ok. More like, remember back when Prince used to produce triple albums? That, literally the most enthusiastic music lover, couldn’t fully digest or listen, all in one go. Although one would not like to halt or prevent, stop such a prodigious music talent, from properly developing. There is nothing wrong with the realisation that, “Less is more…” And just because you can play literally every instrument under the sun. Does not necessarily mean that you are creating something of real genuine substance. Some of the greatest songs and singers, some of the greatest live concert performances ever have come from a place and time, when audiences really connected felt the vibe.
The transparency in your video description alone had me all in from the start. This was very very well done. Also, I forgive you.
YEAH!! Finally someone who gets Jacob's enthusiasm for playing and creating music.
Djesse is a musical journey through his inner world, full of chaos like the real one.
Like every person out of standards, his works are above the line of liking because of his creativity and will to go out of conventional boundaries.
What really makes him so special isn't just his outstanding musical talent (curiosity, bravery, AND creativity that's the magic formula!), but his profound humanity. You can't help but smile when he talks about music, life, or just the joy of making something new.
He's my favorite living musical artist, and I really enjoy all of his production, even if sounds like too much for our ears. We should be like Jacob! He's a reminder to embrace the mess, experiment like crazy, and find that spark of joy in everything we do.
I was exposed to Jacob through clips on social media that made me go like: "Wow this seems to really know his stuff"
I eventually listened to one of his newer songs Little Blue and thought: "Ok, this isn't my thing. It's pretty boring, but I can see why someone might like this"
Then I listened to his new album and thought: "What in the ever-loving f is this? What happened?"
It feels complex for the sake of complexity, and this is coming from someone who listens to lots of complex Prog. and Jazz influenced music that people complain isn't "musical enough".
The stylistic transitions are incredibly jarring and just don't work, and a lot of it just feels confusing.
That being said, I'll be eager to check him out again after he's matured more as a musician.
Solid take imo (and nice editing). I think there are two more recent quotes that also shine a bit of light on his experimental musical mindset:
- from CBS Sunday Morning: "I enjoy the process of merging things together that shouldn't really ever be put together and making it work...the feeling of an orchestra playing a huge chord and then a death metal band coming and pushing it to one side is a feeling that I feel. The world's a crazy place, and actually, as an artist, if I do what I feel is my duty, which is to explain accurately how I see the world, how I experience the world, it's going to sound like a mess sometimes, because the world is a mess."
- from UCLA interview (Instagram post): "'Disgusting' is more interesting than 'bland'...chasing that feeling of 'I don't know about that' is really engaging and really fun...if people don't like it...first of all, it doesn't matter, and second of all, it's kind of a sign that you're doing something interesting."
Also, it's a funny coincidence that your channel in named "Little Ocean" when a song on Djesse Vol. 4 is called "Little Blue."
Wow you did your homework damn son
And yeah I saw these and I was like oh that's perfect but I just had to get the video out
"Making it work" is the part I disagree with. I can't knock his overwhelming creativity, but nothing he produces I'd choose to put on or share with a friend. It comes off as a kind of look mom, look at what I can do, I'm the best - and the one thing Jacob has yet to master is restraint, subtlety and finesse. If you like your music like a science lab for noodling with insanely hard to execute ideas, he's your guy.
@@mountainair That’s fair. Again, he has admitted to being a maximalist up to now, and it’s understandable if his “interesting” experiments aren’t universally palatable. But I don’t see him as an ego-forward person-not saying he doesn’t have an ego, but I think it’s more about him applying himself as much as possible to have fun than him trying as hard as he can to show off.
As a creator, I have to state that is absolutely NORMAL, it's how many artists work, though we may not think of it in those terms. Example - _Rite of Spring._
Very interesting and even take! The best thing, to me, about Jacob is that despite it being musically intense, his demeanor and excitement bring people into music. As a music teacher, my biggest frustration is when teachers discourage students and turn them off from the wonder of music. Jacob is just pure joy around music, and can somehow make difficult concepts very approachable.
Wow, one of the best Jacob Collier reviews I've ever heard or read. Well done!
I listen to Jacob so much that he has kind of ruined most mainstream pop music for me. Most of it sounds so empty, silly, and undercooked after listening to Jacob's maximalist approach the past 4 years.
I would be sad that he ruined pop music for me, but I'm really not because he has also introduced me to many artists, bands, orchestras, vocal groups, and genres that my algorithm probably never would have found for me. And for that, I am eternally grateful for Jacob's irreverent collision if music universes.
In the same way that learning an instrument helps me appreciate complex music, learning to produce and write songs helps me appreciate very well-made pop music. Maximalism and minimalism are both fascinating places to take music, and you can do it across all kinds of axes.
He's an autistic musical genius, basically like an AI making music and it comes out like that.
Savant is autistic amd doesmt soumd at all like ai. Listen to Savant - Melody Circus.
Really enjoyed watching this - the vibe and content was great! I first came across Jacob Collier when I was shown the YT vid of his rendition of Best Part ft. Daniel Casear live in Toronto which still blows me away today. Soon after Djesse Vol. 3 came out and I was hooked after hearing it - sounded like nothing I had ever heard before. Some of my favourite JC songs are: Time Alone With You, All I Need, The Sun Is In Your Eyes (Voice Memo), and many tracks on Vol. 4...Track 1, Track 2, Track 8 and Track 14 & 15 if I had to just pick a few. I grew up on mostly pop/r&b/punk rock/classical music and these days love progressive rock (e.g. Polyphia and Plini). JC is a shining example of music that can be created when you push the boundaries of what's possible, have a high level of musicianship and musicality, and give yourself permission to do what feels right to you. His music always sounds fresh and is filled with heart, wonder and joy.
Great video, excellent samples and clips. I liked this topic and the way you handled it
I really appreciate his openness and willingness to share his knowledge.
Hes very inspiring
The Jacob Collier phenomenon panned out pretty much as I had foreseen when I saw his flintstones cover. He became a worldwide success, got massive media attention and turned out an eccentric creative as they typically do.
When I first heard his covers, I was floored. It was pretty amazing. That lasted a few months, then I came to dislike the way he had done it, realising that although highly musical, it bore semblance of something done unspiritedly, somehow lacking in soul.
As I kept myself updated on his music, it sorta grew on me again. I think the problem isn't with the way he approaches music, but the way he and the world interacts. His albums aren't finished. They feel like the musical equivalents of beta stage digitally released video games so ridden with bugs that players demand their money back. This is to be expected, as his ideas are so experimental and ambitious, that the way he works with full artistic control from his home they just cannot be realised. Yet he sells these albums as products. To a lot of people, including me, this feels off. It's not wrong. He wants to live off his music, and probably should. But it's uncomfortable that he sells the world his scraps as a man throws a dog a bone.
Most musicians of his calibre (and there are, believe me) are not as extroverted and verbally gifted. They tend to keep to themselves until they've made something complete, interacting with their local environment and collecting ideas like a novelist. Drafts are something kept between themselves, acquaintances and editors.
Jacob tends to never land. His music gives me the feeling that he's not really where he wants to be. And the complexity makes it very hard for him to output anything before it's time to move on. So there are lots of cheap errors that were never bothered to be fixed.
Finally, the vocal harmony what was originally his unique feature, is no longer novel, and it's beginning to become a gimmick. His method of arranging cannot compare with contrapuntal duets and the such written for musical theatre, or chorales written for choirs of certain compositions and sizes. He's going to have to master his technique to be able to drive home a cohesive musical work that is more than a working title at this point. Working alone is tough. Having a lot of attention is demanding. For being a creative genius, he is gradually conforming to less exploratory music, and if this trend continues, it means he, as many before him, will capture a niche demographic, and cast the people who believed in prior visions aside. Currently, it seems this demographic is predominantly American. That alone concerns me, as there are many controversial conflicts of interests in values among Americans, and a strong American fanbase can make demands of an artist that can prevent them from working completely.
All this said, I still listen to Jacob's music, and think it's pretty good. We have more in common than not, and he pulls in some cool references that make his music interesting to me. I'll keep supporting him if he keeps working towards a finished product.
Your insight is superb.
I really liked Jacob collier since when I discovered him at the time of djesse vol. 2. The main reason why I like him is because of the apparently infinite depth of his songs, there's always something new to discover in every direction, under any parameter, and that's wonderful to me because I like diving deep into songs and finding every hidden thing in-between the folds and the cracks of the music. I agree that some of his songs sound more like an experiment than a "emotional/heart to heart/storytelling" thing as you said, but I believe he reached a point where his songs always have a storyline you can follow, a costant element you can grasp on, may it be a melody or a sound, and if you let go of the expectations and the needs to figure out the songs, they get more enjoyable.
So I think it’s cool that a guy like Jacob can not only make his maximalist, playful music, but also find a receptive audience, especially “trained” musicians who can delight in the ways he uses (and sometimes abuses) the language of music. It’s often admirable in its scope and complexity and I only wish I were more schooled in why whatever he’s doing is funny or clever. But man, the results, for me anyway, are really difficult to connect to.
Sometimes people will jump to a defense and suggest that either my or others ears lack something or that if one only knew the arcane, mathematical secrets of theory that all would be revealed. And sure, maybe. But I think there’s an analogy to be made between hearing music and proper taste, as in food or drink, and the creation of each that might be useful:
I think most would agree that one needn’t have advanced through Escoffier’s brigade system or been Marco Pierre White’s saucier to appreciate dining. A sophisticated palate and an understanding of cookery is surely useful to a judge from Michelin, but neither is required for assessing, at least for one’s self, whether something is pleasingly plated and tastes delicious. The same is true for music, in my opinion: A trained ear may better understand why something sounds as it does, may recognize a nod to Moorish scales or Kenyan rhythms, but music doesn’t require technical knowledge to appreciate it.
Maximalism exists in cooking too and can be sublime when done well; Escoffier’s Palm uses special silver “presses” to extract from the remainder of a roast duck, carved table side, a few spoons of essence for a sauce that’s made right there too. Contrast this maximal cuisine with the simplicity of Tokyo’s best sushi bars, some of which also hold three Michelin stars. Neither approach is better necessarily, but there is something really admirable in achieving the sublime in something simple through technique and using the very best of what is available.
Jacob’s maximal, rule-breaking and playful music is often akin to “flaming cinnamon wintergreen sausage-nog colada” to my ears. It’s a dish that looks cool as it comes from the kitchen, then the server takes five slightly uncomfortable minutes to tell you how it’s so creative and unique and how the net of hardened green sugar represents the spring to a farmer, all while it’s completely unclear how to eat it with the strange spoon you’ve been given. It’s like the molecular gastronomy of music, surely brilliant and sometimes delightful, but so playful as to be nearly frivolous and not exactly connecting to the right places. I feel the same way about Steve Vai - a prodigious talent who’s music doesn’t connect like that of, say, AC/DC.
Again, I have the utmost respect for Jacob as a person and as an artist and don’t judge anyone for appreciating his work. This is just my attempt to explain how I, and I suspect others, feel about his music. That said, my feelings aren’t rigid and I will be giving his work more listens with this video in mind. Thanks for the insights!
great analogy
@@spanzotab - Thanks for saying that, for real.
great video! looking forward to seeing more stuff like this
My personal take on Jacob Collier as an artist is that he's great in many ways. Like you said, maybe he isn't an artist which people will listen to on a daily basis. That is because his music is filled to the brim with little details and elements, which can overwhelm a lot of people. The complexity of his songs are a BIG inspiration for many artists, yet are too much to take in to people who usually do not tend to focus too much on music in general.
I personally love his more up tempo songs (such as his rework of 'all night long', his song 'with the love of my heart' or his song that came out yesterday called 'she put sunshine'), and his more emotional songs (such as little blue, 'time to rest your weary head' and hideaway).
The most unique and inspiring song out of all of his songs for me has to be his take on "moon river". This song I do see as a masterpiece when it comes to techniques and production, but I definitely see this song also as one of the songs that could be "too much" for most people who just listen to music.
All by all, Jacob Collier is and stays one of my favorite artists. He might not be the most accessible to the public, but he damn well knows how to make music fun and inspiring in many ways. Love his approach too, where he makes music to experience and share the joy of it
JC is a rich diet. A small daily amount can be VERY satisfying, like Bobby McFerrin on steroids. But he's also a showman, so his live gig audience choirs leave me speechless.
I would absolutely love a part 2
His music never feels like it actually has any passion to it. It feels like he just makes overly complicated arrangements to show off that he’s a good musician. Kinda like Steve Vai.
Yup very much so, that's exactly how it feels like, it has cool ideas but I'm sorry it just isn't saying much if anything at all sometimes. It feels empty and devoid of what makes music important, its feeling and its ability to connect to us instead of a wank off challenge that sometimes his music is.
@@drackaryspt1572 That's not what it is at all
His music always feels like it has passion to it. Do you have ears?
very good analysis and thanks for the recommendations!
He’s like watching someone paint endless self portraits
John Peel talked about “vapid instrumental virtuosity”.Collier’s sound is fairly vapid and empty of emotional expression but he’s an instrumental virtuoso.
There’s not much breadth of emotion expressed, apart for love of the tool he’s using.
It gets exhausting after a while, annoying and jealousy inducing if you don’t understand (few want to admit to this).
In any arena, watching someone act so relentlessly self interested is exhausting, weather their more talented than you or not.
Frankly the older I get I’m just more and more suspicious of people who display excessive self interest. Some of the biggest nutters sound very friendly.
I've never liked Jacob Collier and this is probably the most mental, out of touch, boomer post i have ever seen.
If even Jacob can get accused of having a bad personality, we are all doomed. It must really be true that you can't please everyone. The guy has literally never said one offensive thing, and still gets hate.
How many of his songs have you listened to?
I think you are correct. and also I learned a lot of interesting things listening to this, nice video
Jacob colliers music is the type of music you dont put on while doing chores or driving. Its the type of music where you sit down and do nothing but listen. His music is meant for almost everyone because he blends so many genres and if you listen with an open mindset then it can lead to a really magical experience that you cant get from the mainstream or most artists.
I’ve been listening to Djesse v4 while doing chores and driving for the last week and a half. The dishes come out clean. It’s a good time. His music is awesome.
Same me too hehe@@dkb11111
I’m Ngl I’m probably the one weirdo who does play his music while doing chores, driving, taking a shower, literally any time of day. My Spotify wrapped looks about as you’d expect.
Blends so many genres but can't make his take on any of them interesting or dynamic
@@vocecaiunocontodomalakoi7541well i just disagree with that take. For example in the ending off 100.000 voices he use quintuplets(or septuplets idk) in a metal context which is extreamly disorienting and cool. (Not cool as in: wow music theory guy did the theory thing! But rather it creates a specific feeling)
I think this was a pretty good vid. I see a lot of people misstaking what Jacob is making as him just showing off, or him having a big ego. So i like that you touched upon this
I love this editing style
Jacob has a generational pulse in his music representing layers of the spirit into music and color with a deep sense of fun and harmony. His music is for the exploring mind that is open for change and newness to the ears. He is a generous life loving being and he shows the confusing side of life while hoping from one realm to another. You don’t have to love his work but since you’re alive now don’t miss out on this magnanimous brilliance he keeps bringing around.
I will listen to a couple of tracks you listed. I respect his music but I haven’t connected with it in my heart. I hear it and I’m like “cool” but then I never find myself wanting to listen to it again. Good video
Don't You Know with Snarky Puppy is what got me started listening to him as well. You pretty much nailed it. Lyrics are almost a math equation to him. In an interview a few years back he stated how he writes his lyrics is basically by choosing deep dense imagery that allows people to find whatever meaning they wish. I still find much of it profoundly moving so this may not matter, but I do believe when the words are bubbling up through the artist, guided from experience that the listener can sense that. I view him as a musical monk, cloistered away from the real world.
All that being said he is solely responsible for my new found love of music. I now realize that I gave up on music because I've taken all the journeys that popular/popular adjacent music could take me on. Because of his music, I now know I just wasn't riding the right rides.
The way I've come to understand Jacob Collier is like this: He has such a deep grasp, such a deep understanding of music (theory, improvisation, appreciation, etc.) that he is able to produce music very accurately, possibly exactly, as he hears it in his head. Jacob also having perfect pitch bumps that up another level. His music isn't for everyone. The same applies to any artist, frankly. Some will dig your stuff, and some people won't. Art is subjective.
People forget that there are many who have come before Jacob Collier and many who will come after him. Something I have found that musicians seem to forget along the way is that being a musician can basically be simplified into three levels over the course of one's lifetime:
Level 1. Learning all the "rules" (i.e. K-12 music/band classes, pursuing a degree, taking formal lessons, etc.)
Level 2. Applying all the "rules" (i.e. gigging, recitals, performances, gaining experience as a musician/instrumentalist/vocalist/etc.)
Level 3. Breaking all the "rules" (i.e. experimenting, trying new concepts, blending genres in new ways, forming your own style, etc.)
Jacob is absolutely at Level 3, without question. I once heard someone say that music is cool because once you spend years to learn all the rules you can then spend more years breaking them and that's how new music and new genres come around. I'm currently in between level 2 and 3 myself and am still trying to refine my own style as a musician.
Eu não sei todas as regras, não aplico todas as regras, mas quebro sempre que posso 😅
If art is truly only subjective, then it doesn't matter what your opinion is about it. And the music doesn't matter either. This idea that art is subjective has got to die. It promotes climate genocide; I'm not exaggerating.
If you can't advocate for Art beyond your experience of it, then you are talking about masturbation, rather than an aesthetic experience. Not that I'm opposed to masturbation per se. Nor even public masturbation. But it's still masturbation.
@@talastrasubjectivity and it not being beyond the experience is what makes art art. What are you gonna do with your view when hypothetically some Ai in the future can have the knowledge of the saddest song? Why should we even value that? In my opinion that just becomes an art dick mesuring contest which in my view art shouldn't be about that. The magic is in the experience and subjectivity of it all in my opinion. Not saying you're wrong just a difference in perspective i suppose
@@amishdoink My excessive brevity probably meant not being clear enough. Art (whatever that is) is not ONLY subjective. You respond your way, I respond my way, and if we ask enough people, we begin to notice there are whole CLASSES of reaction to a given piece. those classes of reaction are not just a statistical accumulation of data but factually represent orientations towards values (and what is valuable) within a given culture. Art is not ONLY subjective. And just because YOUR experience of a piece of art is, in a sense, strictly your own, that is not where the discussion has to end. If all you are doing is speaking in public but no one has to listen to you, then that's what makes it masturbation. And would make Collier's public performances masturbation (it's not an accident that he's cute in a way too.)
But the deeper fact is that your supposed "subjectivity" is not ONLY subjective as well. There are parts of your reactions that are fully idiosyncratic, unique to you, and those contributions to public discussions are often the most important grist for public discussions about a piece of art. You might be the only one who has such an insight about the piece and can offer to the public, in a way that reframes how we understand the piece. This is a key "role" of the public intellectual, ,in fact.
But outside of that, the vast majority of your subjectivity is just as completely reflective of some class of subjectivity as we would find if we ask enough people what they think about the work in question. It is precisely the reliability of such "mass-taste" that allows giant media producers to produce things they can reasonably expect will return a profit (barring surprises, accidents, and misfortunes, like COVID shutting down theaters). What they cannot predict, and this is why it often takes multiple submissions of a work to producers before someone will take a chance on it, are the surprise "viral" successes, like Harry Potter back in the day or Twilight (to name the two most obvious examples).
So, your so-called subjectivity is, in the main, not subjective at all, but reflects classes of subjectivity readily apparent in a culture. This is how a sense of your generic taste in music, for example, can drive suggestions in your UA-cam feed that you might enjoy; the fact that there are misses is not the important part next to the correct suggestions. Equally, your experience of the work of art is merely the starting point for the conversation in culture as we all live together. If all there is is some "statement" by you, and you have no interest in hearing the reply, then your statement isn't needed, is merely masturbatory, and perhaps fun to witness in the same way as someone masturbating is fun to witness. but it's not an offer about art.
Even then, however, an utterance sent out into the world (like a piece of Art) can elicit a response whether you want one or not. The analogy would be: if you masturbate on a street corner, some people might object (and have you arrested) even though you didn't mean for anyone to notice or care. To offer a statement or Art in a spirit of indifference to responses to it is actually fascistic. And disregard for the consequences of one's actions, especially when harm at a culture-wide scale, is how you get to my point about participating in climate-ecocide.
It may be that you (or many people) don't feel "equipped" or "up to the task" of responding to Art in a public way that goes beyond subjectivity, experience, and masturbation. If that is really the case, then decline to participate, keep quiet,s tay out of it. I don't take that position. It is the csae that intellectuals can often covertly (or overtly) belittle people for how they respond to Art. That's a symptom of our world-destroying culture; I'm against it. While none of us (for the most part) may have the knowledge or patience or will to decipher Finnegans Wake fully (and it's certainly worth questioning if that is even a worthwhile endeavor), merely leaving it to super-specialists who claim to know and who would "keep us out of the conversation" are not public intellectuals, but fascists. No one (except the occasional absurd prodigy) is born a genius art analyst; it takes practice and failure.
And as Beckett wrote, "Fail better."
Great video, didn’t expect to open it and see a guy with a kippa and tzitzis but it’s pretty cool haha
Polyphia, Jacob Collier, Tommy Emmanuel, etc; technical mavericks, having fun, entertaining to observe, but their end results are often more a demo of the technique, jarring, than a captivating work of storytelling. A circus act focussing on speed and amount.
Often, the space between notes can do more than amount of notes. A push and a pull, breathing room. Elegance.
Al Di Meola, Miles Davis, Jaco Pastorius, Slayer, Igorrr etc; technique and theory serve the message. They can, but also know when they should. When more is more, less less, less more and more, less. More often.
The problem is that it isn’t enjoyable to listen to :/
Fair enough, i was on this train but hes growing on me
His first two albums, imo, are pretty good if not great. But I don't think he's really changing things in a direct way anymore. I think he's just so excited to make music he likew
Excellent selection of songs to recommend for getting into JC! Once You, In My Room, Lua, are just impeccable productions
Great video! Thanks for breaking down Jacob Collier! I love his creative process, technique, harmonies and finished products! I can't say I love all of Jacob's music, but, as a musician, I love listening to it because it's like holding a piece of beautiful art and admiring its texture and shapes. It's a source of admiration and inspiration for me!
Of course, Jacob is uncoppiable, neither should he be!
He's got technique, perfect pitch, lots of creative stamina, time and tallent... Great ingredients for success, if you ask me! :)
I hope I get to meet him one day and, better yet, create something together! :)
Thanks again for the video!
For me, Jacob's musical "issue" is that: just because you CAN, doesn't mean you SHOULD.
He is like a crazy chef mixing all ingredients and spices to make an "ok-ish meal" -- when just a well cooked steak and some white rice would be tastier and more satisfying.
I suspect he will eventually mature and come up with some amazing dishes.
I very much disagree with the sentiment of what people "should" or "shouldn't do" when it comes to music. He has a very maximalist approach, but I think that's fine. There's room for all variations. Imagine if all restaurants cooked a simple steak with white rice and no one dared to do anything different.
@@zugrath16 I agree - but to me, jacob cooks pizza-tikamasala-doublecheeseburger-hotdog-shoarma all in one dish...
But I support him 100% to keep going if that's what he likes. But I just cannot digest it
@@JohnJesus Haha true. Definitely when it comes to genres on his later albums, I can agree with that.
I'm all for being limitless when it comes to exploring musical ideas (chord progressions, melodies, time signatures etc.). I realized that this is more what I was referring to.
When it comes to genres, stylistic choices and what the artist actually wants to say with the song... I guess that's a different question. I agree that in that aspect it becomes a mess when you try to combine everything at once.
I love the guy personality and I think he would be an unbelievable teacher. His music tho doesn't move me.
Love this video, although the title almost had me ready to throw hands. I've loved Jacob Collier ever since hearing Time Alone With You for the first time. There's certain fun weirdness to his music that catches you off gaurd a little, but it always just adds that much more to the song. I like a lot of his random ass covers, like the flinstones one is fire, he also did an imoginie heap one that was beautiful.
Music as play!!! Sometimes when the tracks don’t fit my taste I find the behind the scenes footage I like better. He’s just music walking around as a person and he cares about highlighting others or asking them to do things that stretch them, too. Music as play. I was way in on Jacob a few years ago and I found I vibed less with stuff as it came out, we’re all getting older, and people still talk to him like he’s a kid genius when he’s almost 30. I can’t wait to see how he keeps going and how it’s gonna challenge or highlight his peers, or the audience
The first time I heard of Jacob Collier was live at a Jazz festival. It was amazing! I believe it was before releasing Djesse vol.1. After listening to all of his music all these years I still believe he's best live. He tries to do everything, but the laws of nature limit him. This was he really is in the moment, and just having fun.
i’ve always loved jacob. however i’m a musician and it’s pretty obvious to musicians what kind of person he is.
How do you know which Jacob Collier song you're listening to?
My theory for why people reactionarily dislike him is because of his big social media presence, and despite his humility, the media buzz around him as "the next mozart" or some such thing. It seems like the world wants to take him very very seriously, and he doesn't take himself all that seriously, maybe even when he makes "serious" music. Tastemakers who aren't musicians probably want to get really deep into his music in a way that he doesn't always explore, or at least not in favor of doing something fun.
Hope that made any sense, loved the video!
I think it’s a mix of a few things.
-he has that homeschooled energy where a kid is painfully unaware on a social level and has always been encouraged by the adults around him. This environment can breed very positive minded people that don’t understand certain boundaries because they see no wrong. This rubs certain people the wrong way and they will want to dislike him
Immediately.
- the way he dresses is way out there all the time and it’s quite innocent and childlike, some people will dislike that also.
- he has a tendency to want to teach things to almost everyone he meets not always taking into consideration that those people might be as knowledgeable or more knowledgeable than him. This can come across as condescending and also adds to the homeschooled energy.
- there is a smugness about him
Where he thinks he’s the only one that feels a certain way or plays a certain way. Even if that’s true then it’s also going to rub certain people the wrong way. He’s been hearing he’s the next Mozart of big genius of our time since he was a teenager and who knows how encouraging the people around him already were before that. Any child that grows up like this will be found insufferable by some. It’s that I’m special, the world is magic, homeschooled energy I mentioned. I was definitely the favourite child of my mother and some relatives as well so I believe I have some of that energy as well. I’m a bit polarising because in some places I get 1 enemy. Be it a new school new job new hobby whatever. And I think I might give of similar energy as Jacob sometimes.
No it's just that the music isn't really that interesting nor good, it definitely has interesting and fun ideas but in of itself it's mostly just boring pop music, that isn't even good nor does it manage what it is attempting to do. I would even say it falls flat on its face but the harmonies and melodies are cool I guess, even though they aren't used to elevate the song, really it's just his way of recording vocals and playing but he never manages to make something more with that that feels like anything more profound than a boring pop song.
@@hansmemling2311 This comment is exactly what I was hoping the video would be, rather than the one-eyed, choir-preaching love in that we got. Collier's music is like fine enough, but I just can't stand listening to anything that he says.
Absolutely correct imo. I don't think I would like Jacob Collier even if he was a smaller, niche musician, but I don't think he would frusturate me nearly as much.
@hansmemling2311 this is a brilliant comment and should be a main comment instead of a reply imho 😊
I don't like his music because I find it very boring and deeply unexciting. Composition-wise, I find it very 'by the numbers', but I a weird academic way, it IS complex, but in the most expected way. It sounds like what a student would write after carefuly studiying jazz theory books. Also his music is over produced to death, which makes it even less personnable. Great jazz has danger, risk, and unexpectedness. His music lacks all of this. And it isn't a 'too complex for me' issue, I like free jazz, very abstract fusion stuff, and contemporary music.
That being said, he's a great educator and a great entertainer.
As for your end, I found out about Jacob back in 2017 or so, when I was in a jazz choir in college. My musical experience up to that point was purely choral, and I had never really played any instruments, but had always wanted to play piano. I for whatever reason immediately loved his stuff, mostly because it was unlike anything I had ever heard, and as a choral head his vocal harmonies in those early videos is just flat out crazy. Fast forward to now and I’ve learned guitar and now my dream instrument of piano, and a lot of that inspiration truly came from him.
He’s been my Spotify wrapped top artist every year for 5 years I think, and I can say nowadays I listen to him daily. I still struggle to understand some of the theory, but I see a lot of myself in him and he’s a big role model to me. Once you get past the notion that the music is purposefully made to be complex, the emotional value you can gain from it is unlike any artist I know of. A lot of his music hits me in a way I can’t even describe. Great video man!
I hope there are some Music PhD candidates studying this phenomenon of how someone can experience Jacob's music like you just described and then there's a comment up the page saying his music is "mostly just boring pop music". Lol.
Fantastic! We need more of these. gob bless
Gob bless
I just love his musicality, the excitement that he shows when he's speaking about harmony and music in general. It makes me want to learn new things and explore by myself. He's a SO down to earth guy, just sharing his knowledge and talent with the world, that I can't understand the hate he receives.
I love Jacob's childlike approach! I think it's noteworthy how "Djesse" is Jacob's inner child or every person's inner child (up to interpretation), and the lyric from Make Me Cry: "In every soul is the need to grow older; to speed up the passing of time. I don't know why, but it makes me cry".
I also think that Jacob philosophy of "Just love everything" is challenging. And people don't like to open their mind, so they go on the offensive.
I heard one critique was "His music is for those who are in-the-know", which I agree with, and I believe I am in-the-know as well. But I didn't start in-the-know, I was just curious and Jacob isn't hiding anything. Anyone can be in-the-know, but I guess it's less effort to just disregard it than to embrace it.
loving the style of this video, vulf references are the cherry on top
thanks man ya this video is heavily influenced by the vulf holy trinities videos
There is no denying that Jacob Collier knows his stuff. He is prolific, he is passionate, he is knowledgeable. Maybe the hate he receives is not deserved, but to me it's linked to the fact that he is presented as a "genius" or "best musician of his generation", enjoys a solid reputation on social medias while having little to no impact in modern trusted music reviews. For me great artists have a good balance between popularity and the more intellectual reviewing world. Validation from music theory nerds is usually a turn off for me, personally, because that's not what art is about. Context matters, and I love some good backstory to music, but knowing that it was composed with odd chord progression doesn't make music better. Having said that, the biggest issue and why people don't agree about Jacob Collier, is because his take on multiple genres allows people to chose what they like, and show his inconsistency across his discography. For current day consumption (TikTok, streaming platforms and UA-cam), that's awesome, but for someone who enjoys diving into albums for the story they tell it's hardly a quality. I'd rather listen to who inspired him in the first place like James Blake, SOPHIE, Bon Iver for example, who have very specific styles and matured sound... and good stories to tell.
Ok so I tried my best, but from "In The Real Early Morning" to "Lua" I dont see that anything is going to be any different from most of what I have analised/listened up until now and its painful because most things Jacob does goes against what he thinks he is doing or what he is trying to achieve.
I can say that I can see a bit of competence in his tracks but only at making beautiful melodies and harmonies, that actually most of the time are a discervice to his songs, his songs barely even have any kind of narrative its allways just a mush of words, that seem to be indicating a really broad feeling or random idea, he is trying to get at, but not in a abstract way it just feels like bad writing he doesn't know how to get to the emotions, so he says words that are some of the most clichés in popular music either with love or "sadness?" Because he only expressed sadness in any way once this being the piano part in the cover of The Beach Boys "In My Room" which misses the point so hard I'm happy I got to discover the original one but the piano part could've have been perfect there of he just ended the song but because he had to wank himself off he had no choice but to make any kind of feeling that the Original song or the lyrics are trying to convey into nothing and cool harmonies.
I'm sorry I tried I really did, but one criticism I want to make of this video is that you miss most of what I see/hear is the criticism of Jacob Collier, this being that with such a great understanding of music theory and melody, that he always seems to create some of the most boring and uninteresting music that tries so hard to sound agreeable that it becomes nothing, it feels like marketing, his music just feels like him saying "Ho look how well I can wank myself Off" meanwhile I'm tring to understand wtf is he even trying convey with anything. His lyrics miss the mark completely, his melodies/harmonies are self serving they dont make sense in most of the songs they actually go against the feeling he is trying to get across and they get really annoying really fast when he only sings like that, does he know he can strip it back a bit to create some kind of dinamism in the track (I know is a "Maximalist" I'm sorry I've hear maximalist music before this ain't chief, it just feels maximalized around his vocals the arrangements maybe in "Lua" get a bit adventurous but not really because it all just sounds like Disney music and a laughing attempt at making/innovating Bossa Nova as you can see every one deluding themselves in the comments) and the fucking endless repetition why the 9 min songs when nothing really new has been happening since the first 2 to 3 minutes of most of the tracks and I listen to 30min tracks some of my favorite songs are around that time mark, but Jacob doesn't really understand that a track needs something going on for it to be worth those lengths, its all very sloppy and really amateurish, if we are not talking about anything other than the fact that he uses weird or unusual keys in fun ways and that he also does vocal melodies really well, but if we take that out, there really isn't much just very basic pop song writing its boring at best.
If that is all you need for it to be engaging good for you! But for me and a lot of people it just feels like well groomed garbage, that misses the whole point of why music is important, because it feels like something and it connects itself in that way to us but I guess that's more a problem of art vs a commercial product.
This post is the worst thing I have ever seen a human being create. It was bad at first, then i clicked "read more" and it got 5 times longer, without you saying a single fucking thing with any substance. You could've said more with a single line. Your application of this expression is the equivalent of Jacob Collier playing an ipad instrument in the bathroom with a mic in the other room.
Before you respond; I don't like Jacob Collier, never have.
I was introduced to JC in 2020, a fan in a discord call showed me some songs and was fanboying over them. Now I do the same thing 😅
I got his debut album when it released and listened to it a couple times and never went back. Nothing against the music, only that it doesn't have any staying power for me.
watching again babyyyyyy
I think he's trying his best to find new and unique ways to do things . Coming from different angles and pioneering new stuff. Genius . Liking him is always gonna be subjective
I find him to be highly skilled and talented. And I have no desire to listen to the sort of music he tends to create.
I love your audio broo
Yup, I can't take JC full time - it's just too much. So I take breaks, sometimes for months and then he comes out with something new and I check it out and BAM! I am rehooked and into JC fulltime till after a few days, I can't handle it anymore and go back to other things for awhile.
I can't imagine what his imagination will cook up next but I am sure he is a very special gift to us for these very special times.
Agreed on all points here. Having so much music inside like Jacob does takes time to develop into something he finds satisfying. I just can't help anticipating the moment he rolls off to total mainstream or the movie scoring, this experimentation is like musical adolescence which must evolve to something sustainable or something that allows him to stay unfenced.
I disagree. 1. I dislike his singing voice. This is more of a me problem to be honest. He sings too low, no doubt because it's the 'right' way to sing according to music theory. 2. I dislike his lyrics. They sound as if they were written by an AI, or perhaps an alien who had been on earth for less than 24 hours. Or rather, they sound like they were written by someone who spends all day in their bedroom... which is actually true. I think this is most apparent on his songs focusing on love/relationships. "She Put Sunshine" is perhaps the blandest love song I've ever heard. None of it sounds true. It's as if Jacob's understanding of love comes from watching movies or listening to other songs, but that he's never actually experienced it himself (I of course don't know anything about his romantic life, so I could be wrong). 3. He consistently astounds me with his ability to butcher iconic songs with his incessant maximalism, such as his covers of "Bridge Over Troubled Water" or "Here Comes the Sun". Those are songs which are prized for their simple structure and thoughtful lyrics. Jacob somehow drains all of the emotion from the lyrics and drowns the song out with about 500 unnecessary instruments and vocal layers. 4. I think the constant talk of 'genius' or 'modern mozart' has gotten to his head. Every time he appears on some kind of program, the host/interviewer will lick his balls constantly and gush about how talented he is. Way I see it, if he made good music, then it would likely be more popular. That's not to say that popular music is inherently good (Taylor Swift, Harry Styles, Lizzo, shite) but that, to some degree, success can be an indicator of quality. He is lacking both.
There is no right in music theory. Music theory is descriptive, not prescriptive.
I've never been to your channel. What a wonderful presentation. Didn't know where it was going to go at first, because I think you were demonstrating to us the formulation of your own take/opinion of Collier. Just really enjoyed your temperament and what you underlined as valuable to you regarding Jacob Collier. Thank you!! Lk'd and Sub'd
Thanks buddy
This was a fab video. Little Blue?
I prefer Bjork as a unique, experimental artist. Look at the influence she has had,
and she is still evolving and going her own way. I wonder if Collier actually influences anyone?
I don't love everything he does but I do love quite a bit of it. As an amateur writer producer he has been a significant help to me on a few levels and even the stuff I don't like is interesting.
just wanted to say I like the video style! feels like just "hanging out"
I've seen jacob live twice and highly enjoyed the experience both times, but I don't listen to his music regularly. I'm a little thrown off by some of his newer stuff. but will be keeping an eye on whatever his next projects may be
Hey Bo, amazing video, thanks. I do like him and listen to his music about 3x a week. My favs are Djesse V. 1 and 2. I'm a massive fan of his music and his approach, thoughts, personality. I love him. But I'm not a fan of his latest ultra poppy tracksand it has been bittersweet to watch him move to a musical field that I don't listen to much. But seems that he's not moving to A field but collecting a box of starry musical experiments from across eras and that's so fun! Indeed he's a guy that doesn't do things out of ego, vbut out of FUN. I'll be defenetly watching him from my lifetime as he gets me sooooo deep. Love, Rafaela. xx
Loved this video! - Suggestion for your next videos/other content..... when you mix the next episode, consider eq-ing out some of the low mids on your spoken word vocal tracks when you're overlaying the audio to the video. The low end in your voice in this video is really harsh to listen to.
I wasnt a huge fan at the beginning but I sure am one now. IMO his latest album has many songs which are very tame and very deeply emotional. Little Blue and World O World for example
I’ve got a print of one of those logic sessions as well as one individual sock 😂
Im glad he exists, even if i might not like everything i hear. There is definitely room for him, amongst an ocean of corporate musak
I feel like the praise of him is really more about his technical knowledge, understanding of theory and all that rather than his actually music making ability, not that he isn’t talented but stop with modern Mozart hyperboles
I was curious if this was going to be a hate piece 🤣
My journey with JC's music was- I knew about him for a couple years, but I was hesitant to listen because I knew from handful of things I'd seen, that this would be a can of worms. My mind is very obsessive about analyzing music and it can cause me stress.
But the first time I cracked open an album, I started with djesse 2, I was in love. For a couple years now there's not a day where I don't listen to him quite a lot. The stuff I don't connect with immediately eventually clicks, and his music has more longevity for me than any other artist to date. That is, it takes an absurd amount of listens to get burnt out.
I think djesse 4 is much more accessible to the everyday listener, he's got the heavy production approach, but the song is not hard to pick out.
He's been a huge inspiration for me as an artist, I think he's something of a gift to the world. I completely understand why he's not for everyone, though. The one "JC is an overrated hack" videos I've seen is a lot of sour grapes and whiny nonsense. I'd be open to hearing a negative review that's less childish, that could be interesting.
Jacob wins me over by his sharing the love and joy.
How he sings *with* the audience, how he likes to play with music like he's a baby in the box with a new toy.
I started out not liking his music, but now its amoung my favourites, up there with louis cole / knower and jacob mann
I didn’t at first like the idea of his music, but then I realized that was my own bias. I now appreciate how free and innovative he is, and I’m astounded by the intricacies, the many layers, the jazz influences, and really his excitement. There’s something too about the fullness and frequencies (Hz, not how often) of his arrangements that are calming at the same time. Overall, I find his energy refreshing.