We love music, and when it's good we flip. And we want to get to the core of why it's good.
I think the true test of a pop song, for me, and I've talked to a lot of other writers about this, is you take your demo, you pop it in your car and you drive down Sunset Blvd. to Santa Monica, and that's the Hollywood car test.
'Final Countdown' would be a welcomed tune, even as a competitor.
I get a lot of demos sent my way, and I listen to them, and sometimes they just have something very special.
It's like Duke Ellington said, there are only two kinds of music - good and bad. And you can tell when something is good.
I love finding songs, going through them, tearing them apart, and seeing if I can find anything wrong with them.
My parents were just really weird and protective about the music I listened to. Whenever I wanted to buy an album, they would have to buy it first and listen to it and let me know if I could have it.
There are simply two kinds of music, good music and the other kind ... the only yardstick by which the result should be judged is simply that of how it sounds. If it sounds good it's successful; if it doesn't it has failed.
I don't believe in good music and bad music anymore. I'm through with that phase of my life. Sometimes I just wanna feel good, so I put on a good record. But mostly I'm more of a businessman than a music fan, so I'm listening to music in terms of, is this effective or not effective?
If it were bad songs, yeah, I'd speak up, but they're not bad songs.
For me, honest critique is not all about your feelings and your ear. Honest critique is sitting down with an album that you may not put on in your spare time, and really digging into that album, so you can talk about the beat selection.
Too many bands record an album and feel, 'Well, this is okay,' but after a time, they grow to not like it.
I think a lot of that album ["Tonight" ] is still very good . . . the songs, but I think I was indifferent to the arrangements.
I don't know if One Direction will stand the test of time. I have a niece who goes crazy for them. But the only way to judge art is to wait and see if it becomes evergreen. This takes a bit of time. Adele is a very good musician and I'd like to sing with her. But, again, time will tell if her music will become evergreen.
My album is better than 'Sgt. Pepper.'
The historical importance of a composer does not always go hand in hand with the quality of their work.
I'm the worst critic about music myself. I hardly ever, ever like something the first time I listen to it.
A lot of bad music sells a million copies; I don't think it's a good litmus test for whether things are going well.
My best album is called In Search Of A Song. That was my best shot right there. My finest hour, as they say. I could listen to the whole thing all the way through. There's nothing really crammed into it.
If some band sucks, you're going to have to find out about it for yourself, because I don't have the interest in issuing warnings.
As far as putting a rating on music like you do movies, I can see the common sense in that.
One way I judge music is whether it compels me to listen to it.
Western music is Bach, Handel and Schubert. It's good music, cleverly done. As a musician, I can see that.
There are reasons that bands and musicians make demos and outtakes - because they are not good enough to make the record. A lot of people forget that.
I'm not a story; I'm a person, and my passion is music. And I want your passion to be my music - so, judge me on my music.
