Vinyl Me Please Essentials

The whole argument about the term essentials means absolutely nothing and is the most tiring thing about following anything VMP related.

I treat them picking essentials the same way I treat the Grammys. I may disagree with a pick, I may laugh at it, I may absolutely hate, but at the end of the day its something completely arbitrary that is just there to make money
 
supahypeag said:
Like him or not, Mayer was a big deal in the 2000s. If you want a collection of artists representing a range of music of a particular time period, a Mayer album would fit right in.
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I don't actually have an opinion about the music because I've never listened to a single JM song, but by that logic then the Black Eyed Peas would also be "essential." I have heard some of their music; including an unfortunate appearance at the Cypress Hill smokefest in Riverside, CA in the fall of 1998, and I would be equally confused if they were selected for a mass production repress by VMP.
 
jaycee said:
I don't actually have an opinion about the music because I've never listened to a single JM song, but by that logic then the Black Eyed Peas would also be "essential." I have heard some of their music; including an unfortunate appearance at the Cypress Hill smokefest in Riverside, CA in the fall of 1998, and I would be equally confused if they were selected for a mass production repress by VMP.
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I cant wait for Taylor Swift's "1989" as the next essentials pick!
 
jaycee said:
I don't actually have an opinion about the music because I've never listened to a single JM song, but by that logic then the Black Eyed Peas would also be "essential." I have heard some of their music; including an unfortunate appearance at the Cypress Hill smokefest in Riverside, CA in the fall of 1998, and I would be equally confused if they were selected for a mass production repress by VMP.
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I saw them at a Warped Tour. And yeah, by that logic, Black Eyed Peas would be essential.
 
Fleetwood-Matt said:
THIS! I hate the blanket disdain new releases as essentials get. The new releases have been some of my favorite picks I've gotten from them
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the issue is that most of the releases are just VMP bait (caroline rose, tennis, and lapsley are the biggest examples imo) instead of truly intriguing pieces that feel like they could be essential. there are probably a ton of great ROTMs they can make out of new albums (hell i mean though its not the fantasticness like her selftitled, masseduction is a pretty good album on its own). if they decided instead to do something like meghan thee stallion or phoebe bridgers there would be clear acclaim because they are great releases.. hip hop usually does a great job with the new releases such as with ivy sole or slowthai or denzel curry
 
jaycee said:
I don't actually have an opinion about the music because I've never listened to a single JM song, but by that logic then the Black Eyed Peas would also be "essential." I have heard some of their music; including an unfortunate appearance at the Cypress Hill smokefest in Riverside, CA in the fall of 1998, and I would be equally confused if they were selected for a mass production repress by VMP.
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This raises a good point, when do we get the Black Sunday ROTM?
 
Fleetwood-Matt said:
I cant wait for Taylor Swift's "1989" as the next essentials pick!
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But what y’all are completely discrediting is that to a younger generation Taylor Swift & John Mayer are to them what Mariah Carey and Jeff Buckley (maybe) are to a different generation. Like you may dread a release by T Swift as I would as well but a younger crowd may swoon over it because to them it’s an essential part of their musical upbringing. VMP is always going to be catering to target demographics and those demographics are going to continue to cater to younger crowds and the vinyl hobby continues to pick up steam. Like y’all are shitting on these things because they make no sense to you but a younger crowd might feel the exact same way about getting a Bruce Springsteen release and as a multi-generational music forum it’s our duty to be weary of these dynamics.
 
jaycee said:
I don't actually have an opinion about the music because I've never listened to a single JM song, but by that logic then the Black Eyed Peas would also be "essential." I have heard some of their music; including an unfortunate appearance at the Cypress Hill smokefest in Riverside, CA in the fall of 1998, and I would be equally confused if they were selected for a mass production repress by VMP.
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I saw Black Eyed Peas and N.E.R.D. (with VMP faves Clipse opening up) in 2004 and it was a fantastic show.
 
duke86fan said:
the issue is that most of the releases are just VMP bait (caroline rose, tennis, and lapsley are the biggest examples imo) instead of truly intriguing pieces that feel like they could be essential. there are probably a ton of great ROTMs they can make out of new albums (hell i mean though its not the fantasticness like her selftitled, masseduction is a pretty good album on its own). if they decided instead to do something like meghan thee stallion or phoebe bridgers there would be clear acclaim because they are great releases.. hip hop usually does a great job with the new releases such as with ivy sole or slowthai or denzel curry
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I loved the Moses Sumney selection for example And certainly a Phoebe Bridgers or Megan Thee Stallion release would be in that category.

I didn't really dig the Caroline Rose selection for Essentials either. And the exclusives have been less about curating great albums and turning into Newbury Me, Please. Curation of new releases has really declined the past year or two.
 
Ghost said:
But what y’all are completely discrediting is that to a younger generation Taylor Swift & John Mayer are to them what Mariah Carey and Jeff Buckley (maybe) are to a different generation. Like you may dread a release by T Swift as I would as well but a younger crowd may swoon over it because to them it’s an essential part of their musical upbringing. VMP is always going to be catering to target demographics and those demographics are going to continue to cater to younger crowds and the vinyl hobby continues to pick up steam. Like y’all are shitting on these things because they make no sense to you but a younger crowd might feel the exact same way about getting a Bruce Springsteen release and as a multi-generational music forum it’s our duty to be weary of these dynamics.
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I made that post in jest as someone who actually like quite a bit of her music (I'm more of a Fearless man myself) and her music was the soundtrack to much of my childhood, but I in no way think that those are enough reason to be considered "essentials", if it was than pretty much any album that hits #1 should be in everyone's record collection
 
Ghost said:
But what y’all are completely discrediting is that to a younger generation Taylor Swift & John Mayer are to them what Mariah Carey and Jeff Buckley (maybe) are to a different generation. Like you may dread a release by T Swift as I would as well but a younger crowd may swoon over it because to them it’s an essential part of their musical upbringing. VMP is always going to be catering to target demographics and those demographics are going to continue to cater to younger crowds and the vinyl hobby continues to pick up steam. Like y’all are shitting on these things because they make no sense to you but a younger crowd might feel the exact same way about getting a Bruce Springsteen release and as a multi-generational music forum it’s our duty to be weary of these dynamics.
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I’m 50 years old and I am here for a Taylor Swift AOTM
 
wmeugene said:
I loved the Moses Sumney selection for example And certainly a Phoebe Bridgers or Megan Thee Stallion release would be in that category.

I didn't really dig the Caroline Rose selection for Essentials either. And the exclusives have been less about curating great albums and turning into Newbury Me, Please. Curation of new releases has really declined the past year or two.
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They have been picking some solid new releases but they have been keeping them as exclusives for some reason. Like last year Weyes Blood would have been a better essentials than sk, and this year they should have sent everyone a copy of Yves instead of Caroline
 
Ghost said:
But what y’all are completely discrediting is that to a younger generation Taylor Swift & John Mayer are to them what Mariah Carey and Jeff Buckley (maybe) are to a different generation. Like you may dread a release by T Swift as I would as well but a younger crowd may swoon over it because to them it’s an essential part of their musical upbringing. VMP is always going to be catering to target demographics and those demographics are going to continue to cater to younger crowds and the vinyl hobby continues to pick up steam. Like y’all are shitting on these things because they make no sense to you but a younger crowd might feel the exact same way about getting a Bruce Springsteen release and as a multi-generational music forum it’s our duty to be weary of these dynamics.
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Nope. John Mayer is not Jeff Buckley. You literally just named 3 mega pop stars and tried to squeeze Jeff Buckley in there
 
Ghost said:
But what y’all are completely discrediting is that to a younger generation Taylor Swift & John Mayer are to them what Mariah Carey and Jeff Buckley (maybe) are to a different generation. Like you may dread a release by T Swift as I would as well but a younger crowd may swoon over it because to them it’s an essential part of their musical upbringing. VMP is always going to be catering to target demographics and those demographics are going to continue to cater to younger crowds and the vinyl hobby continues to pick up steam. Like y’all are shitting on these things because they make no sense to you but a younger crowd might feel the exact same way about getting a Bruce Springsteen release and as a multi-generational music forum it’s our duty to be weary of these dynamics.
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So what's the answer? You can't say it isn't essential because someone else thinks that it is. These are all just opinions and they aren't about the people on the forum. It's just about whether people think the pick is something they like or not, or it fits within the framework of the sub or the company.

It's talking out of both sides of your mouth to say everyone's idea of what essential means matters and simultaneously invalidate the opinion you disagree with by suggesting it doesn't "make sense" to the people who are "shitting" on it.

Also. All middle-aged and older people don't like Bruce Springsteen... thankfully.

The Commish said:
This raises a good point, when do we get the Black Sunday ROTM?
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Hear! Hear!
but that's not in their wheelhouse
 
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