The term sell out, to me, is doing something you don't want to do or something that goes against everything you stand for, in return for cash, exposure or such.
I'm not ultra loose with the term like idiots who don't know what they're talking about. I don't think Green Day are necessarily sell outs, but people say they sold out with Dookie.
Getting a record deal is just a bonus to do what you love for a living. Everyone needs a job, what better than to combine it with your life's love? Just don't let that get in the way of your morals and integrity. Tool were a band when they all had great jobs. They didn't play music to get signed, they played coz they wanted to. They, like other bands who get deals, wanted to dedicate all their time to music and such. Though they are one of the very few bands who actually have total control of everything they do.
I agree though, tis a shame. Sharon is out of order for cashing in on shit and Kelly isn't much better. Jack seems like the only one not doing anything OUT there majorly. To my knowledge.
Thankfully, you and I pretty much see the term the same way. I think there are a few bands out there that unfairly got labeled "sell outs" just because they had to change with the times in order to stay afloat. There's a lot of record company pressure that people never recognize or acknowledge, too. Metallica isn't one of those bands, though. They were labeled sell outs because everyone thought they changed their music for widespread acceptance (i.e. alt-rock), when, as I finally came to realize, they had a change of heart and didn't want to play "that kind of music" anymore. Besides, it's a stupid arguement, when they knew that metal made them millionaires, why would they be so bold as to go soft entirely? As for Green Day, "mainstream punk" is an oxymoron in and of itself. If they ever sold out, it was with "Nimrod", just because it was strictly mainstream alternative. That said, "American Idiot" is the most non-mainstream, mainstream punk album I've heard since SOAD's debut, which means they never really lost their edge, but just set it aside.
Personally, I don't think everyone with a record deal is a sellout. There's plenty of bands making music for themselves, and the fans latch onto it. They also have full creative control, and that's not something you'll find in rock and roll, which is still sacred. You pretty much summed it up though, as long as people don't compromise themselves or their craft, then they shouldn't be labeled anything other than artists.
Sharon's an opportunist, and a shrewd businesswoman. Ozzy is just along for the ride, and even though I think he's still got 1/2 a brain left, it's the rational/reasoning side that's rotted away, which allowed himself and his condition to be paraded for everyone to be entertained by for 3 years. Myself included,
Oh please...you don't know me. Those 2 were an execption, I don't know why, I don't listen to them anymore. I hate them. I have always...wait a minute why should I tell you anything?
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Credit to Kuchiki.
New album? Well i'll look forward to it. But in terms of the last album, i just hope theres more songs like that i never had rather than dreamer. I can see the type of song he was going for there but it never really grabbed me.