Chris Posted May 13, 2014 Report Share Posted May 13, 2014 I think HMRC are probably the scariest organisation in the country. Want to contest that you owe us 100 quid? Now you owe us 1,000. Prove you don't. Unless you're a large company. You owe us 1,000 quid. Oh, you just want to pay 10, that's fine. We're cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monster Zero Posted May 13, 2014 Report Share Posted May 13, 2014 You'd have to hand out the same whipping to every contractor in Aberdeen.So i'm totally up for delivering some of that punishment.........Thats a pish generalisation min Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colb Posted May 13, 2014 Report Share Posted May 13, 2014 Thats a pish generalisation min Tongue in cheek after Jan's comment. I've got no issue with people managing their tax affairs, it's up to HMRC to collect it after all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monster Zero Posted May 13, 2014 Report Share Posted May 13, 2014 I suspect I know the sort of scam Barlow et al may have gone for, I worked with a guy who tried to convince me on a scheme, sounded dodgy to me. Its pathetic how much HMRC target individuals rather than corporations but i guess the lack of corporate lawyer power wins out in the end. Regarding Barlow, the hypocrisy of Cameron when he was quick to criticize Jimmy Carr rankles Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TR!ΔNGL€ T€€TH Posted May 13, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 13, 2014 I'm surprised that anyone would consider Gary Barlow a talented songwriter. Anything that I've heard written by him has been insipid, uninspired, cliched, bland, sappy and offensively dull. He is up there with James Blunt on the musical atrocities front. He should pay his taxes too, but I think that should count for everyone. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Milner Posted May 13, 2014 Report Share Posted May 13, 2014 He can clearly write a song, even if you dont like his pop music, songs like Back for Good, Patience, A million love songs, Rule the World and various others are fantastically written pop songs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TR!ΔNGL€ T€€TH Posted May 13, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 13, 2014 Afraid not Milneypoos, all the songs you have mentioned are fucking horrid. Souless wankery. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alkaline Posted May 13, 2014 Report Share Posted May 13, 2014 (edited) Afraid not Milneypoos, all the songs you have mentioned are fucking horrid. Souless wankery.From someone who writes songs the inability to not see compositional talent, the use of melody and the ability to use harmonies to great effect in songs you don't like baffles me. Edited May 13, 2014 by Alkaline Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TR!ΔNGL€ T€€TH Posted May 13, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 13, 2014 I'd rather have acid syringed into my ears than listen to a Take That/Gary Barlow record. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Milner Posted May 13, 2014 Report Share Posted May 13, 2014 (edited) You dont get to where he is unless you can write a good song, that much is obvious, you may or may not like the music he makes, but any musician should be able to appreciate the obvious talent he has when it comes to writing songs. Quiet a few number ones, top selling records and stadium tours, dont just happen by accident for a 40 year old. Pedestals are great to sit on, but a bit of perspective is needed, the man writes brilliant pop song. Edited May 13, 2014 by The Milner Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TR!ΔNGL€ T€€TH Posted May 13, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 13, 2014 Appealing to the lowest common denominator is pretty easy. He is the musical equivalent of ITV on a Saturday night. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colb Posted May 13, 2014 Report Share Posted May 13, 2014 I suspect I know the sort of scam Barlow et al may have gone for, I worked with a guy who tried to convince me on a scheme, sounded dodgy to me. Its pathetic how much HMRC target individuals rather than corporations but i guess the lack of corporate lawyer power wins out in the end. Regarding Barlow, the hypocrisy of Cameron when he was quick to criticize Jimmy Carr rankles Most of the guys I know pay themselves a wage which they pay NI and Income Tax on, then take the rest of their cash as a bonus, which they pay corporation tax on. So they're paying tax on everything that they earn. I think that's fair enough actually - that percentage of tax paid is a lot more than most people pay in normal jobs. When it comes to the offshoring schemes and claiming expenses all over the shop then I think it's a bit greedy - but again, it's up to HMRC to collect Tax - it's not up to the individual to automatically pay as much as they can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paranoid Android Posted May 13, 2014 Report Share Posted May 13, 2014 Back for Good is a belter. Take That had a few good tunes. Music is subjective. If he can write songs which millions of people like then he's a talented songwriter in my book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Milner Posted May 13, 2014 Report Share Posted May 13, 2014 Ah so now you can only be judged on the music you make if you only appeal to a certain criteria of the public? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colb Posted May 13, 2014 Report Share Posted May 13, 2014 He can clearly write a song, even if you dont like his pop music, songs like Back for Good, Patience, A million love songs, Rule the World and various others are fantastically written pop songs. Something like Call Me Maybe is a fantastically written and fantastic pop song. Those Take That songs are ballads by numbers and although they are well crafted there's not a lot of soul about them. I can appreciate that there's talent there but they sound as if they were written to order. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TR!ΔNGL€ T€€TH Posted May 13, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 13, 2014 Ah so now you can only be judged on the music you make if you only appeal to a certain criteria of the public? You can be judged on your music if it's available for the public to hear. The idea that all music is some how on an even playing field is like saying that McDonald's must be the best restaurant in the world as it has so many customers. Debasing musical ideas so that they have a massive appeal to an audience that is not particularly engaged in the art form robs the song of it's soul, thus commodifying it. Gary Barlow might as well be selling turkey twizzlers, and he should pay his taxes. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paranoid Android Posted May 13, 2014 Report Share Posted May 13, 2014 One thing's for sure they never had a song as good as call me maybe. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Easy Wishes Posted May 13, 2014 Report Share Posted May 13, 2014 Gary Barlow wrote Call Me Maybe, mate. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeyEB Posted May 13, 2014 Report Share Posted May 13, 2014 At the end of the day, to some people music needs to 'real', full of feeling and meaningful lyrics, and to some it's just something to hum along to during the day. I think it's good that both sides are catered for. I don't see how a fella writing for an audience who like a nice ballad is any different to a band writng for an audience who like a big metal riff, or jangly indie or 20 minute songs that just have 3 notes in them (I should say, I like all of those things). Plenty of bands from the UK just live abroad half the time to avoid paying tax (the Stones and such) so it's the same thing really. The Stones have been shit for about 30 years and no one cares about that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paranoid Android Posted May 13, 2014 Report Share Posted May 13, 2014 (edited) At the end of the day, to some people music needs to 'real', full of feeling and meaningful lyrics, and to some it's just something to hum along to during the day. That's true. But someone may find music which has sold millions to be real, full of feeling and have meaningful lyrics and other may be happy to just hum along to a song a pained artist slaved over for ages before making no money from it. It's incredibly snobbish to assume how another person feels about a piece of music based upon your own opinions of it. Edited May 13, 2014 by Paranoid Android Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monster Zero Posted May 13, 2014 Report Share Posted May 13, 2014 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gladstone Posted May 13, 2014 Report Share Posted May 13, 2014 You are allowed to like whatever music you want to like. There are no fucking rules in this. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colb Posted May 13, 2014 Report Share Posted May 13, 2014 At the end of the day, to some people music needs to 'real', full of feeling and meaningful lyrics, and to some it's just something to hum along to during the day. I think it's good that both sides are catered for. I don't see how a fella writing for an audience who like a nice ballad is any different to a band writng for an audience who like a big metal riff, or jangly indie or 20 minute songs that just have 3 notes in them (I should say, I like all of those things). Plenty of bands from the UK just live abroad half the time to avoid paying tax (the Stones and such) so it's the same thing really. The Stones have been shit for about 30 years and no one cares about that. Music with lyrics is shite, except for Call Me Maybe... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paranoid Android Posted May 13, 2014 Report Share Posted May 13, 2014 I care very little for the lyrics in most of the music I listen to. Even bands whose lyrics I used to care about now often seem shite. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeyEB Posted May 13, 2014 Report Share Posted May 13, 2014 My Mrs loves Take That, I think they have some good tunes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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