Word from The Jemster

sawtooth · May 10, 2011, 10:41:18 AM

Quote from: "johninblack"
Quote from: "gr8gonzo"Very well said, Julie. I do hope he's doing it for the enjoyment of it and not repeating the pattern that ultimately made him miserable, otherwise there's no point. I have no expectations, but I'll gladly follow his adventures and hope to hear some new music along the way.
Spot on, my feelings exactly. Jem must do this for himself and no one else, deadlines are all well and good and can focus a project to completion, they can also be a millstone around ones neck if you allow other peoples expectation of your deadline to pressure you too much. My idea of the perfect deadline is "I'll have it done by Thursday...........don't know which Thursday though "

I think that Jem embracing the Twitterverse, and other methods of delivering news such as online footage, website etc is all well and good for us, the slavering hordes who eagerly and happily await each new episode of the unfolding story, but maybe it's not so good for Jems' new work ethos. It's one thing to mull ideas and decisions over in one's head and switch priorities, direction and deadlines - but when it's sort of 'streamed' into cyberspace, it's there for ever (or until someone deletes the blog account or - god forbid - the forum).
It may not be what Jem indends with his blog output but I think rightly or wrongly there is a tendency for us to see an announcement by Jem as something carved in stone, and pre-order the next project before a note has been recorded. Anyone remember the Accidental?
No matter how much we fans love the blogs, i just wonder if Jems return to publicity is a good thing whilst things are still so fluid? It seems in this day and age of 'want-it-now-can't-wait-ism, everytime you stick your head above the parapet there'll always be some idiot waiting to take a pot shot.

Or to put it another way: whilst I was overjoyed to read the initial blog entry indicating that Jem was well and happy, with new enthusiasm for his music, I would have been more than happy leaving at that until there was something concrete to report. But fanboy that I am, the lure of the blog keeps me going back for more!

gr8gonzo · May 10, 2011, 01:09:53 PM

Fair point. I'm grateful that Jem chooses to share his plans, but I won't be whinging if they don't pan out. Despite his intentions, we all know that things change.

XeRocks81 · May 18, 2011, 05:51:06 PM

New blog //http://jemgodfrey.blogspot.com/

I feel a sort of disconnect in Jem's recent Blogs, as in he's not really talking to us anymore. Perhaps it might be a good thing to move this forum to a new Jem godfrey centric website? Maybe we'd feel more included in whatever process he's embarquing on.

Gman · May 18, 2011, 06:43:47 PM

I think he's trying to disconnect and start anew. The first post or two were kind of talking to the people who previously followed him (us) but that last post seems to be almost like we're an ex-wife he's glad to be rid off. :?

Al Fleeman · May 18, 2011, 07:03:05 PM

Quote from: "Gman"I think he's trying to disconnect and start anew. The first post or two were kind of talking to the people who previously followed him (us) but that last post seems to be almost like we're an ex-wife he's glad to be rid off. :?

I agree with your first point but not your last comment. I'm sure he'd be more than happy if his 'Frost fans' continues to follow (and buy from) him. My take, for what it's worth, is that Frost* is the ex-wife, not the fans. By the way, his 10-point advice about making your way through the music biz (latest blog entry) is really sound.

D S · May 18, 2011, 07:03:52 PM

Quote from: "Gman"I think he's trying to disconnect and start anew. The first post or two were kind of talking to the people who previously followed him (us) but that last post seems to be almost like we're an ex-wife he's glad to be rid off. :?

I'm glad someone else felt that way when they read the latest blog. :|
I know this is often the way people deal with things - in order to move on, they have to completely dissociate with their past. For example, Robert Plant refused to play any Zep material for years until he felt comfortable to revisit and re-evaluate that point in his past.
We just have to hope that this will happen here - Jem's material with Frost* is too good to be simply disregarded.

Trapezium Artist · May 18, 2011, 07:19:47 PM

Hmmm. In principle, there are too many truly important things to worry about in life that I shouldn't get wound up by this latest blog. It's just sodding music, after all. Plink clank clonk.

And yet, I'm afraid, I'm in the "have I just been sent to Coventry for, errr, liking Frost* too much?" camp as well.

I don't particularly understand this "proper prog fans didn't like me, so I'm off" thing. Am I somehow not a proper prog fan because I like Frost*? Or does it matter one jot whether I'm a prog fan or not, proper or otherwise? Can't I just like the music regardless of the labels?

And equally, with all that thick skin development going on, does it matter a jot if some people don't like your music, when some others are hugely passionate about it? What is this; some kind of schoolyard popularity contest?

Chances are I'll continue to follow Mr G's music because he's a talented bugger. And if he wants to change direction, who am I to say otherwise? But I just don't get the point of dumping on something that was bloody good regardless of any labels.

Tough day, not made any better by this :?

boswell · May 18, 2011, 07:22:18 PM

Reading it I don't think he's trying to disconnect from us per se. He makes the distinction between the grassroots prog scene and the "fanbase" (us I presume). Frost to many people means one thing and one thing only, and that's largely Milliontown. For the rest of us, Frost means Jem, and we'll listen with glee to anything he produces, whether it's a 20 minute prog epic or sneezing into a mic. It's all good, and I'm sure this next batch of musical somethings will be just as delightful.

But I'd guess that "we've" become a bit of a burden to Jem, and I don't mean that in a terrible way, just that he thinks of us as his adoring fans and perhaps there's some pressure to him to conform to our expectations. Hence his absence from the forum lately, perhaps indefinitely. I don't think we've ever really been his targeted audience for the blogs or the frost reports (usually referring to us as the dear frosties, people on the forum etc. rather than "you lot"). I don't actually know who his targeted audience is, perhaps his music/producer mates, but it never seems to be just the Frosties. I've never had a problem with that before, or now really.

But we should be grateful that for such a long time we've had what felt like a personal, conversational connection with Jem. He's been a regular visitor to the forums ("fora"? always bugged me that one has) answering questions and requests like an old chum we've known for years. We've been privileged in a way, and now he's gone we're all a bit upset. I don't know if he'll start a new forum when his new stuff is out, but if he does I'll be there, along with a ton of the rest of us. I don't think he's "ditched" us. After all he's gonna need someone to buy his stuff, and who better to come to than us lot?

boswell · May 18, 2011, 07:33:22 PM

Incidentaly, has Jem had a falling out with any of the band members? I thought I saw something earlier on in the thread, but I've missed keeping up to date with the forum lately, and haven't had time to read through this thread. Perhaps I'll sit down with a glass of brandy and a King Edward (the cigar, not the potato) and catch up one day soon.

JakeWorrell · May 18, 2011, 07:39:09 PM

Quote from: "boswell"Incidentaly, has Jem had a falling out with any of the band members?

Jem, Johnny Mitchell and Blunders are often having a laugh on Twitter and talking about meeting up so as far as I know everyone is still getting on great.

gr8gonzo · May 18, 2011, 09:17:51 PM

I wouldn't read too much into it. If he wanted to be rid of us, he wouldn't be accepting friend requests on Facebook. The burden was prog and the growing level of commitment coming from all sides. A number of people seem to be taking it personally. That's wasted energy, in my opinion.

Gman · May 18, 2011, 10:50:50 PM

It's not that I'm taking it personally. It just seems to be adding to the sadness that he seems to be distancing himself from the Frost world rather than taking us with him, if that makes sense. It's probably not intentional, but that's the vibe it's giving off (to some anyway).

XeRocks81 · May 18, 2011, 11:32:02 PM

Quote from: "Gman"It's not that I'm taking it personally. It just seems to be adding to the sadness that he seems to be distancing himself from the Frost world rather than taking us with him, if that makes sense. It's probably not intentional, but that's the vibe it's giving off (to some anyway).

makes sense to me anyway, that's what I was trying to say.

But I suppose the answer the that would be that it's only up to us if we follow him or not. But ragging on Frost*, wich we all loved dearly, isn't making it easy, at least to me.

Trapezium Artist · May 18, 2011, 11:40:57 PM

Quote from: "gr8gonzo"I wouldn't read too much into it. If he wanted to be rid of us, he wouldn't be accepting friend requests on Facebook. The burden was prog and the growing level of commitment coming from all sides. A number of people seem to be taking it personally. That's wasted energy, in my opinion.

You could be right; I'm taking it a bit more personally this time than on previous occasions, although admittedly partly due to a shitty day.

But I do worry that Jem's conflating the negativity and/or pressure he's been feeling from some quarters in the prog world (perhaps even us, inasmuch as we always wanted more) with his contributions in that genre somehow being negligible or to be removed from sight.

That's where I have a problem: Milliontown, EIMA, TDL, and the rest will continue to shine, regardless, and they're absolutely nothing to be ashamed of (understatement of the millennium).

Anyway, enough said on this topic for tonight: approaching 1am here and I have to be back at work in eight hours to give a one-hour lecture which I've cobbled together this evening. Great ...

gr8gonzo · May 19, 2011, 12:27:23 AM

I would venture to guess that he's quite proud of Frost*'s output and all the band accomplished during its time, his heart's just not in it anymore. I would hope it's not a sore subject for him, so long as the conversation doesn't involve annoying him to return to it. It's over and we're all disappointed, but at the end of the day, I'm a Jem fan. The man's a brilliant writer and musician. We were all spoiled rotten and generously rewarded for following his expoits before. I'll happily continue to follow his career wherever it leads. Unless he does a country rap album. Then all bets are off.