...but does it matter? Sometimes the answer is no.

...or, Yet another rant I've had bouncin' around in the ole noggin lately.

I recently read a review of a new song from Carrie Underwood in which the author said Underwood "has much talent." This made me think of something I've been wondering about for a while, namely this: Does your talent really matter if you don't put it to good use?

I hear people talk all the time about how Carrie Underwood is such a greeeeat singer, that she sings like an aaangel. And every time those sentiments are expressed, I think, "Well, even if she does have such a good voice, she throws it away on some really crappy songs." (Honestly, does it get any more banal than "Jesus Take the Wheel"? And it really hasn't gotten much better from there...)

And the same goes for, to cite another example, the '80s hair band Winger. If you'll recall, ex-Winger guitar player Reb Beach not long ago was calling Metallica lead guitarist Kirk Hammett one of the worst guitar players he'd ever heard. As I said in comments here:

'...going from what I've read, I'd say both Kip Winger and Reb Beach both have some major issues going on with not only jealousy, but also insecurity. Winger has been quoted as saying his band was the "'hair band' Dream Theater" and that "Metallica couldn't play what we play." If that's the case, if Winger was so damn good, then why did they just go for the low-hanging fruit with songs like "Seventeen" and "Headed For A Heartbreak"?'

In other words, Winger might have been good, but from what I've heard they were by and large a joke among the headbangers in their day precisely because of the lowest common denominator songs that made them famous. Winger might have been the "hair band Dream Theater," but they pissed all their talent away on crappy music too. So what does it matter if they WERE talented?

I'm sure readers could probably think of more examples...