I use the "fashion vs. style" trope all the time. Credit where due: I stole it direct from Lest Bangs -- I wish I could find the exact quote (I think it was from an article about David Johannsen) but the gist of it is this:
"Style" is an expression of individualism that sets one apart from the crowd. Iggy had "style" because he was an insane motherfucker who did everything his own way.
"Fashion" is an expression of conformisim that is all about fitting in to the crowd. All those second-string UK punk bands imitating the Ramones and Dictators in 1978 were merely "fashionable." Because it had been done before, and by then "everybody was doing it."
ELP is obviously about as far from "fashionable" as a musical group could be these days. Yet they had style -- Rick Wakeman is the only artist I can think of who went to anywhere near their excesses. And he had style too (I mean a rock opera on ice? that's CRAZY!)
I'm 100% with Lester on this one -- give me a bad record with lots of "style" over "this weeks fashion" any day.
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