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I was in the used bookstore last week and looked over the used CD rack. Found a copy of Frank Zappa's "Apostrophe" and bought it. When I was in college Zappa was more a novelty than anything and though I listened to it, I never liked it enough to go out and actually buy an album. Now it sounds amazingly fresh and an antidote to popular 'music'. The musicianship is simply incredible. Yeah, the lyrics are mostly goofy and juvenile, but Zappa was never really about the lyrics.
You've assessed the state of popular music to a T. Where you lose me is the spot in your question where you guess that "musicians figured out they don't need to work hard".
The reason mainstream music isn't listenable any more isn't because musicians gave up, it's because the industry has changed. Let's call the era of modern american music to be the 40's-now. In the beginning music promotors and record labels sought out talent.
They would do this by attending live performances. Since not every had a radio or record player, live performances were (and imo still are) the most "true" way to critique a musical act. Acts that 1. Packed houses 2. had the attention of the audience and 3. had a positive and lasting impact on the scout for the record company. That approach of finding talent slowly morphed over time and has become the industry we know today.
You see now "musical artists" that are signed to major labels and are played on the radio and heavily pimped in the media are just business enterprises systematically created (like a business would be) they calculate the possible risks and profit and create equations to indefinitely make money.
This approach was introduced early one with acts such as the Monkeys, the partridge family, and Pat Boone, but the real artists would always shine through and radio stations (when they were still a form of free speech and artistic expression)would play all types of music from every imaginable artists. NOW the entire music industry is in bed together from every corner (radio stations, record companies, ticket companies, festivals, music venues, and record stores) making breaking into the mainstream music industry next to impossible. There are however plenty of real musicians and artists left. And even with the system set up to specifically ignore these actual artists some do break through (such as My Morning Jacket, Ray Lamontagne, and The Wood Brothers).
I was watching a mini series on INXS last night.... and in one scene the guy from Atlantic didnt like the 'Kick' album. He told their manager to scrap it and re-write the whole thing.
Astounding. That is a killer album... they obviously didn't listen to the "expert". Makes me wonder what other music wasn't released because some industry hack didn't like it back in the day.
At least today, bands starting out - or producing a different sound - do have a platform to get heard.....
Please share some modern day musical geniuses and timeless classics of today in your youthful brilliance.
That's not how it works. Music becomes timeless as a result of time, and musicians earn the title of genius after having proven themselves with a long track record of great music. Most of what we now call "timeless," "classic," and "genius" was just another song or performer when they were new.
That's not how it works. Music becomes timeless as a result of time, and musicians earn the title of genius after having proven themselves with a long track record of great music. Most of what we now call "timeless," "classic," and "genius" was just another song or performer when they were new.
It was apparent pretty early on Paul Simon, Lennon/McCartney, Elton John et al were musical geniuses. Can't name any modern day equivalents?
It was apparent pretty early on Paul Simon, Lennon/McCartney, Elton John et al were musical geniuses. Can't name any modern day equivalents?
Actually, it was widely believed that the Beatles were a flash in the pan. They proved over time with a string of great songs, and then great albums, that they were something more and better than that. Like I said once already, it took time for them to do that.
I agree that there are more sources available to listen to new music, but you have to hunt for those sources. Not like the days when you could just turn on the radio and hear new stuff.
Quote:
Originally Posted by todd00
It's funny how people are, I see some lamenting for the 80's, they felt that was the time of the best music. Of course that was the time they were young and though they may really see it as a good time in music, and there were some great acts from that time, part of it is also their looking back, maybe to a better time when they were younger had dreams and not in the adult world.
I heard somewhere once that whatever kind of music you prefer when you're 25 will be the kind of music you prefer for the rest of your life. Of course that's not always universal, but in my case it's certainly true.
I agree that there are more sources available to listen to new music, but you have to hunt for those sources. Not like the days when you could just turn on the radio and hear new stuff.
World's easiest hunt. all you have to do is Google "best new music" and you'll get a bunch of music websites with their own lists, usually with links to the songs. Look at some of them and decide what you like.
How is that harder than listening to the radio and having to wait for the DJ to tell you several minutes later who the artists are that they just played?
It was apparent pretty early on Paul Simon, Lennon/McCartney, Elton John et al were musical geniuses. Can't name any modern day equivalents?
Popularity aside and really looking at song writing, how about:
Ray Lamontagne
Sam Beam (iron & wine)
James Mercer (the shins & broken bells)
Andrew Bird
Dan Auerbach (the black keys)
Ben Harper
Colin Meloy (the decemberists)
Ben Gibbard (death cab for cutie)
Jack White
Dave Grohl
Josh Homme
All of these acts have had some popularity of varying degrees. While some of them may no be huge pop stars they are all very talented.
And then there are some like Todd Rundgren, though a genius, he never got the mass accolades he deserved. Though he does have a loyal fan base, I'm one of them. Some of the old blues players never got much notice or praise till after they were gone. And there were some very talented people in the Beatles heydays that faded away never to be heard from again. There used to be 3 or 4 TV channels and radio airplay was about the only way a band could become known nationwide. Now you find people listening to artists from other continents through XM radio, mobile apps and Youtube. Things are different in many ways.
Yes, much talent about. I was just listening to David Haught doing his song "Love ain't no good anymore". I don't know if he has made it yet or not, but I really like his song.
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