I respect the opinions and I realize the validity of those who say we think all new music sounds the same because we are "OLD", as if that is a condition, which it probably is. But, anyone with actual ears knows that Zeppelin did not sound like SLY, did not sound like Joplin, did not sound like the Who, did not sound like the Fudge, did not sound like Creedence, did not sound like Earth Wind and Fire, did not sound like Blood Sweat and Tears, did not sound like Jethro Tull, did not sound like the Stones, et al. Whether our parents thought it did or not is not relevant because our parents were musical schmucks for the most part. I’m addressing a group of people who pretend to actually know and like music. Contrast this to most of today’s popular music, which is predominately written by the same two people, using the same formulaic hooks. Yes, there are probably many newer artists with validity, but they will never get the airplay or make the money of a Taylor Swift, Chainsmokers or whomever, who could not kiss the musical ass of anyone mentioned above. IMO of course. |
No, not really. I accept the world as it is. Reality is the reality. Not what I think. Regardless of the outcome of this discussion, I still think it is infinitely more interesting and relevant than whether expensive wire is better than cheap wire. That’s tiring. Have a drink. I'm having one. |
After further deliberation on the subject, I think my final thought on this (and that's only because I don't feel like thinking about it anymore) is that, IMO, the "top 40" of the 60s and 70's was more varied in nature than the current music being played on stations like WKTU, which I listen to a lot more than I want to for reasons that have no relevance to this discussion. Time marches on, music marches on - sometimes for the better, sometimes not. Peace to all. |
@asp307
"I hope I never become an old guy waxing nostalgia about Kurt Cobain (and the like) to anyone who will listen...my worst nightmare... "
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Bite your tongue my young friend. There are nightmares out there like you can't believe just waiting. I truly hope they never find you. Really I do. |
@Whart - I think maybe one needs to actually be a musician to realize the contribution the rock musicians of the 60's and 70's, i.e, Page, Hendrix et al, made to the music coming later. But again, the discussion sort of morphed from a discussion of pop music, which it was meant to be, to a discussion of all modern non-classical stuff, which it wasn't.
But the White/Edge videos are great, as are the Leslie West videos, showing him talking about his days with Mountain and hanging out with Jimi. Living in the past? No - just talking about the past. We all live in the right now. |
Actually, this thread wasn’t meant to be about all modern music, despite its somewhat inaccurate title. It was primarily aimed at the WKTU and equivalent radio stations’ playlists, which consist of exactly none of the artists mention on Kennovac’s long list and, for the most part, written by the same two guys. Obviously, there are plenty of acts around with musical value, but that is always the case. Every era has good and bad of course. You should watch the you tube videos with Jack White and Edge watching "geezer" Jimmy Page play Kasmir. They look as if they have seen god. How can this be?
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@simao - I understand what you’re saying, but, as a musician, I think you would agree that every era of music had what may be called, for lack of a better word, a "zenith". The Baroque had Bach, the Classical had Mozart and Beethoven, the romantic had, well, whomever, the Jazz era had Coltrane. However that does not invalidate all the other artists operating at the same time. It’s more popular opinion than anything else. The US cars of 1969-70, The 396 Chevelle and Camaro, the Shelby GT350-500, the Hemi Cuda, et al, are generally considered to be the considered the zenith of US car manufacture, although I would much rather drive my current vehicle than my 1970 Mustang Mach 1 from a comfort and convenience point of view. Indeed - all the car auctions show these cars have a higher value than anything else produced in the US, AFAIK. Onto music - I think it is generally accepted that the late 60s and early 70’s were the zenith of British/US rock/pop music. You are certainly free to disagree, but I think that Hendrix/Zep et al were the fountain from which it all flowed. IMO of course. This is not to say it was "better" than anything that came after, nor does it invalidate the contributions by any major artists. So, on one hand, I do consider the 60s-70’s era to be the "halcyon" as you put it, but so what? They’re gone, the 70 Mustang is gone. Now what do we do? I really don’t know. Admittedly though, it’s difficult to accept the substitute once you’ve experienced the original. |
Actually, this thread is interesting from an academic point of view in that, in my original post, I never said or even implied that one form or era of music was better than another. I merely made the, what I considered to be factual, observation, supported by the video, that modern WKTU-type music sounds very similar because of the reasons stated in the video. This seems to have morphed into an old vs young, living in the past, et al. type of discussion, which it was never meant to be. It doesn't matter really, but it makes you think of how in life, once you go public with something, it twists and distorts itself as it continues. I have a friend who ran for congress a few years ago and asked him why politicians gave such insipid answers to questions and he told me that "You can't say hello to a million people without offending half of them." OTOH, as I have said to other posters on other threads, once you decide to go public with something, you open yourself up to potential criticism. So it's like that. |
Actually, I was listening to some Ed Sheeran YouTube videos while I was writing out some checks yesterday (yes, I still write a couple of checks each month to companies that don't let you put it on Amex) and he's not bad at all. Nice songs, good production, nice voice. I'm kind of surprised he rose to his current fame because he definitely doesn't look the part of the adolescent girl idol type, but I certainly don't consider myself an expert on that subject. "Shape of You" is a good song too, but I can live without it being played every 10 minutes. Change the station you say? I have a friend who likes it and I don't like to criticize people's listening tastes just because I don't agree with them.
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