The future of the music industry?

[bouncing balls]

Things are going to the dogs!
Just kidding! Some things are pretty damn good!
Mainstream music = flavor of the month.
There have always been boy bands (for decades) and little dress up dolls that entertain (certain people) that look good singing in a mini-skirt.
The biggest CD buying population is young girls.
When we are talking "mainstream" we might take that into are (dis)-agreements.
Now where the hell did I put those posters of David Cassidy and Donny Osmond.
Dang!

[The Caine]

Must be my turn to jump in.

I think there has always been music thats innovative and immediatley screwed, commercialised and spat out the back door to a resounding neeeeeeeexxxxxxxxxxtt!

Think Beatles - Monkeys. I know people of this generation who don't see why these two bands are so different and frustrating as it is when I try to explain one was genius and one was milli vanilli they really don't care.

I've got kids coming up to me and saying "man that guy sounds like the Scott Stapp" and I'm listening to Pearl Jam or " Hey is that the guy out of Staind....cool" and I'm listening to AIC. It's revolting to watch bands I love get bastardized and regurgitated back to the masses who missed their inception, but it has always happened and always will.

I still listen to new music but I have to pick harder to find the good stuff. Whenever I put on a Soundgarden cd though I just go damn is that it is nobody else gonna inspire me like that?

I also think there is confusion between technical ability and songwriting ability. I learned every piece of Vai, Satriani etc available when I was learning guitar I also learned everything from dads collection which these days closely resembles mine. Neil Young, Led Zepp, Hendrix, SRV etc. For me a great song is a great song whether its G,C,D or in 4/7 with minor 5ths eminor9th staccatto 7ths. The problem becomes when one profeeses the other without actually possessing either. Kurt Cobain wrote great songs, he wasn't technically amazing but he wrote great stuff. Dimebag Darrel can shred like a Mofo but he delivers it with intensity and for me they are the same. There is plenty of boring commercial crap that follows progressions everyone has known since first breath but there is also plenty of vacuous empty technical pieces that talk loud and say nothing.

I live in Australia so my perspective on the British and American music scene is less defined. It doesn't matter to me where the music comes from good music is good music. A lot of music coming out of the British scene to me seems very posed and more about style than substance. A lot of the music influencing there current trend is American. Lou Reed, Neil Young these guys feature heavily in there in there professions of musical influence. There again there seems to be a lot of Brtiney etc clones pouring out of America these days.

Don't forget there is also a world of music that doesn't come from either America or Britain and thats something that seems to be overlooked. I think as always great music generally is found where no-one is looking. I think Jeff Buckley was the greatest musical gift to world since I can't remember. Bands like Sevendust are still combining playability with soul. Radiohead have set the standard for a whole genre. Tool are still pushing the boundaries.

There are many more and a lot of them unkown to the world in general but I think I've heard myself rant long enough. Sorry for the essay. [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[Roy Howell]

Originally posted by The Caine:
Think Beatles - Monkeys. I know people of this generation who don't see why these two bands are so different and frustrating as it is when I try to explain one was genius and one was milli vanilli

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Caine-ster,
You are so right about that. The Beatle forged new ground for almost everybody. The Monkees were all image, no substance, although they had some good pop songs written for them. (Jimmy Webb wrote a few, if I'm not mistaken....great writer).

[Dreamware]

Originally posted by The Caine:
Must be my turn to jump in.

I think there has always been music thats innovative and immediatley screwed, commercialised and spat out the back door to a resounding neeeeeeeexxxxxxxxxxtt!

Think Beatles - Monkeys. I know people of this generation who don't see why these two bands are so different and frustrating as it is when I try to explain one was genius and one was milli vanilli they really don't care.

I've got kids coming up to me and saying "man that guy sounds like the Scott Stapp" and I'm listening to Pearl Jam or " Hey is that the guy out of Staind....cool" and I'm listening to AIC. It's revolting to watch bands I love get bastardized and regurgitated back to the masses who missed their inception, but it has always happened and always will.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">I hear you. God dammit, kids are so uncultured today. Actually I am in my 20's and I have still met a few uncultured people. One of my friends didn't kow who RUSH was for gods sake.

[Paul_Wolf]

Had to post..

The great music in 2002 is still being made. It
just requires effort to find it (unless you live in Chicago as I do - WXRT FM)

Two of the best records I've heard in my life,
heard lately -

A) WILCO - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot - the last two
tracks on the CD (and in particular, the song/outro sequence of the last tune) will
silence all doubters that the finest music to
hit our ears is still being made. Test me. Buy
it and be amazed. While you're at it, check out
the best rock documentary ever made "I Am Trying
To Break Your Heart" showing in a small cool
theater near you or check out www.wilcofilm.com.
Done.

B) Beth Orton's new CD Daybreaker - never a fan
previous, but for you technoids out there
Williom Orbit and Chemical Brothers contributed
and it was mixed by Ben from Everything But
The Girl - yet, Ryan Adams sings on it and wrote
one of the most brutal/beautiful songs on it
"This One's Gonna Bruise". Listen to the strings
on the first track and thank God we are privy
to hearing such beauty. None other than Emmylou H. contributes backups to standard Beth wrote on that album so fine that Ella (for you kids,
check out the Verve label) woulda died for.

I could go on and on. (PAUL WESTERBERG - STEREO/
MONO) - Michael Penn (MP3 - Track 4 Beautiful)

ETC ETC

Seek and ye shall find.

Cheers, brothers,

P

[img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[Paul_Wolf]

Sorry had a bit o' lager tonight and can't
shut up when I'm s'posed to

Bought the new Guitar World cuz Keef was on
the cover and tried to read the other articles.
Last time I need to read Dimebag Durrel instructing us on the finer points of "shredding"

As a former poodle head, I have to feel that
the next metal cleansing is around the corner
as it was back in the late 80s days.

But that's for the McListeners to McMusic.
All the smart guys on the DUC know where to
find the good sounds....

G'Night

P

[img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

[Ijahru]

Give me 80's hair metal over some of the boring ass English stuff anyday. I am proud to say I enjoyed and still listen to 80's metal. There was some great guitar playing and melodies in that music. Unfortunately with the dawn of MTV bands became more concerned about their appearance and looking like the hottest bands around.

[Dreamware]

Originally posted by Ijahru:
Give me 80's hair metal over some of the boring ass English stuff anyday. I am proud to say I enjoyed and still listen to 80's metal. There was some great guitar playing and melodies in that music. Unfortunately with the dawn of MTV bands became more concerned about their appearance and looking like the hottest bands around.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Thank god! Leave the bubble gum pop crap to the 14 year old girls!

[Paul_Wolf]

IJaru (sorry for the misspelling)

Brother the only reason I feel shame over 80s
metal is because I was a part of it. Novice
Pro Tools LE user but fully a part of that scene. [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]
Unfortunately I have the pix to prove it.

Didn't mean to rip on the tunes - to each is
own. My poorly illustrated point was that
good music is still being made you won't
hear on the radio.

Cheers

P

[Roy Howell]

I remember only a few short years ago at a session here at Ardent Records, my friend John Hampton saying, 'man, I'm producing a band right now that's different... they've got this guy, their singer...he's definitely an alcy, but what a writer! I think you'll hear good things about him.'
Anyway.... it was Paul Westerberg. And Hampton was right. It's so refreshing when someone is unaffected by what's out there selling.