Am i getting old or....
Discussion
....is all contempary 'popular' music a bit crap?
Don't get me wrong there is still some good music out there i guess. However, I found myself listening to C(r)apital radio this morning only to be confronted with the 'delights' of Tinchy Stider (sp) or whatever his name is, Dizzy Rascal, and some other nob going on about a fire on a dance floor or something. I really should have changed station, or adjusted the volume accordingly but it was still early and I couldn't be bothered. It all sounds like 'boom boom boom' as I my old dad used to say.
I'm 29 by the way.
Don't get me wrong there is still some good music out there i guess. However, I found myself listening to C(r)apital radio this morning only to be confronted with the 'delights' of Tinchy Stider (sp) or whatever his name is, Dizzy Rascal, and some other nob going on about a fire on a dance floor or something. I really should have changed station, or adjusted the volume accordingly but it was still early and I couldn't be bothered. It all sounds like 'boom boom boom' as I my old dad used to say.
I'm 29 by the way.
I'm inclined to agree. Some of it is ok, though nothing special.
Some is utter mind-numbing crap though. JLS for instance are aimed at the average 12-13 year old and the music reflects this.
I won't go on as I'm the biggest music snob I know.....
I'm 40 and I've definately got more cynical as I've got older. There's no meaning or 'heart and soul' about the kind of music you're on about, it's all about the record company raking in the cash and they make no attempt to hide it.
Just change the station. At 29 you're just into Radio 2 territory.
Some is utter mind-numbing crap though. JLS for instance are aimed at the average 12-13 year old and the music reflects this.
I won't go on as I'm the biggest music snob I know.....
I'm 40 and I've definately got more cynical as I've got older. There's no meaning or 'heart and soul' about the kind of music you're on about, it's all about the record company raking in the cash and they make no attempt to hide it.
Just change the station. At 29 you're just into Radio 2 territory.
useyourdellusion said:
I'm inclined to agree. Some of it is ok, though nothing special.
Some is utter mind-numbing crap though. JLS for instance are aimed at the average 12-13 year old and the music reflects this.
I won't go on as I'm the biggest music snob I know.....
I'm 40 and I've definately got more cynical as I've got older. There's no meaning or 'heart and soul' about the kind of music you're on about, it's all about the record company raking in the cash and they make no attempt to hide it.
Just change the station. At 29 you're just into Radio 2 territory.
Do you know what. I do like Radio 2. Some is utter mind-numbing crap though. JLS for instance are aimed at the average 12-13 year old and the music reflects this.
I won't go on as I'm the biggest music snob I know.....
I'm 40 and I've definately got more cynical as I've got older. There's no meaning or 'heart and soul' about the kind of music you're on about, it's all about the record company raking in the cash and they make no attempt to hide it.
Just change the station. At 29 you're just into Radio 2 territory.
s
t I am getting old. And i wear slippers at home sometimes.
ymwoods said:
However within all the boom boom boom there are tracks that are pretty good, have real lyrics etc...its just you never notice because the last boom boom boom was utter st
Your'e right there is. I used to really love dance music, about 4 or 5 years ago. It's just all the endless stt now. I've always loved music, I just feel like most of the really popular stuff ( lady gaga ) about at the moment is annoying, repetitive crap. Was pop music ever good? Beatles? Elvis? No, thanks. I don't care if they were the grandfather of modern off-shoots of less commercial music (I assume that tedious argument will be fired at me if I don't cover all bases now). I can happily listen to grunge, rock or drum n bass without owning a single Beatles or Elvis album.
ShadownINja said:
Was pop music ever good? Beatles? Elvis? No, thanks. I don't care if they were the grandfather of modern off-shoots of less commercial music (I assume that tedious argument will be fired at me if I don't cover all bases now). I can happily listen to grunge, rock or drum n bass without owning a single Beatles or Elvis album.
I quite like the Beatles, but only the later stuff when they got more 'ahem' experimental.If you're not already familiar with it, have a listen to 'Tomorrow never knows'.
VERY hard to believe it's 40 years old! I put it on recently in the pub and everyone thought it was the Chemical Brothers!
the snowman said:
....is all contempary 'popular' music a bit crap?
Don't get me wrong there is still some good music out there i guess. However, I found myself listening to C(r)apital radio this morning only to be confronted with the 'delights' of Tinchy Stider (sp) or whatever his name is, Dizzy Rascal, and some other nob going on about a fire on a dance floor or something. I really should have changed station, or adjusted the volume accordingly but it was still early and I couldn't be bothered. It all sounds like 'boom boom boom' as I my old dad used to say.
I'm 29 by the way.
pretty slack not to take 3 seconds to look up the name of Tinchy Stryder. I like Dizee Rascal's attitude (and I used to live in bow so support the local boy, innit?) but most commercial popular music leaves me cold....I am 44 now though.Don't get me wrong there is still some good music out there i guess. However, I found myself listening to C(r)apital radio this morning only to be confronted with the 'delights' of Tinchy Stider (sp) or whatever his name is, Dizzy Rascal, and some other nob going on about a fire on a dance floor or something. I really should have changed station, or adjusted the volume accordingly but it was still early and I couldn't be bothered. It all sounds like 'boom boom boom' as I my old dad used to say.
I'm 29 by the way.
Well at my age I find myself coming out more and more frequently with the old 'that's not music that's just a bloody noise' that I remember my parents saying when I was young. Although I also say it about the sort of music my parents used to listen to because, let's face it, much of 'pop' music has been crap for years and it always requires a bit of effort to sift the wheat from the chaff. And I don't think you can throw a blanket over a period of history and say, 'this was crap, that was great.' Those people who get all misty-eyed about the sixties for example, forget there was a lot of rubbish then just as now.
There is a lot of good music out there though. Sadly even the good stuff isn't massively innovative. It seems to be fine if you are 2 guitars and a drum kit, there is no problem getting gigs and recording time. The top 30/40/100 is a different matter though (and R1 etc tend only to play charted groups or groups who are heavily promoted). There, you are limited to artificial boy/girl bands, or individual artists who are (or think they are) American, and who think they are black soul singers (who end up just sounding like an animal in pain) or believe they are south side LA gangstas, when really they are from Clapham. Innit.
So basically, the playlists are dominated by artists signed to big companies who have a huge interest in making sure their artists have air time. The same companies who daren't diversify or take chances on anything different.
So basically, the playlists are dominated by artists signed to big companies who have a huge interest in making sure their artists have air time. The same companies who daren't diversify or take chances on anything different.
Not wanting to get into the is modern music rubbish debate but on the same theme I do have some opinions on modern musicians and that is that there is increasingly less requirement to actually be able to play an instrument i.e. actually be a musician.
And before I expand I'll set out my credentials, I'm 53 and played keyboards in a band back in the 70's, we weren't successful in the commercial sense but we had a residency in a pub and played gigs at colleges and places at weekends. This was just post punk and I guess we were influenced by bands like the Stranglers, Squeeze, Pretenders etc. After a while we could play a "set" of about 10-15 of our own "numbers" and a 2 hour set would be spaced out with a few favourites and covers, Jumping Jack, Honky Tonk depending on the audience etc. Thing was if someone said can you do any Stones or do you know any blues or rock & roll we could do it. Once we were asked to do a waltz (don't ask) and we knocked out a version of St James Infirmary in 3:4 beat!
This weekend I went to a black tie event with a "live band" I use quotation marks because there were 3 of them yet they had horns, strings, backing chorus, and a heavy bass with no bassist, this can't be right. The drummer had electronic pads and everything was set up on a computer. The band well the guitarist and girl singer simply had to strum and sing along to the pre-recorded backing mix. Now they were very professional but it all left me a bit cold, no improvisation is possible and if you asked for a bit of Dylan they couldn't do it because "it's not in the set" meaning we've not pre-recorded it on our computer! We'd ave at least done All Along the Watchtower!
I'm sure this is where music has gone wrong, it's too easy and appearance is more important than sound. Music has to advance else we'd not have had punk and the Pistols but come on, they should be able to play their instruments... and perform their songs - live!
And before I expand I'll set out my credentials, I'm 53 and played keyboards in a band back in the 70's, we weren't successful in the commercial sense but we had a residency in a pub and played gigs at colleges and places at weekends. This was just post punk and I guess we were influenced by bands like the Stranglers, Squeeze, Pretenders etc. After a while we could play a "set" of about 10-15 of our own "numbers" and a 2 hour set would be spaced out with a few favourites and covers, Jumping Jack, Honky Tonk depending on the audience etc. Thing was if someone said can you do any Stones or do you know any blues or rock & roll we could do it. Once we were asked to do a waltz (don't ask) and we knocked out a version of St James Infirmary in 3:4 beat!
This weekend I went to a black tie event with a "live band" I use quotation marks because there were 3 of them yet they had horns, strings, backing chorus, and a heavy bass with no bassist, this can't be right. The drummer had electronic pads and everything was set up on a computer. The band well the guitarist and girl singer simply had to strum and sing along to the pre-recorded backing mix. Now they were very professional but it all left me a bit cold, no improvisation is possible and if you asked for a bit of Dylan they couldn't do it because "it's not in the set" meaning we've not pre-recorded it on our computer! We'd ave at least done All Along the Watchtower!
I'm sure this is where music has gone wrong, it's too easy and appearance is more important than sound. Music has to advance else we'd not have had punk and the Pistols but come on, they should be able to play their instruments... and perform their songs - live!
RichB said:
Not wanting to get into the is modern music rubbish debate but on the same theme I do have some opinions on modern musicians and that is that there is increasingly less requirement to actually be able to play an instrument i.e. actually be a musician.
And before I expand I'll set out my credentials, I'm 53 and played keyboards in a band back in the 70's, we weren't successful in the commercial sense but we had a residency in a pub and played gigs at colleges and places at weekends. This was just post punk and I guess we were influenced by bands like the Stranglers, Squeeze, Pretenders etc. After a while we could play a "set" of about 10-15 of our own "numbers" and a 2 hour set would be spaced out with a few favourites and covers, Jumping Jack, Honky Tonk depending on the audience etc. Thing was if someone said can you do any Stones or do you know any blues or rock & roll we could do it. Once we were asked to do a waltz (don't ask) and we knocked out a version of St James Infirmary in 3:4 beat!
This weekend I went to a black tie event with a "live band" I use quotation marks because there were 3 of them yet they had horns, strings, backing chorus, and a heavy bass with no bassist, this can't be right. The drummer had electronic pads and everything was set up on a computer. The band well the guitarist and girl singer simply had to strum and sing along to the pre-recorded backing mix. Now they were very professional but it all left me a bit cold, no improvisation is possible and if you asked for a bit of Dylan they couldn't do it because "it's not in the set" meaning we've not pre-recorded it on our computer! We'd ave at least done All Along the Watchtower!
I'm sure this is where music has gone wrong, it's too easy and appearance is more important than sound. Music has to advance else we'd not have had punk and the Pistols but come on, they should be able to play their instruments... and perform their songs - live!
I know where you're coming from but I reckon real bands will always win through in the end.And before I expand I'll set out my credentials, I'm 53 and played keyboards in a band back in the 70's, we weren't successful in the commercial sense but we had a residency in a pub and played gigs at colleges and places at weekends. This was just post punk and I guess we were influenced by bands like the Stranglers, Squeeze, Pretenders etc. After a while we could play a "set" of about 10-15 of our own "numbers" and a 2 hour set would be spaced out with a few favourites and covers, Jumping Jack, Honky Tonk depending on the audience etc. Thing was if someone said can you do any Stones or do you know any blues or rock & roll we could do it. Once we were asked to do a waltz (don't ask) and we knocked out a version of St James Infirmary in 3:4 beat!
This weekend I went to a black tie event with a "live band" I use quotation marks because there were 3 of them yet they had horns, strings, backing chorus, and a heavy bass with no bassist, this can't be right. The drummer had electronic pads and everything was set up on a computer. The band well the guitarist and girl singer simply had to strum and sing along to the pre-recorded backing mix. Now they were very professional but it all left me a bit cold, no improvisation is possible and if you asked for a bit of Dylan they couldn't do it because "it's not in the set" meaning we've not pre-recorded it on our computer! We'd ave at least done All Along the Watchtower!
I'm sure this is where music has gone wrong, it's too easy and appearance is more important than sound. Music has to advance else we'd not have had punk and the Pistols but come on, they should be able to play their instruments... and perform their songs - live!
I remember the late eighties ('87 to '89) being absolutely terrible and totally diluted with hideous Stock, Aitkin and Waterman produced pop crap. I despaired at the time (radio 1 was on all day at work, so no escape really). Then the Stone Roses came along, together with the Charlatans etc.
It was a breath of fresh air to me, just what I'd been waiting for.
The same happened in the late nineties. Boybands reigned supreme, thankfully it was just a fad and proper bands saw them off. IMO there will always be a hunger for proper bands and proper music which will always see off the baron spells (one of which I think we are possibly going through at the moment).
Daytime radio seems to have gone to sleep again and just follows the cheesy pop and R&B route.
I hear what you are saying about modern bands.
I was at a function the other week where Evermore were playing, they did sound pretty good but they certainly didn't sound like the 3 piece guitar band that they are.
They played their own instruments but there was heaps of mid stuff happening to fatten the sound up and the encore piece was just the guitarist on stage singing with an acoustic, but there was all manner of gentle percussion behind him.
Most of the solos consisted of thrashed intervals up and down the neck that had little to do with anything melodic.
I don't mind their recorded stuff but it really did illustrate their shortcomings live.
Should add that I am officially an old fart ( 60+ ) but do like proper music regardless of the generation that produced it, but having been a gigging muso for many years seeing the live performance dumbed down so much is a real dissappointment.
I was at a function the other week where Evermore were playing, they did sound pretty good but they certainly didn't sound like the 3 piece guitar band that they are.
They played their own instruments but there was heaps of mid stuff happening to fatten the sound up and the encore piece was just the guitarist on stage singing with an acoustic, but there was all manner of gentle percussion behind him.
Most of the solos consisted of thrashed intervals up and down the neck that had little to do with anything melodic.
I don't mind their recorded stuff but it really did illustrate their shortcomings live.
Should add that I am officially an old fart ( 60+ ) but do like proper music regardless of the generation that produced it, but having been a gigging muso for many years seeing the live performance dumbed down so much is a real dissappointment.
I'm 33, and yes, modern music is pretty dire. It used to be a lot easier I think, to see what was chaffe and what wasn't. hell, I'm surrently gong through a phase of listening to very early Level 42, (Dune Tune, Turn it on, etc), and find it far more interesting musically than turning on a radio, or putting on VH1, (hell, remember when VH1 used to have decent music?)...
Nope, I agree, modern music is, on the whole pant.
Nope, I agree, modern music is, on the whole pant.
I may be getting old and grumpy, though
It's not the standard of modern music that's at fault (there's loads of great stuff around), but in fact the standard of drivel which is placed on radio station play lists.
There's always been good and bad, and the advent of "pop" in the 50s/60s opened the youth audience up. Marketing men (suits) have decided what the audience want since then, not the other way round. The current breed of youth audience seem happy to go along with the X factor/pop stars/scott mills/radio 1 playlist drivel. There is a very interesting interview with Frank Zappa on youtube, during which he bemoans the "suits" and their control over what people hear on radio.
If you want to hear the best music that is available you always have to drill through the crust of cr*p to get to the good stuff underneath.
There's always been good and bad, and the advent of "pop" in the 50s/60s opened the youth audience up. Marketing men (suits) have decided what the audience want since then, not the other way round. The current breed of youth audience seem happy to go along with the X factor/pop stars/scott mills/radio 1 playlist drivel. There is a very interesting interview with Frank Zappa on youtube, during which he bemoans the "suits" and their control over what people hear on radio.
If you want to hear the best music that is available you always have to drill through the crust of cr*p to get to the good stuff underneath.
OP the current music is for younger ears than yours. I was a'Radio 1 forever' listener in the 70's till the mid 90's then i couldn't listen anymore. It happens to most people - there is nothing so sad as to see someone over 30 trying to be 'down wit the kidz' (kids in their 'teens).
However, good tunes will always be good tunes no matter what the era.
However, good tunes will always be good tunes no matter what the era.
Ozone said:
OP the current music is for younger ears than yours. I was a'Radio 1 forever' listener in the 70's till the mid 90's then i couldn't listen anymore. It happens to most people - there is nothing so sad as to see someone over 30 trying to be 'down wit the kidz' (kids in their 'teens).
However, good tunes will always be good tunes no matter what the era.
You mean you don't like JLS?!However, good tunes will always be good tunes no matter what the era.
I mostly agree.
I play bass and have been in bands for years (we did ok, better than a lot of bands) I also did loads of live sound work as I had what at the time was a big rig, desk etc. Plenty big enough for the largest pubs and small clubs.
The charts were full of crap and bands always claimed that no-one was interested, bands didn't get signed. Well the reason for that is that most bands were crap as well. In the 5 years I did sound pretty much as a job I heard probably 6-10 bands that had the songs and talent to go further. Some couldn't play or sing, some could but had no songs.
Today I think bands have it alot easier to promote themselves via the internet but of course everyone is doing it so there is still dross and it's hard to find the good stuff. You don't need to rely on ToTP, MTV or Radio1 though.
Personally, my biggest problem with modern music is the xfactor. They is no talent required, it's karaoke, instant fame, no work needed build them up then throw them away. I hate watching the people on xfactor who claim the only thing they have ever wanted to do was be a singer yet at 20+ all they have ever done in music is to enter xfactor.
I play bass and have been in bands for years (we did ok, better than a lot of bands) I also did loads of live sound work as I had what at the time was a big rig, desk etc. Plenty big enough for the largest pubs and small clubs.
The charts were full of crap and bands always claimed that no-one was interested, bands didn't get signed. Well the reason for that is that most bands were crap as well. In the 5 years I did sound pretty much as a job I heard probably 6-10 bands that had the songs and talent to go further. Some couldn't play or sing, some could but had no songs.
Today I think bands have it alot easier to promote themselves via the internet but of course everyone is doing it so there is still dross and it's hard to find the good stuff. You don't need to rely on ToTP, MTV or Radio1 though.
Personally, my biggest problem with modern music is the xfactor. They is no talent required, it's karaoke, instant fame, no work needed build them up then throw them away. I hate watching the people on xfactor who claim the only thing they have ever wanted to do was be a singer yet at 20+ all they have ever done in music is to enter xfactor.
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