pop vs. rock

And another thing, I know a lot of people who can sing, and can sing really good. But it takes real talent to play and instrument like guitar, drums, etc. Or to write good music or lyrics. Pop musiscians don't have much talent. A lot of people can sing, but who can be in a band and write good music. Hmmmmmmmm. Ask yourself that question.

Originally posted by Bardsley
Seriously though, there are guys who listen to nsync . . .

Bahahahahahahaha . . . !

Ok, well I can see the humour in that comment too... hehehehe, god I hate those guys.
Oh how it was a waste that Jeff Buckley died, I am listening to him sing Hallelujah, it is fantastic.
On another note, I saw Dylan two nights ago. It was amazing, as he is my idol, and he did a great concert. Whoever it was talking about using voice in interesting ways, he can barely get the notes out, but you should've heard him sing Highway 61, in which the "oooooonne" he screamed for longer than some people sing entire verses.
It is odd though, I like him as a modern performer, and also what he did so long ago. It is on;y when you see him in concert for the first time (as I just did), that he no longer exists as that young 24 year old rock legend, or the 20 year old folk musician, or the 30 year old who sung Blood on the tracks. YOu see photos and hear albums of him so much younger, it is odd to think that it doesn't exist anymore.
I realise this is completely off the topic, but it is odd to see someone who has managed to span the generations, constantly creating relevant music, rather than being stuck in one time.

Less hype-driven stuff like Blues and Jazz have always been bubbling along under the surface. Every once in a while, some exec from The Biz gets tired of the usual dreck, and people like Kenny Wayne Shepherd are 'suddenly' discovered.

From a marketing standpoint, the only difference to The Biz, is the amount of push applied to the product.

I'm sorry to tell you the truth about the Tooth Fairy, but talent has less to do with it than drive. If you really want to make it BIG, then you gotta buy into making music as a business.

Even Michaelangelo and Da Vinci had patrons who paid for their work. The patrons often made demands on the artists to do a particular kind of work. The Sistine Chapel ceiling was (more or less) made-to-order.

The marketing target demographic (the only vote that counts with The Biz), consists of people who will "give that song 9 outa 10 'cuz itz gotta good beat an' itz ez2 danss 2" The Biz caters to these musically illiterate slobs because they are willing to part with good money for mediocre 'product'.

If ya wanna play music 'cause ya LOVE it, thas' OK.

If your chops catch the attention of The Big Guys, you'll have to decide whether you want to turn a perfectly good hobby into a job.

Meanwhile, keep singin'; keep playin'; an' try to remember why it's called playin'.


I'd like to hear from Lee the Vee on this topic. I have the feeling he's seen this from just about every side there is.
Hey, Lee! How 'bout it?

In fact, it was only after the rennaissance that the idea of an artist as a genius emerged. Before then, the artist was most often there to put into paintings what the patron described. There are still remaining documents that show how detailed the demand got, including suggestions about a "grey spot on the left flank" of a horse. It is a fairly modern idea of an artist creating something for himself or herself, for the purpose of creating art rather than creating something to show the majesty of a patron. I don't doubt that drive has often more to do with getting noticed than talent, but if you look at the great things that have come out of ambition, that is no bad thing. Look at U2, just four guys who wanted to shake up the world. Look at plenty of bands, the talent isn't what execs go for, it is the chemistry, the ability to thrill an audience, and to entertain, and the promise of greater things to come.

Oh well, let's put the focus on rap.

The one thing I want, is for rap to just go away. If I had one wish it would probably be to never here a rap song, that is just my opinion about it. Is there anyone out there that feels who knows how I feel.

[Edited by Fender Man on 04-07-2001 at 10:21 PM]

Believe me, Ive waited...

Well, I guess the lesson that has been learned by many musicians all over the world is that (if you're going to sell out, you might as well do it all the way, just to clear up any confusion, preventing a split between record sales.) But I really don't see anything wrong with an artist trying to expand his horizons a bit, theres nothing wrong with sharing the stage with a new generation of musicians (those who are totally against the grain of what you're music stands for)as long as you don't make a habit out of it. :D Sure it just might create alot of speculation, [i]but it also shows that you arent afraid to take chances, (i'm not talking about chances to fatten up your wallets, but a chance in reaching out to a brand new generation.

Take Aerosmith for example, millions of people around the world are wonder how they have been able to stick around for so long. People speculate that it has alot to do with the fact that they have gradually added new elements into their sound, (which in some ways alot of people feel is a method of pulling the wool over their eyes. But thats far from the case, because through all of the changes, Aerosmith has hung onto to that original spark that started this group, and their original intentions have not changed. I think as long as you can still hang onto to that original core of who you, then you're doing just fine. As long as you refuse to let others define your music, then you can't go wrong.

Through the continuous attemps in repeating the same inteitry that existed in the seventies, musicians have failed miserably, and I feel it has alot to do with the fact that they have too many options when it comes to sound. Alot of musicians today would rather define their sound from pushing a few buttomns, instead of through time and effort. Most of the bands from the seventies and early eighties relied on technique, and bringing their personality to its highest level of completeness through music. But today, there are alot of music who have gotten into the business for all of the wrong reasons, where they continiously dabble with sound, instead of getting in touch with what naturally inspires them. There isn't that much honesty in the music industy today, and its safe to say that musicians all around the world have added different sounds to their style for the sake of selling for records, and provoking re-action within the majority of people. Being that they have forgotten what really makes their blood boil, and the hair stand up on the back of their necks. But to say that Aerosmith is lost is a crock of ****, because their music still has that same groove to it, whether or not their latest release is rather commercial, despite the fact that they have opened doors for a new generation of listeners, their music is still recognized what it is, and thats pure rock. And you could analyze it till your face turns blue, but when a band continues to leave their mark with time and effort, and what truly inspires them, they shouldn't be condemned.

So its fine to incorporate different sounds into your music, as long as you truly feel its the next best step, but when you're inticed by greed and what others wan't, you're destined to fail...

-Joseph