Was channel surfing as I finish up before doing my nightly reading and ran across a live performance on TV. Cute little blonde signing and playing rhythm guitar with a large group (7 or 8). She was terrible. The song was terrible. There seemed to be zero 'musicianship' amongst the entire group. I watched all the way through, hoping to catch the name, but managed to miss it. Was some sort of intermission thing on that vapid, brain-dead show, 'Dancing for the Stars' (I think it is). My question..........is what I saw/heard what passes for music these days? I don't really care how loud or quiet or what style if the musicians can play and the singers can sing and song writers can write. I may not like it, but at least can recognize it as decent music. This was horrible. I can see why the music industry is in trouble. I can't imagine paying any money for anything that resembles what I just observed. That sucked and was like some sort of mild torture if I had been forced to listen. Miles......rest in peace. Or, maybe it is just me.

Yet you stayed and watched, mesmerized. I consider the TV remote's up/down buttons to be my best friends ....

Don't recall stating that I was mesmerized. Believe I even stated that I wanted to catch the name of the group..............

Unfortunately, yes.

Was that Feist?

http://www.listentofeist.com/

Well, FWIW, I think a lot of it is relative................

I can remember sitting over at my Grandma's back in 1964 or whenever watching The Beatles on Th Ed Sullivan show and my parents probably were thinking about the same things you were.

What's really scary is what are today's kids going to be seeing in another 40 years??? I mean, how low can you go????

...what passes for music these days?
A question asked in every generation. Disney said it best - "Toot, whistle, plunk, boom."

Preachers in the 40s used to tell their congregations that their kids going to see Sinatra meant they were going to hell.

I had to hide my Black Sabbath LPs in Lawrence Welk sleeves.

It will never end.

And I hope it never does.

Although I drive my teenage girls nuts by turning them on to new music.

Preachers in the 40s used to tell their congregations that their kids going to see Sinatra meant they were going to hell.

I had to hide my Black Sabbath LPs in Lawrence Welk sleeves.

It will never end.

And I hope it never does.Excellent. :thmbsp:

One of the first LP's I brought home was a brand spanken new Floyd--DSOTM and BOC--Tyranny and Mutation. My father was not impressed.:scratch2:

I love both of those albums^^^^^, and no, my mother does not approve. That's this day in age....

One of my girls boyfriends was trying to "scare" her Mom and me by playing Marilyn Manson. I just showed him my collection of Manson, who I really like, and then the Ministry. He went home a bit deflated.

Ever listen to The Shaggs?

Great example of a band (sisters from New Hampshire, vanity pressing) that was so bad they were good. If you're into 'outsider' music, check it out.

Ahhh....I remember getting my first pair of headphones for Christmas from my parents. Must have been something about all those KISS, Uriah Heep (Abominog), Ted Nugent, Richard Pryor, Steve Martin, Black Sabbath, etc, etc, albums that did it. They really never condemned me for what I listened to but needed a way to hear it less.

Glenn, I was channel surfing (briefly!) at the same time and it was Avril Lavigne and her band. I thought that her appearance on that program was rather incongruous. You are correct, they were terrible--rather atonal and just plain loud. I could see some audience members cringing in the background (clearly, the wrong crowd). Some of the dancers, however, are terrific (although I am not a regular viewer of that program)!

Moral of the story, If it ain't Baroque - fix it.:D:music:

The one thing I probably remember my father saying most when I was a kid...

Rock & Roll is just a fad... it will die... He couldn't, and still can't stand the stuff..

He missed the mark there.. but it's also what I think about some of the new crap I hear.. and I'm sure I'll miss the mark with it...

I know, this stuff doesn't hold a candle to the music produced 30 years ago. Oh, errrr, wait...

24. When I Need You, Leo Sayer
25. Hot Line, Sylvers
26. Car Wash, Rose Royce
27. You Don't Have To Be A Star, Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr.
28. Fly Like An Eagle, Steve Miller Band
29. Don't Give Up On Us, David Soul
30. On And On, Stephen Bishop
31. Feels Like The First Time, Foreigner

I think it's always been about 80 percent temporal garbage with a three month shelf life and zero staying power. Finding that 20 percent is the fun part, although I agree, maybe that 20 percent is shrinking...

http://www.musicoutfitters.com/topsongs/1977.htm

The music played on T.V. does not accurately represent what's out there.


I feel like the strength of the indie music scene, self published albums and the relative ease of getting music out now means that there is more good music around than ever before. You just have to wade through piles of crap to get to it.

I know, this stuff doesn't hold a candle to the music produced 30 years ago. Oh, errrr, wait...

24. When I Need You, Leo Sayer
25. Hot Line, Sylvers
26. Car Wash, Rose Royce
27. You Don't Have To Be A Star, Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr.
28. Fly Like An Eagle, Steve Miller Band
29. Don't Give Up On Us, David Soul
30. On And On, Stephen Bishop
31. Feels Like The First Time, Foreigner

I think it's always been about 80 percent temporal garbage with a three month shelf life and zero staying power. Finding that 20 percent is the fun part, although I agree, maybe that 20 percent is shrinking...

http://www.musicoutfitters.com/topsongs/1977.htm


I would tend to concur with that premise. There's always been a lot of garbage to wade through, and a ton of parents complaining about it. IIRC the great violinist Niccolo Paganini was considered the devil incarnate by many in his day.

My nieces & nephews tend to be constantly amazed that their old grey bearded uncle can recognize and identify much of what they listen to, and then use their own choices to introduce them to other music they haven't heard, based on their preferences. I sincerely hope that I never close up to new music, or the possibility of finding things I like among the dross.

The music played on T.V. does not accurately represent what's out there.


I feel like the strength of the indie music scene, self published albums and the relative ease of getting music out now means that there is more good music around than ever before. You just have to wade through piles of crap to get to it.

I do think there are a lot of good "new" artists out there but. . .I think there is also more mediocrity than ever (proportionally). Part of it is the "democratization" of media; home recording (just like word processing) has made it possible for people to produce and package a product that wasn't possible even 15 years ago. There is also something embedded in our education and popular culture these days that tells everyone that they can do anything. I hate to say it but despite the suffering and exploitation of previous generations of artists there was something about the system that filtered the product better.

American/ Canadian Idol is responsible for a lot of bad music. I also believe that a lot of music today does have a "shelf life" and I think that very little of it will be listened to in 30 years (I am talking about the shuff you hear constantly on hit radio stations).

Well, FWIW, I think a lot of it is relative................

What's really scary is what are today's kids going to be seeing in another 40 years??? I mean, how low can you go????


You say a lot of it is relative yet still judge music as somehow getting objectively "worse" over time. If the performance that the OP is referring to was on TV then someone must of liked it.

Musical style and singing style changes over time and between cultures. I've heard some 78's from the 20's and 30's that are absolutely terrible. Might as well have been Great Aunt Edna singing in the bathtub. Seems today, at least in popular female vocal music that the whiny, not quite ever hitting the pitch bang on sound, is in. I'd take Julie Andrews' perfect pitch any day. Sometimes I wish Aaron Neville would take his medication more regularly...but I guess his utterly boring drooling heap on the floor style turns some people on. And the Beatles? Well to me most of their music sounds nasally, out of key, and their accents are way too distracting.

No good music or bad music, just stuff ya like and stuff ya dont.

Preachers in the 40s used to tell their congregations that their kids going to see Sinatra meant they were going to hell.

I had to hide my Black Sabbath LPs in Lawrence Welk sleeves.

It will never end.

And I hope it never does.

Although I drive my teenage girls nuts by turning them on to new music.

What are my kids gunna offend me with, I grew up on Scraping Feotus off the Wheel, Misfits, Dead Kennedys, Suicidal Tendancies..........

..........maybe they'll be hiding Brittany albums in Rolling Stones covers :music:

During my son's teen years I heard a lot of Fleetwood Mac, David Bowie, Alice whatshisname, and the rest. All relatively tuneful compared to what I hear coming from the bench speakers while aligning the AM and FM sections. To even call that music is an insult to the gods.

Someone said there is good music out there but you need to wade through a lot of crap to find it - sorry I don't wade through crap, I hire people to pump the septic tank.

One of my girls boyfriends was trying to "scare" her Mom and me by playing Marilyn Manson. I just showed him my collection of Manson, who I really like, and then the Ministry. He went home a bit deflated.

I even have "The Nature of Love" 12" single in my collection. :) Old OLD! Ministry.

I'm still sad that the Last Sucker is the last Ministry album, at least for a while.

(Desperately hoping Uncle Al changes his mind)

..........maybe they'll be hiding Brittany albums in Rolling Stones covers :music:Now, that would be offensive. :nono:

this is like a cable debate-- there is absolutely nowhere to go with it, except if you wanna make yourself sound like a bumbling old fogey or a self congratulating hipster.

there is tons and tons of fascinating new music, an avalanche of it, constantly being produced, plus jillions of vintage lp's sitting in bins as yet undiscovered by you and me-- there is no way the little blonde on TV can be seen as representative of 'today's music', nor does she predict anything at all about 'the future of music' other than the perennial appearance of the pop flavor of the month.

Shrinkboy, I'll agree with you for the most part, however the "mainstream" (radio/mtv/pop-culture) has taken a major down turn since the late 90s.

Pop has always been "pop" and usually accompanied with a bit of cheese and sometimes whine, but the majority of new music being pumped out over the air really does suck.

Just my not-so-humble-opinion.

This sums things up nicely:

"Common ground fading, even in popular culture" By David Brooks

On Feb. 9, 1964, the Beatles played on "The Ed Sullivan Show." Or as Steven Van Zandt remembers the moment: "It was the beginning of my life."

Van Zandt fell for the Beatles and discovered the blues and early rock music that inspired them. He played in a series of bands on the Jersey shore, and when a friend wanted to draw on his encyclopedic blues knowledge for a song called "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out," Van Zandt wound up as a guitarist for Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.

The 1970s were a great moment for musical integration. Artists like the Rolling Stones and Springsteen drew on a range of musical influences and produced songs that might be country-influenced, soul-influenced, blues-influenced or a combination of all three. These mega-groups attracted gigantic followings and can still fill huge arenas.

But cultural history has pivot moments, and at some point toward the end of the 1970s or the early 1980s, the era of integration gave way to the era of fragmentation. There are now dozens of niche musical genres where there used to be this thing called rock. There are many bands that can fill 5,000-seat theaters, but there are almost no new groups with the broad following or longevity of the Rolling Stones, Springsteen or U2....

You can see the rest here (sorry, it makes you register)
http://www.mercurynews.com/search/ci_7521942

this is like a cable debate-- there is absolutely nowhere to go with it, except if you wanna make yourself sound like a bumbling old fogey or a self congratulating hipster.

there is tons and tons of fascinating new music, an avalanche of it, constantly being produced, plus jillions of vintage lp's sitting in bins as yet undiscovered by you and me-- there is no way the little blonde on TV can be seen as representative of 'today's music', nor does she predict anything at all about 'the future of music' other than the perennial appearance of the pop flavor of the month.


Well said!

"My feet were killing me, my dogs were barkin',
I must have fallen asleep where I was parkin',
And then I dreamed two dogs were talkin', take my word,
It was the doggone-est thing you ever heard.
She said, (Mama will bark.) You look so lovely in the moonlight.
(Yes, but Papa will bark.) Your eyes are shining like the starlight.
(Yes but Mama will bark.) Your lips are so inviting, darling,
Give me one more kiss. Howl...." Frank Sinatra w/Dagmar 1951

The stuff you hear on the radio today is just a descendant of what happened in the 50s and perhaps before. The marketing guys get together, determine what is selling, and then base their new songs around a similar platform. "Look at that doggie in the window" created tons of novelty songs that would be right along the same lines as a lot of the pop music out today.

I don't believe it's the same as "... when R&R first came 'round".
There was a point in time(listen back a bit, it's not hard to find) where mediocrity became a style! Music had become very ritualized and pompous I'll grant(late 70/early80's) and the reaction was "...oh yeah well take this!" And we somehow never grew beyond it.
It's instant gratification! Everyone has "something to say" but nobody seems to want to pay the dues necessary to become "fluent" at saying it.
"Those that don't know history are doomed to repeat it", ...and it isn't art.

what about that "rage rock" crap my son listens too, full of teenage angst. all the vocalists just scream out like crying babies....

makes my ears bleed

According to some, you should be able to find good "rage rock" if you just look long & hard enough. :D Gemme a break. :yes:

There was a review in the December 2006 issue of the abso!ute sound of an album named 'Ys' from an artist(?) named Joanna Newsom.She is a harpist.
The album was recorded at Abbey Road Studios,and the orchestral arrangements were composed by Van Dyke Parks.
The album is a stunning recording.The acoustic instuments are exceptionally natural sounding.
Joanna Newsom's voice however is one of the most irritating sounds I've ever heard in my lifetime.
Truly.
This is a voice which could shrivel fruit on the tree.A voice which could curdle milk.The record should come with a warning to pregnant women and animals,that exposure to the voice will probably cause spontaneous miscarriages.
It's a shame because the instrumental sections are very pleasing.
That voice however makes Bjork(who I like)sound more akin to Nora Jones.
See if you can download a snippet of this album,even if only to hear one of the world's worst vocal mannerisms.

There was a review in the December 2006 issue of the abso!ute sound of an album named 'Ys' from an artist(?) named Joanna Newsom.She is a harpist.
The album was recorded at Abbey Road Studios,and the orchestral arrangements were composed by Van Dyke Parks.
The album is a stunning recording.The acoustic instuments are exceptionally natural sounding.
Joanna Newsom's voice however is one of the most irritating sounds I've ever heard in my lifetime.
Truly.
This is a voice which could shrivel fruit on the tree.A voice which could curdle milk.The record should come with a warning to pregnant women and animals,that exposure to the voice will probably cause spontaneous miscarriages.
It's a shame because the instrumental sections are very pleasing.
That voice however makes Bjork(who I like)sound more akin to Nora Jones.
See if you can download a snippet of this album,even if only to hear one of the world's worst vocal mannerisms.

I think it's fair to say that Ms. Newsom's voice is an acquired taste. At this point, I'd listen to her recite the phone book.

I was just playing Ys last night. I think it's a masterful album and I agree that the production is top-knotch. I can't wait until I can afford to buy the double LP.

Joanna Newsom.

I just gave a few of her clips a liten on youtube.. and um... I'm not sure what to say... I do think I need to sit down for a serious listen.. and then again.. maybe not..

I listen to some really out there females, like Lene Livich, Flying Lizards.. ya gotta love Bijork, but this girl.. WOW.. all her own style for sure..

Is it because she can't sing? or is there some reason she uses that sound...

hhhmm.. I still don't know what to think..

this is like a cable debate-- there is absolutely nowhere to go with it, except if you wanna make yourself sound like a bumbling old fogey or a self congratulating hipster.

there is tons and tons of fascinating new music, an avalanche of it, constantly being produced, plus jillions of vintage lp's sitting in bins as yet undiscovered by you and me-- there is no way the little blonde on TV can be seen as representative of 'today's music', nor does she predict anything at all about 'the future of music' other than the perennial appearance of the pop flavor of the month.


Bumbling old fogey here!
P.S. Feist is Britney Spears without the sophistication or talent. :puke2:

Dancing With the Stars, like almost all TV shows, is about ratings, the quality of which determines advertising revenue.

That being one of, apparently, the top ratings shows, they know how to get ratings. Music as we know it is not necessarily part of the formula. A blond bimbette flailing on guitar may be.

All that matters to the producers is providing material that will capture the highest ratings and thus the most advertising dollar.

The quality of TV, especially network TV, is reflective of the vacuous, escapist nature of its average viewer.

Thank God for cable.

Thank God for cable.



Yeah , otherwise we wouldn't have LOGO. :yuck:

what about that "rage rock" crap my son listens too, full of teenage angst. all the vocalists just scream out like crying babies....

makes my ears bleed
You should introduce your son to progressive rock.
Try the band Evergrey (more power metal/rock - no screaming)
also check out the band Brainstorm (hard metal - no screaming)
Porcupine Tree
Dream Theater
Liquid Tension Experiment
exc......

Bumbling old fogey here!
P.S. Feist is Britney Spears without the sophistication or talent. :puke2:
Check out Bat For Lashes

You should introduce your son to progressive rock.

Dream Theater

exc......

:yes:

let him listen to ELP's karn Evil 9, the whole thing, and Dream Theater's Live Scenes from New York. Might change his musical tastes.....They sure did mine.

let him listen to ELP's Karn Evil 9, the whole thing...



:thmbsp: You got good taste, kid. And while he's at it he might as well listen to the rest of Brain Salad Surgery.

I think that all rap is not music at all. :no: Just someone talking over a drum machine.

My opinion is that there is good music out there, and new sounds waiting to be discovered, but no record company is willing to give any new groups or sounds a chance.

The reason why is that all the major recording labels are owned by huge companies that just are in it to make a profit. In the past it was guys like Berry Gordy, Phil Spector, Brian Epstein, Sam Phillips and others who had an ear and love for music. That is why Rap and Hip Hop have been around for so long.

Maybe someday it will change, and I think it will.

:thmbsp: You got good taste, kid. And while he's at it he might as well listen to the rest of Brain Salad Surgery.

I think that Tocatta might turn him off so early in the game, though...:scratch2:

There was a review in the December 2006 issue of the abso!ute sound of an album named 'Ys' from an artist(?) named Joanna Newsom.She is a harpist.
The album was recorded at Abbey Road Studios,and the orchestral arrangements were composed by Van Dyke Parks.
The album is a stunning recording.The acoustic instuments are exceptionally natural sounding.
Joanna Newsom's voice however is one of the most irritating sounds I've ever heard in my lifetime.
Truly.
This is a voice which could shrivel fruit on the tree.A voice which could curdle milk.The record should come with a warning to pregnant women and animals,that exposure to the voice will probably cause spontaneous miscarriages.
It's a shame because the instrumental sections are very pleasing.
That voice however makes Bjork(who I like)sound more akin to Nora Jones.
See if you can download a snippet of this album,even if only to hear one of the world's worst vocal mannerisms.

I just checked her out on youtube. My cat was sitting on my lap and turned and looked at me like she couldn't stand it! I told her that I agree and promptly shut it off! Most irritating sound? Yes, most definitely!

I think that all rap is not music at all. :no: Just someone talking over a drum machine.

Oh God, not this thread again! :no:

Check out Bat For Lashes

Was going to look for it and googled "Feist". When I saw the word 'Diva' I closed the window and quit. Can we please ban the use of the word 'Diva' unless referring to actual operatic performers? Please?
Yeah , probably not. :D

To the original post, just be glad you found someone at least trying to sing and play a guitar with other people trying to be musicians as opposed to some mindless rap crap or some dingy slut doing a Dance Fever routine.

I'm so sick of being bombarded with rap, dance, and even overplayed great Rock songs that have been ruined by it own (mis)use. The radio people act as if every great band got that way with ONLY two songs. If nothing else this offers younger audiences no clue at all of all the great stuff they are missing out on. They become bored with it just as I have. No wonder all they care about is how much BASS a recording has, not the music. What a sad existance. Oh well it STILL beats rap and candy ass dance music!!

Amen , Tubejunke. I have a 25 yr old stepdaughter that asked if I had any Ozzy-in the middle of Sweetleaf. By the time I was done she was a big fan of the Band and Flatt and Scruggs. Good thing I swiped one of her Kid Rock CDs so she won't be tempted to go back to her evil ways. Just hope she doesn't find out I've hidden it in my CD player..... BTW , I love your avatar.
P.S. She's also a HUGE J. Cash fan now.

Was channel surfing as I finish up before doing my nightly reading and ran across a live performance on TV. Cute little blonde signing and playing rhythm guitar with a large group (7 or 8). She was terrible. The song was terrible. There seemed to be zero 'musicianship' amongst the entire group...

Plenty of great music out there.

Just might require different venues than network TV, that's all.

What you witnessed is not what I'd consider cutting edge or provocative music or art, but the business of selling of an image, lifestyle and brand. dressed up in the clever guise of an entertainer or band.

Safe, formulaic, controllable entity in the form of one (collective or individual) easily identifiable and widely, safely marketed figurehead used for mass marketing of things like records and CDs, tv specials, clothing, fashion accessories, lunch boxes, branded cell phones, sneakers, board games, posters, skateboards, pen and pencil sets, backpacks, and energy drinks.

Proves quite profitable if done well.

Britney Spears may not be comparable in voice and songwriting skills to Janice Joplin, Billie Holliday, Nina Simone, ect...

...but she's sold lots more Pepsi. Lots more T-shirts. And influenced lots more teens in the purchase of various consumables and fashion items from Hot Topic and Spencer's gifts than those three combined, many, many times over.

Puts it into perspective of what she really is- a hawker for product, and her business is sales, with the gussied up flair of show business as her onservative business attire, her necktie and her oxfords.

Two new Disney tv and live concet touring ventures, "Hanna Montana", a tv show starring a young Miley Cyrus (daughter of Billy Ray Cyrus of "Achey Breakey Heart" fame) and "High School Musical", a group of Mouseketeer-of-the-00's kids (some already in adult scandals on the internet) performing song and dance with a healthy dose of drama, had the Targets and Kmarts and malls across the country filled with video games, young children's digital cameras, cell phone cases, hats, jewelry, radios, and tons of other merchandise branded, emblazoned with their images, all made for the eager consumer to, well, consume.

All the while generating healthy profits for those involved.

So, arguably, what you saw may not be the top of the talent pool but a well-constructed, well-organized, highly profitable cash machine in action.

But for all those viral marketing campaigns and cash cow superstars/supergroups, there's very talented folk like Nellie McKay, Regina Spektor, Neko Case, and many other young performers that can hang with the best of 'em from days of past.

These artists will be remembered for their songs and impact, and not because they had their picture on a cereal box, memory stick, sunglass lanyard or Thermos container.


The music played on T.V. does not accurately represent what's out there...there is more good music around than ever before...

I do think there are a lot of good "new" artists out there but. . .I think there is also more mediocrity than ever (proportionally). Part of it is the "democratization" of media; home recording (just like word processing) has made it possible for people to produce and package a product that wasn't possible even 15 years ago. There is also something embedded in our education and popular culture these days that tells everyone that they can do anything. I hate to say it but despite the suffering and exploitation of previous generations of artists there was something about the system that filtered the product better.

American/ Canadian Idol is responsible for a lot of bad music. I also believe that a lot of music today does have a "shelf life" and I think that very little of it will be listened to in 30 years (I am talking about the shuff you hear constantly on hit radio stations).

...the "mainstream" (radio/mtv/pop-culture) has taken a major down turn since the late 90s...Pop has always been "pop" and usually accompanied with a bit of cheese and sometimes whine, but the majority of new music being pumped out over the air really does suck...

Dancing With the Stars, like almost all TV shows, is about ratings, the quality of which determines advertising revenue...That being one of, apparently, the top ratings shows, they know how to get ratings. Music as we know it is not necessarily part of the formula. A blond bimbette flailing on guitar may be...All that matters to the producers is providing material that will capture the highest ratings and thus the most advertising dollar...The quality of TV, especially network TV, is reflective of the vacuous, escapist nature of its average viewer...

...My opinion is that there is good music out there, and new sounds waiting to be discovered, but no record company is willing to give any new groups or sounds a chance...The reason why is that all the major recording labels are owned by huge companies that just are in it to make a profit....


Indeedy, I'd argue we see less exposure of cutting edge artists on national tv and magazines, and now in many newspapers and even the evening news, due to media mogul setups.

Whether we like the music or not, there's cutting-edge stuff going on. But it's hard to sell a Dairy Queen sunday to a Melt Banana song, or cell phone minutes to Jesse Bulbo.

What we're witnessing is the masque of entertainment, a castrated and neutered shell, whitewashed and de-fanged, and turned into a costume to dress up 30 to 60 minute commercials being pitched as entertainment.

We're witnessing a money-making, marketing exercise.

Best way you can avoid this is with your wallet. And by sourcing out alternative venues.

Tune into college radio, internet venues, independent tv, eclectic cable, the local music scene, efforts coming out of Austin and Athens and Brooklyn- not network tv, Murdoch, Sony and Turner empires, or radio stations that populate 90% of the dial on the right side, and you'll see the good stuff.

...there is tons and tons of fascinating new music, an avalanche of it, constantly being produced...there is no way the little blonde on TV can be seen as representative of 'today's music', nor does she predict anything at all about 'the future of music' other than the perennial appearance of the pop flavor of the month.

Yesh!

Without trying to insult anyone, I'd say that incredibly popular at the time shows like the Osmonds, The Partridge Family, and even the stint of song/dance numbers of the Brady Bunch were considered lite fair at the time, and nowhere indicative of the fabulous music being created at the time.

For kitch value you may hear an album by the above spun, but rest assured it's the million other 70's music makers that live on, influencing music today and perpetuating the artistry of the performer.

When I think 70's, I think of Neil Young, Townes Van Zandt, Pink Floyd, Tom Waits, James Brown, Van Halen, Jethro Tull, Johnny Cash, Roberta flack, Donny Hathaway, ect.

Not David Cassidy & Susan Day (Partridges), Eve Plumb & Mike Lookinland (Bradys), or Donald "Donny", Marie, Alan, Melvin, Merril, Jay and James (Osmonds).


In defense of the critics...

Some of the critics of modern music were fortunate to have some great network shows like "The King Biscuit Flower Power Hour", early "Saturday Night Live", and even "The Ed Sullivan Show".

Heck, even Tom Waits once played piano on a late 60's/early 70's variety show. wish I could remember the name of it...

But these shows have been replaced with a lesser form of product.

What the networks pass off as entertainment and cutting edge nowadays is really only typically showcasing the worst that the music scene has to offer, the easy to market dredge, and nowheres near the cream that exists.

Oftentimes a great band or artist, if possessing a possible marketable image if not so risky, is robbed of it's image, the image bleached out, stripped of most of it's character and color, only leaving the basic shape, a mere shadow of itself left. Easily pliable and moulded now, into a safer package, with no sharp edges.

This package is then often shrunk down to fit and cater to a smaller size- a demographic with spending power (or shall we say parents with spending power) and a large, wide appetite, as well as a plethora of items desired- from fast food to clothes to toys and services.

This new product, devoid of any "edge", is deemed safe enough by the parents, and thus receives their stamp of approval. Said items are then purchased to satiate the eager developing next generation of consumers of the truely mass market.

Great music out there. But surely ain't gonna find it playing in the backround of reality TV's "Shot at love with Tila Tequila" or the sit-com "The Suite Life of Zack & Cody".

Good thing I swiped one of her Kid Rock CDs so she won't be tempted to go back to her evil ways. Just hope she doesn't find out I've hidden it in my CD player..... :lmao: