Off Topic Saints Not606 Music Thread

Incredible. Good old BBC doing what they do best too

 

I think that, in the mainstream, there is a lack of interest amongst the audiences to explore music these days. It is fascinating but also somewhat depressing. There was a debate on the BBC Jazz messagboard many years ago about what kind of music the younger generation of jazz fans were listening to and nearly all of it was coming out of a Hip Hop mindset. This was in the days when Robert Glasper had issued the version volume of "Black Radio." When I was getting into jazz, this kind of stuff would have been frowned upon as beng "commercial" or "fusion" The final straw for me was seeing a live concert on Youtube with Glasper where he was filming himself on his mobile whilst playing. This just underscored the whole idea of his music being self-indulgent whilst remaining far from edgy.

The fact that music is streamed these days and you have devices like Alexa means that the music seems more disposable . I don't think people have the patience for full albums these days on pop music nor any notion of an artist building up a legacy. The momentum is always with bringing along the next artist with many careers being finally realised by the time an artist is in their mid thirties. The whole asepct of having to save up for albums has gone and there is no real legacy being produced by today's artists. Even the better stuff is derivitive of previous artists. Even with Classical music the composing seems to have run out of steam whereas in the 1980s it was still fascinating and relevant. Composers like Mark Antonny Turnage and James MacMillan are not getting the media attention they would have done thirty years ago. The last "media fuss" about a composer that I wam aware of was the Caroline Shaw "Entr' acte" disc which was impressive. This kind of experience is few and far between tbese days.

For me, music is in a kind of stagnation at the moment. As this is largely a consequence of the commecial pressures as to how all types of music is consumed, I am not sure what the solution is. I think that the future will be the crystalisation of earlier recordings whether we are talking about jazz, rock. pop or classical and very little real developments on these fields. You will end up with a "Greatest Hits" approach to all kind of music. Radio stations are already offering the chance to edit radio playlists if you do not like a particular song. The "innovation" will be in things like production and the simplicity of so much of this music will mean that you will have a generation of music fans who would find something like Nirvana too challenging or who will constantly have to reference the new music back to earlier artists. Given that many people are already happy to go to concerts where the bands are effectively playing pre-recorded tracks, this does not bode well for live music and the desire for "live " performances to match the "studio experience" will ony serve to make this more prevalent. Back in the 19th century, I would suggest that the piano was a mainstay of most middle / upper class homes and there was a demand for sophisitcated music whether it be classical music or arrangements of operatic pieces. ,Audiences have, since this point, been quite savvy and this has continued throughout the 20th century as music trends have changed. As long as people are playing music, there will be an audience to understand more complicated musical ideas. With sampling and people using software to "compose" music, you are just pandering to the lowest common denominator all the time. I would suggest that most young fans will be unaware of , say, the Allman Brothers and would not be bothered whether or not the music they consume is made by musicians or non-musicians. "Good" will be defined by production. Artists like Wayne Shorter will be considered too complex whereas pre-pdigital recordings will, at best, be concisdered quaint and insufficiently well produced to play on the radio.

I don;t think I am at all typical as concerned to how I listen to music or what prompts me to explore. There cannot be too many people who enjoy the range that I appreciate , even on this board. Most people do not have the need to explore music or understand who is influencing who and what music is truly original. People are not fussed about what is b/s.

The internet has conversely made more music available yet also facilitated the detrimental effect of non-musicians controlling popular music which has destroyed the music industry. I cannot see how the situation will improve and think any appeal for "non commercial" music will become really niche. You can envisage a point where even David Bowie would not be considered as too challenging. Current pop music is cluttered with one chord vamps or music performed within a restricted range of tempi. It has become too homogenous. There is no room in music these days for an Ornette Coleman to come in and scare the sh/t out of people.

 

I largely agree. But I do also think and hope that will change. There are still *some* good people out there at the labels, who are willing to take a risk. You are right about how people are generally required to have already built up a fanbase via TikTok or whatever platform (largely TikTok at the moment), certainly before one of the majors will take a punt on them, and more and more the case with the independent labels too (who are being infiltrated by the majors anyhow). The idea of Bowie (who had a failure of a first album) or Prince (who first three albums tanked) ever being given the grace to keep going because the label knew they were on to something has totally disappeared.

Basically what has vanished really is the concept of artist development. And that's a big problem. The only way really that an artist can continue without that backing, is by being independently wealthy (or having external investment of some sort), and frankly no good music was written without struggle. The recent proliferation of modern music schools doesn't actually help on that front either.

Still, let's hope it changes round again somehow.

 

Yesterday was the 90th Birthday of the musical maestro, Quincy Jones. Radio Tres (Espana) provided an hour long tribute as a consequence. Even those who do not have a good level of Spanish will be able to understand large elements of the presentation. A vosotros que lo escuchais!!

Those of a certain vintage were probably still teenagers when you listen to the 4th track on this program.

Como lo oyes - Programa musical en RTVE Play

 

This beats daytime TV, QJ's 75th birthday celebrations live at Montreux

 

Here's a brand new song from Punk legends, The Damned ahead of the release of their album, Darkadelic...

No prizes for guessing who the "clown" is...

 

This is a very nice set of videos documenting the history of Rock 'n' Roll...

Watch on Youtube to get the full set.

 

I have been a fan of these guys for decades, not only for the songs they wrote but also for the social issues they raised and supported. Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff.

(112) The Philly Sound: Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff & The Story Of Brotherly Love (1997) | Black Thought - YouTube

 

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I remember Peel starting with a programme on Saturday afterrnoon's on Radio 1 around 1968!!

 

Who in their right mind would take on any of Donald Byrd's masterpieces? well that is exactly waht Jordan Rakei did with "Wind Parade" and what a performance!!

(113) Blue Note Re:imagined with Jordan Rakei ft. Ezra Collective - Wind Parade (6 Music Live Session) - YouTube

 

I rather like this. I also have it by Arthur Lee and Love on their Reel to Real album.

 

I've always been a sucker for a well written and crafted song with a great melody that's why I love Motown so much.
These prove that those qualities can crossover to different genres...

 

As we seem to be posting remakes of old Motown hits, here's my favourite Frankie Goes to Hollywood version of "War", a radically different one from Edwin Starr's original, Much of the production is undoubtedly down to the genius of Trevor Horn!!

(114) War - Frankie goes to Hollywood - YouTube

 

I loved the Fitth Dimension for their wonderful hamonies and humour and they way they perforned Laura Nyro's songs such as Stoned Cold Picnii and Wedding Bell Blues, Having listened to Laura's original of Stoned Cold Picnic her vocal range as well as her musical virtuosity is simply outstanding on this track.

Disfrute!! (114) LAURA NYRO stoned soul picnic - YouTube