PDA

View Full Version : The Dying Art



saturnihilist
Sep 7, 2006, 01:40 AM
I was listening to a local alternative radio station today, when it occured to me: the originality has left music--for the most part. I pity those who are original in anything, because their ideas will be copied and then copied again. In my opinion, the 90s music was the last chance for a true musical revolution, such as occured in the previous decades, excluding the 80s. However, it died out; it was just another way to make money. Yes, musicians need to make money because, like all artists, they need to survive. All art draws from some other art in some sense, but great art build on it to create something new, something wonderful. The same musical themes are in almost every song on the radio: angst, sex, drugs, alcohol; hate. There are a few bands who are original (e.g. The Decemberists), but most original bands realize how hard it is to be successful unless they give the masses what they want. Do we no longer want to hear things which push the limits of our preconceived notions of what musical experience can be? I am a musician (I play the electric and acoustic guitars), and I have found that not only is this mundane music a waste and an insult to the "spirit" of great music past, but it is infectious: I've found myself writing the same sort of songs without even realizing. There is an infinite amount of note combinations on the guitar, so why do the same six come up over and over? Why do I only hear tried and true lyrics, lyrics that fit into the box built for them by the industry. Yes, I know this rant wanders around like a rabid dog, tearing apart random things, but I'm truly fed up with the apathy we now have towards the dying art. Will I do anything to change it? No, I've already had the idea of music painted for me. I only hope that the next generation finds a sound to call their own, something original. We have found the sound of silence.

Blitzkommando
Sep 7, 2006, 03:24 AM
I had a similar conversation recently. However, I saw the eighties as a culmination of what happened between the 1960s and 1970s. I also saw it as the beginnings of the heavy use of electric instruments, as in computers and synthesizers became common place in eighties rock. But, really, the 90s in western rock seemed to be rather dull and overshadowed by the heavily force-feeding of rap, R&B, and 'pop' music. The majority of it was disappointing at best for me.

A major reason is the deaths of so many of the 'revolutionary' bands as well as the continued uprising of the 'fad' bands and the extremely commercialized nature that has taken to music. I don't see anything wrong in a band selling merchandise, but when the quality of their music begins to drop with the quantity of ther merchandise I begin to question continued support of the band through purchase of their music.

I think a major problem is that just a very few select bands get any attention. Generally they are either well known from decades ago and are still playing (Rolling Stones) or are constantly in the news for their rather noisy political ravings (The Dixie Chicks) or are simply extremely popular with young teenagers (the various boy-bands of the late 1990s). Other artists are simply passed over which accounts for the horribly generic music of today.

Perhaps I am too harsh or perhaps I haven't heard someone who sounds good to me personally, but I have found very few songs coming out during the 1990s in the western markets that I liked the sound of. The eastern markets are a bit different as it is more new to me so the sound is unique and good to me. But for all I know those markets are suffering from the same problems as here. In any event, there is still enough content in the way of music produced in the last century alone to last me a lifetime.

One final note however is that there is one genre if you will that has continued to develop extremely well, and extremely quickly, especially during the 1990s and today. That is game music. I find so much of it to be on par, and often better, than what is put out by musicians by trade that it deserves a mention. Koji Kondo, Nobuo Uematsu, Kenta Nagata, and Kelly Bailey are but a few. Even some remixers of videogame music stand out to me, like kLuTz of OCRemix who is far from a klutz when it comes to piano.

Sinue_v2
Sep 7, 2006, 05:07 AM
That is game music. I find so much of it to be on par, and often better, than what is put out by musicians by trade that it deserves a mention.

I'm not sure where I saw it - weither 20/20 or Dateline or whatever - but they said that popular music continues to simplify and follow mass market trends, today's children are actually starting to listen more and more to the great classic works and are more interested in large scale musical scores. This is likely due to videogames which often employ syphonies (expecially in RPGs) and borrow from well established classics. They sited two examples: One being Final Fantasy's often highly acclaimed scores - and the other being Resident Evil for it's inclusion of "Midnight Sonata".

Daikarin
Sep 7, 2006, 08:04 AM
Even if the majority are fillers and cheap remakes of greater classics, if you look thoroughly you can still find some geniouses around.

Solstis
Sep 7, 2006, 10:20 AM
If there wasn't a mainstream, then there wouldn't be the counter culture that we love.

Allos
Sep 7, 2006, 02:55 PM
That's mainstream music for ya. It's driven by money, and they produce what sells.

There is "original" music out there. You just have to find it.

Metal is the way to go for me.

astuarlen
Sep 7, 2006, 04:52 PM
Music was dead before it was born; so was the English language and literature and and common courtesy and culture in general--at least, people have been bemoaning the demise/decline of these things practically forever. I wouldn't worry too much about it, okay?

Sure, there is a lot of trite, uninspired, boring music out there. My bet is that there always has been; it's just that the "best" stuff seems to be preserved or passed on. Luckily for us, though, if we don't like what the local radio plays, we have nifty recordings of past music and whatever suits us from the present (though I'll be damned if I can find high-quality recordings of Ben Houge's a-freakin'-mazing Arcanum soundtrack--online, on CD, or otherwise, bah).
Mediocrity may prevail quantity-wise precisely because it's so easy, but we'll never lack for interesting work.

Nodachi
Sep 14, 2006, 03:33 AM
On 2006-09-07 14:52, astuarlen wrote:
Music was dead before it was born; so was the English language and literature and and common courtesy and culture in general--at least, people have been bemoaning the demise/decline of these things practically forever. I wouldn't worry too much about it, okay?

Sure, there is a lot of trite, uninspired, boring music out there. My bet is that there always has been; it's just that the "best" stuff seems to be preserved or passed on. Luckily for us, though, if we don't like what the local radio plays, we have nifty recordings of past music and whatever suits us from the present (though I'll be damned if I can find high-quality recordings of Ben Houge's a-freakin'-mazing Arcanum soundtrack--online, on CD, or otherwise, bah).
Mediocrity may prevail quantity-wise precisely because it's so easy, but we'll never lack for interesting work.

Rofl it's so true it's not even funny.

Each generation will pass on a few gems to the next. To talk about the 80's and 90's as the last true generation of originality, or how the use of electronics in music is really a downfall, couldn't be any further from the truth. Instruments always change, which instruments people choose to use is always up to them. If anything, new instruments are only gona add to/make the music better/allow for more originality to occur. As long as we're always capable of thinking, we'll come up with new stuff, don't worry about that.

Think about the romantic era and all that classical stuff. Pianos, and strings, accompanied by a bit of percussion. Imagine all the talk about when guitars were introduced? Boy I bet that caused quite a stir. I'm sure they were going on about how the last generation of good/original music had already passed. But then many years after those people of that era died, more great music was introduced. Some put to use the old instruments, others new, and some combined both. It's the same today with electronica genres. While we're using synthesizers, turntables, computers and drumb machines, we still throw in samples of pianos, strings, and various forms of percussion.

Also, I'd like to think no genre ever really dies. Rather, the mainstream focus changes. In the romantic period, classical anthems would be the mainstream focus lol. Classical music has hardly died. Check out how many albums in this genre are made a year, how many concerts there are, how many students go to art schools each year to carry it on. And this is the same for any genre. You like oldschool hip-hop? Think it's dead? Hardly the case, just do a little research and you'll find some gems.

And to touch on the whole mainstream discussion, well, really just to quote a great line lol. As Solstis said above;

"If there wasn't a mainstream, then there wouldn't be the counter culture that we love."

Which is beyond true lol. If you're a fan of some mainstream artists/songs, that's great, I'm not knocking that. You like, what you like. But I personally love most mainstream stuff because it makes me appreciate the stuff I actually listen to that much more http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif





<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Nodachi on 2006-09-14 01:38 ]</font>

navci
Sep 14, 2006, 01:32 PM
Gotta give hats off to people who create music you hate but so catchy once you heard it it doesnt get out of your head. Which eventually drive you insane.. or something like that.

They built these music to sell, and that, they certainly did it well, you gotta give them that.

MadEwokHerd
Sep 14, 2006, 05:08 PM
Music is made for money. Even if a band doesn't want to go commercial, some musicians love the thrill of making new music that they continue to do it. The reason I say it's made for money is that no record label will make an album with ANY band unless they feel like there's a chance of profit. Look at GLAM in the eighties. Once the band that did Metal Health sold a healthy amount, GLAM bands started getting signed like crazy. This trend will always happen. A genre of music wants to blow up, but there is no proof for profit. Then one label decides to take a chance due to very high payoffs. Then any band that even looks the part is signed. That's why boy-bands got huge, that's why metal got a lot of bands, that's why pop is still pop.

KodiaX987
Sep 14, 2006, 05:29 PM
On 2006-09-14 11:32, navci wrote:
Gotta give hats off to people who create music you hate but so catchy once you heard it it doesnt get out of your head. Which eventually drive you insane.. or something like that.


COUP DE BOULE!

Azraelscross
Sep 15, 2006, 02:16 PM
On 2006-09-07 12:55, Allos wrote:
That's mainstream music for ya. It's driven by money, and they produce what sells.

There is "original" music out there. You just have to find it.

Metal is the way to go for me.


this guy knows what hes talking about. theres alot of metal out there. alot of originality is still in that genre.

navci
Sep 15, 2006, 11:44 PM
On 2006-09-15 12:16, Azraelscross wrote:
this guy knows what hes talking about. theres alot of metal out there. alot of originality is still in that genre.



Excuse me but I find it funny everytime people complain about pop music scene then all the talk about "metal is original, listen to it". I am sure if you look hard enough there'd be originality everywhere. Just gotta open those eyes.

Azraelscross
Sep 19, 2006, 02:56 AM
pop is exactly that. popular music. not much originality left in the genre. there is some but its VERY hard to find in NA or Europe

Eauijhkuu
Sep 23, 2006, 06:13 PM
On 2006-09-07 14:52, astuarlen wrote:
Music was dead before it was born; so was the English language and literature and and common courtesy and culture in general--at least, people have been bemoaning the demise/decline of these things practically forever. I wouldn't worry too much about it, okay?



Regardless if there's nothing original,
We could probably say that the best always emulate the best.

Meaning that good usually begets good.

Meaning that while originality might be shadowed by originality, quality knows quality.

So I guess to say that music was dead before it was born is kinda extreme, since it obviously inspires other things to different artists.

As an artist, I'm encouraged to look at other artists' work to see where my strengths are actually strengths and where my weaknesses are actually weaknesses. Not because I lack originality, but simply because you want to be able to fine tune methods in your work to become successful.


Then again. Generations are always a hard to please.

astuarlen
Sep 23, 2006, 09:12 PM
I think you mistook my irony for sincerity, sir. I am firmly in the originality/innovation-isn't-everything camp, and I pledge alliegience to the flag of quit whining; everything is getting worse. Yeah... just wanted to clear that up.

Dangerous55
Sep 24, 2006, 02:18 AM
I met a girl who sang the blues and I asked her for some happy news but she just smiled and turned away. I went down to the sacred store where I'd heard the music years before but the man there said the music wouldn't play. And in the streets the children screamed, the lovers cried, and the poets dreamed but not a word was spoken. The church bells all were broken and the three men I admire most, the Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost, they caught the last train for the coast, the day, the music, died, and they were singin...

Bye, bye Miss American Pie



I go after the old stuff. Some new stuff...White Stripes. Oasis.