Is Music getting worse...

[Schu]

The birth of 'cool' took place BEFORE the roaring 20's as industrialization and syncopation became hip.

[Islander]

3 hours ago, Schu said:

The birth of 'cool' took place BEFORE the roaring 20's as industrialization and syncopation became hip.

 

Perhaps I used the wrong term.  That makes me think of something that Herman Hesse wrote, maybe in Steppenwolf.  However, for people born after WW II, like most of us, the coolness was not terribly obvious, and the music of our parents, or I should say, of the parents of most of us, was not too cool.  Of course, we were kids, so our musical tastes were mostly still unformed, so silly pop music caught our ears, while more serious music just seemed old-fashioned.

[Racer X]

Following is a list of genres ( if one may be allowed to label, all Japanese ) I never knew existed before I chanced upon a suggested YouTube link:

 

Japanese idol

Classic Japanese idol

Growth Period idol

Kawaii Metal

Techno Electro Pop

Electro Rap

Jazz idol

Goth rock

Jazz rock

City Pop

Pop rock

Hard rock, World Domination 

 

All girl bands.  Japanese have a penchant for "The Gap", merging kawaii ( cute ) and cool.  The music, production, and talent is off the charts, and often has unexpected breaks and twists.  The artistry is top notch, fresh, and extremely prolific.  Some of the groups or artists I follow drop songs almost weekly.

 

Western music is stale, repetitious, unimaginative, and full of hipster posers by comparison. 

 

 

 

[tigerwoodKhorns]

16 hours ago, Islander said:

 

 Great music is still being made, it’s just not as dominant as it used to be and still deserves to be. 

 

 

Of course, but who listens to the radio anymore?  Harder for me to get exposed to it.

[tigerwoodKhorns]

6 hours ago, Racer X said:

Following is a list of genres ( if one may be allowed to label, all Japanese ) I never knew existed before I chanced upon a suggested YouTube link:

 

Japanese idol

Classic Japanese idol

Growth Period idol

Kawaii Metal

Techno Electro Pop

Electro Rap

Jazz idol

Goth rock

Jazz rock

City Pop

Pop rock

Hard rock, World Domination 

 

All girl bands.  Japanese have a penchant for "The Gap", merging kawaii ( cute ) and cool.  The music, production, and talent is off the charts, and often has unexpected breaks and twists.  The artistry is top notch, fresh, and extremely prolific.  Some of the groups or artists I follow drop songs almost weekly.

 

Western music is stale, repetitious, unimaginative, and full of hipster posers by comparison. 

 

 

 

I put one of those on.  That is basically what I was referring to as 'druggie dance music.'  Sounds really good on a good system, especially one that images very well. 

 

The Crystal Method from the 90s is similar where they have a lot of effects that really sound good on a great system. 

 

 

[Racer X]

Yeah, I was all dance, EDM in the 90s as that was the only music easily found on the vinyl.

 

"Little Fluffy Clouds" was the track that set me off in that direction....

[Curious_George]

1 hour ago, Racer X said:

"Little Fluffy Clouds" was the track that set me off in that direction....

I have that track on a 90's compilation disc. Great disc and song. 

[Racer X]

"You don't see that.  You might still see it in the desert."    Rickie Lee Jones

[Curious_George]

4 minutes ago, Racer X said:

"You don't see that.  You still might see it in the desert."

Sunsets, were purple and red and yellow... great times!

[Curious_George]

I happen to come by that disc by chance, an Army buddy borrowed $10 from me and he did not have the money come pay day, so he gave me that disc. 

[Racer X]

Cranked the crap out of my copy of that album The Orb's Adventures Beyond the Ultraword, and bought every remix of LFC I could find.  That guy ( Alex Paterson ? ) defined the art of the sample for me. He took an off the cuff interview reply by RLJ and made it into poetry and an EDM mainstay.  Subsequent albums by The Orb never really approached it for me, so I moved on to other artists like Deee-Lite.

[Islander]

Groove is in the heart.

[Racer X]

On 8/5/2022 at 3:45 PM, billybob said:

Yep:

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/music/2022/08/05/mofi-records-analog-digital-scandal/

 

Holy Batman, this is a Wizard of Oz moment.  This link wouldn't open on my computer, but checking my phone just now there it is.  Eye opening to say the least.

 

We've been scammed by MoFi and Music Direct all these years, apparently it is all snake oil and unless one buys original pressings which are near unobtainium these days, one has no assurance of true analog.

 

Very glad I realized downloaded mp3s sounded same as the CD for the pop music I favor and they're free.

 

Is it all a Matrix like multiple reality simulation ? So many questions....

 

Realize wiggly grooves and vibrating phono styli of esoteric MC cartridges on Rube Goldberg record players have a "warmer" sound, but let's all take a step back, reexamine, and embrace, step into the 21st century.

 

Just stunned, and I don't even play records anymore....

[SWL]

There's a few genres of music I like and there are a few I don't really care for but I respect it for what it is.

 

Rap crap and whatever it's called is not music to me. I've got zero respect for that stuff.....it's not music, just a bunch of bozos shooting their mouths off. Then they're referred to as 'artists'? You gotta be kidding me. 

[grasshopper]

Our folks said the same thing....

I will not disagree with your dislike of rap or whatever it is called. Something about them having to tell you who they are, in the song, speaks volumes

[billybob]

8 hours ago, Racer X said:

 

Holy Batman, this is a Wizard of Oz moment.  This link wouldn't open on my computer, but checking my phone just now there it is.  Eye opening to say the least.

 

We've been scammed by MoFi and Music Direct all these years, apparently it is all snake oil and unless one buys original pressings which are near unobtainium these days, one has no assurance of true analog.

 

Very glad I realized downloaded mp3s sounded same as the CD for the pop music I favor and they're free.

 

Is it all a Matrix like multiple reality simulation ? So many questions....

 

Realize wiggly grooves and vibrating phono styli of esoteric MC cartridges on Rube Goldberg record players have a "warmer" sound, but let's all take a step back, reexamine, and embrace, step into the 21st century.

 

Just stunned, and I don't even play records anymore....

Dang...I didn't read it.

[JohnJ]

Pop or top 40 has gotten even worse... When the "Rocks" LP came out I knew I was done with Casey Kasem Sundays.

I've been looked at funny for blasting YES or Lou Reed and even the Who within the last decade. (and even "World Clique")While the youngins at the stoplights glaring at me were rattling the bolts loose from teeny tiny cars with noise.

Oh and Styx mastered the synthesizer so differently than Jan Hammer.

[Racer X]

Top 40:  That used to be good thing in 70s, one list encapsulating all the genres, and some stations would make some attempt at that variety. 

 

Remember when Bohemian Rahapsody hit the airwaves, the radio station would play it every 10 minutes.

 

Styx likewise was very cool in 70s, 80s, and one of my first concert experiences. 

 

Then radio started to get more segregated, with Rock stations loudly proclaiming Disco sucks and making a promotion of burning or blowing up those records.  Sad, as Disco doesn't suck even if it's not your cup of tea.

 

Still recall when the new wave and punk put an end to all that.  Recall fondly when I first heard Planet Claire by B52s, the local rock station DJ thought is was so mind blowingly different she played the track twice in a row during her primetime 7:00 evening show.  That heralded the coming of the new wave for me.  Punk was never heard on the radio, save the low powered college station, it was totally underground.

 

Close with classic line from the Blue Brothers movie:  Jake ( Belushi ) approaches the bartender at the club gig they usurped and asks:  

 

"What kind of music do y'all play here ?"

 

"Both kinds, Country and Western."

[Curious_George]

3 minutes ago, Racer X said:

 

 

Close with classic line from the Blue Brothers movie:  Jake ( Belushi ) approaches the bartender at the club gig they usurped and asks:  

 

"What kind of music do y'all play here ?"

 

"Both kinds, Country and Western."

"I don't know what I like, but I know what I like" Yogi Berra

[JJkizak]

The only new song out recently that is very well done is "Black Velvet".

JJK