"I hate modern music!"

[picky]

edwinr: Ya see that? We're right back to taking about girls' plumbing! (pipes)

Now, mainstream music-wise, I'm probably going to take some heat for saying this, but the one voice that still haunts me is that of LeAnn Rimes on her initial hit 'Blue'. I realize it's country and I have not listened to what the young lady has done of late, but her recording of 'Blue' shall remain in my collection as a permanent example of one of my ideas of "perfection". I like some of the work that Diana Krall has done as well. One of my favorite male vocalists is Seal, escpecially on his version of the Steve Miller hit, 'Fly like an eagle'. On sax, I like Boney James.

[Frank Speaker]

TheEAR:

Those links to the Britney and Christina songs are to Windows Media Player clips. They dont work for you? Do you have Windows Media Player?

Very interesting and thought provoking thread here, thanks all.

[cluless]

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On 9/30/2004 4:04:22 PM BobbyT wrote:

----------------

On 9/28/2004 1:55:57 PM Fuchal wrote:

Of course, alongside the popular music, there's some great music being created today that few know about.

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you guys should check out www.cdbaby.com

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cdbay.com

Good Call!

I dread the day when I fail to look forward with what new music might offer. My interest has waxed and waned over the years...but I still want to play around and see what floats...

...

But the Pop scene has never had any real meaning. Nadda. And it can not be seriously be considered...ever...It is an entity unto itself, that is about as worthwhile as a load of .....

[Audible Nectar]

"Of course, alongside the popular music, there's some great music being created today that few know about."

(insert warm and mellow bell tone here)

This statement is absolutely correct. If you are watching MTV or listening to your local megacorp station, you are getting taken for a ride. You're not getting too old or out of touch, you are just looking in the wrong place.

Today, the usual outlets will give you little in the way of new and groundbreaking musical material. If MILLIONS do not find a particular act interesting, they do not make it. Most acts never get the opportunity to be heard through the usual radio and TV outlets. Who would you rather make your music choices: YOU, or some fat a$$ in a suit somewhere who functions as the musical gatekeeper?

If we all obtained speakers like most find new music these days, we would all be listening to Bose. Since we all know that isn't good enough, we seek to find better. Finding new artists, OTOH, is like finding your own pair of Heritage Klipsch: You won't find it at your local Wal-Mart, you must dig a little deeper in order to find "The Real Deal".

Odds are, you found, and/or decided on your Klipsch here - on the internet. Use that same internet connection to seek out music that you enjoy. I GUARANTEE that if you use the same zeal that accompanied your search for Klipsch for your music search, your ears will be much happier.

My favorite portal is at jambase.com, a site where hundreds of quality musical acts are represented. Links to band websites (which almost always have free samples), tour schedules, ticket purchasing links, and reviews. Nothing beats sampling new stuff without commercials And this is just ONE portal.

The most important aspect of most bands on Jambase is live performance. This is where you must get off the couch. If you think discovering new music is fun......wait until you see that music live in the best venues in the country. Colorado's Red Rocks. Austin's Backyard. Berkeley's Greek Theatre. Atlanta's Fox Theatre. Or how 'bout a 500 seat club? It's probably not at your 30,000 seat megacorp shed, folks......gotta think smaller. Speakers - BIG. Venues - small. Imagine that - you can see what the band LOOKS LIKE. Oh, and one more benefit: You can afford the tickets. Instead of paying $100+ per ticket to see a "bigger name" at your local arena or shed, why not spend $25 per ticket to see better music in better venues? Now you have some money to travel a bit too, if you choose

Next time you are considering a component upgrade (which many of us have enough of anyway), consider a MUSIC upgrade instead. Get off the couch and see some good live music! It's the one instance where it's quite OK to listen to music other than on your Klipsch. It will improve your geographical skills and expand your horizons, too. I've learned much and seen many places as a result of my musical travels.....41 states in the union so far.

Next stop: Austin, Texas. String Cheese Incident at the Backyard, Oct 15-17. $65 for three shows. In the company of dearest friends at my buddy's vacation pad on Lake Travis. I'm soooooooo there.

[picky]

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On 10/4/2004 7:31:47 AM Audible Nectar wrote:

"If you are watching MTV or listening to your local megacorp station, you are getting taken for a ride. You're not getting too old or out of touch, you are just looking in the wrong place."

------------------------------------------------------------

Not only do I agree with you, I congratulate you on penning such a refreshing point-of-view!

[skonopa]

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On 10/4/2004 7:31:47 AM Audible Nectar wrote:

Next time you are considering a component upgrade (which many of us have enough of anyway), consider a MUSIC upgrade instead. Get off the couch and see some good live music! It's the one instance where it's quite OK to listen to music other than on your Klipsch. It will improve your geographical skills and expand your horizons, too. I've learned much and seen many places as a result of my musical travels.....41 states in the union so far.

----------------

Believe me, you are preaching to the choir here. I've already pretty much gave up on the "mainstream" sources for music. MTV? I haven't watched that since college days, and even then, it was pretty rare (considering that we did not even have cable TV pretty much until about my junior year in high-school). Local radio! Gave that up, and got XM Radio, since the only place I've ever listened to the radio was in the car driving to work and back. I have not even bothered to hook up the anttanea(sp), thus the tuner section of my Denon AVR3802 pretty much goes un-used. I just go so sick and tired of all of the stations around here. Instead, if I want background music at home, the Music Choice channels on my DirecTV service works very nicely. Even from just those two sources, I've found acts that I've never heard of that I really liked, plus those two sources have the nice feature of actually displaying the name of the song, artist, and album (at least Music Choice displays the album - wish XM Radio would too - maybe it is just my particular head-unit).

Of course, the internet is a friggan treasure trove of good music. I remember literally spending hours going through MP3.com looking for good music. I still got quite a collection of the MP3s I've downloaded from there, and still listen to. Just last week, I went through and put together a "favorites" CD so I can listen to them in the car. Alas, MP3.com as we knew it is nolonger around. Plenty of other places to go and check out new music, such as Winamp's own site. Of course, there are the internet radio to listen to also.

And yes, I'll fully admit that I've "sampled" music using P2P tools, such as WinMX. I ended up buying the CD anyway if I liked the music, simply because I'd rather have a quality original instead of some MP3 file of dubious quality. Otherwise, it often got deleted.

And for the live music? Hmmm.... Open Mic night at The Colonial Tavern! Zilch to get in, and I've got to listen to some pretty good acts there. Of course, I end up spending $20 on thier awesome Black-n-Blue chicken dinner with baked potato, followed up by a Yeungling lager.

[thebes]

Excellent Audible. Wonderful post. I try to do music stuff here rather than the internet because I'm on dialup and it's much more hit and miss. Here you know it's recorded well, and even though it may not always be what I'm looking for, you know there's discernment as well as passion behind the recommendations.

Steven, looks like I'm going to have to wander down the hgihway one of these days and try some of that chicken.

[skonopa]

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On 10/4/2004 6:41:39 PM thebes wrote:

Steven, looks like I'm going to have to wander down the hgihway one of these days and try some of that chicken.

----------------

Hey, let me know if you want to come down this way. You are more than welcomed to visit (and this goes for anybody in the D.C. to Richmond area, or beyond if you are willing to travel).

[darkpark]

i can't agree more with what has been said but i believe that modern music is a reflection of modern man. certainly nobody here buying britney spears CDs but someone is!! the prosac children of this era hold some of not most responsibility to the low quality of todays music. after all they are the ones supporting the low quality musicians (if they even can be called that).

[picky]

darkpark: You made some valid observations: Our "throw-away society" has now bred "throw-away entertainment".

It's like: Listen for 5 minutes and then it's, "I'm done wit choo!"

Hmm...I wonder if Britney Spears will be featured on Muzak in the near future? LOL

Her song, 'Me against the music' suddenly makes sense!

[darkpark]

i in no way support terrorism in any form, but wouldn't it be amusing if someone started a terrorist organization that preyed on pop stars and/or recording companies that were supporting them?

such an organization could use non-violent but distruptive tactics to impede concerts/shows, printing of CDs, and make life miserable for the pop-stars.

of course, it is not only pop music that's off sad quality. altenative music isn't bristling with talent either. it seems that about 1/2 of todays alternative (i have yet to understand what alternative music means: hmmm.. an alternative to quality music perhaps???) bands are composed of disgruntled suburban teens that couldn't cope with the pressures of everyday life. needless to say, they don't usually have any talent but young suburban people are able to relate to these bands and as such purchase their CDs.

[dodger]

This has been an excellent thread. There is an area that has not been mentioned.

Take us geezers to a Memories, oldies, revival concert featuring the acts of our era. (talk about sounding old...), look at the number of young people present, singing along, the words correct and enjoying themselves.

Save for a few, I don't recall that happening when we were the "New Boys." (Thanks Rod)

As for porn, hands up - how many males bought the vinyl "No Secrets" by Carly Simon just for the Cover photo. How many of us drooled over Stevie Nicks?

How many songs today sample "our" songs or are remakes. A higher percentage than the 60s, 70s and early 80s did for songs of the 30s, 40, early 50s.

We are partially bothered by some of the music of today because it is inflicted upon us by the 1000 watt stereos in cars drowning out what we are listening to. Or those same cars travelling by our houses and causing things to rattle. I live within walking distance of our Airport. Only the Concorde when it came in the 1st of its 3 visits woke me up. It came in more than an hour early and was the only time I thought I was going to buy the farm.

Now at LEAST 10 x per day I have a vehicle go by that rattles the windows and items on shelves.

Yes there are signs that are deliberate so that "we" don't get them. We had our own codes - long hair, no bras, some getting stoned, feedback peoperly used. We were not as covert. You could also take a song and the words had meaning, a message.

Groups formed: lead guitar, bass, drums, maybe an organ or a second guitar. Now there's an ad in the paper holding cattle calls for groups. Innovation is lacking.

Whether we like it or not, we are the mainstream. We don't call Station managers and complain about repitition. A single company can now own more than one radio or Television station in a City.

We value our hearing more. That means fewer outings to find good groups. Bass levels have tripled in comparison to vocals, lead guitar. "So the music can move you."

Hootie and the Blowfish went over very well with their first couple of CDs. Sounded like a band from the 70s, we liked it.

The last part I'll throw out is how many actual record labels are out there. Many in the 60s, 70,s. Now one is a subsidiary of another, that was started by one group so they could get more money. A pyramid we did not have. Thus you have fewer scouts willing to take a risk, formula bands, bands sounding alike so the public will accept them

We've even done it to movies. How long is a movie out these days compared to 35 years ago. A TV show has to be a hit the first night. Then you get fewer episodes per year, reruns from the prior season. Take NYPD BLUE. We're getting 20 new episodes, it sounds like without as many reruns, because it's the last season. But in the last few years, if you watched that show, did we get re-runs, new shows being tried out using that time slot.

There is a bad case of Entertainment Deficit Disorder. And the Entertainment Industry blames us. Not a fair game.

dodger

[picky]

darkpark: Funny idea. Nothing personal here, and this is a bit off the original topic but,: I hate the whole concept of activism in general, where one group attempts to impose its views, will or ideals on another group. Even if it is to supports some of the ideals that I believe in, I am totally against it. In short: I'm not a "joiner" and I enjoy being left alone. I appreciate people who are respectful of other peoples' point-of-views (as I am of yours) and are not disruptive when someone doesn't see things their way. Many people in this fine country are fast becoming disrespectful of others rights to be left alone. Just ask any hunter or Hummer driver that are acting well within our laws. My position has nothing to do with my not wanting to stand up for what I believe in. I already did that when I served my country in the US Navy for four years. This country is worth fighting for. Better CDs? Not so much. I'm very glad to see you mentioned: "non-violent"!

Dodger: True. Lots of us guys flocked to the record stores to buy Carly Simon's 'No Secrets' for reasons other than her "sonic" gifts and Stevie Nicks was a hottie, too, which helped her cause in record sales. My personal favorite Carly Simon album cover was 'Playing Possum' (shown here):

However, the difference between that and today's pop artists is that we did so AFTER they'd already established themselves as very talented and accomplished entertainers. Today, they seem to become stars because they have a nice rack first, and then we get find out whether they can sing or not....usually, not. BTW: Ever hear Marilyn Monroe sing? ("Happy Birthday...Mister President....") **ACK** She could have been the top pop idol of today...but she was born 50 years too soon...back when "quality" actually meant something! She certainly had quality looks!

And, as far as my being annoyed at music because it's coming at me with 1000 watts behind it? I'd have to say unless it's something like "Terrible" Ted Nugent playing 'Wango Tango' or AC/DC playing 'Back in Black', I'm annoyed by the current wave of some pop and R&B at ANY volume. Not all...some.

You're going to think I live in a cave....I've not seen ONE episode of NYPD Blue!

Entertainment Deficit Disorder! Hmmm......how 'bout Entertainment Quality Deficiency {EQD}??

[dodger]

Hi:

Picky, I agree with the EQD. I also agree with the fact that Carly and Stevie have talent and that talent was demonstrated before "photo" release.

My point in the 1000 watt system is even if it's something I like, if it drowns out what I'm listening to and enjoying, I prefer to concentrate on that. So we agree for the most part - I just don't want to compete with the car alongside of me for listening.

Now Marilyn Monroe's version of Happy Birthday would be on top of the charts today. I agree.

Also I don't think you live in a cave by not watching NYPD Blue. I like Dennis Franz, have many friends within NYPD and some that have contributed. It was an easy choice. A number of shows are of the same problem.

Instant gratification regarding TV.

I think some of it boils down to the fact that we went through an era of change that meant a lot to us. Groups were groups by virtue of talent for the most part. Plus we've mellowed a bit.

We really can't make a blanket statement regarding today's music. Parts - without a doubt, a creativity thing or the lack thereof.

Kind of like we won't see a Wayne Gretzky again. But we are lucky to have experienced what we have - Clapton, Page, Stewart, Seger, Joplin (I lean to blues), King, the forerunners: Berry, Diddley, Presley, Little Richard. They evolved music to an artform WE know. This is mainly speaking of Rock and Blues. R&B had many greats. They all set a standard that to us is hard to reach again.

Unfortunately the mainstay of the artform today is the warmform

dodger

[picky]

Dodger: Great points; all of them!

But, I think you may have touched upon something we need to consider VERY carefully here:

You speak of evolution here and named some for the artists responsible for that evolution. We all seem to agree that what we are witnessing here is, in fact, CHANGE. Therefore, could this "CHANGE" that we speak of, that we don't seem to enjoy very much, actually BE the very next evolution of music happening right before our eyes (and ears)??? Is it possible that 20 years from now, today's Gen X and Gen Y'ers will be sitting around a forum room someplace paying homage to the then, middle-aged Spears, Agulera and the rest for their roles in the evolution of modern music? Scary thought!

We may be closer to being dinosaurs that we first thought, my fellow boomer!

[dodger]

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On 10/6/2004 1:32:06 PM picky wrote:

Dodger:

Great points; all of them!

But, I think you may have touched upon something we need to consider VERY carefully here:

You speak of

evolution

here and named some for the artists responsible for that evolution. We all seem to agree that what we are witnessing here is, in fact, CHANGE. Therefore, could this "CHANGE" that we speak of, that we don't seem to enjoy very much, actually BE the very next evolution of music happening right before our eyes (and ears)???

http://forums.klipsch.com/idealbb/images/smilies/6.gif"> Is it possible that 20 years from now, today's Gen X and Gen Y'ers will be sitting around a forum room someplace paying homage to the then, middle-aged Spears, Agulera and the rest for their roles in the evolution of modern music? Scary thought!

We may be closer to being dinosaurs that we first thought, my fellow boomer!

http://forums.klipsch.com/idealbb/images/smilies/6.gif">

----------------

I hope we're in Rock and Roll Heaven at that time listening to the best band that will be playing.

And during the set-ups, listening to all of the great comedians - Rodney (R.I.P.), Red, Redd, Larry, Curly , Moe.... and sitting with my Parents (would have been their 53rd anniversary yesterday - Happy Anniversary) and my two dogs - Smokie and Whine-oh.

And watching the Boone's Farm Apple going around. Oh does that name bring back some memories of working the Road.

Don't forget to bring the velour bell-bottoms

Ya know, we'll all get a chance to meet in person - you know sound will come from the Klipsch 1900s.

Memories - on a trip to Hawaii saw Wolfman Jack in Pittsburgh, met Ray Charles in the Atlanta airport.

Well as one person who gave me a lot of advice once said, "accept your responsibilities, do what you have to do, but never forget that there is a child inside of you... let the child out every once in a while and never grow up..."

10 years from now, a lot of these todays will be the good ole' days.

Yepper, let that boy Rock N' Roll..

Win

[InnovaZero]

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On 9/30/2004 9:22:28 AM picky wrote:

RIGHT ON, EAR!!!

These "packages" suffer from what I like to refer to as CBFS: "Crotch and Booty Fixation Syndrome":

http://forums.klipsch.com/idealbb/files/packaging.jpg" <

Just one look at them.....and one can almost hear the music! .....Yeah, ....right.

http://forums.klipsch.com/idealbb/images/smilies/14.gif"> Looks more like a line-up at the local whorehouse...or, is that "Ho"-House?

I'll take this "Super-Sized" Woman any day. She can sing octaves (4 of them!) above the others!

http://forums.klipsch.com/idealbb/files/ann1.jpg" <

(Ann Wilson of "HEART"): One, class act!

----------------

Agreed, accpet one problem, when in the hell was Avril Lavigne even remotly "****ty"???

Never sir...

[picky]

InnovaZero: Although you are correct, Sir, her album cover implies a somewhat conflicting imagery to the contrary:

I am certainly no expert on this subject and I do make mistakes. Perhaps, I have here?

[InnovaZero]

I really don't see any implication of her cover album. It just a reflection of her "darker" lyrics then in the past.

We all make mistakes, its alright. I do fully agree with the rest of the covers you posted however.

[Omega3002]

Ya I agree with a lot of you on this forum. Its strange how I'm finding my friends less and less appealing when it comes to their tastes in music. And when they hear the music that I listen to they give me like a "whoa ur weird" look. And they criticize me for not liking the music they listen to. I try really hard to be respectful of other people and I just tell them "its just not for me." To me the music they listen to is just so primative. Types of music can be very good and respectable such as RAP, but all we hear in todays "POP CULTURE" is nothing but songs about material wealth, drugs, pimping (haha) you know retarded stuff like that. It was quite humorous as the other day I was listening to some music by Diana Krall and my friend told me that she sounded like a man. I just laughed and told him that it was because he was so used to garbage from people like Timberlake and Usher who sound more like little girls just whinning all the time than real men. As a 19 year old I wonder if I act too "old fashioned" for my age or just "not cool" from my friends' perspective. Since I was young I was brought up with the classics in the form of Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Wagner, Rachmaninoff, Chopin, Tchaikovsky, and jazz from Ellington, Coltrane, Goodman, Miller, and more modern composers like John Williams (he owns), James Horner and so many many many others. I played piano and clarinet for years, played in orchestra and jazz bands along with some of my friends. But even they dont seem to appreciate or listen at all to the music that truly stands the test of time. Just recently I heard the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis and other really talented players that I never knew about at the Hill Auditorium in Ann Arbor, MI. To get my friends to go was like PULLING TEETH!!! I knew it was going to be an amazing performance but what I heard blew my mind that night. My friends appreciated the music and thought it was very good but it was like they wouldnt have cared if they went or not. To me that experience was priceless and I would have paid a million dollars if I had to and some people just dont understand that. To hear TRUE LIVE talent and the creative minds that are behind the blends of many different styles of culture and music is what makes it so beautiful. If you ever tried improvisation you know what I'm talking about. Don't get me wrong I still listen to some contemporary music but SO MUCH of it is such garbage it makes me want to vomit just thinking about it and all the profit that is made by it. Its fine that our current youth want to listen to all that garbage but its sad that so many (and not all I know) dont know the wonderous beauty of REAL MUSIC in watever form it may be (jazz classical watever). More and more do I find myself disgusted by contemporary music that I liked a few years ago and I guess its part of growing up. I just hope people come to realize this. Last year I heard my friends "rock" band as I was pushed into it by my other friends. I told them that I didnt want to go because I knew it was going to be too loud and I would hear nothing but static and noise. OMG I was so right the volumes that they were playing at... well I have no doubt in my mind that people suffered a certain amount of permanent hearing loss and I heard no vocals watsoever and couldnt make any words out even from trying to lip read. I stayed for about 30 seconds and left. That was not music... it was garbage. I urged my friends to leave as well and warned them about the extreme volume levels in such a small room. But they thought it was more respectful to stay for support. And at the cost of your hearing? These are the type of people I see more and more common; young, ignorant, irrational, stubborn. So I had to wait for an hour outside playing cell phone games until it was over. I'm sure many of you can relate to some or all of this. I just consider myself lucky (maybe a little blessed too) listening to the music that I do now, and not because my parents pushed me, but because I wanted to. And to the contrary of what some of you say, NOT ALL RADIO IS BAD!!! There is so much great jazz and classical music that is aired from time to time and the only shame is that we dont hear it more often and on more stations. Hence the wonderful creation that is XM but anyway. Ok I'll end my babble here I had fun though!!! (hehe I'm sure we could go on for hours about this)

Sorry, I just wanted to add that I know A LOT of people dont like techno or trance music. I would say that 99.99% of it is complete garbage. But I'm sure 99.99% of people havent heard a genius like Simon Posford. He's known as "Hallucinogen" and in a group called "Shpongle." His "Twisted" album is what got me hooked, which is some truly repectable trance music if you could comprehend all of the layers and perfect transitions and "emotion" put into something thats completely synthesized... and then you look at when it was released... early 90s. Its truly mesmerizing heard in the dark and with some good headphones. Shpongle is pretty wicked stuff as well and very organic. Well anyway I try to give things a chance so maybe you could give it a shot. But the way this "pop-culture" is going I dont even have to listen anymore.... I just know its garbage.