Musical State Of The Union

SI has mainly hit it all on the head here. To that though, I’m going to add 3 more things.

v. “Pop then ain’t what pop is now.” Thanks to modern sociality what was considered pop in earlier times isn’t what pop is now. In a sense it is, and history repeats itself, but pop in its true sense is all but gone. In the past 15 – 25 years, true Pop has been replaced by bubblegum pop. Catchy lyrics that appeal to teens that get constant play rotation (read: every 30 minutes to an hour) on a radio station. Videos with the same theme (cars, women, choreographed dancing) with the same rotation. Once that flooded the airwaves, there was no room left for true pop. Perfect example: compare the airplay of Crowded House back in the mid-late 80s to say, N’Sync or the Backstreet Boys from 7 years ago. Big difference, but one was based on image, while the other was based on artistry. Without a good strong following (like what U2 has), it is hard to stay in the game for a long time. That’s what makes it hard for CH, Bruce, and others who have relied on their talent to get any mainstream airplay. Nowadays, it doesn’t take talent to make music, when all you would need is something produced. History provides the proof of that. The same idea that was used to create the Monkees was the same idea that produced New Kids on the Block, that was the same for Backstreet Boys, that was for N’Sync.

vi. IP. Thank Metallica for this. with the whole Napster thing that went on with them, the record labels found another way to make money, and that is all that they are after now. Ottmar Liebert (flamenco guitarist) wrote in his blog a few years ago, that he remembers walking into RCA records one day, and having lunch with the company president. The president was a musician himself. Nowadays, you would never find the CEO there, and he isn’t a musician. It is a sad state of affairs when people running the record companies have no experience in the music industry, where previously, they knew it, because they played themselves. Nowadays, Record Companies (read: those under the RIAA) care about intellectual property. If you make music under their label, they will make sure that they own the music, not the musician, even if the musician wrote it themselves. When royalties come in, while the musician gets the fame, the labels get the money. When the musician dies, the royalties still go to the label. They can do anything they want with the music, even sell it. Two good cases in point: Apple records auctioning the Beatles recordings. Paul McCartney wrote a good number of those. Who won the auction? Michael Jackson.

EMI recently announced that they are looking at sell their entire collection as MP3s, without any copyright protections. With the number of labels EMI has, do you think those artists are going to get anything from them? No, because EMI owns the music. Who would want to work in a world where one doesn’t own what they’ve spent their time and energy to create? That is why some musicians have mainly started their own, and have more of a cult following. They may be smaller in popularity now because they aren’t totally mainstream, but it does give them the creative freedom to do what they want to do, plus they own the material they create.

vii. Purpose and passion. The above kind of deflates the meaning and purpose of wanting to do that in today’s world. Once again, unless you have a major following (U2, Michael Jackson, Madonna, etc), you’re really not going to last long, unless you play the game that the companies-that-be direct you to. With that following, and sales of their music still ranking up in the millions, and still occurring, musicians can still carry on their passion, like caring for children (Jackson), goodwill (Bono), empowerment (Madonna), and the like. With those being materialistic and thinking only of themselves, there really is no purpose that musicians have; no making a difference.

When you have things that appear more materialistic, the scenes change, and lost meaning, it’s tough to try to make it in this industry. It’s a fun job, yes, but it is still a job. It’s more like sales and advertising. If you can’t keep up with the Joneses and sell yourself, you’re never going to get ahead. And what generally happens to a poor performing salesman?

Sad state of affairs, the music industry is today.

BL.

First, I want to take issue with some of Kyle’s “5 artists who deserve nothing in the music biz.” I have to give credit where credit is due. Justin Timberlake has talent. Some of his songs are substandard, but if you let him loose on a halfway decent song (his last two singles, “What Goes Around Comes Around” and “My Love”) the guy can sing them well. He’s also competent on keyboards, and beatboxes pretty well too. Christina can sing – she’s just lacking taste. I really hope “Ain’t No Other Man” foreshadows things to come for her – there’s hints, underneath all the melisma, of a really good singer in the making.

Are we debating the state of music or the state of the music industry? They’re two mightily different beasts. I think music and musical development is quite healthy – there’s a lot of great artists still cranking out the tunes (Tom Waits, Paul Simon, Radiohead, etc). Ever since the British Invasion, scenes have been fracturing and splintering left and right that it’s been hard to coalesce artistic society under the umbrella of one artist. And I don’t know that it’s necessary for someone to unite an audience the way the Beatles did. There’s so much music out there to be heard, and so much still being created that it’s hard to fight over the din. The closest thing this year might have been Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy.”

MySpace and YouTube are sort of a double-edged sword: anybody with the right amount of money can acquire the gear and ability to record at home and upload it to those sites. That said, I’ve been added by groups on MySpace I’d never otherwise here because budgets prohibit them from disseminating their music outside their area. I don’t have the dough to cross the pond – sorry, Si! – and there’s a ton of British and European artists I’ve discovered through MySpace that I wouldn’t have even thought to have sought out.

Sure, there’s a lot of crap as well. Which brings me to the subject of the gatekeepers, critics, and the music media. A lot has been made that anyone with a pair of ears and a computer can become a music critic, thanks to blogging. No need for a journalism degree, proper grammar, or even discerning musical knowledge – just fire up a browser window and go. Again, while this is true, the positive side of it is that talented, intelligent listeners can now access the same amount of music as a critic, and share their observations with whoever cares to listen. For all the little fanboys regurgitating press releases and Pitchfork headlines, there’s a community of aficionados and musicians bantering about via cross-linked essays. Yes, I’m a blogger too, as well as a musician and composer.

The industry, as it stands, is a dinosaur. The major labels are still too interested in bandwagon-jumping to nurture artistic growth, and there’s this Chicken Little sentiment about downloading and album sales that just isn’t true. Artists have always made the majority of their money through touring and royalties (if they weren’t stupid enough to sign them away), and frankly, most illegal downloads aren’t stolen sales. A lot of the CDs my friends and I have ripped and burned in our lives are things we never would have thought to have bought in the first place. I relish the ability to listen to a disc before I decide to buy it, instead of dropping twenty bucks on a CD I’ll listen to once, or for one or two tracks. If I like it, I’ll buy it. If not, no harm, no foul. It’s akin to banning the test-driving of cars because someone might not return to the dealership.

But the industry is fracturing too – there are so many indie labels that cultivate their own aesthetic (I’m thinking Ninja Tune or Warp or Arts & Crafts), and major label deals have been outed as not the lucrative dreams they once were. And with the rise in recording technology, it’s easy to press one’s own CD and sell it on your gigs. No middlemen required.

So while the industry needs to change lest it become extinct, I don’t think we need to worry about the state of music itself. It’s just fine.

{Phew, I feel better now.}

David

The Music World needs help

From reading everyones comments, I have to agree with most of you. The music industry machine has produced some really lame stuff as of late. Current and upcoming artists cannot stand out like Elton John, Billy Joel, Don Henley, and many other icons of the decade. Each one of those people has produced hits that are staples of the music industry and many artists try to imitate them in some way.

The new millenium has been full of one hit wonders and consistency in the business is near extinction. Older singers and groups like U2 and Bob Dylan have withstood the test of time. They can still produce top hit songs even long after their defining era. The music industry needs more consistency and the direction they are heading does not show any signs of improvement.

I have to agree with others comments about how people like Brittany Spears and Justin Timberlake represent everything that is wrong with music. I also agree that Phil Collins is the man and does not get the proper recognition he deserves in the music world. His work is some of the best stuff that ever came out of the industry.

The bottom line is we need more people like Phil Collins that are the total package. I have almost completely turned off most new music since 1999. Their is too much junk that record companies produce every year. The Grammys this year were a disaster, with the exception of the Police reunion and Stevie Wonder and Tony Bennett winning. That was definitely awesome.

As for Bruce, he has also withstood the test of time. The music world needs to begin to appreciate his work as well. I remember going out to circuit city and best buy in search of the intersections box set the first day it came out. Noone carried it in their stores. When I asked employees if they had it in stock, they gave me a crazy look. Its too bad my generation has yet to embrace his music.

Get REAL Here!!!

OK. Rose colored glasses away. All we have to deal with now is pre-senile decay.

Im listening to the radio on the internet as I type this (aside: I cant use apostrophes in firefox, its not because Im illiterate). Im listening to the greatest radio station in the world. Ive just had Springsteens “Goin Down” and now Ive got “Everybody wants to rule the world” (Tears for Fears) . Now Sheryl Crowe “Cant cry anymore”.

The world has gotten so big and diverse, and yes I agree that the current state of music played on so-called commercial FM radio (or the BBC in the UK) is appalling. (Now its “Runaway” by Bonnie Raitt)

But…

Search your memories (or look it up on the internet). Most of the (Now U2 – Window in the Skies) “hit parade” was crap when all the quoted heroes were initially active (Now its the WHO – “Join Together”) – most werent what you could rate as commercial successes although folks like you and me heard them and bought the albums (in the UK almost exclusively thanks to the late, and much loved John Peel, but also thanks to Bob Harris, Annie Nightingale, Mike Raven etc)

(Break for Dinner)

(Now, Stevie Ray Vaughn “Pride and Joy”)

Anyway,where was I?

(Sorry, got distracted by Bruce Cockburns “Last night of the world”)

Oh, yeah – Its all out there, you just have to look for it, and not get freaked that not all the stations are playing your tunes.

(Dave Mathews Band “Everyday”)

Grammys? Looking past the obvious marketing crap, Look at who was nominated, (more important than who actually got -) I saw Bruce, Bela Fleck, George Benson, Chick Corea, Ricky Skaggs, the Police etc….. Thatll do pig…thatll do…

Plus, music is still alive and well, there are some fantastic new bands out there (true, not hitting the top 40) and (pause for ELP “From the beginning”) some great soloists too. As usual, it will be some time before the marketing eejits realise the long-term potential of true talent as opposed to the fast buck, but thats always been the way.

Nil desperandum
Nil illigitimi carborundum

By the way, its easier to chill when you’re listening to the Tide (http://www.tideradio.com) and its fantastic new sister station (New Music Channel) – restores your faith in humanity.

(Diamonds on the soles of her shoes -Paul Simon)

Try it – hook your PC up to decent stereo system – dial up the tide, and dance, man, dance….

Style over content

Hello Everyone,

Just thought I’d add that it seems to me that we are dealing with a product and not a skill. Most of the aforementioned artists had a love of music of playing their instrument rather than an immediate desire for fame. I think the music industry has latched-on to the fact that an average sample of people want to hear a formulaic song that covers the bases and conforms to the norm. No one would like Bach for instance if there wasn’t an investment in the form: art requires and investment both ways. My love of Bruce Hornsby (his piano playing that is) is because he extends the craft. It’s what he gives to me in the form of my own development. Presumably it is this foundation that has a side-effect of then appealing to the masses but without the searching from the audience, we have stagnation. Anyway, just my four-penneth worth and I hope I haven’t repeated what has already been said

Lets all tickle the ivories or pluck the strings for what it is in itself

Pete

I think the fragmentation of culture – musical and otherwise – has made it very, very hard to galvanize a majority of society the way it was done before. Technology has allowed us to access infinite amounts of information in realtime, and we can now customize it to our liking. I have a Google homepage with only the headlines and links I want to see. And I’m sure another poster here, should they create a Google homepage, would be vastly different than mine. It’s the same in sports – everyone idolized Mantle, DiMaggio and Babe Ruth. Now there’s so many different players with acclaim and achievement that there isn’t a single unifying sports hero… well, maybe Tiger Woods.

I think the problem lies with the lack of value placed on music in society by governments, and with the underestimation of children’s ability and attention spans. Exposure is everything. Never mind that there isn’t a band like Chicago to make trombone cool again, a lot of kids never find out what a trombone IS, as music programs are continually cut and underfunded. A couple of years ago at a jazz education conference, I saw a percussion group of “tweens” playing intricate arrangements of “Spain” on various marimbas and drums. It was incredible, and my heart soared at the fact that the kids were truly engaged and appreciated what they were doing – they were playing some heavy $#!% and enjoying themselves! And a couple of days ago, at an NYC jazz jam session, I had the opportunity to play with a thirteen-year-old drummer, who is far more knowledgeable about the current state of jazz than I was at his age. When I was thirteen, I was in my Thelonious Monk/Miles Davis phase. I knew a handful of tunes – I didn’t even know proper “Rhythm Changes”!

Rich, you mention raising kids. As a youngster myself, I find that parents who are engaged in their children’s pursuits are a minority. Kids are pacified, not stimulated, and are often left to their own devices. A lot of the burden of discipline is being transferred to schools, and it’s not their place, but the parents often can’t be bothered. I recently read Frank Zappa’s testimony at the PMRC hearings, over twenty years ago, and some of it still rings true. If parents are dismayed by what their children are hearing, why not hip them to other forms of music? “Your children have a right to know that something other than pop music exists.”

And as far as self-absorption goes, it’s not just the kids – I’ve stopped counting how many people have Bluetooth headsets now and walk along the streets looking like they’re talking to themselves.

David

Rich, I couldn’t agree with you more. I don’t even listen to radio anymore. It seems to be a waste of time. All this hoopla about the Grammys, I don’t care to even follow them.
The musical state of the union?
The bottom line………..
It sucks! ❗

David Day
Lake Lanier, GA

My two cents

Thanks for the thought-provoking and complex discussion topic, Rich. Some sharp minds have made a lot of interesting points here. For my knee-jerk reaction to this year’s Grammys, see the “Did He Win?” thread … we do kinda sound like a bunch of grumpy old men, though, don’t we? Now, I’ll take it to a whole new level. Fact is, we’re ALL right. There’s a lot of bad music being played today … and there has always been. The music industry has always been just that, a business, and it will do what it needs to do to generate the most pofitable bottom line.

In the end, we have only ourselves to blame. Even discriminating consumers such as you’ll find on this board, like to listen to the sweet, schmaltzy, pop stuff now and then. We’ve all been ashamed to find ourselves listening and singing along to some insignificant song at one time or another. We all need escapism occasionally. But for every Ashlee Simpson or Britney Spears out there, there does seem to be a Dave Matthews or John Mayer — those who display significant maturity and integrity as singers/songwriters/musicians. There IS some good music out there if you look for it.

But is there a meaningful, galvanizing artist out there like Lennon or Dylan, for example? To me, some of the best music ever written was during the tumultuous, war-torn years of the 60s and 70s … songs of protest and pro-humanism. We need this type of art now more than ever. We’ve sat back and allowed a Commander-in-Chief to usurp power from the American people, one who made the masses think it’s OK to allow its government to tap its phones because of a bit of propaganda known as the “Patriot” Act.

We’ve sat back and watched as our military overextended itself into Iraq based on a lie, and we’ve allowed our own citizens to be washed away in a devastating hurricane. Where are our songs of protest to shock our fragmented society into acts of civil disobedience? Are we to assume, as John Mayer says, that we are too powerless and too apathetic that we should just “Wait for the World to Change”? Are we all too well-fed and economically satiated to want to step up and try to correct this distopia we’re living in? Do we want to continue to live in the Matrix and regularly pop antidepressants to keep us sane?

I’m of the opinion we badly need leadership — in government, in business, in the arts — that promotes human growth rather than growth in the military/industrial complex. Golf waited for years for its “messiah” in the form of Tiger Woods. We want and need a similarly powerful and dominant figure in the worlds of music and politics. Unfortunately, these iconic figures aren’t easy to come by.

Bruce has already written prolifically about social injustices; I would challenge him to take a central leadership role in this area: Bruce, make your new lyrics less comical and more bitingly satirical. Make your insights into our world situation less obtuse and more cutting. I heard Bruce sing “Imagine” for the first time on his recent DVD. Why not make that song a regular on the set list? Bruce, why not write your own song of peace and prosperity, inspired by “Imagine,” as you have written “White Wheeled Limousine” and “Fortunate Son” based on inspiration from other artists’ affecting works?

I just read a quote from Aaron Brown, the former CNN anchor: “It’s not enough to say you want serious news. You have to watch it. It isn’t enough to say you want serious debate. You have to engage in it.” That statement can be extrapolated to all phases of life.

Re: Rant

But it was a good rant! 😆

David Day
Lake Lanier, GA