The Sin Of Greed

So this is the opener to another interesting thread that I would like to share on here.

Yesterday, I entered a debate in Spanish about the current state of the music, and I think I will open it here.

So the thing is, most stars that created the music we love and adore today are passing away. The main point of this debate is that here has been some time now (I say almost 10 years) without any of those revolutionizing bands that change the way of music forever.

Let me give you a couple examples so I can explain this much better:
Back in the day, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd made such big statements musically speaking, the created genres, they marked a generation, they made progress, became innovators and vanguard musicians. Each one left their footprint in this world.

Then, in the 90’s the last sparks of universal way of communicating with music came to an end. Korn relased Follow the Leader, and Linkin Park Hybrid Theory, which, had the common attribute to be liked by everyone. Same with Oasis and the What’s the Story (Morning Glory) album. Everybody loved Wonderwall and maybe the songs and albums are not that great, but they had that way of catering to everyone without caring their social, racial or musical taste. They were universal music.

Now a days, we don’t have that kind of movement. Those songs that are so well made everybody likes them are not made anymore. I don’t know if it’s the generation but I have so many theories about this.
Stars die and keep disappearing without any other stars to replace them. Before you would have one band like Linkin Park, and 10 or more were born in the same vein. Nowadays you have isolated success in rock, like for instance, you get one Album by In Flames (let’s go with the one example everybody knows) but it’s only for In Flames Fans or for rock people. The rest of the world could care less. Before this time, when Smells like teen spirit was released everybody liked it and it was public domain music was in a very different note.

Nowadays rock music lives in its own isolation just for the fans, without those shining stars making the world move. There has been very little of those in the past years.

I wonder what you think of this.

Currently and for the past 20 or 30 years there is no music. I grew up in the ’60’s and ’70’s, so I can say that. You see, music used to be produced by record company exectutives who loved the music and nurtured bands and artists. Those are bygone days. Now there are only about four international corporations that control almost all the music you hear. Their bottom line is profit, and therefore music quality and creativity is unimportant.

In any music genre all the bands or performers sound the same. I an artist does not sound like all the other artists in a particular genre, he’ll never get a recording contract. It’s as if today’s music is created by a music making machine, which it in essence is.

So, the future of music? As long as the Corporate Music Industry controls the music, there is no future for music.

Quote from: Stormountainkid

Currently and for the past 20 or 30 years there is no music. I grew up in the ’60’s and ’70’s, so I can say that. You see, music used to be produced by record company exectutives who loved the music and nurtured bands and artists. Those are bygone days. Now there are only about four international corporations that control almost all the music you hear. Their bottom line is profit, and therefore music quality and creativity is unimportant.

That sounds similar to the movie industry. I own the movie The Seven Samurai, which I mention because, in the special features disk, there was an interview with Akira Kurosawa, the Japanese film director who made said movie. During that interview, Mr. Kurosawa talked about his time as an assistant director for a growing company that nurtured and trained all recruits. Eventually, all the guys would go on to become directors, including Mr. Kurosawa.

Mr. Kurosawa, though, would go on to lament how times have changed: they no longer use that system any more. Instead, it’s about maximizing the profit margin. Furthermore, assistant directors having the kind of freedom there was during his time would be unthinkable. Now, they’re made to do whatever they’re told, and creativity is stifled.

Quote from: Starmountainkid

You see, music used to be produced by record company exectutives who loved the music and nurtured bands and artists. Those are bygone days. Now there are only about four international corporations that control almost all the music you hear. Their bottom line is profit, and therefore music quality and creativity is unimportant.

In any music genre all the bands or performers sound the same. I an artist does not sound like all the other artists in a particular genre, he’ll never get a recording contract. It’s as if today’s music is created by a music making machine, which it in essence is.

So, the future of music? As long as the Corporate Music Industry controls the music, there is no future for music.

What you wrote reminds me of this quote I came across:

Quote

“I’ve got this idea of starting a record company. I get so tired of listening to the way everyone treats music. I keep feeling they’re selling out. And I don’t like the way artists are treated either. Bing Crosby isn’t the only one who can make records. I don’t know, I think it would be fun.”

That was Johnny Mercer back in 1942 talking about starting what would become Capitol Records. Before World War II wrapped up, there were only three major record labels (Decca, RCA Victor, and Columbia). By the time the war was over, Capitol Records became the fourth. The Big Four have switched up over the years with EMI, Sony, Warner-Chapel, and Universal emerging as the victors. The industry has just been maintaining equilibrium within that power play. Until labels become financially infeasible, it is going to continue on this way.

Also, it would appear to me that the music business has always been about business. They have to be concerned about a sustainable business model, and promoting music that doesn’t have a market is a rather poor way of meeting that basic and essential goal. A business doesn’t do anyone any good when it goes bankrupt.

With that in mind, however, there is a lot of crazy and interesting music out there, it just tends to get released on labels started up by the artists themselves.

You know, when you mentioned that, I went down and tried to remember where I read it, and today I found the DVD

Dream Theater DVD Score, a commercial success capable of kicking out of the charts some other popsie someone and staying at first place for I don’t remember how many weeks. Is one of those gems that manage to overcome the whole “is not commercial it doesn’t sell” and the “if it’s good, then it’s in a band created label” label.

Then you have story repeating itself in The Dark Side of the Moon one of the most acclaimed albums of our history. With Abbey Road…

Now, the state of the actual music as a whole, is has never been more of a show than before.

In the 60’s, the beatles, stormed the world. They sent it head over feet.

Black sabbath and led zeppelin created Heavy music. We love and loathe today.

but in the 2000, specially in this decade that starts this year, it has been: “who can make the biggest ridicule in TV and live to tell the tale”

We get Kanye West pissing with stupidity over someone actually talented (Taylor Swift), We get Lady Gaga’s Shenanigans and aluminum cans in her hair, with get Pink’s irreverence and disrespect, we get sex tapes from many places, Drug problems that are just terrible (Lindsay Lohan, Amy “BeeHive Head” Winehouse, Brittney Spears), we get stupid teens trying to become mature sex symbols (Miley Cyrus) we get androgynous… dudes (Tokio Hotel, justin bieber) and then we get empty music with nothing but chaka chaka in the rythm just to play on discoteques and bars (almost everything MTV these days)

But somehow, there are so many small stars shining out that I still have hope, so many musicians trying to make an actual difference in the world.

Take for instance muse, a no name band, that with a very strange music has taken the world by storm. So many other good bands that are just genius are getting radio time. I guess finally the world is changing once again, people probably will still love their Celebrity Realities Soap Operas of the real life, because what better than to mock others misfortune?

But there is something very important:

Very few good musicians get to the World Spotlight. And even few, manage to make a stand for what they believe.

I wish, you guys spoke spanish, because Juanes, the Colombian composer and guitarist / singer has quite the message for everyone. In a country ravaged by the guerrilla, in tatters with one of the biggest mortality rates, he still goes around the whole trying to get everyone to stop fighting. Now that’s something not everyone does. I will try and translate my favorite songs so you know what they say. and post them somehow so you can listen to them. Probably is not your style but it’s worth trying it out.

I guess people from this side of the pond think different because of the different circumstances we live in.

During the World Cup opening the Black Eyed Peas went on stage. And they, of course, were stupid, dull and without a message. Unlike the rest of the african singers and most of the latin ones. They are not even musicians!!

Now Alicia Keys has the voice, she is sucesful so….

Man I don’t know. The balance is never alright, there is always someone somewhere that is such a prodigy of the music that no matter where they stand, the label, anything. They are sure to be a success. I guess music works this way and there is no way to say this will be or will not be

I still think the music of this decade sucks and it’s horrible to no end.

Hair metal is a horrible thing that happened in the 80s and vaccined the music industry so things like Metallica could master the thrash and make it the default angry sound of the world (in a way…)

Yes, maybe alicia keys is crappy popsie, but she has an incredible voice with such a range go to waste. Still the overwhelming amount of shit we get is big enough to block the little gems of real music

Take for instance Elbow. Now That’s a really slow band that comes from the UK they are amazing, are great musicians and the lyrics are magical.

But.. coldplay gets the radio time (and their songs and music is mediocre at best, a vulgar copy of Oasis with radiohead whom are a vulgar copy of the beatles and…. well radiohead is weird I don’t understand them)

Then you have dredg another band with amazing lyrics and even better musicians, and who gets the spotlight? COLDPLAY! … sometimes I think the world is unfair in the music business. It’s a business after all.

But that is not the point Sarah, the thing is:

I ignore it all. Imagine the the first time I head poker face was by Cartman in South Park. And I didn’t know what the hell was it all about!

So basically, what I am trying to say is:

In comparison with years past, the quantity (And their quality) of actual musicians that are worth a dime, is diminishing every single year. Whether they make it to the mainstream or not.

BUT, I saw something this weekend that I wanted to say here in this one topic:

Do you know who is the one leading the world charts? Is no longer MTV, is Rockband and Guitar Hero

These two games have had such a great impact in how people of young age perceive music! now you see them going broad listening to things they shouldn’t care because of their age, but somehow playing a song (even tho is plastic 4 button fake guitars and drums) connects you to the music somehow.

I mean, my Godson, it’s only 14. And he told me this weekend if I had anything King Crimson. Of course my surprise was such I almost fell from my chair. I was like

“King.. Crimson? Are you on drugs? If You are we are going to have such a fucking problem Kid” And he told me:

“No no! i heard them in Rock Band and liked it! : D ” Yes he smiles that big

Even tho he still believes he is some kind of rapper, and what not, his mind is wrapping around the concept of progressivism, and whatever lyrics he raps, has… has actual meaning! Also he got some Opeth from the same source and I am just maybe going crazy here, but I think these two games had have disbalanced our Music Society.

Yeah I suppose that’s true. Influences keep being drawn from the Beatles (to me, the best band ever to grace the earth) But then again from the great masters. I wonder what will music will be in 10 years when things are not so broken (or are broken beyond repair)

The way I see it is that music is purely subjective, always has been and always will be. I try never to knock anyone’s musical taste, just because I’m don’t like a particular genre.

As one grows older, ones taste in music tends to change or broaden somewhat. I remember the music my parents used to like and as a teenager I absolutely hated the stuff. All I was interested in was Black Sabbath and Deep Purple etc. Now I can appreciate some of the stuff my parents used to listen to as my musical horizons have broadened.

What we see as rubbish now, may well go on to be regarded as classic in years to come.

I seem to remember Black Sabbath and Deep Purple were once regarded as just guitar clanking noise by all but the youth at the time, only now do we realise that actually they were and are very talented indeed.

Music doesn’t have to be complicated, nor does it require virtuoso performances on an instrumental or vocal level. All it requires is the ears of those that enjoy it.