| Author | Message | ||
     kevin Member Username: Kevin Post Number: 1987 Registered: 05-2005 |
Much as I love traditional guit,bass.drums rock n roll I find myself listening to it less and less, especially new records made this year. For me this year has been all about what could loosely be called electronica (for want of a better term) with brilliant albums from Panda Bear,Burial,LCD Soundsystem, Radiohead, Pinch, MIA,Battles and Justice - other great albums by Low,The Good The Bad etc, and Robert Wyatt were also as far from tradional rock as you can get these days without being unlistenable. Of course I'll always love the Go-Bs, its why we're here after all, and I will always play the rock classics from the 60s onwards, and fresh,or inventive stuff like Hold Steady, Spoon, PJ Harvey and The Shins but I just cant work up any enthusiasm for new albums by Neil Young, Ryan Adams,Dylan, Bruce Springsteen etc, even Wilco if they insist on being the new Grateful Dead.Maybe musicians should be like athletes, unless they come up with something new instead of treading water they should stop releasing records when they get past their prime. I'm sorry but Neil Youngs new album is ok-ish, but we've heard it twenty times before, and he did it better then. Better writers than me on this site could probably put forward what I am trying to convey more convincingly, but am I alone here in thinking this way? | ||
| spence Member Username: Spence Post Number: 2012 Registered: 05-2005 |
I know what you mean Kev. I think at the end of the day, for me, if its a craft, its worth it. My own Winnebago album, some people dig, some people hate its spoken word, fluffiness and pomp. That's fine, I can see both sides, always have. We all have our own tastes, some of them are shared on here, some ignored, the point being, whattever floats yer boat, if its Bruce or Stravinsky doing Radiohead, just enjoy it, that's what I do. | ||
| kevin Member Username: Kevin Post Number: 1990 Registered: 05-2005 |
Agree up to a point Spence, I suppose at the end of the day music is either good or bad in the listeners opinion. But sometimes I find it refreshing to get out of the comfort zone and listen to stuff that I think is pushing the boundaries a bit more. Normally I find myself drifting back to the "traditional" stuff after a week or two, but this year has been different and I find myself listening more to the boundary pushers than the traditionalists. I just think that the quality of albums being released by the new traditionalists is poor in comparison to what came before, it just doesnt inspire me as much as it used to, at times its just the same old same old. I know I appear to be in the minority here when it comes to this subject, but for the avoidance of doubt I am not having a go at anybody. In fact I very much admire the way people here search out obscure antipodean stuff for example, so much so that I have tracked down a copy of an Apartments album called Fete Foraine, although I have still to listen to it. I do admit to finding the love for The Panics a bit baffling, my admittedly cursory listenings just leave me underwhelmed. A case once more of "heard it before", this time bringing to mind for me The Auteurs, a band I never found that inspiring in the first place. But, you know its probably just me, this band could be the greatest thing since sliced bread, but as you rightly point out some things dont always float yer boat! | ||
| kevin Member Username: Kevin Post Number: 1991 Registered: 05-2005 |
PS - I was also trying to create a bit of debate and it looks like I have failed miserably! For whatever reason the post count from everybody, including me, seems to have dropped off considerably in the last quarter of the year. | ||
| spence Member Username: Spence Post Number: 2023 Registered: 05-2005 |
I don't know though kev, that most of the shall we say, leftfield stuff you may like isn't a rehash of some old CAN or Kraftwerk b side. I mean, lets face it, Neil Young is hardly gonna tread water at 65 is he? The classic Gods of rock n roll have their place. The new boys are in town for sure, and bring on the new generations. I can see the skill and craftsmanship in the new breed, it'll just take a little longer. Though, I've always been a fan of stuff that has never had a rightful place, take the whole back catalogue of El records from 83-88 for instance. But then again, I can live with a new Sringsteen album, though it may not excite as much as the new ids on the bloick, it can still have the potential if its good to make you feel good, and it doesn't have to remind you of a rehash? | ||
| kevin Member Username: Kevin Post Number: 1994 Registered: 05-2005 |
Some fair points there Spence, and I know I can be guilty of generalistions - not every new band is crap, that would be ridiculous. I also hate the way some of the "x factor", fame at all costs ethic seems to be more important than the music for some. You'll not be surprised to know I totally disagree with your Can/Kraftwerk rehash comparison - dont want to fall out with you now that you are the board hardman  , but have you actually heard all of the stuff that I am talking up? | ||
| Randy Adams Member Username: Randy_adams Post Number: 1487 Registered: 03-2005 |
I think I know what you are talking about Kevin. You and I are in different cycles but I have definitely had that overwhelming ennui with new music that made me wander off to explore oddball corners, usually (in my case) oddball corners from the past. I remember going very big into the retro universe of Joe Meek productions during one of the times that I was hearing nothing of interest to me in the new. This board has helped me locate some of the good stuff that had been going on then (the 90s) underneath my radar. There have always been slump periods when not that much that is honestly new is coming out. In my case I will always have a strong bias in favor of guitar-based music. It's to be expected, I imagine, since that's what I sort-of play. I can still find pleasure in new music of that sort provided that it is honest and NOT the product of a pursuit of your "x factor." Which, for me, means that it still has to have a bit of naivete--the sincere conviction that music matters. But I know that attack of boredom can strike at any time. And most of what I've been discovering this year is old stuff, just not as old as Joe Meek's records. On the subject of old artists still working, I think most of them would be well-served by radically slowing down their recorded output. A person might be born with just so many ideas, kind of like a woman is born with a specific finite number of eggs. There's that wonderful early period where the ideas just keep gushing but eventually they slow down. The good thing to do then is let them accumulate before doing something. If you only write one honestly great song in a year, don't cut an album until you've assembled ten of them. I wish I could say that Scott Walker follows that precept but, well, the other thing for an older artist to remember is don't get caught in your own feedback loop; don't become a self-parody. | ||
| kevin Member Username: Kevin Post Number: 2001 Registered: 05-2005 |
Good point about older artists slowing down their recorded output Randy. I think Lou Reed has nailed this, his last 3 or 4 albums have been excellent(apart from The Raven!), and he takes about 4 years between them. Even a compartively young band like Radiohead have realised this, there was quite a lengthy period between their new one and Hail To The Thief. They have also adhered to a rule which is close to all our hearts because of the Go-Bs ethic - write 10 killer songs and release an album, dont pad it out with filler. | ||
| spence Member Username: Spence Post Number: 2033 Registered: 05-2005 |
Kev, I haven't heard any of the stuff you mention, tho I am looking forward to sampling some of your suggestions during the next year no doubt! I received a nice gift from someone for Xmas and on this CD there's loads onew groups, music etc, some of which youmention so maybe that'll be o my intorduction. Its weird this thing you mention about being bored wit the classics\greats etc. I go thru phases where I will listen to say Bowie for 2 months and come out of it hating the guy and his work. Then I'll be on to something like I dunno, Phillip Glass for a while and so on. I change like the weather. i vowed not to listen to anything this yeear other than acoustic based/quiet music, then the Boss goes and makes me feel like rocking out, how uncool is that!? Randy, agree with here and most of what you mention, and your re Scott such a shame that. however he is on a different planet. He wasn't born to be understood unlike, Elvis Costello! This planet doesn't exist...yet! | ||
| Michael Bachman Member Username: Michael_bachman Post Number: 1000 Registered: 01-2005 |
I know I'm without a doubt the biggest Robyn Hitchcock fan on this mesage board, but his song quality level and productivity has been amazing now that he is entering his 30th year as a professional musician. He still cranks out great Beatles music as he calls it (two guitars, bass and drums) and a new Robyn Hitchcock and The Venus Three album will be released this year. |