What Has Happened To Music ??????

BT55 · #1 03-17-2018, 10:30 PM

In the early 70's I went to a concert. Third on the bill was Yes on their first trip to the US. They flattened the audience and were brought back for an encore. Second on the bill was Humble Pie. During I don't Need No Doctor Steve Mariot's guitar broke. Peter Frampton played a solo for about fifteen minutes while they fixed Mariott's guitar. They finished and yes, another encore. Top of the bill was Black Sabbath. We boo'd them offstage and Humble Pie came back and finished the show.

Back then and for years following bands came out and performed. They actually played their instruments, no autotune, dancers or backup singers - just good music. What happened to those days when musicians ruled ???

Looburst · #2 03-17-2018, 10:36 PM

Simple, big business took over, like everything else.

Lee Callicutt · #3 03-17-2018, 10:42 PM

I remember seeing Yes perform as the warm up act for the Eagles, and then come back on stage with the Eagles for an encore jam at the end of the concert.

My best friend remembers seeing Hendrix booed as the warm up for The Monkees.

I hate to say those were the days, but those were quite literally the days.

JohnW63 · #4 03-17-2018, 10:45 PM

I think it's more than just business. It's an attitude change. Both with the performers and their fans. I say that because even classic musicians still have concerts and they still put on good shows and they must be part of the business plan of the record companies business model. I think they just care more about their music and entertaining the people who paid good money to see them play.

I think some performers are just in it for the money and fame. Going on tour is just a necessary evil for them.

PiousDevil · #5 03-17-2018, 10:47 PM

Don’t look to the radio for your music. If you saw one of the American Acoustic show with Julian Lage, I’m With Her and Punch Brothers, you’d know that there are still people out there mastering their instruments and making beautiful music.

pagedr · #6 03-17-2018, 10:52 PM

Hate to tell you, but there are a load of bands today that play their own instruments, don't use autotune or backup dancers, etc. Have you tried looking for current bands to listen to or do you just base this on what you see on TV/hear on the radio?

You like the Eagles? Try listening to the The Wild Feathers. Allman Brothers/Skynyrd? Try Chris Stapleton. Led Zeppelin? Give Greta Van Fleet a listen. Beatles/Stones/Generic Brit Rock? Listen to Arctic Monkeys. I could go on.

There was a recent thread here with current good Americana music, try that out if that's more your style. I just went and saw Langhorne Slim a couple weeks ago at the Largo and he put on a fantastic show, just him and his guitar on stage (Twain opened and was also incredibly talented). No offense, but this thread is the kind of thing I would hear from my grandfather.

#7 03-17-2018, 10:54 PM

I hate to break it to you, but it hasn't been 1972 for 46 years. That said, you should've been in Austin this week during SXSW. I saw dozens of inspired performances by some awesome bands from all over the world. Instead of griping about what you don't like, seek out some stuff you do. It's out there.

Tico · #8 03-17-2018, 11:02 PM

I remember when J.S. Bach played ... before electricity.

What has happened to Music, indeed!

CycleBob · #9 03-17-2018, 11:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Willie Voltaire

I hate to break it to you, but it hasn't been 1972 for 46 years. That said, you should've been in Austin this week during SXSW. I saw dozens of inspired performances by some awesome bands from all over the world. Instead of griping about what you don't like, seek out some stuff you do. It's out there.

This x10. There are a lot of great artists we could be supporting rather than bemoaning the state of modern music.

gfa · #10 03-17-2018, 11:33 PM

I was gonna rant at you OP, but I see that others got there first. Not only is there fantastic contemporary music, it's immediately available to you for free (though you should buy after trying).

BoneDigger · #11 03-17-2018, 11:39 PM

Lots of great music being made these days. As noted previously, look at some of the Americana bands. Pop music has always been poo: it was in the 60s, the 70s, the 80s, and it is now. There were plenty of mostly talentless musicians in all of these decades.

Cabarone · #12 03-17-2018, 11:44 PM

I keep expecting a post to have the word, "Whippersnappers" in it...

rogthefrog · #13 03-17-2018, 11:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BT55

In the early 70's I went to a concert. Third on the bill was Yes on their first trip to the US. They flattened the audience and were brought back for an encore. Second on the bill was Humble Pie. During I don't Need No Doctor Steve Mariot's guitar broke. Peter Frampton played a solo for about fifteen minutes while they fixed Mariott's guitar. They finished and yes, another encore. Top of the bill was Black Sabbath. We boo'd them offstage and Humble Pie came back and finished the show.

Back then and for years following bands came out and performed. They actually played their instruments, no autotune, dancers or backup singers - just good music. What happened to those days when musicians ruled ???

What happened is that the world realized 15-minute Peter Frampton guitar solos weren't really music.

BT55 · #14 03-18-2018, 12:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Willie Voltaire

I hate to break it to you, but it hasn't been 1972 for 46 years. That said, you should've been in Austin this week during SXSW. I saw dozens of inspired performances by some awesome bands from all over the world. Instead of griping about what you don't like, seek out some stuff you do. It's out there.

I'm sure that there are good bands out there. But how good are they? Are they popular in a particular area or are they good enough to have name recognition outside that region? If they're as good as you think they'd have name recognition and would be headlining in concert halls in the Northeast. There are more concert halls less than fifty miles from my home than I can count. Currently the majority of the acts booked are cover bands or bands that were popular in the 70's thru 00's. Tommy Emmanuel, Chris Botti, Peter Frampton, kd lang and many other name brand performers have sold out these "intimate" halls in the last two years. I've seen plenty of niche performers that I enjoyed but they can't fill a small concert hall. Concert halls would gladly book anyone who will sell tickets. I just saw Lewis Black's sold out show two weeks ago. My question to you is why don't the performers you're referring to have name recognition here? If they did they would have no problem booking concert halls five nights a week.

JeffreyAK · #15 03-18-2018, 12:17 AM

Well I think a few things have changed, though it's not that musicians or bands aren't good anymore or don't play real instruments. There is no radio anymore, for one thing, not that anyone listens to, so the looping of hits and the brand-name hype isn't there. Another difference is, there are no albums anymore, and even CDs are becoming antiques - kids buy songs one at a time and store them in their digital ipod-type devices, and often they don't remember the names of the bands. I noticed this myself years ago when I listened to a lot of compilation CDs - I'd remember the song, but not the name of the band. There is a lot going on at a kind of underground level, at small venues, but huge epic concerts by big-name bands don't seem to be very common anymore.