Music in 2001
So what were your favourite releases in 2001?
I must admit I'm pretty much stuck in a time warp with my musical tastes. I find that I can dismiss so much of what has been released in the last decade as either machine made computerised bubble gum, or abusive diatribes set to mechanical drum beats. Call me an old fogie.
How about you? What are your tastes these days?
Edited by: Sanduleak at: 1/9/02 11:22:34 am
I like your picture of Dylan. Anyway, I like the Dave Matthews band alot. They have a style that is a cross betwwen Alternative and Jazz with the Jazz part being stressed. And I still enjoy Sting...I like the way his music is evolving.
Traumaddict Traveller in the arts
Posts: 8
(1/8/02 6:34 am) Reply
Re: Music in 2001
Sand I can only agree. What has happened to music - to rock, in particular?
Rock, it seems has gone thru several movements over the last few generations. We are all familiar with the roots of rock - the southern-fried Rockabilly beginnings, the poppish little riffs and skiffs of Buddy Holly and Elvis that made such classic, well-loved hits. But even Buddy and Elvis soon gave way to Beatlemania.
The Beatles craze began with music that was not at all unlike the hits of many other bands popular at that time. Songs like "I Wanna Hold Your Hand," and "Love Me Do" were the epitome of the Pop Genre. But something happened to these crazy Brits on the way to the recording studio. I think it may have been LSD, in combinaton with lots of groupie sex and other mind altering chemicals. "Help" gave way to "SGT Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band," and "Strawberry Fields Forever." Music took on an unmistakable new complexity that left people like my own parents craving more. Musicians began making music that was like the substances they ingested - addictive, hypnotic, and eye widening. The old stuff just didn't do it for the youth anymore; innocence was foever lost.
Nowhere was this lost innocence more apparant than at Woodstock. A generation and a half listened to songs ostensibly about peace and love then a short time later watched these same musicians light their instruments on fire then destroy them. At other concerts, most notably those of The Who, guitars were smashed, drum sets trashed. A new breed of anger and violence seemed to be briming just below the surface of "NaNaNaNa, Hey Hey Hey, Goodbye," and "Age of Aquarius." Hair peace was about to break loose and give way to Hellfire and fury.
Led Zeppelin burst onto the scene and over the airwaves with a bluesy, smoky seductive rhythm. Jimmy Page appeared to his audiance (and certainly me) as some sort of Necromancer, a Wizard. From the blazing embers of an angry youth came the smouldering heat of dark abyss which spurned more primal, black urges and pathos of mankind. Black Sabbath, like warlocks at black masses enabled society to express this part of themselves thru their as yet unparalleled mystical style.
The 80's brought Yuppies and DINKS - the 70's generation had grown up and bought Beemers and Volvos. The youth of the 80s worried a bit about the environment, and a bit about nuclear war and Reaganomics. But mostly they were allergic to disco, puked out on punk and ready once more for a new plate on which to gorge. Enter the Hair Bands. Men in Makeup and spandex, screaming and screaching about sex and cars. Out of this cookie cutter contrived leather and chains did arise some of the best bands, some of whom took a lickin in the 70s and are to this day still tickin'. Aerosmith and Van Halen are the first of these staid warriors who come to mind.
The evil that men began to do in the Me generation left some of us Metalheads hungry for more lead poisoning. That's where bands like Slayer, King Diamond and my own personal favorite, Metallica stepped in to dominate. The sheer force and velocity of their lyrics and riffs simply railroaded over some of the lighterweights. A few of these hard hitting thrashers were self-admittedly cornfed on NWOBHM (New Wave of British Heavy Metal). Their genius and magnitude brought the music world to a shuddering climax. The only place left to go from there was ....down.
And down went the US. Down to flannel shirts, and angsty-whiny spoiled rich kids hooked on heroin to soothe the pain of being bullied. Ok, ok, I'll admit to having a brief, albeit passionate love affair with Nirvana and Pearl Jam (oooh Eddie, baby!) (not a REAL affair, mind you) I can vouch for the complexity and originality spewed forth on Ten by PJ, but Nirvana was a hook and riff factory whose underground hits soon became as mainstream as Madonna. Music took an experimental turn. It was like being forced to eat fusion cooking - like eating a spaghetti taco. Yeah, it's different and new alright and radical, but does it really work? How long can the appeal last?
Now we have travelled to current times. Pop has remained unchanged - except for the fact that more skin is being shown and new dance steps being choreographed by Ms Toni Basil. Same subject matter witten by new songwriters for a pretty face or faces to sing. Now, the 'fusion cooking' style of music is becoming increasingly radical. The newest 'innovation' is what I call RockRap. More like RockRape. Kid Rock, who is celebrated by many as some sort of genius for mixing AC'DC with RUN DMC (again another visual for you - picture fried chicken and greens rolled up in a peice of pizza and drizzled with sesame oil - not a Good Thing.) We have rocking rappers and rapping rockers, and the twain shall and do meet frequently. Everybody is trying to be everybody else now. Even Mariah Carey, vocal butterfly, has gotten 'rappy.' We are swimming is a soup of experimental sludge, with only a few hunks of driftwood to keep us who are not content to go along with the whims of the crowd afloat.
Save us, save us!
**Trauma stepping off soapbox, wiping sweat from her brow, putting hair up in ponytail...
Whew! If anyone can make sense of that, I'll be amazed, but for what it;s worth, I feel better now!
Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood. - Helen Keller
Cool post, you put some serious thought into that. Thanks. I suppose for me the most important criteria to judge music (aside from its inherent musicality in the first place) is its integrity. If the musician does it for the love of the art or to say something that's important to them, them I'm cool with that. It's the rampant cynicism (both artistic and corporate) in so much modern music that turns me off.
Integrity in music crosses genre and stylistic boundaries. For instance; I don't particularly like folk music - but I heard a woman once singing a song called "Meulenberg (sp?) County", just her and her acoustic guitar, that was drop dead beautiful. It was her genuineness and integrity and her love of her art that came through. Anyone in any form of music can generate this kind of power, as it comes from within and is not specific to style or subject. There's equal validity in Puccini and John Lee Hooker, as both artists composed/performed for the love of it. As steps in their artist's journey.
You mentioned Nirvana - did you see the movie "Kurt and Courtenay?" (I think that was the title.) I never really listened to Nirvana, it's not my 'style' but that scene where Kurt's aunt played those reel to reel tapes of the dude singing when he was 3-4 years old. Man,that was spooky. Just her alone in the room with this tiny little voice echoing in the dark.
You mentioned Van Halen. I suppose I drifted away when David Lee left and Eddie VH started playing the same riffs over and over again. Mention of David Lee reminds me of one of my favourite quotes;
Quote: Man...I tried jogging once...but the ice kept falling out of my drink.
Even with me being a 'non drinker' that's a hell of a good line.
Btw: Since you show some serious depth in your thoughts on musical appreciation - how'd you like to moderate this forum?
Edited by: Sanduleak at: 1/8/02 9:52:12 am
Traumaddict Traveller in the arts
Posts: 13
(1/9/02 4:23 am) Reply
Re: Music in 2001
Guess that's what watching lots of MTV, VH-1 and reading album liner notes will do to you. The music industry has fascinated me for as long as I can remember. I love to know the stories behind the artists and the producers, what has inspired them, and what has become of them. Yes, it's all extremely pointless and useless knowledge. But it's interesting for reasons I can't explain.
I'd be happy to moderate this forum, thanks for thinkin o' me!
PS I hooted outloud (yes, hooted) when I read the DLR quote. That is sooo like him LMAO!!
Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood. - Helen Keller
Re: Music in 2001
Thanks Trauma. You are now officially the moderator of this forum.
Go for it...
Traumaddict Traveller in the arts
Posts: 19
(1/9/02 8:37 am) Reply
Re: Music in 2001
I feel kinda like Jafar in the movie "Aladdin" when he turns into a Genie, and gets really big and says "THE POWER...!" and starts spinning planets and galaxies around in his hands. (Anyone else see that part? hehe)
Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood. - Helen Keller
Reminds me of that scene in the Wayne's World movie (#2) where the boys meet Alice Cooper backstage.
Should we break out into "We're not worthy! We're not worthy!"
Mike Myers should've stuck to developing Wayne's World. Have to say I couldn't get into the Austin Powers movies. Just didn't strike me as all that funny.
Btw: I've set up the "Families, kids 'n things" forum, so feel free to get things rollin' there.
Edited by: Sanduleak at: 1/9/02 9:40:57 am
Traumaddict Traveller in the arts
Posts: 24
(1/9/02 3:18 pm) Reply
Re: Music in 2001
Cool! I'll get right to it. I'm up kinda late (for a woman whose hubby must be up at 5:30 am) but I can't sleep... WHat a good use of the last of my energy!
PS, sorry I didn't answer your earlier question - no, I was not lucky enough to see Kurt&Courteny... would like to tho. As much as she turns me off, Courtney is actually one hell of an actress! I saw her in a movie on HBO or SHOtime with Ben Affleck (**Shudder**ooooh), Martha Plimpton and a few other biggies I can't recall just now - it was about some New Year's Eve Party ? Know the one??? I've been trying to figure that title out, as I'd like to buy that on DVD. (anything with Ben is fair game... )
Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood. - Helen Keller
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