Is music getting worse?

[bèlla]

I think there needs to be another Bob Dylan. A modern Dylan that speaks to the people but in todays terms.

I listened to Marvin Gaye often during the lockdown and I was struck by the applicability of all that he said on an album released over 50 years ago. The saddest thing of all is that it applies. We should be able to listen nostalgically but the truth confronts us. There were moments in that period when I asked as he did what’s going on? The world I knew was no more.

~bella

 

[stevevw]

Or another Donovan his music & lyrics were second to none.

Yes Donovan. Another word smith of the time. I actually seen a video of Donavan and Dylan in some room talking and jamming. There was some other people I am not sure who. But Donovan plays his new song and Dylans tapping away. Then I think Donovan asks Dylan to play his latest song at the time.

Its great as its behind the scenes and you see a different side.

 

[Apple Sky]

Yes Donovan. Another word smith of the time. I actually seen a video of Donavan and Dylan in some room talking and jamming. There was some other people I am not sure who. But Donovan plays his new song and Dylans tapping away. Then I think Donovan asks Dylan to play his latest sone at the time.

Its great as its behind the scenes and you see a different side.

This is great Steve - Thank you for sharing

 

[stevevw]

I was just listening to someone and they were speaking about how pop culture has died. Up until around 2007 we peaked in entertainment such as movies and TV shows. Some of the best were made up until this period. Then there was a big drop in quality entertainment. First it was in comedy and we virtually seen the disappearence of good comedy pretty quickly due to cultural changes.

Movies and TV were suffering due to the rise of cable entertainment and video shops closed down. People were not going to the cinema as much. Social media was rising and reality TV and Youtube bloggers and entertainers. Pop stars were being made in bedrooms. They say Michael Jackson was the last of the great moncultures pop icons when he died in 2009.

The digitisation of music began a bit earlier in the 90s with applications like Napster. Thats when we began to see record or CD sales suffer. The availability of online entertainment and digital music has led to live playing and music just about disappearing.

But I think after a couple of decades we are beginning to see a bit of a revival in live music. Busking has grown a lot and some of the best music is on the streets. But also places are having live music again. Theres a place near me that is like a community hub as well as a venue for local young bands to play. They also have kareoke and open mics.

I think open mic nights is the way to go. We have seen from shows like the Voice that there is a lot of untapped talent out there.

 

[stevevw]

This is great Steve - Thank you for sharing

 

[Gregory Thompson]

Yes, the Music industry is ridiculously geared towards teenagers, which makes no sense-------they have not the most buying power.

And talking about inclusiveness....where is it?

This targeting on teenagers alone - left a huge big vacuum in the other age groups market (which great violinist Andre Rieu took advantage of and build a big business).

But they live at home and are willing to get part time jobs to blow the money on whatever.

The buying power equation does not take into account who has to pay rent and bills, and who does not.

 

[stevevw]

Thats another aspect I think that has ruined the music industry. The commercialisation of music. Which was probably inevitable in a consumer society. But as music began it was an expression of humans. It has deep cultural and religious roots. Thats virtually gone and now its about producing a marketable product.

I remember in the 90s with Stockman, Aiken and Waterman who were music producers and had many hits with the likes of Kylie, Rick Ashley, and Bananarama ect. All more or less following the same formal of electro beat. Even Jason Donovan who is by no means a music artist had a hit song.

But it was the pop culture at the time and popular. More a business than art I think. Or at least commercial interests had well and truely taken over. But inevitable its the fringe music that comes through in the end because its birthed out of the real world culture.