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There is something very, very wrong with today’s music

Robin L

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kiyo and sen

ummm... this is what i would call "Gran Turismo" music

and this is from someone who loves Gran Turismo and that genre of music that the creators, Sony Polyphony Digital, have introduced to a western audience

i would say music and cinema is driven by money... what is going to sell

a good example would be the movie "Master and Commander" 2003, the Russell Crowe period piece. This is probably one of the best movies ever made but even for 2003 I question how this was ever greenlit and obviously such a movie could not be made today.

And so from someone who grew up in an era of INXS and Cold Chisel I wonder where this generation's equivalent music is?

To me my music tastes come and go but its always of the same era... I'm currently hooked on Elton John... and only relatively recently did I 'discover' Steve Perry and Journey. I kind of know that's strange being they have been defunct for decades.

On a more recent sort of thing. I quite like Lady Gaga but I dont tend to like any of the music she writes herself. But her stuff like Tony Bennett is what I love.
 

EJ3

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You know @Sal1950 :oops:
Soulfulness, love, hate, feelings of oppression or depression and being drunk/stoned has brought us much of the music of the 20th Century.
To NOT call rap and hip-hop music is almost akin to ghosting Motown, or cancelling C&W or calling the Blues racist. :(
But if you had included "disco" in your negativity; you woulda gotten a "Like" from me! ;)
I don't like opera (I have been subjected to live performances, I can't even visualize having it come out of my speakers), music that has cursing for no apparent reason to me (cursing is not allowed in my home unless you managed to do something like have your stupid thumb get in the way of the stupid hammer), and most disco. Most other music I find tolerable or better. My wife doesn't like any music at all unless there is singing and she doesn't like that much.
 

Soria Moria

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My grandparents used to play their 60s/70s hits CDs in the car when I was with them, and I loved the songs as a kid. Now I find them all to be mostly pretty bad. I don't remember any specific tracks other than 'Popcorn'.
 

pseudoid

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...music that has cursing for no apparent reason to me...
You wouldn't like living around f-bomb capital of USA. No, not Compton but NYC area!

For a minute, think of rap/hiphop peeps' age and the built-up anger they have.
That may allow you to sympathize when you were at that age and may have felt such anger like they do/did.
At least, for them those negative vibes were subdued by voicing them in (thru) their music.
And that is a good deal better (for them to voice such anger) than thru other faster means than the sound of music.
 

Robin L

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You wouldn't like living around f-bomb capital of USA. No, not Compton but NYC area!

For a minute, think of rap/hiphop peeps' age and the built-up anger they have.
That may allow you to sympathize when you were at that age and may have felt such anger like they do/did.
At least, for them those negative vibes were subdued by voicing them in (thru) their music.
And that is a good deal better (for them to voice such anger) than thru other faster means than the sound of music.
Those kids . . .

 

EJ3

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Those kids . . .

Wow! Sounds like OPERA. I think I would choose cursing over OPERA but it would be a most difficult choice. We all curse, I think, at some point in time. But to just use cursing as the third word of every sentence you utter... Well, that's up to you. But you won't be in my home doing it. And you won't be working with me or for me doing it. No one I know curses in their general speech. And I do know a lot of people of many races, cultures and countries. I have been a homeless vagabond and I hitch hiked around Europe when I was 14. So, I guess it's who you associate with or what you like. My wife, who is from Asia: In the 17 years I have been married to her, I have never heard any of her friends or their families curse at all. In fact, she finds the small amount of cursing I do as unacceptable.
 

Robin L

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Wow! Sounds like OPERA. I think I would choose cursing over OPERA but it would be a most difficult choice. We all curse, I think, at some point in time. But to just use cursing as the third word of every sentence you utter... Well, that's up to you. But you won't be in my home doing it. And you won't be working with me or for me doing it. No one I know curses in their general speech. And I do know a lot of people of many races, cultures and countries. I have been a homeless vagabond and I hitch hiked around Europe when I was 14. So, I guess it's who you associate with or what you like. My wife, who is from Asia: In the 17 years I have been married to her, I have never heard any of her friends or their families curse at all. In fact, she finds the small amount of cursing I do as unacceptable.
Ya'll wouldn't like to be in the car when my wife is driving, that's for sure.

More Bonzo Dog Band:

 

EJ3

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Ya'll wouldn't like to be in the car when my wife is driving, that's for sure.

More Bonzo Dog Band:

I enjoyed that one. Also, we enjoy George Carlin (who used curse words in witty ways). Different than just using them because you can.
I am a Firesign Theatre kind of humor person: The Firesign Theatre's humor is best described as surreal, futuristic science fiction fantasy with a heavy dose of absurdist social commentary. Their body of work, including 15 record albums, deal with such contemporary concepts as channel surfing, cars with climate control and television screens, and even foreshadowed GPS. (1966–1985, 1993–2012). The Firesign Theatre has just released their first new record in 35 years — "Dope Humor of the Seventies." It’s a two-disc set that includes 83 minutes of freeform radio mayhem, and madness from 1970 to 1972.
Here is 'Ralph Spoilsport Motors':
and 'The Chinchilla Show'
 

Robin L

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I enjoyed that one. Also, we enjoy George Carlin (who used curse words in witty ways). Different than just using them because you can.
I am a Firesign Theatre kind of humor person: The Firesign Theatre's humor is best described as surreal, futuristic science fiction fantasy with a heavy dose of absurdist social commentary. Their body of work, including 15 record albums, deal with such contemporary concepts as channel surfing, cars with climate control and television screens, and even foreshadowed GPS. (1966–1985, 1993–2012). The Firesign Theatre has just released their first new record in 35 years — "Dope Humor of the Seventies." It’s a two-disc set that includes 83 minutes of freeform radio mayhem, and madness from 1970 to 1972.
Here is 'Ralph Spoilsport Motors':
and 'The Chinchilla Show'
I was listening to "Radio Free Oz" back in1967 when I was twelve. Some four years later heard "Don't Crush That Dwarf, Hand Me the Pliers" in an audio store. This was during Principal Poop's speech. It was many years passing before I figured out they were the same guys. Got the mammoth collection of "Dear Friends" broadcasts in the "Duke of Madness Motors" book/DVD combo.

OIP.jpg
 

pseudoid

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Considering the bel canto era of the early 1800's, technically music has been in decline for longer than that.
Can anybody tell me exactly when 'music' had reached its apogee; as I keep hearing that music is on a negative slope (decline)???
 

Peterinvan

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I am in the 70+ demographic, and have drifted towards old jazz standards and real acoustic instruments. I have listened to most genres over the years and don’t have many anger or horny feelings that need to be stoked in my playlists.

I appreciate when a pop artist (Billie Eilish, Taylor Swift) makes an effort to create new melodies, rather than just a pretty face echoing what all the other pop artists are creating with sound loops and no real band behind them. I would have preferred it if Taylor didn’t feel she had to F bomb us with distracting expletives.

Attentive listening, especially to a small group when musicians are in the flow, in sync with each other is my pleasure these days.
 

Robin L

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Can anybody tell me exactly when 'music' had reached its apogee; as I keep hearing that music is on a negative slope (decline)???
1730 with J. S. Bach.
 

pseudoid

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1730 with J. S. Bach.
Thank you,
I recall when skinny Atouk invented music some time around "One Zillion BC – October 9th"
I am also assured that Don McLean did not really mean it when he sang "The day music died"
:facepalm:
 

Robin L

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Thank you,
I recall when skinny Atouk invented music some time around "One Zillion BC – October 9th"
I am also assured that Don McLean did not really mean it when he sang "The day music died"
:facepalm:
Hey, whatcha want, when G.W.A.R. first got on the scene? Too obvious. For the record, music dies at different times for different folks. And as far as I can tell, it's thriving in spite of big obstacles right now---like Covid is still a thing. Just because I'm an old (67) man---so I am more likely to listen to something older---doesn't mean there isn't new music in my life.

I pick Bach, by the way, because Bach was the master of the craft of music and also a polymath responsible for building great organs for various churches. I'd say he's the pinnacle, I know others would disagree and I'm cool with that. It's not that I see everything unravelling after him as much as I can't think of anyone as "tight" a musician as Bach.

 
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12Many

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You know @Sal1950 :oops:
Soulfulness, love, hate, feelings of oppression or depression and being drunk/stoned has brought us much of the music of the 20th Century.
To NOT call rap and hip-hop music is almost akin to ghosting Motown, or cancelling C&W or calling the Blues racist. :(
But if you had included "disco" in your negativity; you woulda gotten a "Like" from me! ;)
Agreed. Music is often derived from emotion.
As to the second half of your post, I have had numerous discussions about what qualifies and music and what qualifies as sound or noise. I can make sound/noise but I can't make music. Does music have a definition? When does sound become music?
 

pseudoid

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...I have had numerous discussions about what qualifies and music and what qualifies as sound or noise. I can make sound/noise but I can't make music. Does music have a definition? When does sound become music?
If you did not believe Atouk, maybe this brand new study may help you a bit.:)
"Bass Instinct: Low Notes Really Do Get People Dancing, Research Finds: Neuroscientists show clubbers move more to very low frequencies, even though they are not consciously detectable..." Link
 

12Many

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If you did not believe Atouk, maybe this brand new study may help you a bit.:)
"Bass Instinct: Low Notes Really Do Get People Dancing, Research Finds: Neuroscientists show clubbers move more to very low frequencies, even though they are not consciously detectable..." Link
???
 

pseudoid

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The 1981 movie w/Ringo Starr called the "Caveman"... the "invention" of music... some time around "One Zillion BC – October 9th"
 

killdozzer

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There has been a fair amount of thread like these and I don't really agree with them. I will agree that mainstream sources bombard me with dumbsh..., but if i try a little bit, I find endlessly beautiful music today and it's often produced much, much better and nicer and more imaginative than it was. Just the other day I played a song from Eric Clapton... man what a sad experience, like some poor kid in his basement. It was like it was playing from a cardboard box "single-use" battery operated FM radio. After that I played a song from the new album by Andrew Bird and was swept with overwhelming wave of pure beauty.
 

Snarfie

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63 an quite happy with today's music but you have to find it. New music creates pheromones for thoughts. Some examples

His voice does remind me of Lou Reed. Some other examples an i can go on like this.
Ezra collective:
Kaidi Thatham:
Little north:
Daniel Maunick son of Jean-Paul 'Bluey' Maunick:
R+R=Now:
Robert Glasper Trio:
Snarky Puppy:
Yussef Dayes / Tom Misch:
 
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