Mellotronists

Certainly true, but that is more a function of the Lowest Common Denominator 
phenomenon.  The music industry figured out how to package attractive young 
people and prop them up with technology and professional pop-hitmakers 
cranking out formulaic pap.  This makes other young people think they can do 
it by themselves without taking into account the massive machine that 
enables the young popster to exist.

> Instant gratification and lowered expectations happened.  Every child 
> wants to be a star NOW - the next hip hop mofo.  Very few kids are willing 
> to take the time or effort to learn to play an instrument.  Now they're 
> the center of attention because they're  ... playing records at a party. 
> Apparently there's some secret skill involved in fading a mixer between 
> two turntables whilst cupping one side of your headphones over your left 
> ear with one hand.    I can't remember the last time I was at a party with 
> a live band playing, but it goes back to the '80s.  I guess it wouldn't be 
> so bad if what they were playing was in the least bit interesting, but 
> everytime I've had to go to one of these damned things it's the most 
> unimaginative and repetitive bastard son of disco crap being played.  I've 
> often felt that Brando had Sheen call in the airstrike on the wrong people 
> at the end of Apocalypse Now ...
>
> john barrick
> I'm not bitter
>
>
>
> jonesalley wrote:
>>
>>   Whatever happened to a cool music subculture like we used to have?
>

>> Whatever happened to a cool music subculture like we used to have?
>
>
> hmmm...
> i wonder if our parents asked the same question... and their parents?


Certainly true and will be as long as there are humans.  I still can't shake 
the conclusion that the original prog-rock decade was a pretty much 
unparalleled age of innovation arising from a diverse blend of musical 
influences with new technology and the geopolitics of the era adding their 
own flavors to the blend.

>
> The cool music subculture was effectively killed by a music industry
> that was more concerned about making deals than making music.  Sure,
> the music industry has always been more concerned with making deals
> than making music, but the dollar value of the transactions involved
> got way out of control.
>
> All is not lost though.  It turns out that in the process of killing
> the music, the music industry has effectively killed itself.  Short
> term gain has trashed the chances of long term survival.  (Darwin
> would say that that sucks if you're an evolving species.)
>
> I'll predict that the music industry we've come to know is turning
> into ash, and a whole new music industry is rising from the ashes.
>
>  -- Don
>


To that, I'll add that the way the industry has shaped itself by following 
trends has led to the near-extinction of artists in favor of 
flavor-of-the-year pop stars.  The acts these days that have successful 
follow-up albums (is that the right word any more?) are virtually 
non-existent.  The pop music industry is geared so strongly towards youth 
and image that the handful of truly creative people don't get the careful 
nurturing and fertilization that they usually need, and after a successful 
album its usually just cheaper to get a new "artist" from the cookie-cutter 
than to put up with the increasing power of an already-used one.  I think of 
the first few Yes or Genesis or Pink Floyd albums and realize that those 
ambitious but not-quite-there efforts would have had those bands ground out 
of existence before they hit their strides and released their Foxtrots and 
their Fragiles and their Dark Sides.

In a message dated 1/22/2007 8:44:07 P.M. Pacific Standard Time,  
jonesalley@... writes:

>  Instant gratification and lowered expectations happened.  Every child  
> wants to be a star NOW - the next hip hop mofo.  Very few kids  are willing 
> to take the time or effort to learn to play an  instrument.  Now they're 
> the center of attention because  they're  ... playing records at a party. 
> Apparently there's some  secret skill involved in fading a mixer between 
> two turntables whilst  cupping one side of your headphones over your left 
> ear with one  hand.    I can't remember the last time I was at a party with 
 
> a live band playing, but it goes back to the '80s.  I guess it  wouldn't be 
> so bad if what they were playing was in the least bit  interesting, but 
> everytime I've had to go to one of these damned  things it's the most 
> unimaginative and repetitive bastard son of  disco crap being played.  I've 
> often felt that Brando had Sheen  call in the airstrike on the wrong people 
> at the end of Apocalypse  Now ...



Best summed up by the character Christopher Moltisanti of The  Sopranos, "4th 
grade poetry and a drum machine and every ditsoon thinks he's  Chairman of 
the Board..."

jonesalley wrote:
> Certainly true, but that is more a function of the Lowest Common Denominator 
> phenomenon.  The music industry figured out how to package attractive young 
> people and prop them up with technology and professional pop-hitmakers 
> cranking out formulaic pap.  
>   
The music industry can sell *nothing* if people do not want to buy it in the first place. 

-- 
Mike Dickson (tron@...) M400 #996
The Official Cynic of Streetly Electronics
Streetly Sample Library http://www.blackcat.demon.co.uk/tron/

> Thanks so much for explaining the obvious there, Mike.  McDonald's 
> couldn't sell their shit if people didn't want it either.  If people 
> aren't exposed to good things, crappy ones that are shiny seem great.
>
>
>
>>>
>> The music industry can sell *nothing* if people do not want to buy it in 
>> the first place.
>