I was thinking recently about how, if I want to find music that touches me, really touches me, inspires me, moves me to greater depths, I have to go back to the music of my childhood. Very little of today’s music can touch me the way Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, The Who, Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Carol King, The Beatles (as a group and individually), Steely Dan, Rush, Yes, Prince, Leadbelly, Robert Johnson, Hendrix, Muddy Waters, (and the list goes on - and yes, I LOVE the Blues) can touch me. Music from back then moved. It flowed and had room to breathe. A single note or chord could carry you away on a journey of immeasurable depth. I keep looking for that music in today’s acts, but it’s missing something. It’s missing soul. It’s missing heart. There are very few, VERY few, acts today that have the power that music had in my youth. Music has become a cookie cutter industry. My aunt once told me that I was such a quiet child, that she would have to go look for me, to make sure I was still there, and she would often find me in front of the stereo with the headphones on or somewhere with a book in hand. I could get lost in the music, it took me somewhere higher and I didn’t care if it never brought me back down. I wish the music of today was like that. I wish artists could let the music breath, let it move through you, over you, surround you. I’m tired of the assembly line musicians.

There's plenty of it today but you have to "search" for it.

No offence man but this is beating a dead horse times 1,0000.

[Edited 1/11/13 15:20pm]

[Edited 1/11/13 15:24pm]

Gunsnhalen said:

No ofeense man but this is beating a dead horse times 1,0000.

I just about to post this.

I believe there's great music in every era and genre. I understand that it might not be in abundance and as accessible as in the past however it still is there. You don't always have to "search" for it but popular music (not in the form but in music that gets played on the radio or hits) in general has not been as strong (I would say since the mid-90's) as it used to be.

But I believe that music as with every art, is the result of you putting in (money, time, sometimes having to understand things, or searching for it) and getting something out of it. This is the case in "Art" music (Classical), it's harder to understand than "Folk" music but once you put in the effort of listening it and understanding it's rich language then you will enjoy it very much (or you won't and will stop trying to listen to it, it's okay either way at least you tried). Nowadays quality popular music is harder to find but if you believe that it is worth the search, then go ahead and keep searching because you are getting the better end of the deal. If you don't think it's worth it, then don't bother and listen to favorites of the past. Music is a beautiful thing, and expanding your tastes is never bad. So you can try to give new music a chance or you can explore music from different countries or you can explore different genres/styles of music in the past that you haven't quite listened to yet. I hope that you can find the joy of music in artists that you have never heard before

[Edited 1/11/13 15:17pm]

Gunsnhalen said:

No ofeense man but this is beating a dead horse times 1,0000.

The horse stinks so bad from its rot a billion flies are still surrounding its skeleton frame...

[Edited 1/11/13 19:39pm]

First.. i was typing fast so excus the typo fixed now.

Second! people complain almost daily here about bad music... i used to be this way until i

A. Stopped giving 2 fucks about what people like and just enjoy what i enjoy

B. Started looking for new music...

Yes it's a strecth for some but i can name 30 artists that have come out in the past few years who are great and have top notch albums in the metal genre, blues, R&B, Rock, Hip-Hop etc.

There are still dozens of great musicians out in the space and some are up and coming as well.

Might i add we have a New music thread Timmy started that is on part 4 now i believe.

Gunsnhalen said:

No offence man but this is beating a dead horse times 1,0000.

[Edited 1/11/13 15:20pm]

[Edited 1/11/13 15:24pm]

Sorry. It's the first time I've struck the horse. Didn't realize it was dead.

Timmy84 said:

Gunsnhalen said:

No ofeense man but this is beating a dead horse times 1,0000.

The horse stinks so bad from its rot a billion flies are still surrounding its skeleton frame... that's how much of beating a dead horse this sus ass topic is. Whatever...

Please tell them again, they didn't hear you.

phunkdaddy said:

Well I don't have a horse in the race(no pun intended) and I usually don't get involved in the music today sucks debates or just continually bash certain artists for no reason but if I choose to give my perspective of such topics I could care less who has a problem with me calling a spade a spade even if the subject appears repetitive. That's what a discussion forum is for. [Edited 1/11/13 17:06pm]

Phunkdaddy, I agree, but in a forum, you can only really get in a discussion if others engage you. If they just want to repeat over and over that the subject is 'beating a dead horse' then there is no discussion that can take place. It does no good to try to convince someone else that while the subject may be old and done to death for them, for new posters in the forum, it's not an old and overdone topic. I don't visit this forum (Music: Non-Prince) often and, therefore, am not aware of all of the subjects that have been posted. I was listening to Gov't Mule today, the way Warren Haynes and Abts play and how the music flows, moves, and the way it grabs you and brings you along for the ride; and realized there are very few today that do that to me. I realized that the majority of the music I listen to is music from my youth because there is just something missing in music today. That's what made me decide to post here. I appreciate the warm welcome and encouragement to post in this forum that I've received. (Yes, that was sarcasm.)

[Edited 1/11/13 18:08pm]

phunkdaddy said:

Well I don't have a horse in the race(no pun intended) and I usually don't get involved in the music today sucks debates or just continually bash certain artists for no reason but if I choose to give my perspective of such topics I could care less who has a problem with me calling a spade a spade even if the subject appears repetitive. That's what a discussion forum is for.

One of the best posts Ive seen on this site in a LONG time.

I dont think people will ever get it. Its like a damn if you do and damn if you dont kind of thing here.

People complain no new music gets talked about here but yet there is a new music thread and a crap load of current artists threads made daily but nobody says nothing about that but as soon as someone makes a thread like this, people start bitching...weird.

MiniJamesW said:

I believe there's great music in every era and genre. I understand that it might not be in abundance and as accessible as in the past however it still is there. You don't always have to "search" for it but popular music (not in the form but in music that gets played on the radio or hits) in general has not been as strong (I would say since the mid-90's) as it used to be.

But I believe that music as with every art, is the result of you putting in (money, time, sometimes having to understand things, or searching for it) and getting something out of it. This is the case in "Art" music (Classical), it's harder to understand than "Folk" music but once you put in the effort of listening it and understanding it's rich language then you will enjoy it very much (or you won't and will stop trying to listen to it, it's okay either way at least you tried). Nowadays quality popular music is harder to find but if you believe that it is worth the search, then go ahead and keep searching because you are getting the better end of the deal. If you don't think it's worth it, then don't bother and listen to favorites of the past. Music is a beautiful thing, and expanding your tastes is never bad. So you can try to give new music a chance or you can explore music from different countries or you can explore different genres/styles of music in the past that you haven't quite listened to yet. I hope that you can find the joy of music in artists that you have never heard before

[Edited 1/11/13 15:17pm]

Thanks for the thoughtful reply MiniJames. Your comment that "quality popular music is harder to find" is exactly what I'm talking about. Yes, there are some artists out there that are phenomenal today, and really seem to grasp what music is all about, but it's too few. When I look back at certain eras, the 60s, the 70s, even earlier, it seemed musicians had something in them that was pure music. Today, there are too many artists that are only in it for the fame and glory and money, and they follow this generalized guideline that everyone else is following, and they lack that spark. But there was a time when people performed, because they were music, that's all they wanted to do, and they had no other reason for really doing it except for being moved by the music to do it. Yes, it can be found, in some artists today. It's just depressing that you have to trudge through so much sludge to find that gem.

vainandy said:

There's plenty of it today but you have to "search" for it.

[Snip - luv4u]

prittypriss said:

Thanks for the thoughtful reply MiniJames. Your comment that "quality popular music is harder to find" is exactly what I'm talking about. Yes, there are some artists out there that are phenomenal today, and really seem to grasp what music is all about, but it's too few. When I look back at certain eras, the 60s, the 70s, even earlier, it seemed musicians had something in them that was pure music. Today, there are too many artists that are only in it for the fame and glory and money, and they follow this generalized guideline that everyone else is following, and they lack that spark. But there was a time when people performed, because they were music, that's all they wanted to do, and they had no other reason for really doing it except for being moved by the music to do it. Yes, it can be found, in some artists today. It's just depressing that you have to trudge through so much sludge to find that gem.

You're welcome! Well I agree with that, but I think popular music was always in it for money (at least for record labels and the guys on top) but I agree that back then the artists, songwriters, and producers were in it for more than just that. Unfortunately we have to adapt to the new musical landscape. It seems to me that technology has been both a blessing and curse for music, more music can be produced and sold more easily however it gets harder to separate the good and the bad when a lot of what's on the charts isn't really great.

Some of the people on here post some things that may seem mean but it is because honestly many people have posted topics like yours before, and Timmy himself solved that issue by creating a great series of threads on New Music, so I suggest you check it out. You may not like everything on there or anything at all but it's worth a try. For me in terms of popular music I generally look at what's going on in the Grammies (and only find a few albums I really like), I also look into foreign music (although in the past 2-3 years I think even that music has lost its quality).

Quality popular music may be harder to find but the truth is there is probably never going to be decades like the we've had from the 50's through the 80's and I think it's for many reasons, mainly technology which increased pirating and I think also encouraged weaker material as artists could easily record filler on a 78 minute single album. I think the best one can do is buy music and choose to listen to what you like, not necessarily what's popular because otherwise the Pop music industry will continue to grow stale.

iaminparties said:

vainandy said:

There's plenty of it today but you have to "search" for it.

[Snip - luv4u]

I think that's not a good thing to say, just because you only like exclusively like popular music doesn't mean everyone else has to. I honestly think that if you're not willing to "search" for music then you probably don't deserve that music. There is good music and bad music that is obscure and the same can be said for popular music. If you don't like what's in the charts and you don't like music that is harder to find, then what do you do, not listen to music? I just feel that as a music lover I am willing to purchase albums, search for new music, and try to understand more things about music simply because I love it.

MiniJamesW said:

prittypriss said:

Thanks for the thoughtful reply MiniJames. Your comment that "quality popular music is harder to find" is exactly what I'm talking about. Yes, there are some artists out there that are phenomenal today, and really seem to grasp what music is all about, but it's too few. When I look back at certain eras, the 60s, the 70s, even earlier, it seemed musicians had something in them that was pure music. Today, there are too many artists that are only in it for the fame and glory and money, and they follow this generalized guideline that everyone else is following, and they lack that spark. But there was a time when people performed, because they were music, that's all they wanted to do, and they had no other reason for really doing it except for being moved by the music to do it. Yes, it can be found, in some artists today. It's just depressing that you have to trudge through so much sludge to find that gem.

You're welcome! Well I agree with that, but I think popular music was always in it for money (at least for record labels and the guys on top) but I agree that back then the artists, songwriters, and producers were in it for more than just that. Unfortunately we have to adapt to the new musical landscape. It seems to me that technology has been both a blessing and curse for music, more music can be produced and sold more easily however it gets harder to separate the good and the bad when a lot of what's on the charts isn't really great.

Some of the people on here post some things that may seem mean but it is because honestly many people have posted topics like yours before, and Timmy himself solved that issue by creating a great series of threads on New Music, so I suggest you check it out. You may not like everything on there or anything at all but it's worth a try. For me in terms of popular music I generally look at what's going on in the Grammies (and only find a few albums I really like), I also look into foreign music (although in the past 2-3 years I think even that music has lost its quality).

Quality popular music may be harder to find but the truth is there is probably never going to be decades like the we've had from the 50's through the 80's and I think it's for many reasons, mainly technology which increased pirating and I think also encouraged weaker material as artists could easily record filler on a 78 minute single album. I think the best one can do is buy music and choose to listen to what you like, not necessarily what's popular because otherwise the Pop music industry will continue to grow stale.

I think you've hit the nail on the head when you said "listen to what you like, not necessarily what's popular". I had gotten into a discussion with a young man recently, who thought that what was "popular" was an indication of it being "good", because otherwise, "why would it be popular?" When I suggested to him that it was popular because of marketing, because of the way music is recorded today (the whole "loudness war"). They have become indoctrinated in the recording techniques of today they consider it normal to not hear the nuances of music. Of course, with him having grown up on the music of today, and the whole idea of "what's popular has to be good", he couldn't grasp where I was coming from. Unfortunately, what is popular is always going to sell, because you have to keep up with the Joneses. I will check out some of the new artists/music threads here. Thank you!

[Edited 1/11/13 20:06pm]

prittypriss said:

I think you've hit the nail on the head when you said "listen to what you like, not necessarily what's popular". I had gotten into a discussion with a young man recently, who thought that what was "popular" was an indication of it being "good", because otherwise, "why would it be popular?" When I suggested to him that it was popular because of marketing, because of the way music is recorded today (the whole "loudness war"). They have become indoctrinated in the recording techniques of today they consider it normal to not hear the nuances of music. Of course, with him having grown up on the music of today, and the whole idea of "what's popular has to be good", he couldn't grasp where I was coming from. Unfortunately, what is popular is always going to sell, because you have to keep up with the Joneses. I will check out some of the new artists/music threads here. Thank you!

[Edited 1/11/13 20:06pm]

yeah I've had that discussion about what's popular is good. I mean I'm just a teenager myself but my family is not very musical (with one notable exception, my grandfather who was a classically trained pianist). So I feel very isolated musically to my family because they only listen to what's a hit and I listen to all kinds of music. I tried to get them into music like I am but I don't care I still play whatever I want whenever we're in the car or at home! I never really grew up on the music of today because through my grandfather I was only into classical music (my grandfather loved 50's rock 'n' roll, the blues, funk, hip-hop, and R&B as well but I didn't) and some movie/video game soundtracks until MJ died and it was through him I got into popular music forms, and I'm glad I did. There is so much out there when it comes to music!

I'm glad I could help!

iaminparties said:

vainandy said:

There's plenty of it today but you have to "search" for it.

[Snip - luv4u]

Please tell me you're joking

Harlepolis said:

iaminparties said:

[Snip - luv4u]

Please tell me you're joking

Don't listen to him. Every one of his posts are meant to get a negative reaction. He's a troll

Look at the quality of the so called music "producers".

Most are button pushers and quite limited in what they can actually do.

Graycap23 said:

Look at the quality of the so called music "producers".

Most are button pushers and quite limited in what they can actually do.

I think that is the biggest reason why a lot of the pop music today isn't good, it's because even the producers don't really know about music or music production. There was a time when there were some untalented artists who still had some good music out there because of their producers and songwriters, but it seems that now more and more producers are less knowledgable on music and don't even know much about instruments.

Again, I say that technology is one of the biggest reasons. Technology has got to the point where you don't need an instrument to make music and that's alright but once we get used to it, we sometimes forget what's really driving the music (which is not in the synthesizers, plug-ins, programming, or any other tools you use). When technology is used to enhance music, I'm all for it but when it becomes the sole reason the music is being produced in the first place then I think that is when the quality starts to drop.

I agree with the OP,but I don't complain about today's lousy music anymore.I just simply listen to the great,old music that I grew up with.95% of the time when I listen to music,I'm listening to something from the 70s.I wouldn't have it any other way The cool thing is,there is enough great music from the past that,you never even really have to waste your time with today's crap.

iaminparties said:

vainandy said:

There's plenty of it today but you have to "search" for it.

[Snip - luv4u]

He's right.

Wanna come over and see my record collection.

I don't have any functional lights in my apartment so we'll have to use flashlights.

Yours might be out of batteries.