rdhull said:

Scorp said:

The music was simply better back then, everyone knows this.

Closes piano top. Unplugs cord from geetar. Leaves mic in stand.

Amen! And not just American/UK music either, back home too.

alphastreet said:

And now it’s songs with a sample of a sample being sampled. Like a Chris Brown song using swv right here/human nature

I'd rather hear a well done sample in a decent song than the endless funk jams of Snarky Puppy or Vulpeck. Being a good player doesn't mean you make good records.

MotownSubdivision said:

One of the main turnoffs of the bulk of music today is the production. There's been many articles over this decade addressing how modern techniques are flatlining the personality of a song. It's all about loudness and it's done at the expense of the range, dynamism and other related qualities that made songs of the past such treasures.

Considering what many people listen to music on today, the sound quality of a recording doesn't matter that much Even in the past most people had cheap component sets from K-Mart or Mongomery Wards. It wasn't expensive audiophile equipment. The sound quality on old records varied anyway, depending on the record company, the producer, or the engineer. I have the original pressing of the debut album by Sugarhill Gang, and it sounds thin & flat compared to something produced by Quincy Jones or a Steely Dan record. There's the original Beatles records with the music on one speaker and the vocals on the other. By turning one speaker off, you could have an acapella or instrumental. I've seen interviews where some records were recorded in a bathroom with a 4-track recorder.

MickyDolenz said:

CynicKill said:

Have you noticed how the 2000's decades seem to be non-defining? Young people are supposed to be the ones coming up with new, ground breaking ideas. They've seemed to stop doing that after the 90's.

MTV sort of started the reality trend with The Real World in the 1990s.

I know this is true, but by all accounts the real game changer was The Osbournes - a family sitcom without a script. Other than starring Ozzy, it was not music related at all, but gave MTV viewer ratings they had never seen before.

By the way, Ozzy's guitarist Bernie Torme passed yesterday. He was 66.

MotownSubdivision said:

Here's the most recent article on this subject: https://www.nytimes.com/2...-wars.html

Thanks for posting!

I think some of the generalisations are a bit unfair ... there is good modern music today (The XX, Haim, Chrvches to name three of my current faves) and there was bad music back then (Mr Blobby, Black Lace, Napoleon XIV, Ray Stevens, Disco Duck, etc). But there does seem to be alot more vacuous music about today.

Life is more comfortable now for alot of people, with more distractions and more instantly available gratification. As such I don't think the passion is there for a lot of potential artists. Take Prince for example; I'm guessing music for him was such a big passion simply because there wasn't much else to be passionate about. And it wasn't just a passion for him, it was an escape to something better, a more comfortable life.

How many of the people on today's chart can say that? How many of them had a tough upbringing where making it in the music business was that life or death? I'm willing to bet nowhere near as many, and the music they make doesn't hold as much value as a result ... it isn't as urgent, as passionate ... its just business.

Look at the likes of Prince, Madonna, the Foo Fighters, Springsteen. They all could have retired years ago but they haven't, because performing is their passion ... if they hadn't have made it big, even now I bet you could find them on a small stage somewhere in America doing their thing. I don't look at modern artists and see that ... hence their music holds less value and, quite simply put, isn't as good.

DaveT said:

there was bad music back then (Mr Blobby, Black Lace, Napoleon XIV, Ray Stevens, Disco Duck, etc).

What's wrong with Ray Stevens? Although that's what he's known for with general audiences, Ray didn't just make comedy records. He had straight country songs and gospel too. There's nothing wrong with funny songs anyway. Weird Al wouldn't have a career without them. Mississippi Squirrel Revival is one of my all time favorite songs. I like Disco Duck & They're Coming To Take Me Away too. I've never heard of Mr. Blobby & Black Lace.

uPtoWnNY said:

Scorp said:

exactly, great points

Looking back, i would say 2001, was the last year of good music across the board, and that year marked a resurgence of sorts, it was like one last major push before it all started to give way

and now, it's like artists are freelancing now, searching for anything that sticks.

or if somone reminds people of a great artist from yesterday, that person is deemed great, just for reminding them of past greatness....

Co-sign on the above two posts, especially Scorp's comment about 2001 being the last year of good music. I'm 58, but I try not to be an old grouch - it's just that modern 'music' doesn't move me at all. It sounds like watered down versions of beats I heard decades ago. Shit, I grew up on Motown, Stax/Atlantic, classic rock/soul/funk, old school hip-hip, WABC, the 'Quiet Storm' on WBLS in NYC, etc. Nothing today comes close to matching that. And don't get me started today's so-called 'R&B'. I'm so glad my brother raised his three kids on the old shit. They'd rather listen to Sly Stone, MJ & Prince than Bruno Mars or Timberfake.

And can someone explain Cardi B to me? They played that shit at my cousin's sweet 16. I had to go outside after 30 seconds......jesus.

MotownSubdivision said:

It makes me happy that there is now actual scientific evidence to support what I've been seeing and saying for a while now. People forget that kids' musical tastes are born at home. They have parents who play the music of their youth from many decades ago and it's only natural that the music resonates with the children. They may not become hardcore music bugs like us on here but it still sticks, I know it did with me. People also forget that what's "old" to them is new to those who've never experienced what they have. Looney Tunes were 50-60 years old by the time I came along but I didn't know that and loved them because they were high quality entertainment. If anything, when I found out just how long they've been around it only cemented my love for them. Kids don't just dismiss something because it's old, that sort of attitude has to be influenced. Sorry for going on like that but this information resonates deeply with me in too many positive ways.

So true! Most of us baby boomers have fond memories of growing up with our parents playing music, in which in return, instilled in us the love and appreciation of it. In a way, I feel bad for today's generation that don't have the blessing that we had, hearing the sound of music and voices created by God and mere talent. Most of today's "music" is created by auto tune and machines....how sad! It's no wonder that today's generation is blah about music, because nothing can compare to the good old days!

oceanblue said:

In a way, I feel bad for today's generation that don't have the blessing that we had, hearing the sound of music and voices created by God and mere talent.

But there was music about the occult, wicca, Satanism, Neo-nazi, racist songs, murder, drugs, fighting, etc. in the past though.

MickyDolenz said:

oceanblue said:

In a way, I feel bad for today's generation that don't have the blessing that we had, hearing the sound of music and voices created by God and mere talent.

But there was music about the occult, wicca, Satanism, Neo-nazi, racist songs, murder, drugs, fighting, etc. in the past though.

Sorry, not the music I listened to and that was a part of my upbringing.

oceanblue said:

Sorry, not the music I listened to and that was a part of my upbringing.

What about the national anthem of the USA? Especially the verses that nobody sings.

MickyDolenz said:

oceanblue said:

Sorry, not the music I listened to and that was a part of my upbringing.

What about the national anthem of the USA? Especially the verses that nobody sings.

What about it, I don't think of our national anthem as "music" that I listened to while growing up, I didn't jam to the national anthem.

oceanblue said:

What about it, I don't think of our national anthem as "music" that I listened to while growing up, I didn't jam to the national anthem.

It was played every morning at the schools I went to, except middle school which played We Shall Overcome instead. So it does not matter if I listened to it on purpose on my own time, it was something I heard. Also the Whitney Houston version was a hit single. Her version was played quite a bit on the radio. The Marvin Gaye version got some airplay on a local R&B radio station as well. I remember that Jehovah's Witnesses did not have to stand for it or the pledge at school.

MickyDolenz said:

DaveT said:

there was bad music back then (Mr Blobby, Black Lace, Napoleon XIV, Ray Stevens, Disco Duck, etc).

What's wrong with Ray Stevens? Although that's what he's known for with general audiences, Ray didn't just make comedy records. He had straight country songs and gospel too.

Ray Stevens has a long and successful career and had signature songs beyond "The Streak" etc.

namepeace said:

Ray Stevens has a long and successful career and had signature songs beyond "The Streak" etc.

Jerry Reed had some funny songs too and there's other country songs like It's Hard To Be Humble (Mac Davis) & You're The Reason Our Kids Are Ugly (Loretta Lynn & Conway Twitty). Also, there's TV shows like Hee Haw and Barbara Mandrell And The Mandrell Sisters that had comedy skits.

MickyDolenz said:

namepeace said:

Ray Stevens has a long and successful career and had signature songs beyond "The Streak" etc.

Jerry Reed had some funny songs too and there's other country songs like It's Hard To Be Humble (Mac Davis) & You're The Reason Our Kids Are Ugly (Loretta Lynn & Conway Twitty). Also, there's TV shows like Hee Haw and Barbara Mandrell And The Mandrell Sisters that had comedy skits.

Jerry could get down for his.



The old school cats were true all-around entetainers.