I agree with you Nrchy. Here are some of my thoughts:
Trend #1: After MTV started making LOTS of money (early 80's), it was taken over by the marketing types. It stopped being about music and more about making money. This meant that talented musicians were passed over for "marketable" musicians and videos were done by less creative (and cheaper to hire) directors with lower budgets. At the same time, deregulation meant that the record companies not longer were dependent on promoting music through local radio DJ's. They could just buy the radio station and play the songs they wanted to promote. I am not much of a lyrics person, I more enjoy the melody of the music. In my opinion the Rap/Hip-Hop influence has killed the melody in most modern rock songs.
Trend #2: I am also an educator and I see another trend that has happened here in the U.S. Most high schools now have greatly reduced band and orchestra programs. Some high schools have eliminated them altogether. I belive this trend has been seen by Viacom, parent of MTV, VH1 etc. I say this because VH1 has been giving grants to keep music programs alive in the schools. I think they realize that without the music programs in the schools there may not be a VH1 in the future. It may be a lost cause because many of our students no longer have the patience to learn music through a high school band program. Why should they be a "band geek" for years when they can pick up a guitar and be cool right away? Never mind that they many times lack the basic musical background and talent to make something meaningful with their instrument.
Trend #3: After the Monkeys it was very uncool to have someone else write songs for your rock group and to have very talented studio musicians help out your sound in the studio and on tour. After Milli Vanilli it became almost impossible. (Even though this incident was an overt fraud, the lesson that was retained was that you must write and play your own music.) Sometimes talented instrumental or vocal musicians are not very talented at writing music. How many excellent orchestral musicians write symphonies? Very few, but almost all of our rock musicians insist on writing their own music. Sometimes this works with the right talent, but many times these musicians would be better with a compromise. Write a few songs of your own, do a few covers, and play a few new songs written be others.I know there are some artists that do this, but I think the ego of many current musicians and some of the Monkeys/Milli Vanilli history of rock and roll prevents this from occuring in a natural way for many artists. I see no problem with occasionally using other people's music for you performance as long as proper credit is given to the creators.
I hope that this era is just a low ebb in the creation of good rock and roll, but I am increasingly pessimistic that the U.S. rock scene will improve. Some of my favorite music lately has been from elsewere. For example, I really enjoy the soundtracks from the anime series "Cowboy Bebop." Most of the performances are done by a Japanese group called the Seatbelts. The styles vary from rock to jazz to vocals. These are talented musicians, but just as importantly they do not seem bound by the culture into playing only one form of music such as hard rock, new age, jazz, etc. They seem to be just having fun playing great music. In contrast many of our talented artists are put into a cultural and corporate straight jacket that is not conducive to the creative process.
Trend #1: After MTV started making LOTS of money (early 80's), it was taken over by the marketing types. It stopped being about music and more about making money. This meant that talented musicians were passed over for "marketable" musicians and videos were done by less creative (and cheaper to hire) directors with lower budgets. At the same time, deregulation meant that the record companies not longer were dependent on promoting music through local radio DJ's. They could just buy the radio station and play the songs they wanted to promote. I am not much of a lyrics person, I more enjoy the melody of the music. In my opinion the Rap/Hip-Hop influence has killed the melody in most modern rock songs.
Trend #2: I am also an educator and I see another trend that has happened here in the U.S. Most high schools now have greatly reduced band and orchestra programs. Some high schools have eliminated them altogether. I belive this trend has been seen by Viacom, parent of MTV, VH1 etc. I say this because VH1 has been giving grants to keep music programs alive in the schools. I think they realize that without the music programs in the schools there may not be a VH1 in the future. It may be a lost cause because many of our students no longer have the patience to learn music through a high school band program. Why should they be a "band geek" for years when they can pick up a guitar and be cool right away? Never mind that they many times lack the basic musical background and talent to make something meaningful with their instrument.
Trend #3: After the Monkeys it was very uncool to have someone else write songs for your rock group and to have very talented studio musicians help out your sound in the studio and on tour. After Milli Vanilli it became almost impossible. (Even though this incident was an overt fraud, the lesson that was retained was that you must write and play your own music.) Sometimes talented instrumental or vocal musicians are not very talented at writing music. How many excellent orchestral musicians write symphonies? Very few, but almost all of our rock musicians insist on writing their own music. Sometimes this works with the right talent, but many times these musicians would be better with a compromise. Write a few songs of your own, do a few covers, and play a few new songs written be others.I know there are some artists that do this, but I think the ego of many current musicians and some of the Monkeys/Milli Vanilli history of rock and roll prevents this from occuring in a natural way for many artists. I see no problem with occasionally using other people's music for you performance as long as proper credit is given to the creators.
I hope that this era is just a low ebb in the creation of good rock and roll, but I am increasingly pessimistic that the U.S. rock scene will improve. Some of my favorite music lately has been from elsewere. For example, I really enjoy the soundtracks from the anime series "Cowboy Bebop." Most of the performances are done by a Japanese group called the Seatbelts. The styles vary from rock to jazz to vocals. These are talented musicians, but just as importantly they do not seem bound by the culture into playing only one form of music such as hard rock, new age, jazz, etc. They seem to be just having fun playing great music. In contrast many of our talented artists are put into a cultural and corporate straight jacket that is not conducive to the creative process.
