I got to know Billy Swan when we both lived in Sherman Oaks, California in the 1990’s (if he’s unfamiliar, look him up. His one hit single is "I Can Help".). I’ve always appreciated the bands I got to see and hear live in my teenage years due to the year of my birth and geographical location (San Francisco Bay area)---The Beach Boys with Brian Wilson on Fender bass in ’64, The Beatles in ’65. Cream, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, The Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane---all in ’67. In ’68 The Who with Keith Moon, The Electric Flag (with Mike Bloomfield and Buddy Miles), the doors, Albert King (listen to he and Freddie King to hear who all the white guitarists were copying). Then The Kinks (a GREAT live band in the late-60’s/early-70’s), Procol Harum (unfortunately without organist Matthew fisher, who had by then left the group), hundreds of others. But I was green with envy when Billy told me he had seen Elvis, Bill, & Scotty (before Elvis added D.J. Fontana on drums) perform live on the back of a flatbed truck in Tennessee in 1955. I’ll give you my Beatles, Hendrix, and Who for your Elvis, Bill, & Scotty. ;-)
There was great music made in every decade of the 20th Century (well, except for maybe the 80’s ;-) . but imo none better than that being made right now. I know a few guys who never got over The Beatles, and think no music made since is as good; I couldn’t disagree more. As a live band they weren’t so hot, and a lot of their music sounds dated to me. Yet The Everly Brothers’ and Roy Orbison’s late-50’s/early-60’s music sounds as good today as the day it was made. If "new" music seems to pale in comparison to that made in past decades for some, don’t attribute that to nostalgia alone. Good taste is timeless goes the old expression, but taste is subjective.
I actually prefer the 70’s to the 60’s. In the 70’s we had all of Dave Edmunds’ and Ry Cooder’s great Roots Rock albums (Dave’s a close friend of Robert Plant, who signed him to Swan Song Records. He is the best pure Rock ’n’ Roll guitarist I’ve ever heard. Keith Richards wishes he could play like Dave!), and the flurry of Power Pop bands like The Dwight Twilley Band (a healthy dose of 1950’s influence separates them from all the other PP bands), Nick Lowe (later a member---along with Dave Edmunds---of Rockpile), Cheap Trick, Tom Petty (I guess ;-) , The Records, The Beat, The Plimsouls, The Flamin’ Groovies, Marshall Crenshaw, Squeeze, The Ramones (as much a Pop band as a Punk one), and many more. And lots of great Traditional Country, just from Emmylou Harris alone. And of course AC/DC, one "Rock" band I love. A good portion of my LP collection dates from that decade.
A lot of 1980’s music now sounds dated (ABBA being a prime exception. A grossly under-rated group), thanks to the introduction of electronic drums and (shudder) synthesizers. Cheez-eee. There was the "Indi" Rock movement, but that music never satisfied me: mediocre songs played by mediocre musicians and sung by mediocre singers. Talking Heads? Really? One bright development was the Alt-Country genre, really just Country Rock heavier on the Country than the Rock. Lots of great new artists and bands emerged from that scene. The 90’s then washed the somewhat bad taste (pun intended ;-) of that decade outta our mouths, and it’s been one great record after another ever since.
The problem now is not that there isn’t enough "good music" (define as you wish) being made, but rather that there is so much of it! It’s not on radio or TV, but so what? Hearing the same 20 or 30 songs everyday for months (as was the state of affairs in the 60’s and 70’s) ruined a lot of songs for me anyway. There are several dozen of albums released every quarter that I am interested in, thanks in large part to the very healthy Americana scene. But every genre is bursting with activity, lots of new music worthy of at least giving a listen to. And Dylan is STILL making good new music!
