I feel bad for GenX'ers that missed out on the 60s and 70s.

For those who may not realize in this age of easily obtainable music, back in the day we had to spend our hard earned money on albums (and before that on 45s) if we wanted to hear music we liked on demand and that was the differentiator between good and great music. We almost always waited for the third song from an album to be played on the radio before we spent that hard earned money. If you bought the album after the first song off an album was played on the radio, too often you got burned by one good song and some filler. But if there were 3 good songs, usually the entire album would be good. So there are plenty of bands (Dire Straights being one example) that I might have liked and thought were good, but they didn't get me to spend my hard earned money on an albums because I may not have heard that 3rd great song on one of their albums. Spending that money was the great differentiator.

Hello,
I am a Gen X and did not miss out on anything. I was born in 1970 and feel I was the luckiest because I was smack dab in the middle. It made me appreciate music even more. When I was 7 or 8 I would ride my bike up to the record store that was 4 miles away to spend my hard earned allowance. I know I did not miss a beat (pun intended) because I listen or can listen to anything. Some of my vinyl is classic rock (Floyd, Queen, Elton, Rush) but the other half is all classical and Jazz. Last night I spun Mahler and Miles KOB. I just got back in from a two week vacation a few days ago. When I listened to my system I could not stop smiling because it sounded so good. It is making me wonder if I really need to upgrade my main system like I wanted to two weeks ago. 

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!

I am GenX. My work collogue and good friend is 22-ish. He knows more about RECORDED music than I ever did when I was his age. I listened to a ton of music when I was his age and younger. Way more than my friend listens to now. However, my knowledge of music was limited by idiot radio DJ's, my friends, and the media of the day. Today's young have the internet and streaming music to have exposure to almost all recorded music. That does not include recommendations and curated playlists that are auto generated. An incredible time to love music.

Cost of music was also a limiting factor for me. The post above about waiting for the 3rd song on an album to be played on the radio also applied to me.

I am lucky that I have KCRW on air from Santa Monica to hear some of the best new music. This station is also available on KCRW.com. The DJ's on this station are incredible. I am not so much a fan of their 24 hour HD stream.

Keep music alive by supporting new artists.

OK boomer