Re: [ARSCLIST] Are we at the end of the road musically??

[Steven Barr <stevenc@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Roger and Allison Kulp" <thorenstd124@xxxxxxxxx>
>   What about the 18-20 year old guys,I saw at the record show last week,buying
Living Stereo Munches,and London Furtwangler Lps ? What about the 12-15 year old
kids I saw,buying early soul 45s ?
>
"The exception proves the rule"...

> Classical,and blues aside,(How's that for an odd pairing ?) there is no longer
much interest in pre-WWII recordings.Most of the young people who buy old
records have the same tastes,as I do,in classical,rock,and R&B.(I am 46 years
old,so grew up with the the music of the 60s,and 70s.)

> It is odd,how most of those who came of age before,1955,have never accepted
rock,and give it the brush off.Something so diverse,and eclectic,gets blown off
with the snottiest of remarks.I still don't get it.
>
Well, there are SOME (not all) young people who are willing to abandon
conformity (the usual curse of youth) and go looking for music outside
what their peers are addicted to. R&B (particularly from the "soul
music" era) is simply a better version of their "urban dance," et al...
the "rock" of the late sixties/early seventies is a simple-but-powerful
form of music which was created by, and intended for, young people
(regardless of generation)...and classical music is the one easily-
accessed avenue for those who want to go beyond the handful-of-chords
musical forms that took over popular music in the mid-to-late
fifties (there are, as well, social and status-related considerations
which are too complicated to discuss here!).

As far as the age-related antipathy toward rock'n'roll/rock/usw.,
consider the abrupt changes in society that the music represents!
>From a strictly-music standpoint, popular music tastes went from
"big band" music, with songs written by professional, experienced
"songwriters" who composed fairly complicated pieces (and here I'll
ignore the musical desert of 1947-54 or so)...to small guitar-based
combos playing three- or four-chord songs whose main audience appeal
lay in a solid, but repetitive, rhythm! As well, there was a substantial
change in what might be called "lifestyle" (this occured again in the
late sixties, which is why many "baby boomers" prefer old rock'n'roll
hits to the heavier "rock music" of 1966 onward)! World War II may
have a lot to do with this?

So, if one grew up listening and dancing to the last of the "big
band" tunes...or even to the vapid hits that preceded rock'n'roll
(like "Doggie In the Window," in which case I render my deepest
sympathy!)...the strains of rock'n'roll, electric guitars and
three-chord tunes (along with the simple but relentless rhythms)
were a 180-degree turn...for the worse!

> It used to take someone who  very open mided to embrace music that was not of
thier time.Woody Herman surrounded himself with an ever-changing group of young
musicians,who continually introduced him to new sounds.By 1970,he was doing
charts of Hendrix,The Band,and John Coltrane.By 1978,he was doing Steely Dan,and
collaborating with Chick Corea.Woody was the exception,though.I can say,however
this mindset is dying,thank God .The boomers,are the last generation,to
associate music with "nostalgia",whereas,the younger generations,view music on
its own merit,outside,of the era,in which it was recorded.
>
Since the music one listens/ed to is one of the most important part of one's
memories, a "nostalgia" (your quotes) for the music of one's youth is
essentially a "given!" We all long for our youth (actually, I DON'T!) when,
in our mentally-edited memories, we were perfect, life was perfect, and
all was well! Therefore, we gladly (over)pay for artifacts of that
(imagined) youth...Oshawa is up to its fundament in cars of the fifties,
sixties and even the seventies, and according to an article I read in
today's newspaper, the "hot collectibles" are items from the seventies
(I should have kept my Harvest Green refrigerator!). It is probable
that in about 2050 or so, whatever serves as the new-current equivalent
of "flea markets" and "yard sales" will be inundated by grey-haired
"ex-generation-Y'ers" looking for CD's (they will have, of course,
the "antique" CD players) of 50 Cent, Snoop Doggy Dog, and the rest
of the "stars" of the "nineties!"

There is one consideration...as time has moved on, popular music has
essentially fragmented...with almost as many genres as there are fans.
In my youth, all the young people were fans of "rock'n'roll" and its
relative handful of artists...today, it's "Choose your flavour!"

Steven C. Barr