As a bit of a continuation to my previous post the other day, I have been thinking on what appears to me to be missing in society today and the causes of it.
From things I've been reading lately, books as well as Pete's blog, as well as the Dylan documentary and the footage in that I'm starting to wonder how much creativity and passion is being lost as people immerse themselves in a million and one tv channels and the world at their fingertips....
Back in the 50s, 60s and 70s there seemed to me to have been a hive of creativity....a yearn for change in the world that drew people together to make a difference, and not just for one march, or one sit-in, or one concert, or one rally but for sustained and unwavering action...now i just can't seem to see that....but then again, sat here at this pc moaning about it all, maybe i've stopped looking at the world like so many others...
I know there are still many people off that era with all the same passion for the cause that they had when they were my age but the people i see of my generation seem to lack that. A lot of it is about 'self' in my generation...what's in it for 'me' seems to be the aim of the day and they only appear to get behind a cause if it looks 'cool'. Let's face it, without the 'trendy' white wristband, how many younger people would have cared about the 'Make Poverty History' campaign...and even more so, how many of those wristband wearing people actually care about the cause behind this fashionable piece of plastic on their wrist?
As for the cultural side of things I really do feel that the factory-line music business where they churn it out cheap, make a quick buck and move on to the next item is killing music. For one I think it leaves potential new artists either dissillusioned before they even start as to their chances of having an impact or, even if they get on the first few rungs of the ladder, they are unlikely to get enough chance to develop and experiment with their sound and become 'great'. Also it means you have the next generation growing up unlikely to appreciate good quality musicianship if it bit them on the arse.
The programmes to promote music aren't helping either. Here in the grotesque glut of soap operas on tv killed Top Of The Pops, I can't see it being on air much longer sadly, 'Later....With Jools Holland' is stale and there hasn't been a decent 'youth culture' show on channel 4 since TFI Friday went past its sell-by date. MTV stopped playing music a long time ago in my opinion and VH1 seems to have gone the same way since the former station got it's hands on it.
Last year at the Isle Of Wight festival I recall the majority of young people I heard talking were all talking about how amazing The Who were. As a Who fan it made me happy of course as it meant their music will be kept alive by another generation, but at the same time I was sad that it meant that none of the newer musicians there that weekend had blown them away. It was the same after Live 8, I heard more talk of the performance of The Who than the majority of the other acts.
I'm sure the record companies will argue that they cannot afford to spend the money they'd like on developing artists cos of the amount of money they lose through piracy...but i think there'd be more money spent on music if (a) there was talent involved in the music rather than here-today-gone-tomorrow 'X Factor' trash, (b) if it wasn't so expensive and (c) if people switched off their tv sets/pc's and went out into the world long enough to find a record shop.
Music venues cost too much to get into, drinks inside cost too much, getting to the major cities to see your favourite groups ('famous' or otherwise) is expensive...more ways to put people off and for the up-coming bands who need to pull all the fans they can get their hands on to as many gigs as possible when they're starting out, this could stop them in their tracks as well.....but why pay a fortune to go out when you can plug into the internet with your web-cast gigs, messgae boards to soak you into conversation and cheap drink and food courtesy of your local supermarket?
I'm rambling now but you get the gist of it I hope....
erm...so yeah...uh...discuss...or something like that lol
From things I've been reading lately, books as well as Pete's blog, as well as the Dylan documentary and the footage in that I'm starting to wonder how much creativity and passion is being lost as people immerse themselves in a million and one tv channels and the world at their fingertips....
Back in the 50s, 60s and 70s there seemed to me to have been a hive of creativity....a yearn for change in the world that drew people together to make a difference, and not just for one march, or one sit-in, or one concert, or one rally but for sustained and unwavering action...now i just can't seem to see that....but then again, sat here at this pc moaning about it all, maybe i've stopped looking at the world like so many others...
I know there are still many people off that era with all the same passion for the cause that they had when they were my age but the people i see of my generation seem to lack that. A lot of it is about 'self' in my generation...what's in it for 'me' seems to be the aim of the day and they only appear to get behind a cause if it looks 'cool'. Let's face it, without the 'trendy' white wristband, how many younger people would have cared about the 'Make Poverty History' campaign...and even more so, how many of those wristband wearing people actually care about the cause behind this fashionable piece of plastic on their wrist?
As for the cultural side of things I really do feel that the factory-line music business where they churn it out cheap, make a quick buck and move on to the next item is killing music. For one I think it leaves potential new artists either dissillusioned before they even start as to their chances of having an impact or, even if they get on the first few rungs of the ladder, they are unlikely to get enough chance to develop and experiment with their sound and become 'great'. Also it means you have the next generation growing up unlikely to appreciate good quality musicianship if it bit them on the arse.
The programmes to promote music aren't helping either. Here in the grotesque glut of soap operas on tv killed Top Of The Pops, I can't see it being on air much longer sadly, 'Later....With Jools Holland' is stale and there hasn't been a decent 'youth culture' show on channel 4 since TFI Friday went past its sell-by date. MTV stopped playing music a long time ago in my opinion and VH1 seems to have gone the same way since the former station got it's hands on it.
Last year at the Isle Of Wight festival I recall the majority of young people I heard talking were all talking about how amazing The Who were. As a Who fan it made me happy of course as it meant their music will be kept alive by another generation, but at the same time I was sad that it meant that none of the newer musicians there that weekend had blown them away. It was the same after Live 8, I heard more talk of the performance of The Who than the majority of the other acts.
I'm sure the record companies will argue that they cannot afford to spend the money they'd like on developing artists cos of the amount of money they lose through piracy...but i think there'd be more money spent on music if (a) there was talent involved in the music rather than here-today-gone-tomorrow 'X Factor' trash, (b) if it wasn't so expensive and (c) if people switched off their tv sets/pc's and went out into the world long enough to find a record shop.
Music venues cost too much to get into, drinks inside cost too much, getting to the major cities to see your favourite groups ('famous' or otherwise) is expensive...more ways to put people off and for the up-coming bands who need to pull all the fans they can get their hands on to as many gigs as possible when they're starting out, this could stop them in their tracks as well.....but why pay a fortune to go out when you can plug into the internet with your web-cast gigs, messgae boards to soak you into conversation and cheap drink and food courtesy of your local supermarket?
I'm rambling now but you get the gist of it I hope....
erm...so yeah...uh...discuss...or something like that lol
posted by Delmar at 1:50 PM
2 comments
