The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #164649 Message #3942690
Posted By: GUEST,CJ
09-Aug-18 - 08:39 AM
Thread Name: Contemporary Traditional Scottish Music?
Subject: RE: Contemporary Traditional Scottish Music?
My problem with this:
" Successful traditions survive by changing a little, year-on-year to remain relevant to their practitioners and audiences. Something can only be traditional if it has an element of re-invention and progression about it. Otherwise, you are the musical equivalent of the Sealed Knot. "
Is that almost every single time, the "re-invention and progression" involves bringing on board a really uninspired version of another genre. So, pub rock guitars or basic drum programming. And then, as a music fan, I don't hear it and think "Wow! They're stretching the definition of what could be called the tradition!" I just think - "Wow. They've made themselves sound like an average pub band from 1975. How progressive. How inventive."
Sure, do something different with the music - play the pub rock if that's what inspires you - but don't pretend it's reinvention. It's pouring a bad curry on an average pizza. Doesn't make anything better, just makes you fat.