BS: pop music of today

Subject: BS: pop music of today
From: Tam the Bam (Nutter)
Date: 28 Oct 04 - 01:30 PM

I having watching the x factor on televison and they put a dickhead called 'tabby' the boy couldn't sing, he was really crap and yet he's one of the finalist, but mind you now to be a pop singer and I use that term loosely, they mime and they try and dance in other words they are bloody crap, what has happened to live music, the young ones today go to a concert and they lsiten to a group of tossers and loosers and wankers, that just jiggle and mime, and then they bugger off after their 20 minutess on stage and people pay a fortune for that.
If I wanted that I could buy the cd and play it in my home and that will save me a fortune.
That's why I put this shite in non music because that's what it is.

Subject: RE: BS: pop music of today
From: Chris Green
Date: 28 Oct 04 - 01:58 PM

I'm under 30. I agree. But leave us not forget that in the "golden age" of the 60s crap like Engelbert Humperdinck regularly could be found in the top ten. Pop music has always been shite, but sometimes if you trawl through enough shite you do come up with a gem!

Subject: RE: BS: pop music of today
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 28 Oct 04 - 02:14 PM

Never thought pop music was shite, although the precentage has grown in recent years, I think. From the Police, Dire Straits, The Cars and many other 80's groups (and UB40.) to the present. there seems to be less and less "live" groups. But, over here, there are still interesting groups (at least interesting to me.) Fountains of Wayne (an admittedly odd name) have done some good stuff, I like Jason Mraz and even Jimmy Eat World. New groups like Jet are getting back to more casic rock with a lot of energy, and groups like Smashmouth have put out some good stuff (to my ears.)

Now, if you're watching a "talent" contest (like American Idol in this country,) You know in advance what you're going to hear. Everyone is going to try to sound as much like the singers who are big hits, lip-syncing and dancing. You're going to get plastic pop. I have yet to watch even five minutes of American Idol, over here.

Still Rockin' In The Free World.

Jerry

Subject: RE: BS: pop music of today
From: dunkel_esel
Date: 28 Oct 04 - 02:21 PM

hehe. Pop music is sooo cheesy and hellish is totally amazing! think spice girls (the ones my uncle calls the slapper girls) - the public could never live without pop music!

hehe.
probably not a gd time to say have fallen in love with lindisfarne...

mjxx

Subject: RE: BS: pop music of today
From: Once Famous
Date: 28 Oct 04 - 02:26 PM

I am not a fan of much what is called pop music today, but some of what is labeled as country but is really pop is passable. Passable as listenable pop, but I do not even try to compare it to what is traditional country. In other words, I don't knock it for what it isn't.

You have to realize that for the most part, you are in the minority if you do not like it.

Subject: RE: BS: pop music of today
From: pdq
Date: 28 Oct 04 - 02:40 PM

I think you are seeing the degrading of Popular Music by "non-judgementalism".

Also, the record producers have long realized that the public will buy anything if they convince people it is "in".

Some hope exists on smaller lables. Check out Rounder, Sugar Hill and Shanachie. Each has a web site listing their artists schedules.

I seldom buy CDs the minute they come out, but I did get Raul Malo's "Nashville Acoustic Sessions", a 2004 release. Malo is the lead voice in "The Mavericks". It is an almost perfect use of acoustic musicians to deliver Pop, County, Folk and even Rock standards. Even a nice Dylan cover. If CMH keeps these standards of quality on other releases it will be another lable to follow in the future.

Subject: RE: BS: pop music of today
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 28 Oct 04 - 02:52 PM

I hope I never get as old and closed-minded as you, "Tam The Bam"...

Cause when YOU were a kid, old people said the same thing about your music...

Subject: RE: BS: pop music of today
From: Chris Green
Date: 28 Oct 04 - 02:57 PM

I think what we're talking about is the manufactured, production-line pop that has befouled our airwaves since someone decided that the Monkees were a good idea. Bands that write, arrange and perform their own music are a different kettle of fish!

Subject: RE: BS: pop music of today
From: Metchosin
Date: 28 Oct 04 - 03:22 PM

Agreed duellingbouzoukis, it depends where you go for your pop music. There are tons of interesting young, live alternative and pop bands here on the west coast of Canada, including my daughter's Semi-Louise

proud Moms sometimes do this kind of thing........

Subject: RE: BS: pop music of today
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 28 Oct 04 - 04:14 PM

since someone decided that the Monkees were a good idea.

Odd thing is that the Monkees, although initialy 'manufactured' did come good! It's only on listening years later that I realised it though. Just have a listen to some of the album tracks that were never released as singles to see what I mean.

Sorry though, Tam, got to agree with Clinton on this. Pop music of today is not all crap. Some is, but some is wonderful. I like to listen to most things and I find that there is good and bad in everything. I must admit I have never managed a full opera, jazz show or rap album but even there I find it very much like the curates egg - good in parts! I suspect it's because I can't realy relate to it like I can to the music I like though. (I can relate to songs about dead sailors and suicidal stuff from Leonard Cohen! How weird is that???)

Have you ever heard some of the 'collections' by folk lorists btw? Some of them old pub singers could have done with a dose of Simon Cowell:-)

Cheers

DtG

Subject: RE: BS: pop music of today
From: alanabit
Date: 28 Oct 04 - 04:53 PM

I agree Dave. The odd thing about The Monkees, is that even though the concept of the band stank, the music really is more than bearable. No wonder really. The session musicians were brilliant and songs like "Another Pleasant Valley Sunday", "Daydream Believer" and "I'm A Believer" were among the best that Neil Diamond ever penned.
There always was plenty of crap pop music about. "Sugar Sugar" was some of the most unbearable garbage I have ever heard, yet it appeared in the same year as masterful singles by The Fleetwood Mac, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. I think the main difference today, is that you can't expect to hear the best of current pop music on the radio. It's still out there though. You just have to look for it.

Subject: RE: BS: pop music of today
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 28 Oct 04 - 04:57 PM

"I think the main difference today, is that you can't expect to hear the best of current pop music on the radio."

Define 'best'... I dare you to try!

There is no 'best'... there's only what you like and what you don't like... IF you don't like what is on ONE radio station, use the knobs to change to a different station... if you don't like what you hear there, look further afield... if you've looked absolutely everywhere and you still find NOTHING you like, then yer a cranky old toss-pot and the world is better off without you....

Subject: RE: BS: pop music of today
From: Once Famous
Date: 28 Oct 04 - 05:03 PM

Whoa! Daydream Believer was penned by a folk singer as in John Stewart who had recently left the Kingston Trio and was at the beginning of his very long solo folk career.

And I also agree, the Monkees recorded music for the most part has stood the test of time, as I believe that they felt that they were never comfortable in their manufactured roles and made a real effort towards some degree of artistry.

Subject: RE: BS: pop music of today
From: MBSLynne
Date: 28 Oct 04 - 05:36 PM

There's some bloody good pop music around at the moment! There's also some bloody awful. As duelling bouzoukis says, there always were both. The rubbish does seem more rubbishy than it used to be but perhaps that is age (me, I mean) I've bought more 'pop' music in the last year or two than I have done for ages.

Music, like all art, is a matter for personal preference anyway. I don't know how you can say that any music is 'good' or 'bad'

Subject: RE: BS: pop music of today
From: Once Famous
Date: 28 Oct 04 - 05:38 PM

I will. Rap sucks.

Subject: RE: BS: pop music of today
From: Bill D
Date: 28 Oct 04 - 05:49 PM

gotta post, 'cause for one I TOTALLY agree with Clinton...rap is a heinous affectation designed to exaggerate cultural differences.

Subject: RE: BS: pop music of today
From: Once Famous
Date: 28 Oct 04 - 05:50 PM

Yes, heinous, heinous, heinous

Subject: RE: BS: pop music of today
From: pdq
Date: 28 Oct 04 - 06:07 PM

Rap is cultural genocide.

Subject: RE: BS: pop music of today
From: Little Hawk
Date: 28 Oct 04 - 06:12 PM

There is a teeny bit of good rap out there. The rest of it is dreadful. I consider it the worst general category of music ever foisted on this civilization.

Subject: RE: BS: pop music of today
From: pdq
Date: 28 Oct 04 - 06:37 PM

...trivia alert...

Greenbriar Boys' guitar player John Herold observed Michael Nesmith flailing away on a song a breakneck speed. He took the future Monkey aside and suggested he slow the song down. Herold even gave it a slow, syncopated lope. The result was put on the Greenbriar Boys last album "Better Late Than Never." It has been Linda Ronstat's most recognized piece ever: "Different Drum".

Nesmith's mother invented the typewriter correction fluid White Out.

Subject: RE: BS: pop music of today
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 28 Oct 04 - 06:45 PM

Listen to the humour and cutting comment of Marshal Mathers (sp?) in any of his personas (or is that just another one, I forget...) if you think rap music is all bad. I must say I don't particularly like the 'gangsta' stuff but, like I said, I can't relate to it. Makes me laugh to see the young, middle class, white kids doing the prison stuff though;-)

Incidentaly, ever hear a folk rap? Try Mr Fox's 'Aunt Lucy Broadwood'. Marvelous stuff and way ahead of it's time:-)

Dave (my name is Slim Shady) the Gnome.

Subject: RE: BS: pop music of today
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 28 Oct 04 - 06:50 PM

BTW Clinton - I love 'yer a cranky old toss-pot and the world is better off without you'!

Can I use it next time someone in the folk club is whinging?

:D

Subject: RE: BS: pop music of today
From: alanabit
Date: 28 Oct 04 - 08:42 PM

Clinton, the world probably would be better off without me, but I don't have any plans along those lines at the moment. For some I am a cranky old toss pot and for others I'm an opinionated old bastard. I guess that's why I feel at home around these parts!

Subject: RE: BS: pop music of today
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 28 Oct 04 - 09:19 PM

Me, I dig music...

and the more I listen to, the smaller the list of things I don't like gets

Subject: RE: BS: pop music of today
From: Blissfully Ignorant
Date: 28 Oct 04 - 11:46 PM

Down with genres! Good lord, if you like something, you like it-and, if you don't, you don't. There's always going to be someone who does, and then they can go out and pay ridiculous prices to see a bunch of clowns miming to insipid formulaic bullsh*t and prancing about like chimps on speed...:)

Incidentally, not all young folk feel compelled to do this.

I guess the moral of the story is, sweeping generalisations will always sweep right round and kick you where it hurts! :0)

Subject: RE: BS: pop music of today
From: Blissfully Ignorant
Date: 28 Oct 04 - 11:49 PM

Forgot to mention, some rap is very poetic and intellegent. Not a lot of what you'll hear on the radio is...the airwaves are dominated by voilent chauvinist pigs when it comes to rap, but some of it's really good. In my opinion, anyways, each to their own, i guess! :0)

Subject: RE: BS: pop music of today
From: PoppaGator
Date: 29 Oct 04 - 12:03 AM

Today more than ever before, commercial pop radio (and country radio, and "smooth jazz" radio, etc. etc. -- even "oldies" and "classic rock" radio) is controlled by national corporations who dictate a strict "rotation" or set-list.

It is more difficult than ever for anything quirky and new to break through to national consciousness. In the "good old days" -- actually, in any of several past eras -- a "new sound" could break in one city and sell enough records to merit attention elsewhere, eventually perhaps earning a coast-to-coast audience. Much less likely to happen now, since there are no local DJs who have the option to play to their own tastes. Except, of course, at the few independent non-commercial stations, none of which seem to have any nationwide influence (not yet, anyway).

I'm sure that there is some new music I'm not listening to that is pretty good, i.e., that *I* would like if I gave it a chance -- but not much!

Subject: RE: BS: pop music of today
From: Peace
Date: 29 Oct 04 - 12:11 AM

". . . since someone decided that the Monkees were a good idea."

They were. "Listen to the Band" is a neat--although not perfect--piece of music. Was in a Porche doing about 90 MPH going to the Sierra Nevadas when I first heard it. Loved it. Still do, even though I see/hear the holes in it. Peter Tork is one heckuva banjo player. Too bad he didn't get to play banjo with the group. The Monkees were put together to make money. They did. "Daydream Believer" is a neat song, also. It ain't everyone's cuppa, but then neither were the Stones, Kinks or Herman's Hermits.

Subject: RE: BS: pop music of today
From: Peace
Date: 29 Oct 04 - 12:16 AM

Add on, here.

The Stones, "No Expectations" is a great song. It is also highly underrated. Too bad.It is a truly fantastic piece of music and a wonderful example of the songwriter's art.

I don't knbow for sure that that's the title.

Take me to the station;
Put me on a train;
I have no expections,
To pas,
To pass this way again.

Your love is like a diamond

(and that's where my memory fails me. Maybe even beFORE the last line.)

Subject: RE: BS: pop music of today
From: PoppaGator
Date: 29 Oct 04 - 12:24 AM

The title, I'm almost certain, is indeed "No Expectations." Back in my streetsinging days, that was one of the most-often-featured items in my repertoire, but I can't remember the lyrics any futher than you can. A great one, for sure.

Subject: RE: BS: pop music of today
From: Peace
Date: 29 Oct 04 - 12:33 AM

Here ya go, PoppaGator. This Bud's for you. Nice to see the ol' gal again. Thank you for gettin' me off my butt. I will have to re-learn it.

NO EXPECTATIONS
(M. Jagger/K. Richards)

Take me to the station
And put me on a train
I've got no expectations
To pass through here again

Once I was a rich man and
Now I am so poor
But never in my sweet short life
Have I felt like this before

You heart is like a diamond
You throw your pearls at swine
And as I watch you leaving me
You pack my peace of mind

Our love was like the water
That splashes on a stone
Our love is like our music
It's here, and then it's gone

So take me to the airport
And put me on a plane
I got no expectations
To pass through here again

Subject: RE: BS: pop music of today
From: chris nightbird childs
Date: 29 Oct 04 - 12:50 AM

INspired slide-work by Brian Jones on there too... The Monkees WERE a band, for a couple albums anyway... pop music in the 60's was better than pop crap from today... well, you can't say CRAP without saying RAP... today's Country music has more integrity (and more of a tune) than a lot of pop crap on the radio... Internet Radio is the best!

Subject: RE: BS: pop music of today
From: GUEST,John O'Lennaine
Date: 29 Oct 04 - 01:45 AM

Back when "The Message" came out it was the first rap song I'd ever heard and I thought it was so good I went and bought it.

I had no idea I was going to be hearing the same damned song every time I turned on the radio for the next thirty years.

Apart from that, and the factory-produced pretty girl/pretty boy "singing" the same thing the last pretty girl/pretty boy sang, there are a lot of reasonably good pop songs about.
Can't think of any offhand, but I guess I don't pay as much attention as I used to.

I think it's unfair to compare any era with the sixties. The sixties was an exceptional period in music.

Subject: RE: BS: pop music of today
From: MBSLynne
Date: 29 Oct 04 - 03:03 AM

Yes, I'm afraid I have to agree...rap is crap..mostly. There ARE a few bits of good stuff, what I REALLY loath is the agressive, posing rap or hip-hop in which the artists seem to make every effort to look and sound like morons. Actually, they probably aren't trying.

Eminem's latest is very funny though!

Love Lynne

Subject: RE: BS: pop music of today
From: fat B****rd
Date: 29 Oct 04 - 03:26 AM

I, myself, personally would rather listen to a whole rap album than any one of the "emotional ballads" of the "I will always love you" variety. BTW I know Dolly Parton's original recording has more credibility. I refer to the style not the content. And where does Clinton slag off rap ??. If you're going to knock rap e.g. for inciting hatred how about the KKKs own label recordings ? I heard a snatch from one on a UK Radio 3 programme on Cajun music some years ago and it made me nauseous.
Pop music today seems to be 99.9% in the hands of the media. There's always talent (IN SOME PEOPLES EARS) but from a success point of view talent, originality etc has never guaranteed results. Let's face it would the people who sing the praises of their favourite local performers be happy if they were successful and therefore POP music.
In my experience as a 57 year old UK music fan the two most closed minded sets of devotees are those of Country and Western and the Heavy Metal Brigade. But I will support anybody's right to like?but/listen to whatever they damn well please.

Good thread this, innit ??

Subject: RE: BS: pop music of today
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 29 Oct 04 - 06:42 AM

Yay! Can we start an Eminem fan club, Lynne? Or will we get into the whole discussion on M&M's vs Smarties again...;-)

Cheers

DtG

Yes man
As the World Turns
We all experience things in life
Trials and Tribulations
That we all must go through
When someone wants to test us
When someone tries our patience

(Marshall Mathers)

Subject: RE: BS: pop music of today
From: muppitz
Date: 29 Oct 04 - 06:42 AM

Just briefly touching on Tam's original post, all of these reality TV shows now are getting stupid and generally speaking the end result will produce the same style of music and I personally think that it's gone too far.
However, and this may be a little contradicting, I can't agree with the notion that pop music today is crap, as it's not all bad.
Having your manufactued bands means that we get to hear stuff by talented songwriters when, for whatever reason, they can't perform it themselves. Whilst I don't agree with the premise of the manufactured band, there are some of them that do some bloody good songs and I will always find myself singing along to them.
But I still have a preference for live music, those that perform live and use their own material, but I will continue to have an open mind.
I don't like to pin myself down to one particular genre as you only harm yourself, as if you like material from another genre you either have to be a 'closet fan' or you run the risk of p*ss taking from those around you!
A friend of my sister said he was an out and out rocker and only listened to rock, but he did her a CD of his, that he had downloaded, hence choosing the tracks himself, which contained a two songs by the Coors, I'm not saying there is anything wrong with the Coors, but I don't think you can quite class them as rock!
My sister saw to it that sufficient mickey taking was engaged until he changed his ways, as it were, he no longer allows himself to be pinned to a particular genre!

muppitz x

Subject: RE: BS: pop music of today
From: s6k
Date: 29 Oct 04 - 06:47 AM

modern music SUCKS

Subject: RE: BS: pop music of today
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 29 Oct 04 - 11:09 AM

Folk music was the "pop" of previous generations.

Asking people in here if they like pop music is like asking Heavy Metal fans if they like ballet, or Republicans if they like Ted Kennedy.

A real no-brainer..

Jerry

Subject: RE: BS: pop music of today
From: Tam the Bam (Nutter)
Date: 29 Oct 04 - 11:23 AM

What I meant was the manifactured stuff, don't get me wrong there are some good stuff out there on the charts today, it's the Britney Spears and their ilk that I can't stand. I was watching a programme this morning on BBC2 and it was a 'concert' for children in the north east of England, and they were pop'singers' on stage and not one of them played an instrument, well what I saw, all I saw was 'singers' mimning. and it's the miming that I don't like after all they are employed as singers and not mime artists.
As for 'rap' I keep thinking that they keep on missing a letter from the begining of that word.
I like all types of music but like all music you get good bad and ugly.
And it's the ugly that I don't like.
I like LIVE music.

Subject: RE: BS: pop music of today
From: chris nightbird childs
Date: 29 Oct 04 - 11:41 AM

AS far as I'm concerned (and I think Jerry made a good point, heavy metal fans and ballet...) there are too few good songwriters out there right now. Most of the talented ones have been doing it for years, and two of the brightest talents in Pop are now gone. Those being Kurt Cobain and Elliot Smith...
See, this is why more MudCatters have to make some discs!

Subject: RE: BS: pop music of today
From: s6k
Date: 29 Oct 04 - 01:05 PM

manufactured pop is something i detest as well.

they mime, they dont play instruments... how is this music? its just crap.

(i do know a heavy metal fan who likes country btw!!)

I know a lot of people like to say that rap music is rubbish as well, but do not be so quick to judgement on that one. If you actually sat down and looked at the lyrics properly, they are very cleverly written. Of course, there is a lot of rubbish now, who think they are rap, but older artists such as Run DMC and Cypress Hill etc, were actually very talented.

Manufactured pop should never have come into existence, it is based on looks and nothing else, it does not do anything for music or take it in new directions, and its just a waste of money.

The same can be said for these "dance" artists who come up with the same old keyboard tune, with a different woman "singing" over it. CRAP. also, it is done entirely on computers, it is not about the music any more.
real music for that genre is Leftfield, not the crap we have to put up with nowadays.

Bring back real music, and keep it live

Subject: RE: BS: pop music of today
From: Peace
Date: 29 Oct 04 - 03:37 PM

Bryan Adams: "Summer of '69"
Badfinger's "Baby Blue"
Fleetwood Mac (Buckingham Nicks) "Go Your Own Way"

Every now and then, a 'giant' piece of songwriting comes down the road. Media does control lots, but we go us, and that puts us one up on the media, because they don't. IMO.

Subject: RE: BS: pop music of today
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 29 Oct 04 - 03:49 PM

Don't Look Down, by Fleetwood Mac does it for me, Brucie. But, Fleetwood Mac doesn't register as "pop music of today." Stacy's Mom by Fountains Of Wayne will do, though.

Jerry

Subject: RE: BS: pop music of today
From: akenaton
Date: 29 Oct 04 - 04:15 PM

Went to see Rufus Wainwrights' Glasgow concert lately, expecting to see McGarrigle and Loudon fans,but the audiance was young, Knew F all about folk,and had come to listen to Rufus.
To these young people he was a pop singer pure and simple,and although I couldn't agree with the label, I sat back and was blown away with the yong ones....Ake

Subject: RE: BS: pop music of today
From: s6k
Date: 29 Oct 04 - 06:06 PM

fleetwood mac aint bloody pop!!! and they never were! they were a real band!

Subject: RE: BS: pop music of today
From: Peace
Date: 29 Oct 04 - 06:54 PM

What do you mean by pop? I took it to mean what ain't folk.

Subject: RE: BS: pop music of today
From: s6k
Date: 29 Oct 04 - 07:52 PM

pop = westlife, busted, cheeky girls, britney spears

people who do not sing live, play instruments etc

Subject: RE: BS: pop music of today
From: Peace
Date: 29 Oct 04 - 08:33 PM

ok

Subject: RE: BS: pop music of today
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 29 Oct 04 - 08:49 PM

Interesting definition s6K. Pop usually means "pop-ular" which would also mean people as diverse as Perry Como, Pat Boone, Rosemary Clooney and Nat King Cole from awhile back, or Michael Jackson (The self-proclaimed "King of Pop" or George Michaels. Very few of the pop singers played an instrument and I never saw Perry Como or Nat King Cole dance.

The slick stuff that you hate and call "pop" is something else. I don't know what it is, but like you, I hate it. People like Buddy Holly and Fats Domino could never make it today. Picture them dancing and grabbing their crotches.

Yikes!

Jerry