Is it just me?

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An Enormous BB Fan
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Joined: Fri Feb 20, 2004 11:14 pm

Is it just me?

Post by An Enormous BB Fan »

Is it just me or are 99.99% of all songs these days pure drivel and crap? I just can't believe what I'm hearing and what people are applauding for? I can't believe the fact that there are no great arrangements any more. The arranging for every song (song? you call these songs?) sound exactly the same. Did anyone listen to the songs at the Grammy's tonight? I find it impossible to believe how totally amaterish these songs are. Whatever Mumford and Sons sang was total crap? It was as if a group of people got to gether and in five minutes played a bunch of non-interesting chord changes with no melody that anyone in their right mind could find interesting or even go down the street humming to. I don't expect all songwriters to be Burt Bacharach and Hal David, but come on! I find most of these songs to be an embarrassment. I can't imagine what Burt thinks when he hears these putrid songs and sees that people like them. When you go to a Burt Bacharach concert, you're getting music that will be played until the end of time. In 10,000 years, they'll be playing Burt Bacharach songs. I don't think they'll be listening to Mumford and Sons' songs a week from Thursday!

"Call Me Maybe." -- that's what people consider to be one of the top songs of the year?? Call them crazy!!

Is it just me?
gillanddon
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Joined: Tue Dec 14, 2010 6:54 am

Re: Is it just me?

Post by gillanddon »

No BB Fan ... it isn't just you! I totally agree!! No top draw musicianship around at the moment .. no class either. It is depressing and frustrating.
vincent.cole
Posts: 788
Joined: Thu Feb 19, 2004 12:45 pm
Location: Staten Island N.Y.

Re: Is it just me?

Post by vincent.cole »

Bonjour 'BB' Fan;

It's not you!!! I watched the Grammy Awards for about 1 hour! It was painful! I would of rather have a root canal!!!

Just like almost everything in this world, things have gone from bad to worst!!!

Bring back the 60's 70's & 80's where the Grammy Awards were something special with people who had talent!!!

Take care mon ami.

Vincent
blueonblue
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Joined: Fri Oct 06, 2006 3:22 am

Re: Is it just me?

Post by blueonblue »

I think it was the late great Victor Borge who once said...
"Most of today's musicians have got Van Gough's ear for music"

"blue"
blueonblue
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Joined: Fri Oct 06, 2006 3:22 am

Re: Is it just me?

Post by blueonblue »

I meant Van Gogh........er..sorry folks !

"blue"
PS
Or is it just because we are all getting old ? lol
ron hertel
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Joined: Tue Mar 16, 2004 7:08 pm

Re: Is it just me?

Post by ron hertel »

During the segment devoted to those who died this past year - a photo of Hal David appeared and a snippet of "Alfie" was played - sung by Cilla Black. ......I don't know if Cilla was ever the recipient of a Grammy (that really doesn't matter); however, Hal stated on more than one occasion that his favorite interpretation of that great song was by Dionne Warwick! NO BIG DEAL - but most of us in the USA think of Dionne when we hear "Alfie" ... I also realize that it was big hit for Cilla Black in the UK and throughout Europe!
blueonblue
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Re: Is it just me?

Post by blueonblue »

Ron,
You were lucky, Hal never even got a mention in the list of people who had passed away in the last year at the BAFTA film and television awards ceremony in London on Sunday night.
Shame on them.


"blue"
Djalma Junior
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Contact:

Re: Is it just me?

Post by Djalma Junior »

Enormous,

It's not just you! You're right.
Today the useless "is golden."
Fortunately, there is the music of Burt Bacharach!

Best regards.
Djalma Jr.
dwp425
Posts: 5
Joined: Wed Sep 28, 2005 10:37 pm

Re: Is it just me?

Post by dwp425 »

There are only so many sequences of chords, notes, and rhythms ... a finite number of unique-sounding combinations. I think most of the truly interesting musical progressions have already been written, and new attempts to do so often result in something that sounds similar to an existing song. Continued efforts to create "music" that is new or different than what we already have produces what we heard at the Grammy's ... crap.
Hank
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Joined: Thu Apr 13, 2006 7:51 pm

Re: Is it just me?

Post by Hank »

I'm going to disagree on this (desperately trying to hold on to some youth here.....). The Grammy's have paid way too much respect to classic rockers and oldies in general. Pop music is not necessarily about quality songwriting - it's about what young people like - and I think that was reflected in about the best way it has been in the last 20 years or so.
The shadow (and challenge) cast by the classic songwriters of the 20th century has dimmed to a large degree but many of these young performers (Rumer, Adele, Cee Lo, Diane Birch, Lumineers, Fun, etc) are clearly attempting to express themselves in clever fashion and this should be welcomed enthusiastically.
It's my feeling that the US recording industry made a conscious choice to abandon songwriting to promote something else sometime in the 80s/90s and I think this has about as much to do with poor record sales as online piracy...but the court of public opinion is speaking now and I really believe that we're moving back to an era driven by talented artists rather than record company executives.
All that said, I haven't listened to them much, but I do not get the fuss about Mumford and Sons. Take away the jangly thrash and what have you got (not much...)
Blair N. Cummings
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Re: Is it just me?

Post by Blair N. Cummings »

I have no youth left to hang on to, Hank, but I agree in principle with you. Since at least the `50s old farts (like us Boomers now) have been griping about "kids and their wacky music." It`s not meant to entertain us any more than the Airplane or the Velvets entertained my parents. Why are any of you paying any attention to this stuff? There`s a trove of under-heard jazz and classical music to explore.
If the complaint is that today`s pop is cruder and trashier than ever before, the same applies to contemporary visual art and what`s left to pass as literature. It`s a coarsened, dumbed-down society and it`s no accident.
someonenameddavid
Posts: 283
Joined: Wed Nov 16, 2005 10:36 pm
Location: Flyover Country

Re: Is it just me?

Post by someonenameddavid »

About Cilla Black and Alfie: She sang it for the film, and is therefore identified with the song as she is also part of the Merseybeat/ Swinging London scene. She is also "The girl next door type" so even though she is not the greatest vocalist ( there was once a comedy show in Britain that had a running joke about Cilla Black hitting the high notes) she is the kind of person who you could see getting dumped by Alfie and internalizing it. Dionne on the other hand has an internal strength and a sense of who she is, as when she said "don't make me over" and so her reaction to being dumped would be "walk on by".

Just some random thoughts

David
In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice, but in practice, there is.
ron hertel
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Re: Is it just me?

Post by ron hertel »

And David - may I add ...... "make it easy on yourself" - and - "you can have him"
An Enormous BB Fan
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Joined: Fri Feb 20, 2004 11:14 pm

Re: Is it just me?

Post by An Enormous BB Fan »

Hank wrote:I'm going to disagree on this (desperately trying to hold on to some youth here.....). The Grammy's have paid way too much respect to classic rockers and oldies in general. Pop music is not necessarily about quality songwriting - it's about what young people like - and I think that was reflected in about the best way it has been in the last 20 years or so.
The shadow (and challenge) cast by the classic songwriters of the 20th century has dimmed to a large degree but many of these young performers (Rumer, Adele, Cee Lo, Diane Birch, Lumineers, Fun, etc) are clearly attempting to express themselves in clever fashion and this should be welcomed enthusiastically.
It's my feeling that the US recording industry made a conscious choice to abandon songwriting to promote something else sometime in the 80s/90s and I think this has about as much to do with poor record sales as online piracy...but the court of public opinion is speaking now and I really believe that we're moving back to an era driven by talented artists rather than record company executives.
All that said, I haven't listened to them much, but I do not get the fuss about Mumford and Sons. Take away the jangly thrash and what have you got (not much...)
Hank, you're confusing me! You say that "Pop music is not necessarily about quality songwriting...it's about what young people like." So, in essence, you ARE agreeing with me. Because quality songwriting is EXACTLY what I'm speaking about. And you're saying that quality songwriting isn't important, because what IS important is what young people like. So I guess that it's okay with you that if young people don't care if the songs are not of a high quality, then that's okay because that's what they like. So you're not disputing that quality songwriting wasn't in evidence at the Grammy's. And then you admit that the shadow and challenge cast by the classic 20th century songwriters has dimmed. So, unless I'm misreading you, it appears that you do agree with me. You then go on to agree with me not getting the fuss about Mumford and Sons.

I suspect you just don't want me judging what young people are listening to and considering to be wonderful music these days. I do believe that quality in pop songs is important. That's why Burt's music means so much to me.
An Enormous BB Fan
Posts: 1194
Joined: Fri Feb 20, 2004 11:14 pm

Re: Is it just me?

Post by An Enormous BB Fan »

Blair N. Cummings wrote:I have no youth left to hang on to, Hank, but I agree in principle with you. Since at least the `50s old farts (like us Boomers now) have been griping about "kids and their wacky music." It`s not meant to entertain us any more than the Airplane or the Velvets entertained my parents. Why are any of you paying any attention to this stuff? There`s a trove of under-heard jazz and classical music to explore.
If the complaint is that today`s pop is cruder and trashier than ever before, the same applies to contemporary visual art and what`s left to pass as literature. It`s a coarsened, dumbed-down society and it`s no accident.
Blair, why shouldn't pop music entertain people of any age? I love pop music. I love Ne-Yo's songs, for example. "Let Me Love You" was terrific, as was "One In A Million," "So Sick," "Closer," "Irreplaceable," "Knock You Down" and a bunch more. He's terrific because he has the rare gift of being able to compose catchy and original music. I find it hard to believe that any pop songwriter is trying to write songs just for a certain age group. My only beef is with people who listen to a crappy pop song and think it's great. I want them to wise up and not accept it. On youtube, I enjoy reading the "Comments" section. I can't tell you how many times I've seen young people come across the early Dionne Warwick songs for the first time (on youtube) and are bowled over by what they hear. I can't expect every pop song to be on Burt's level, but the songs I heard on this year's Grammy awards leave a lot to be desired. (By the way, I couldn't stand the Velvet Underground, the Ramones, or similar kinds of "music." Those groups were never in the mainstream anyhow -- and with good reason.)
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