Remember Rock and Roll? I miss it. I will admit that I was a kid in the 70's and 80's who listened to music from before my time. I liked and still like the music of the 60's and 70's. Remember when Rock and Roll could change the world. Poignant anti war songs?
How about "Satisfaction" by the Rolling Stones? They so succinctly, scathingly, described the American condition. The problem with basing a whole society on material goods and wealth. How about John Lennon's Imagine? Softly beating us over the head with the absurdity of war and the absolute need for compassion. He enlightened us. In 3 minutes or less. Amazing. I can't think of any other songs that have done that recently. I guess there is a case for Nirvana's "Smells like Teen Spirit', as a song that enlightened us to the shared human condition, but it really doesn't change the world now does it? It is a great song and I love hearing all of the covers of it too.
Music today, wow, I'm not so sure. Do I sound like an old fuddy duddy who is decrying the ways of todays youth? Well there is something to that. Our parents decried it for good reason, and we do too, because we know more than they do. Yes I will say it! I get it now. We're smarter than they are!
Punk Rock and Rap are examples of genre's that changed things. But whats the message? The point of view? Near as I can tell Punk isn't really about anything, more about fuck everything. Rap? There is some very political Rap out there, but it's not for everyone.
I want a song that will change the world again. I want to be inspired and enlightened again, with a beautiful electric guitar solo right in the middle.
What songs do you think changed the world?
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Remember Rock and Roll?
Posted by S.D.S at 7:55 AM
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4 comments:
I wish I could offer some songs, but I'm drawing a blank. But, I would like to offer my thoughts on the "new" music.
Like you, I listened to music from the '60s and '70s during the '80s. Sure, I had the radio on, too, but it was more as background music than what I wanted to hear.
As I aged, I noticed that my music collection was growing at a decreasing rate, and my heroes were turning gray, while MTV and VH1 seemed like a bunch of kids making noise. But, I also noticed some friends who seemed to be changing with the times. So, I set out to find new music that I could relate to. I didn't want to get left behind.
I bought some Alice In Chains, Days of the New, Dave Matthews (who I still like), Creed, Collective Soul, and some other hip artists of the time. But, I always fell back to Dark Side of the Moon and those Dead bootlegs. It was like this dog couldn't learn new music.
I was able to expand my horizons by adding new genres: country and bluegrass. But, country is pretty much like '70s classic rock with a twang, and bluegrass, well, it hasn't changed over the years.
One day, I just gave up. I thought, "Why change if I don't want to?" It's not like I wasn't open to change. I was. But, there was no reason to force it. If something came along that I liked, I would enjoy it - like Umphrey's McGee. But, I didn't feel the need to change my music - to keep up with the times - just because my music was as old as me.
It was enlightening to come to that realization. Some folks made me feel like I was stuck in the past, but now I realize that those folks were a bit afraid to admit that they were aging, and they weren't really the MTV generation anymore. To each his own, I say. But, I'm not worried about listening to new music anymore. Besides, I have merely scratched the surface on some of the coolest music ever written - in the '60s and '70s. :-)
We all fall into listening to the same music we grew up with over and over and shy away from newer music. I think there are two reasons for this: 1) We like the familiar and 2) As we get older and find less time for things like... listening to music, we don't search for new music like we used to.
As a musician who frequents message boards inhabited by other musicians from various agre groups, I can say with absolute certainty that people from every generation thinks that the next (and all subsequent) generation's music sucks and wasn't the great stuff that THEY grew up listening to. "Aw man, you like Avenged Sevenfold? You should listen to Iron Maiden. Now THERE'S a great metal band!"
I look at it this way - If your parents don't hate it, it's probably not very good rock and roll.
Ha, all of this is so true. Except my parents who liked the same music I liked also. But as they got older, they listen to classical music. Sometimes I do too, shhhh it's a secret.
But It's not that I don't like new music, I really do, but it's the messages.....
Teach Your Children
Ohio (CSNY)
Imagine (Lenon, as you mentioned)
Born To Be Wild
Rockin' In The Free World
Respect (Arethra Franklin)
Mrs. Robinson
Like A Rolling Stone
Do They Know It's Christmas (Band Aid)
Give Peace A Chance
My Generation
American Pie
Those are some songs that I thought of (with a little help from some internet lists). I think most of them were more of a method of making people aware, which helped change attitudes, in turn changing the world in one way or another.
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