Why Is Rock Still Dead?

Dead to who? Not me.....and who cares if others don't like it.

 

Thanks for letting me know. But I do wonder what all those FM stations are doing. They're still broadcasting, and most of it is commercials. And for a while it will remain the primary outlet for music in the public. The internet and satellite radio can't support Joe's Diner, Chuy's Radiator Shop or Habib's Bakery. I realize the web seems to be a catch-all, but a good many people still commute and listen to local radio. Only, it's barely local.

I think the time is right for a flood of bootleg FM stations, perhaps even re-broadcasting web casts. The FCC has been stripped to the bone and as long as people avoid Ham frequencies, not much is done about it. Unless, of course, some nut is running a 10kw bootleg. I never radiate more than 20 watts, but I can hear my albums across the whole county.

 

I guess good times good music. That'll never die. Why can't we have good times and good tunes on the radio? Because people are immature. I'm not complaining, though. The radio is one of the main comedic sources around.

 

When I was a kid in the late '60s I used to listen to AM hit radio a lot. This was before FM, (in my area at least). Among other things they played Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, Jefferson Airplane, Santana... granted they only played the hits, Foxy Lady, Light my Fire, White Rabbit, Oye Como Va, etc.. Yeah they were the hits of the times but still, it was fucking pop music! Think about it.

When FM came out I had the pleasure of hearing full uninterrupted album sides of Pink floyd (Dark side of the moon), Jeff beck (Blow by blow), Santana, Hendrix (Voodoo chile!) to name some of my fav's, and tons of other great albums I could have never afforded to buy, in glorious analog stereo! It was a unique time and I'm glad I was there when it was happening.

Gloating aside, lol I still have a point...

... times have changed but the meaning of 'Pop' hasn't... It still means music that is 'Popular'

 

good shit is good shit and that will never change

 

" If it sounds good to you, it is good" ~ Frank Zappa

 

Yes and no.

Personally, I listen to radio all the time - FM public radio. I listen to AM for shits and grins when I'm in the middle of nowhere at night with nothing else to do. Stores here often actually play AM. But a lot of them just have people plugging their devices in, and playing off pandora or youtube or one of the ba-jillion perfectly good stream stations out there. And the AM station is hardly at the forefront of music release, they play the same dozen songs.

But I don't think that getting new music out on the radio is what it once was. They'll cling to it just like they cling to mainstream TV news and pretend they're still important, but they're just less and less so.

I like radios, I like the concept, I like listening to them, but without some piracy public radio stations or college stations are about all that's worth listening to. And I've never encountered a pirate station.

 

It's dead,and we should be grateful lol...

 

I'm not sure it ever existed, and I'm not sure that people don't play with all the same sounds now, and many more.

And I totally don't buy that indie guys don't have the production quality, anyone with some moderate amount of determination and a thrift shop mac from 2003 can put together stuff that puts the production of anything before modern recording software to shame. And for very little more investment, you can have the very best computer bits necessary to compete with any name out there. You don't need to strike it big to play with a macbook pro and a mixer or whatever, and have more recording power than EXISTED in 1970.... or 1980............ or 1990.

I think your issue here is that you don't like the music you're hearing now simply because it's not the exact music you're comparing it to. There ARE people doing just about any feeling or sound you want, and doing a really good job - it's not just that your expectations are high, it's that if they were met, they'd dodge whatever met them.

The world is different and will never be the same. Every scene changed, every social interaction is different, if you want to consider rock a movement, than yes, it's gone, but no more than anything else.

You could just as easily ask why chevy in still dead - they're not, they've just moved past the C10, and you can't drag them back to it.

 

I don't buy that argument either, theres been lots if good stuff in other genres over the same time period

Seems specifically stadium rock

The biggest rock acts over the last 15 years have been friggin Coldplay, The Killers, Arctic Monkeys, One republic a few good tunes amongst them, but personality wise a big fat yawn

 

I think I have to agree with Roorshack. There has always been pop rock bands like a Coldplay and One Republic that have good commercial success and been popular.

The Eagles, U2, Fleetwood Mac


There are also tons of rock bands playing stadiums and festivals within the past 15 years: Muse, Audioslave, Black Keys, White Stripes, Avenged Sevenfold

 

Its not the music that killed the big stadium acts, its the damn insurence.Thats not an opinion, its fact.

 

That is what i think, too....and if it doesn't sound good, it is not ....

 

I guess my perspective may be a bit biased. That's because I was one of the generation who grew up whilst new idioms of rock music were being created. At the time -late 60's 70's etc, rock music was new, creative. You heard things you hadn't heard before.

That's no longer the case as far as what I hear nowadays is concerned. Same instrumental sounds, same old chords......

I think too there is the question of 'the co-opting of youth culture by commercial interest' (horrible phrase that, but I can't think how else to put it).

UK punk rock is a good example - it began with disillusioned kids, not as a product of record companies. The style was the creation of the folks on the street, not fashion houses. Of course, it was rapidly brought into the 'mainstream', and became commercialized.

Also I don't buy the argument that because jazz and blues are still around they have the same merits they did when the styles were new.

 

Many of the musicians I work with are just as good, and even better than ever. They are very talented, and writing some excellent stuff. Give credit where its due, even if it isnt your personal cup of tea. I play the old stuff, I play the new..Rock has taken on a Djent style, the guys are trained beyond belief, they love their music and theyre kickin ass. Rock was never as hard as it is now.Not even close to pop.

 

It is also a matter of what one is used to....and grew up listening to...i remember my parents could not understand my tastes in music at times...but it was not their generation........but I thank them for exposing me to everything....so i loved it all including the gaslight stuff from the 20's....as my dad had a huge record collection, which Ihave now....and so i was exposed to many different styles...i just cannot understand the real hard stuff with kill this and that and the f u's and that sort of angry stuff.....

 

I want to feel good when I listen to music...not like someone is going to kill me, hates me and it is the end of the world.....

 

I'm not trying to change anyone's opinion - just stating my own very subjective view.

I'm not knocking the competence of today's musicians either, but technical brilliance isn't the whole thing.

 

I agree, Moonglow, I dont care for the negative hate you, kill you either, and I cant stand the growly vocals...but even in someof those situations, the music behind the words isnt too bad. And truely, I understand traditionalists, I work with many of them too, and they arent too keen on most of the newer stuff.

 

BBilly, no, you werent, but some are, exactly the way peeps before our generation did to our stuff. Actually, due to the innovative playing of guys in our generation, the peeps today are excellent in technique. And no, technical knoehow isnt everything, but it damn sure comes in handy when youre hearing and feeling a part, and you are able to execute it because youre up to snuff.