I was watching a documentary last night, I watch a lot of documentaries , this one was about the people in the music industry who are refusing to ' grow old gracefully'. Whatever the hell that means. What is growing old gracefully? It seemed in the show to be equated with some sort of retirement like thing. Anyway, the show had The Rolling Stones, Iggy Pop , Eric Burden (from Eric Burden and the animals) and the like in it.
Two main things struck me. The first being that most of these guys had become parodies of themselves. The best Rolling Stones cover band in the world is the Rolling Stones. They did do some good music though, here is Sympathy for the Devil
I wrote in my post about Artistic Decline about the Rolling Stones. These guys have not produced anything new of any merit for so long that they could hardly be called anything except a covers band now. Which is fine, I guess. It did strike me whilst watching the show that it is however a little bit sad. There is nothing wrong with being old and acting young. Hell, I do it every day and hope to do it until I turn 243 and am a total embarrassment to my great great great grand kids. No what I found sad was that these guys had written some great songs about being young, but nothing about the other stages of life. They aren't young anymore. Quite the opposite actually. Most are Grandfathers now. Although one wonders how it works for Bill Wyman. I guess he has kids the same age as his grand kids. I think that is a pity, not Bill Wyman, do whatever you want mate, but that they are not creative in any real sense of creation anymore. This is true of almost all these bands. the Who, Iggy Pop, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, the list is as long as the people you can remember from the late 60s early 70s legends bracket. They were great at writing songs about being young and getting across the vigour and excitement of it, but that time passed a long time ago and they haven't really grown up in the song writing.
Some other people have managed to do it a bit. Leonard Cohen's music was always a bit better geared for this to be able to happen.
I realise the song isn't really about anything other than love. And young people can sing about love as well. but at least he isn't singing about how he is is going out on the town.
It also occurred to me that these guys will not be around for that much longer. I do not say this with any relish, but will we notice they have gone? There will be a spot on the news , couple of film excerpts , from when they were in their hey day, and a few tribute sites. It will not be like losing Jimi Hendrix, or Kurt Cobain will it. These guys aren't producing anything new, and we have all their good stuff already. Digitally remastered for our benefit. There will not be the sense of what could have been.
What happens then? There are no more tours by The Stones, or the Who, Iggy Pop. Does classic rock as we know it die along with them? I think it is interesting, because 15 years ago I would have definitely had said yes. People are not keen to get out their parents cds or records or what ever. So people stop listening and the music , while still being there of course, drops out of the public mind space. So it dies.
But things have changed haven't they? With the great digital revolution and the benefits it brings, see here, the world has changed. You can now listen to the exact type of music you feel like on Internet radio. Classic Rock stations abound. Not that that this music suffers from being underplayed on mainstream traditional radio. So, you can hear this music all day every day and it will never leave the public consciousness.
Maybe it will change though. Not die out. But as time progresses and we all get older and younger generations come through. I doubt they will relate that much. I read Classic Rock Magazine from time to time. Even I need a break from metal Hammer now and then. Classic Rock magazine says that a band who has been around for 10 years becomes classic Rock. Now if you are old such as I am , this is a pretty scary thought.
I would not have ever put this into classic rock
But I guess it is now isn't it. Very much so. I bet most guys in their early 20 s have not even heard that song. Wow, now I sound really old don't I. My point is that this will be classic rock , it is already. When I am 60 is this what I will be tuning in to.? scary thought.
Where does this leave electronica? Classic Rock is one thing, reasonably easy to put into new, old, classic pigeon holes. Electronica though. Where does that go? I mean is this classic Electronica?
It is most definitely old enough to be classed as Classic now. Interestingly, this type of music doesn't really seem to age. maybe that is some of its attraction.
From my point of view, I love listening to new music. I think the concept of what is actually new has also changed. Because if it is new to me then what do T care when it was released?
There is some great new music out there, which I guess will also be classic given enough time.
I guess the overall from this is that the music will never die. Despite what Don McLean told us. The digital revolution enables us to listen to what ever when ever, and as such classic rock music will always be found by new people. This is not such a bad thing, pity they aren't as creative as they could be now though.
The Jimi Hendrix Experience were the first '60s band to become extinct when Mitch Mitchell died a couple of years ago. Even though the Experience actually died over 40 years ago with Jimi. Now there's no one left from the original band.
ReplyDeleteYes, but did you read the post? Just because the band aren't touring anymore doesn't mean that they have died out. I would say actually they are in a better state than the Rolling Stones who have tainted their reputation over the years. And the Who, did you see that superbowl peformance, man, that was just painfully aweful to watch . . .
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