The Admiral Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 .....because I'm finding that I just keep pricking up my ears at the stuff they have 'borrowed', in many cases I'm sure, unconsciously. Case in point - I really liked the first Rival Sons album and suggested it to an american friend, who had a listen on iTunes and emailed me back along the lines of " do we really need another Led Zep tribute act". Now, I'd admit it's very deriviative and the first time I heard it I thought - 'hello, someones got a copy of Led Zep 1', but it's still a great a record and they are fantastic live - I saw them opening for Black Stone Cherry (another superb band - who are improving with every album), at Manchester Academy last year.. I've just bought the second RS album, and............... it's alarmingly like LZ II and III, even down to the acoustic stuff and general feel and a similar route of maturity in respect of it's relationship to the first album. I've listened about 5 times right through, and all I keep hearing is more little riffs and fills which are so derivative of LZ II & III that they are bordering on parody - and I'm beginning to find it annoying. That said, anyone who hasn't heard the source or isn't that familiar would not be phased by it, but I wondered if I'm alone in this kind of 'spotting'? Clearly, everything new is a reflection of the influences of the writers, and we don't even want to go down the Beatles/Oasis cul de sac, but perhaps I'm just doomed. I know Andy Partridge from XTC doesn't listen to current music anymore, because he finds, after 30 years as a writer, he just distills everything down to it's ingredients : "50% Beatles, 30% Slade and 20% Abba" for example. (The full story is in Will Hodgkinson's book Song Man for those who are interested.) I'll never have 1% of the writing or general musical talent/chops as Mr Partridge, but I get where he's coming from. Just me and Andy then, or is it a general thing which comes with middle age and there are others out there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mart Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 I see where you're coming from, but it's not something that bothers me too much. But if it did I'd see it as a challenge to find the 1 or 2% that is actually new: what little tiny twist are they bringing to the show? There's always something. Even with Oasis .... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 They either catch my ear or they don't.... not really concerned what influences they draw on as long as the tracks are good. Hackneyed tunes and bands from my perspective wouldn't get a nod anyway.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Rich Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 5 years ago I wouldn't have agreed with you, but recently I'm finding almost all new music doesn't grab me. It's mostly all been done before, and the stuff that hasn't been done before wasn't done for a good reason. Probably not a good state of mind for a musician, maybe it's normal after 30+ years of listening and studying songs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heminder Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 All cultural works are derivative. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shizznit Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 I'm in the same place myself. I now listen to BBC radio 2 or 6 instead of radio 1 these days. Very little new music interests me. Well, in the UK at least. There hasn't been much movement in this country for the past 10yrs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stan_da_man Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 Simple solution - don't listen to [b]rock[/b] music. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 I just listen to music, I don't really think about whether it's new or old. Often it's new to me even if it's old in some other sense. For example, I've been listening to a lot of Ethiopian stuff which I guess was recorded in the 70s and since, but it's all new to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 [quote name='Stan_da_man' timestamp='1360516635' post='1971576'] Simple solution - don't listen to [b]rock[/b] music. [/quote] Yes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 [quote name='heminder' timestamp='1360514984' post='1971530'] All cultural works are derivative. [/quote] ... and sound 'new' when the listener doesn't know the derivation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 [quote name='The Admiral' timestamp='1360510592' post='1971434'] .....because I'm finding that I just keep pricking up my ears at the stuff they have 'borrowed', in many cases I'm sure, unconsciously. [/quote] So, don't read the great myths of the ancient world if you want to carry on liking Hollywood films. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_5 Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 (edited) Pop music is a disposable commodity constructed to satisfy the whims of market forces, Rock music too, for the most part. I invest very little time in new bands / artists as inevitably they're trotting out the same old formulaeic tosh. That's not to say that if somebody plays me a new band I'll 'nay say' it before hearing it; I'm willing to listen to anything really, but most of it is either trite old rehashes, or too dependent on Autotune for my liking. Edited February 10, 2013 by paul_5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_5 Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 God, I feel old reading that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 (edited) [quote name='Stan_da_man' timestamp='1360516635' post='1971576'] Simple solution - don't listen to [b]rock[/b] music. [size=4][/quote][/size] [size=4]Great suggestion - I'll just stop breathing while I'm at it. [/size] [size=4]In a previous band we did two Zeppelin covers and two Rival Sons covers - and having listened to them [i]very[/i] closely indeed, to my ears they are most definitely different. But it's easy to see why anyone would think otherwise.[/size] The band I'm most into right now are The Black Keys - they are young, but their blues rock influences are undeniable. However, to me they sound extremely fresh, original and exciting in spite of this and they are not reminiscent of any specific artist. In any case, if you're [i]that [/i]jaded and bored with new music, why not write a few new classics yourself? I'd like to hear them. Edited February 10, 2013 by discreet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachcbg Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 I suppose this will always be a contentious subject. Just wrote what I thought was a really 'sweet', cool song with a band mate. Just guitar and vocal with a little bass noodling in the background. We then played it to another band member. Before we'd got to the chorus, his hands were up 'let me stop you there boys, it's ''Going To California'', you can't do that.' So here's the thing. It has different chords, different melody and the chorus is way different. It turns out it 'reminds' him of 'Going To California', it's not the same at all. That's the thing for me. Just because a song 'reminds' you of something, surely doesn't make it derivative. Neither me nor the guitarist remotely had Led Zep in mind when we jammed it into a song; it just arrived! The simple fact is we all arrived way too late (BTW, I'm 47 at the end of this month) to come up with something that hasn't been done before by someone, somewhere, at sometime even if you don't know it yet. Best thing to do: play on, play what you like, listen to what you like and if it reminds you of something good....... isn't that actually a good thing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 [quote name='coachcbg' timestamp='1360518154' post='1971610'] ... Neither me nor the guitarist remotely had Led Zep in mind ... [/quote] Perhaps a bit like Led Zeppelin didn't have Willie Dixon and others in mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachcbg Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 [quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1360518367' post='1971618'] Perhaps a bit like Led Zeppelin didn't have Willie Dixon and others in mind. [/quote] Well, it's all come from somewhere! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 [quote name='coachcbg' timestamp='1360518857' post='1971628'] Well, it's all come from somewhere! [/quote] Yes, new and old at the same time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulconnolly Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 (edited) It's called age mate . The stuff we grew up with and that resonates with our lives is "always inferior to" what comes along now - cue Hovis advert music Edited February 10, 2013 by paulconnolly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 (edited) [quote name='paulconnolly' timestamp='1360518995' post='1971634'] It's called age mate . The stuff we grew up with and that resonates with our lives is "always inferior to" what comes along now. [/quote] So true. We fondly remember the music we grew up with because it coincided with huge portentous growing-up events in our young lives when we were impressionable and open-minded. We've just become opinionated, staid, boring, set in our ways and are not receptive to new ideas. Simples! Edited February 10, 2013 by discreet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 Crap mastering as well. New stuff just doesn't hit me (sic) like it did before the loudness war. It just makes everything... blander. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad3353 Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 [quote name='discreet' timestamp='1360519743' post='1971655']...We've just become opinionated, staid, boring, set in our ways and are not receptive to new ideas. Simples! [/quote] ...and crotchety. You forgot crotchety. As for the topic: once you've listened to Sandy Denny, it's difficult to be [i]more [/i]enthralled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 Bunch of old farts... :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arthurhenry Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 I find it hard too. How dare these youngsters be successful, when I'm still playing social clubs and weddings? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uncle psychosis Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 Personally I think it has very little to do with the music, and a lot to do with the emotions and experiences of the listener. I firmly believe that music you discover during your formative years touches us in a way that music we come to in later life can't. Bands you discovered when you were changing from a child into an adult---discovering love, the opposite sex, parties, having your own pay cheque in your pocket for the first time, etc etc etc, touch us in a way that others just can't. I think its the reason why older guys always grumble about all new music being rubbish, not the same as in their day, yadda yadda. And they're probably right---how can Blink 182 excite you as much as 70s punk when you first kissed your first girlfriend to a soundtrack of The Clash? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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