New Standards?

[Count Bassy]

[quote name='paul h' timestamp='1384323984' post='2275170']
I will never to cease to be amazed that musicians and bands just can't embrace new music. When I say new, I would actually settle for something written in this decade....or century...or maybe since I've been alive.
[/quote]

I will never cease to be amazed that musicians and bands can't embrace old standards! There seems to be the attitude that if it's popular and the audience like it then it must be bad!!! Conversely obscurity seems to be taken as automatically meaning a song is good. Songs that are obscure are generally obscure for a reason, songs that are still being sung and enjoyed are being so for a reason.

I have nothing against modern "Classics", but will "Sex on Fire" still be being sung in 40 years?

Mustang Sally is often regarded with scorn in these pages, but its a good song that is still being sung and enjoyed 40 years after it was written! As far as I'm concerned that must mean it must have something right. I wish I had written it!!

[chris_b]

[quote name='Count Bassy' timestamp='1384477361' post='2277289']
....I wish I had written it!!....
[/quote]

So do I. A great song written by Mack Rice who also wrote Respect Yourself and was a staff writer at Stax.

I hope he managed to keep hold of his songs. So many of the guys back then signed bad contracts and got nothing out of their hits.

[paul h]

[quote name='Count Bassy' timestamp='1384477361' post='2277289']
I will never cease to be amazed that musicians and bands can't embrace old standards! There seems to be the attitude that if it's popular and the audience like it then it must be bad!!! Conversely obscurity seems to be taken as automatically meaning a song is good. Songs that are obscure are generally obscure for a reason, songs that are still being sung and enjoyed are being so for a reason.

I have nothing against modern "Classics", but will "Sex on Fire" still be being sung in 40 years?

Mustang Sally is often regarded with scorn in these pages, but its a good song that is still being sung and enjoyed 40 years after it was written! As far as I'm concerned that must mean it must have something right. I wish I had written it!!
[/quote]

Three times I have started to reply to this and three times I have thought better of it. This is draft number 4.

I apologise for the "I'm amazed" comment.

Unfortunately that's my opinion. The exciting thing about music for me is that it's constantly developing and changing. I love nothing more than discovering something new. A genre I haven't listened to before. A new artist I admire. A new song that I love. Luckily I'm not alone in this because well...new music is being written all the time. Music that has absorbed all those wonderful influences from a post Mustang Sally world

Luckily I'm not alone in this because well...The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Jimi Hendrix, Queen, Funk, Disco, Punk, Hip Hop, Dance Music, The Moog, Drum Machines, Programming, Sampling, DJ's, Mixing...and of course a million other influences that make up modern music.

And to answer some of your points directly. The only reason I don't like a song is because I don't like it. It has nothing to do with popularity. I also never said anything about wanting to play obscure songs or thinking obscure means good. And I certainly didn't mention Sex on Fire. And I certainly wouldn't describe it as a classic because I can no more see into the future than the guy who wrote Mustang Sally.

[lojo]

[quote name='spike' timestamp='1384268407' post='2274653']
Me too, can't stand it.
[/quote]

Whilst I agree, not a track Id listen to at home, but last time I gigged this, the reaction of the partygoers made it so much fun, it was worth it.

I guess if your the kind who wants to only play music that you consider cool, then a functions band of this type is not for you, personally I like playing to party atmospheres though.

[Count Bassy]

[quote name='paul h' timestamp='1384495439' post='2277319']
Three times I have started to reply to this and three times I have thought better of it. This is draft number 4.

I apologise for the "I'm amazed" comment.

Unfortunately that's my opinion. The exciting thing about music for me is that it's constantly developing and changing. I love nothing more than discovering something new. A genre I haven't listened to before. A new artist I admire. A new song that I love. Luckily I'm not alone in this because well...new music is being written all the time. Music that has absorbed all those wonderful influences from a post Mustang Sally world

Luckily I'm not alone in this because well...The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Jimi Hendrix, Queen, Funk, Disco, Punk, Hip Hop, Dance Music, The Moog, Drum Machines, Programming, Sampling, DJ's, Mixing...and of course a million other influences that make up modern music.

And to answer some of your points directly. The only reason I don't like a song is because I don't like it. It has nothing to do with popularity. I also never said anything about wanting to play obscure songs or thinking obscure means good. And I certainly didn't mention Sex on Fire. And I certainly wouldn't describe it as a classic because I can no more see into the future than the guy who wrote Mustang Sally.
[/quote]

Paul,

I can see that echoing your expression gave the impression that my post was a direct rebuttal of yours, but it wasn't meant to be that. It was more of a general comment on the attitudes of some people here, not aimed at yourself directly. Perhaps I should have put through several drafts before firing it off as you did your reply!

I too enjoy discovering new stuff, even if its old stuff that I've only just discovered. However I also like some of the old classics. It doesn't have to be an either or situation, new and old stuff can coexist, neither is inherently good or bad: As you rightly say it comes down to do you like it or not (and, in a band situation, do the audience like it).

Edited November 16, 2013 by Count Bassy

[paul h]

[quote name='Count Bassy' timestamp='1384561371' post='2278324']
Paul,

I can see that echoing your expression gave the impression that my post was a direct rebuttal of yours, but it wasn't meant to be that. It was more of a general comment on the attitudes of some people here, not aimed at yourself directly. Perhaps I should have put through several drafts before firing it off as you did your reply!

I too enjoy discovering new stuff, even if its old stuff that I've only just discovered. However I also like some of the old classics. It doesn't have to be an either or situation, new and old stuff can coexist, neither is inherently good or bad: As you rightly say it comes down to do you like it or not (and, in a band situation, do the audience like it).
[/quote]

Yeah...sorry about that. You caught me in a bit of a bad mood

A bad mood caused by a couple of days of being treated like a pariah by certain basschatters because I dared to say I didn't like old music. I'm a delicate soul and I find I quite easily get put on the back foot when confronted by all the angry axe grinders on here telling me my opinion is wrong.

p.s. I just went into another long rant here and thought better of it and deleted it I instead I will pop into my 80's cover band thread to make myself feel better

[spike]

[quote name='lojo' timestamp='1384510884' post='2277465']
Whilst I agree, not a track Id listen to at home, but last time I gigged this, the reaction of the partygoers made it so much fun, it was worth it.

I guess if your the kind who wants to only play music that you consider cool, then a functions band of this type is not for you, personally I like playing to party atmospheres though.
[/quote]

Actually I'm not, my general rule of thumb is that as long as I enjoy playing roughly 70% of the songs in the set list I don't mind playing songs I dislike, but that particular song I've hated ever since it first came out, I hate listening to it, I would absolutely never want to play it and I'd leave a band rather than play it, I think it's that awful