rlr (02/14/83)
Sounds like an interesting idea for a newsgroup. Of course, the only people
who subscribe would be those who haven't /listened/ to any new music in the
last ten years! This would have to include people who listen to artists (?)
who rehash the same ideas (not their own) over and over again in large
stadiums to throngs of drugged-out admirers.
Seriously, now. That would mean we couldn't discuss Bach or Beethoven or
other now deceased composers in this newsgroup. (What have Bach and Beethoven
done in the last five years?) I didn't hear complaints about the flurry of
"orchestral gossip" articles, or calls that classical music discussions of this
nature move to another newsgroup ("Hey, man, like what's an orchestra? This is
supposed to be, like, a music newsgroup, man, like with guitars and drugs...")
Likewise, classical music lovers (with a great deal of patience and
perserverance) have not seen fit to complain about the rash (I count two) of
Grateful Dead related articles and the rash (I've lost count) of Heavy Metal/
New Wave/AOR related articles. This is a music newsgroup, people. So let's use
it for its intended purpose--to discuss (all kinds) of music (EVEN the Grateful
Dead, OK, man?). Richwoods (02/15/83)
I was under the impression that when this newsgroup was started, we all
agreed to be tolerant and mature and refrain from articles which said, in
effect, "The music you like stinks". Clearly someone was not listening or
does not care. I also would disagree with the statement that the Dead, Stones,
etc. haven't come up with anything new. However, the point is we were going
to try NOT to have arguments like this! Cmon, now people. Everyone is entitled
to like whatever music they want. If you want to put down someone's musical
taste, keep it off the net. I'd be perfectly happy to argue with you by mail.
GREG
ucbvax!hplabs!hao!woods
menlo70!hao!woods
harpo!seismo!hao!woods
decvax!brl-bmd!hao!woodsgreg (02/15/83)
In reply to Lance Norskog:
Why is it necessary that a band constantly come up with new musical ideas?
The Dead and the Who, to use two of your examples, write and perform a
particular type of music. They both do what they do *very* well, and it
appears, at least from concert and record sales, that there is a strong
demand for music of both styles. Quite frankly, if discussion of every band
that hasn't created anything new (by which I assume you mean "different")
is put in net.music.frozen, nearly all of the rock discussion would reside
there. The punk groups have changed little in five years, Fleetwood Mac sounds
just the same as they did five years ago, "new wave" hasn't been new for some
time, and Slade and Led Zeppelin predate modern heavy metal by as much as
fifteen years.
I guess my point is that no band ever changes very much. They keep making
more or less the same music until it becomes unpopular, and then they break
up (with a few exceptions). The fact that the Dead and the Who are still
around (after almost twenty years) seems to me to show that they're doing the
right thing.
Like what you like and don't listen to what you don't. Putting other
folks' tastes down is a waste of time.
gregrpk (02/16/83)
I don't think the message conecering the formation of net.music.frozen
was intended to slander any of our beloved rock institutions (at least
explicitly). The point is, there many groups out there that HAVEN'T
changed for the past n years. Sometimes this is good, but when one can't
escape from it (especially in rock, which used to have novelty, change,
and anything-goes metality, even in the mainstream) because of tight
radio formats and the fear of the new, then people are justified in getting
angry. The older generation has the Stones, the Who, Beatles, etc., to
call their own, and it was NEW. Life goes own though, and
the music MUST change (didn't the WHO say that ?).
Not afraid to mutate,
``Bob'' ARPA: RpK @ MC
UUCP: ...!genradbo!mitccc!rpktrb (02/16/83)
Re: Greg Titus' assertion that no band's music ever changes much. I beg to differ. You talk about punk/new wave and the names of Joe Jackson and Elvis Costello come to mind. If you are an avant garde snob then you might think of these guys as middle-of-the-road, but they are who many people think of when you say new wave. They have both proven themselves as versatile artists, no question about it. Greg, maybe you're young, but the Stones, the Who, and Led Zeppelin HAVE changed their styles over the years. Their earlier work tended toward punky energetic, they mellowed with age. Saying that "the music must change" is also kind of misleading. If a band produces the same old crap just because the kids will buy it, then that's pitiful. On the other hand, there are artists in all fields who produce a great deal of high quality, satisfying work in one area. I think we should resist generalizations like "these big money bands crank out the same old crap just because people will eat it up." I don't believe that that's true, but it's easy enough to say. Look at folks like Peter Frampton, who by this argument would have been able to clean up after his "Frampton Comes Alive" album. I like Gilbert and Sullivan, although they always stuck to those dumb love affairs, with the goofy music and cutesy lyrics. I watch television too, I guess I just have bad taste all around. Andy Tannenbaum Bell Labs Whippany, NJ (201) 386-6491
logo (02/19/83)
There are definately major artist whose music has changed. Bowie is well known for his change. Brian Eno covers a number of types of music. Likewise Joe Jackson, as already mentioned, all though most folks won't know his jazzier stuff, and even fewer his '40s swing (which I recommend to fans of that style and period). The Dead spand a moderatly broad set of styles. Many folks who liked older Yes music don't like their newer stuff. The same is true for ELP and even Blue Oyster Cult. To my ear, Abbey Road sounds different than Rubber Soul. At any rate, I would say that lots of musician change styles or add new, signigicantly different styles to their old ones. Sometimes you have to listen to things which are not the radio or popular albums to find the changes, though.
norskog (02/20/83)
#N:fortune:7200008:000:418 fortune!norskog Feb 19 15:26:00 1983 I wasn't making fun of music that was written less than 6 months ago. I am a trained classical pianist, and, among other things, have played the "Rhapsody in Blue" piano concerto with an orchestra. I was making fun of the fact that some rock musicians can play the same 5 chords every night for 15 years, and some people will trail them around the country (excuse me, around the world) for a similar period of time!