One Big Red Stratocaster Later
I have spent the morning so far being
fundamentally lazy, I should be taking photographs for MrsP’s web
site, or even writing something to add to the novel I will finish
one day. Perhaps it’s a rebellion against that money making Kareoke
fest that invades our screens at this time of year. For whatever
reason I have just spent a whole hour on YouTube watching and
listening to The Shadows.
They aren’t particularly good looking guys, they don’t have “personality” or a “look”; in fact they used to wear smart suits a lot of the time. They don’t bounce around the stage doing impossible things while perfect music emanates from somewhere. They simply stand there, sway a bit to the beat and play this flawless music. The music is a matter of taste, I happen to like it although not to distraction I admit, but my main point is that they are really playing; not pretending. They hold their instruments carefully and play them and they are making all the music, There is not a pre-recorded backing track, it's all them. They are simply highly talented musicians, originally session musicians I think, who used to back Cliff Richard and somehow developed a separate life and clearly love what they were doing.
Clearly there have been other bands since that made it on a pure talent basis. I don't mean to suggest they are a one off at all, but I think it's lost. I don’t think it could happen these days. I think that’s a pity because somewhere Britain certainly does have talent that will not see the light of day because they don’t make good telly and Simon doesn’t do their thing.
They aren’t particularly good looking guys, they don’t have “personality” or a “look”; in fact they used to wear smart suits a lot of the time. They don’t bounce around the stage doing impossible things while perfect music emanates from somewhere. They simply stand there, sway a bit to the beat and play this flawless music. The music is a matter of taste, I happen to like it although not to distraction I admit, but my main point is that they are really playing; not pretending. They hold their instruments carefully and play them and they are making all the music, There is not a pre-recorded backing track, it's all them. They are simply highly talented musicians, originally session musicians I think, who used to back Cliff Richard and somehow developed a separate life and clearly love what they were doing.
Clearly there have been other bands since that made it on a pure talent basis. I don't mean to suggest they are a one off at all, but I think it's lost. I don’t think it could happen these days. I think that’s a pity because somewhere Britain certainly does have talent that will not see the light of day because they don’t make good telly and Simon doesn’t do their thing.
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5 Comments
Your underlying point is something I've felt about the music industry for a couple of decades now. It has for the most part become a sad marketing-driven factory of faux rubbish. I recall a Kitt Katt advert from aeons ago which featured a band who had just finished playing to a record producer. He says, "You can't sing. You can't play. You look awful." He snaps a Kitt Katt and adds, "You'll go a long way."
What confirms to me that the music industry is a joke is the charts. A great song could spend weeks at number 1 when I was a lad. These days there is a distasteful marketing and promotional push aimed at getting some plastic teen's noise dubbed over by computers that put their voice in tune to number 1 for just one week before a competing marketer has a go with their scheduled under-age whore.
There is so much real musical talent out there that simply won't make it because of this. However, there is still a fraction of room left for the odd one every now and again. They'll struggle to ride high in the singles charts, but bands like Muse give me an iota of faith.
I could also say there are many talented writers who won't make it because publishers feel that instead they need to push shoddy titles from whichever tarts are famous this month to make their cash, but I won't.
There is still an interest in blues based music
Pop musicins still seem to come from art school. i suppose it is a way of getting noticed,
I lost interest in pop music around the time of the punks - though I wrote a novel with punks as the main characters
I rather missed out on the Latin American stuff which is certainly more musical but a lot of these seems like high class Eurovision. I have a CD somewhere of Bach pieces played Latin American style.
Maryluv - Again citing my daughter's school. The head left the year that band won and the new guy has different priorities. So it has waned and the inspirational teachers all left. It was exceptionally well taught (this is a science and technology college) with good modern music and two classical orchestra. One performing publically and one "feeder". The music has steadily waned since the new man came in. It can be taught well, but it requires the will to do it.
Steve - Absolutely.
Take Cradle of Filth, for instance. They are the most incredible British rock band since Pink Floyd, have been going for years, and have about 50 albums out. But yer average Joe Pubic won't have heard of them.
They have a unique style, intelligent lyrics, skilled musicianship and complex arrangements, unlike the bland pop pap you'll see on telly or hear on the radio.
If you read Guitarist magazine, you'll see there are many skilled musicians around, who you would never see on 'Britain's Got Loonies'.
It's not the state of music that's the problem, it's the state of the music industry!
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