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Topic: Annoying New Trends in Music...An Age-old Phenom? |
Chris LeDrew
From:
Canada
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Posted 6 May 2009 3:26 pm |
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| There is a lot of talk about the "annoying" aspects of new music - everything from Les Pauls in new country to drum machines in rock. Taking into account the theory that new stuff has always been (or can be) annoying, can anybody think of annoying new trends of the 50s, 60s and 70s that drove you nuts then but are standard fare now? I guess the synthesizer in the early 70s must have been a bit of an adjustment. Was the electric guitar looked upon as space age junk in 1950? It would be interesting to hear some stories or opinions. |
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b0b
From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
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Posted 6 May 2009 3:58 pm
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Disco beats in the 70's. Just when music was really taking off into new territory, it got dumbed down again. 
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Leslie Ehrlich
From:
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
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Posted 6 May 2009 5:22 pm
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'Doo-Wop' (e.g. sh-boom) and 'teen idol' pop (e.g. Dion and the Belmonts) in the 1950s
Pseudo 'surf' music (e.g. early Beach Boys, Jan & Dean), The Four Seasons, songs about girls and cars, and anything with a cheap sounding organ (e.g. Vox Continental) in the 1960s.
Disco, anything by Billy Joel, and corporate rock in the latter half of the 1970s.
Corporate rock includes late 1970s American 'hard rock' bands like Styx, Foreigner, REO Speedwagon, Heart, Kansas, Toto, Journey, and Jefferson Starship.
As far as country music goes I prefer the stuff from the 1950s and 1960s.
In the 1970s 'superstar' artists were taking over, such as Loretta Lynn, Conway Twitty, Dolly Parton, Tanya Tucker, Kenny Rogers, and Waylon Jennings. I didn't care for any of that stuff.
_________________
Sho-Bud Pro III + Marshall JMP 2204 half stack = good grind! |
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John P. Phillips
From:
Folkston, Ga. U.S.A., R.I.P.
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Posted 6 May 2009 5:30 pm
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And don't forget RAP , and that twisted "Gangsta Rap"
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Mitch Drumm
From:
Frostbite Falls, hard by Veronica Lake
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Posted 6 May 2009 5:50 pm
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The two that I can never forgive:
1: Electronic keyboards in general. Give me a piano, organ, or harpsichord and deliver me from "keyboards".
2: The deliberately distorted guitar sound that has been the hallmark and primary identifier of "rock" music since about 1964. Forty five years is enough. Give me Scotty Moore, Les Paul, or Cliff Gallup. Deliver me from Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Roy Buchanan, and whoever is this week's new guitar hero.
The distorted guitar sound and screaming as opposed to singing are the primary reasons I gave up on what is now called "rock" music several decades ago. |
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Charles Davidson
From:
Phenix City Alabama, USA
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Posted 6 May 2009 7:29 pm
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John,I applaud you for being the most perceptive so far. DYKBC.
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Hard headed, opinionated old geezer. BAMA CHARLIE. GOD BLESS AMERICA. ANIMAL RIGHTS ACTIVIST. SUPPORT LIVE MUSIC ! |
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David Doggett
From:
Bawl'mer, MD (formerly of MS, Nawluns, Gnashville, Knocksville, Lost Angeles, Bahsten. and Philly)
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Posted 6 May 2009 9:41 pm
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The first annoying thing that hit me was when Elvis went into the army and the raw rockabilly influence on R&R died and it was taken over by people like Pat Boone, Fabian, Ricky Nelson and Tommy Sands.
Other annoying highlights have been Bob Dylan's voice, glam rock, ersatz boogie like Spirit in the Sky, Christian Rock, Satanic Rock (they deserve each other), punk rock 20 years after the new wore off, college radio singer-songwriters who can't sing and whose "melodies" sound like they are made up on the fly just so they can call their crappy poetry music. Oh yeah, and there's B-movie soundtrack generic LA studio rock.
Rap was interesting when it first started from grass roots street kids and genuine musicians like Grand Master Flash. It innovatively ditched traditional melody for primitive rhythm, and the lyrics were creative and politically relevant. It got annoying years later, when it devolved into monotone male anger and exploitation of depravity and urban decay as a get-rich-quick scam for non-musicians.
Country got annoying to me when it went from raw emotional wailing and three-chords-and-the-truth to the loungey, schmaltzy stuff with cornified jazz chords.
For jazz it was the takeover of smooth jazz.
But, that's all just my opinions.  |
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Billy Tonnesen
From:
R.I.P., Buena Park, California
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Posted 6 May 2009 10:23 pm
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| The "Wah-Wah" effect, Thank goodness it's gone (I think). Even fiddle players were using it in the 70's. |
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Dave Mudgett
From:
Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee
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Posted 6 May 2009 10:49 pm
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| Quote: |
| Was the electric guitar looked upon as space age junk in 1950? It would be interesting to hear some stories or opinions. |
Depends on who you talk to. In a lot of circles - YES. Still true in some circles today.
Ha! Wah wahs definitely aren't gone at all. They're not as pervasive outside of rock as they were in the 70's (remember the Shaft theme and lots of 70s country performers with disco beats and wah), but in rock, they're still ubiquitous.
Naturally, y'all have hit some of my biggest musical annoyances - disco, tepid post-rockabilly rock, corporate schlock rock, whatever.
But you can't be serious about lumping Rick Nelson and James Burton in with Pat Boone and Fabian. And the fact that people are still complaining about guys like Hendrix and Buchanan proves only one point:
There is absolutely no accounting for personal taste - and that works in a lot of directions.
BTW - I love Rick Nelson, Scotty Moore, Les Paul, Cliff Gallup, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Roy Buchanan, AND Dylan, Loretta Lynn, Conway Twitty, Waylon Jennings, and a whole lot more.
What's more - I'm pretty well convinced that if this thread goes on long enough and has enough input, there's a good probability that the intersection of things that everybody likes will be the NULL SET.  |
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Chris LeDrew
From:
Canada
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Posted 7 May 2009 3:28 am
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It seems as if you could go back to the stone age with innovations in music that initially caused a backlash. For example, we now think of a B3 as an organic instrument, but I guess the organ was once a synthesizer that many people must have initially scorned.
I also think that it depends on how the technology is used. Although I'm not a fan of synthesizers in general, I really like what Pete Townshend did with them on Who's Next. I also don't mind what McCartney did on some Wings stuff. Creative songwriters can many times use new technology to great effect, utilizing the nuances of the sounds instead of just showcasing the technology itself, ala the Moog on ELP's "Lucky Man". |
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Dave Mudgett
From:
Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee
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Posted 7 May 2009 5:48 am
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| Quote: |
| For example, we now think of a B3 as an organic instrument, but I guess the organ was once a synthesizer that many people must have initially scorned. |
Most definitely. In fact, the FTC tried to force Laurens Hammond from using the name "organ" in its descriptions of this new contraption. The whole sordid story is here: http://thehammondorganstory.com/chapterxv.asp - thankfully, they failed.
That whole online book about the life of Laurens Hammond is a good read - start here: http://thehammondorganstory.com/
Humans are perversely resistant to change. But if we're beat over the head enough - to the point where our survival is threatened - enough of us come around to keep the species going. |
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David Mason
From:
Cambridge, MD, USA
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Posted 7 May 2009 5:54 am
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| Quote: |
| ....enough of us come around to keep the species going. |
Seems like pretty much anything that induces fornication is good, as long as it's your fornication... when people five years or more younger than you are fornicating, it's a bad thing.  |
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Barry Blackwood
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Posted 7 May 2009 6:13 am
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| Quote: |
| Pseudo 'surf' music (e.g. early Beach Boys, Jan & Dean) |
Leslie, if the Beach Boys were pseudo-surf music, then what was real surf music?  |
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Chris LeDrew
From:
Canada
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Posted 7 May 2009 6:23 am
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Maybe Leslie is referring to Dick Dale, the Surfaris and other instrumental stuff. Just a guess.
It's great to get perspectives from those who were there at the advent of these new trends and innovations.
For those who are able to remember clearly the Elton John song "Daniel" at the time of its radio release, did the moog solo come across as cheesy then as drum loops do in hits today? The Moog was fairly new at the time of this hit, just as drum loops are now (in pop music anyway). I ask this question because that Moog solo sounds so appropriate and natural in "Daniel" now, and (dare I say) it has a good bit of feel behind it. But how did it come across back then? This is at the heart of what I'm getting at by starting this thread. I'm wondering if the things I dislke about contemporary popular music now will eventually turn organic and natural to my ear down the road. |
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Greg Vincent
From:
Folsom, CA USA
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Posted 7 May 2009 8:42 am
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I understand what you're getting at, Chris. I wonder if the exaggerated use of auto-tune on vocals --not just as a "fix" but rather as an "effect"-- (which has gotten very popular lately) will just sound "normal" to us one day.
(It sounds ridiculous to me now.)
As for the past, there was a time when just the IDEA of a drum kit on the stage of the Opry annoyed some people. Now it's hard to imagine an Opry broadcast WITHOUT drums.
-GV |
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b0b
From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
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Posted 7 May 2009 9:54 am
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| Greg Vincent wrote: |
As for the past, there was a time when just the IDEA of a drum kit on the stage of the Opry annoyed some people. Now it's hard to imagine an Opry broadcast WITHOUT drums.
-GV |
Not for me, but that doesn't mean it will ever happen.
I actually like most electronic effects, with the exception of computerized drum tracks. Real drums are fine if played with taste, like anything else. Computers aren't very good at drumming, IMHO. |
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Leslie Ehrlich
From:
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
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Posted 7 May 2009 2:11 pm
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| Mitch Drumm wrote: |
| 1: Electronic keyboards in general. Give me a piano, organ, or harpsichord and deliver me from "keyboards". |
I agree, although the Hammond 'tonewheel' organ and the Wurlitzer electric piano are exceptions.
| Mitch Drumm wrote: |
| The distorted guitar sound |
Sorry, but distortion was what got me into playing guitar. I love the sound of an overdriven amp with guitar or pedal steel (but not too much gain).
| Mitch Drumm wrote: |
| Screaming as opposed to singing |
I agree. I like hard rock music but I hate it when singers scream. That's not music. When I compose original material I don't scream when I record a vocal track. Some stylistic purists may dis me for not screaming, but I don't think screaming is necessary to make a good hard driving rock song.
_________________
Sho-Bud Pro III + Marshall JMP 2204 half stack = good grind! |
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Michael Johnstone
From:
Sylmar,Ca. USA
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Posted 7 May 2009 9:27 pm
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There ain't no singin' in surf music - it's reverb geetar music. The Beach Boys are great and they were friends of mine but they owed more to the Four Freshmen than to Dick Dale.
| Quote: |
| I like hard rock music but I hate it when singers scream. |
I agree. Robert Plant = bad. Paul Rogers = good
Hey there's never been a shortage of annoying music in any era but I'll tell ya what - in retrospect,70s disco is soundin' pretty meaningful these days.......... |
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Leslie Ehrlich
From:
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
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Posted 8 May 2009 12:22 am
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| Michael Johnstone wrote: |
| Hey there's never been a shortage of annoying music in any era but I'll tell ya what - in retrospect,70s disco is soundin' pretty meaningful these days.......... |
Well, disco was good in terms of the production and the musicianship, but I can't stand any music with a pulsating drum beat. And although 'disco' as we knew it has long since passed, the pulsating drum beat has been carried over into the present day 'dance mix' music or whatever it's called.
_________________
Sho-Bud Pro III + Marshall JMP 2204 half stack = good grind! |
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Barry Blackwood
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Posted 8 May 2009 6:16 am
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| Quote: |
| There ain't no singin' in surf music - it's reverb geetar music. |
I'll have to agree with you Michael, if for no other reason, because everybody else on the planet knows more about surf music than I do. That being said, then what would you call the Beach Boys music if you had to give it a name?
Last edited by Barry Blackwood on 8 May 2009 7:33 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Mat Rhodes
From:
Lexington, KY, USA
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Posted 8 May 2009 6:44 am
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| E9th pedal steel guitars with the "high" knob turned to the 5:00 position. |
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Chris LeDrew
From:
Canada
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Posted 8 May 2009 8:47 am
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Speaking of the pedal steel.....that instrument must have seemed totally out to lunch in the realm of "authentic" country music in the '50s. Those odd bends must have sounded almost as unnatural as the Moog in the early '70s. Now it almost defines the country genre, or is synonymous with it anyway.
For those who were there when the pedals made their first appearance, was it out to lunch or what? |
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David Doggett
From:
Bawl'mer, MD (formerly of MS, Nawluns, Gnashville, Knocksville, Lost Angeles, Bahsten. and Philly)
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Posted 8 May 2009 9:12 am
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| Mitch Drumm wrote: |
| ...screaming as opposed to singing... |
What, no Howlin' Wolf or Screamin' Jay Hawkins?! 
Chris, there's a current thread on Bud Isaacs introduction of pedal steel moving harmony into country music. He was copying fiddle and vocal harmonies long a part of country and western music. Translating that on steel guitar was instantly recognized and loved by the public. |
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Mitch Drumm
From:
Frostbite Falls, hard by Veronica Lake
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Posted 8 May 2009 9:43 am
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David:
I definitely like the screaming if it is Elmore or Wolf! But I draw the line when it is a pasty-faced white boy from South London or South Scarsdale. It strikes me as a hopeless affectation in those cases. And inevitably overdone and overused.
I also love distorted guitar when it is part of an ensemble such as by Pat Hare, Willie Johnson, or Willie Kizart on those early 50s Memphis records.
But it's another story when guitar distortion and screaming are the primary elements of tens of thousands of "rock" recordings beginning in the mid 60s.
I guess "all things in moderation" no longer has meaning, and as Dave Mudgett says, there will never be any accounting for taste or personal preference.
The passage of time alone leads to indifference to or ignorance of how it was at earlier points in history. If you were told only that an upcoming radio program will discuss electric guitar, it's a good bet you would hear more about Jimi Hendrix or Eddie Van Halen than George Barnes or Grady Martin.
Not that there is any way to avoid the lack of perspective, but it will always grate on me.
Speaking of affectations: what about the overdone "country" accent we have all been treated to on so-called "country" records for the last 20 plus years?? That alone is enough to run me off. I'm sure it is every bit as contrived and studied as the ripped jeans and battered cowboy hat syndrome. Part of the marketing package used to lead rubes around by the nose. |
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Brian Kurlychek
From:
Maine, USA
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Posted 8 May 2009 10:29 am
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They seem to have re discovered the Frampton voice box in alot of today's recordings and raps. I am hearing it used all over, and even Paula Abdul used the effect on her new single.
_________________
We live to play another day. |
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