Music of the ages

[Sage_of_fire]

In the past, music was something to inspire the soul. Something to create feelings of great emotion in your body. These day...sex, drugs, and violence (for the record, I'm actually not just talking about rap). I listen to...well pretty much everything. Rap (mostly underground), rock, metal, country, classical, opera, techno..you name it. And I've noticed an increased drop in lyrics and even music. Opinions?

[Mattocks]

It's because that is what society wants. There is no longer a hiag demand for classical music. Today's convinience in entertainment has made itso we no longer apreciate the complexities of the genre. All people want now is simple, eas to understand music. Any modern rock/rap/whatever is realy basic theory wise. Even the stuff the people say is fast and hard to play, is nothing like classical music (see: Patomic Sunrise, FLUTE1). This is what in the end leads to a slow decline in music. That is not to say however that there have not been some pieces done very well, with deep meaningful, yet still entertaining lyrics. A song does not have to be complexto be good, but it needs effort. In that regard, I think pop is public enemy #1. Hana Montana, The Jonas Brothers and whatever else Disney is spamming out it's ass are the biggest cash cows since N*Sync, and I personaly find them a detriment to the furture of music.

[Sage_of_fire]

Couldn't agree more. When something becomes pop....it's almost like it becomes corrupt. Tainted by lust for money and fame. That's the main reason I like underground stuff. Lyrics should have meaning, love, hate, fear, any emotion possible. Some lyrics try to mask these, but have none.

[William]

(for the record, I'm actually not just talking about rap)

It's pretty much rap.

[Mattocks]

It's okay, you can say crap.

SoF, I have to disagree. I think there is alot of music that becomes popularbut retains well written lyrics, and good music. Take for example Sum 41's newest album Underclass Hero. Almost every song on the album has lyrics dealing with polictical issues, family issues, or those of the band. I think the problem is music which starts off as pop. For example anything produced by Disney, or dance. I actualy laughed the first time I saw a picture of the Jonas Brothers because they are they most obviously marekt research band I have ever seen. The younger kind of smart looking one, the normal, level headed cool one, and the "I'm too good to care" emo one (yes, that is an oxymoron).

[Sage_of_fire]

Things become corrupt, there's no denying that. True, some bands and performers keep their realism after they hit it big, but few do.

[uz]

Considering all I ever hear from the people I know is Techno, I know absolutely nothing about the new age of music except that Xbox Hueg basslines appear to be popular. Meh.

[mejustin]

Well, music is a reflection of the current culture. Take 50's/ early 60's music, a naive time in America; in these songs you will seldom hear a reference to sex. Whereas the late 60's-70's was a radical time of change, so to, did the nation's taste in morals and musical stylings. Songs slowly have evolved in American culture to be more immoral and less rhythmic: this is a prime example of how today's American culture directly influences our music.

It is more significant today, rather than years ago, to receive a proper education, and therefore, one will find that songs are often more verbose, yet analytical, and lacking in metaphoric meaning. In addition, movies, television, the media, etcetera, thrive off of sex, drugs, and scandals, which also becomes transcends into popular music.

It is safe to assume that not just music, but media as a whole often undergoes a paradigm shift, which is directly related to changes in society. So, if one has a complaint about music, blame it on a sense of nostalgia, and the ever-changing preferences of different generations.

P.S. Yes, when most small-time/indie bands become big, they get inflated egos, sell out, and change their songs genre/style.

[Mattocks]

Okay, even the ones who sell out, I still think it's rediculous to suddently hate all the music you used to just because you don't like the band's new music. I know everyone doesn't do this, but I know too many people who do.