A few weeks ago someone asked me if I'd heard the music that's being played on the radio.When I asked why, this person stated that it had a "weird," sound. After describing it, I asked if it had a single bass drum beat placed right up front so you can hear it loud and clear. This person said "yeah, now that you mention it." So, I told this person that what they heard was ,"Disco." Yep, that's right, it's "Disco," only there are no strings or horns, just synthesizers. And, it's going by the name of either "Dance," "Club," or "House," but, it's still "Disco."
What's interesting about what is happening to the music on top 40 stations, is that "Dance," "Club," and "House," have been eased into their formats a little at a time since the mid 1990s. It would seem that few people are noticing this trend because it's being done so slowly, and cross marketing has been kept to a minimal level.
Three of the of the most notable acts that are performing music in this style are Lady Gaga, Rhianna, and the Black Eyed Peas. "Dance," "Club," or "House," when coupled with a big budget video performance can make for an amazing visual experience that appeals mostly to the target demographic of 14 to 24. In fact, the result of such a combination has made stars of all three acts. But, when you finally break it on down, the music that they are performing is still, "Disco."
"Disco", is what was considered to be European R&B. In 1975, the sound made it's way to this country. The first clubs that opened didn't actually play "Disco," instead, they played R&B, along with some danceable Rock or danceable Jazz. In fact some of the first records to be played in clubs were the Commodores, "Fancy Dancer," KC and the Sunshine Band's "Get Down Tonight," and Johnnie Taylor's, "Disco Lady," the latter of which featured an ultra funky bass line performed by none other than funkateer and James brown alum, Bootsy Collins.
R&B slowly began adopting elements of the "new" sound as Diana Ross' "Love Hangover," and Donna Summer's "Love To Love You," would attest. However, the true "Disco," sound didn't take hold until radio personality Rick Dees released his "Disco," parody, "Disco Duck," in 1976. Though the record was pure novelty, it fueled the market for more music that sounded the same. And, lets not forget the dancing. Dancing schools began to spring up everywhere as the trend began to gain momentum. In 1977, everything would change. Until this point "Disco," was the music of the masses. But, the release of the movie, "Saturday Night Fever," which severed to propel the trend to new heights also led to it's eventual decline.
The soundtrack to the movie, "Saturday Night Fever," was performed by the Bee Gee, who at one point was quoted as saying that they had no idea that what they were doing would be so huge. In my opinion, that though the movie was a success, and very entertaining, it introduced three negatives into the "Disco," trend. These negatives were, exclusivity, conformity, and intolerance. It also introduced one other thing that I like to call, the "velvet robe," mentality.
Exclusivity seemed to arise whenever clubs would change ownership. Each change of ownership meant a change in clientele. What this would mean is that a visit to a once familiar club meant finding no familiar faces in the crowd, or that you were treated as an outsider showing up on the wrong day for outsiders. Conformity meant that you had to wear the right cloths, not just dress cloths, or risk being ostracized or worse, ejected. Intolerance meant that if you weren't part of the clique that hung out at a particular club you might endure a certain amount of intimidation aimed your way in order to make you not want to come back. The "velvet rope mentality,' is an idea I used to describe the use of exclusivity, either by having an actual velvet rope and/or a bouncer hand picking who gets in or who doesn't. .
BY 1978, everything went "Disco." The popular music showcase, American Bandstand, and even Soul Train had a mirrored ball hanging from the center of their sets. And by 1979, just about every recording artist, across almost every genre, had at least on "Disco," track on their albums that were released in that year. But it was in that year, 1979, that a very powerfully negative event took place.
It happened between baseball games during a double header at Comiskey Park in Chicago. To Be Continued........
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Sing A Song
I remember, a few years ago, that I was reading an interview with a musical artist who stated that when he was stuck for ideas, that he would often listen to some classical music. He said that it acted like a reset button, or better yet, it cleansed his sonic pallet.
In my own personal experience, I bought some music by Mozart. The pieces were adagios which contained mostly strings. A couple of weeks after listening to the music, I remember that I was trying to write a bass line for a song that I was working on. To my amazement, I managed to write a bass line that modulated through several keys before returning to the root. But, nothing was as amazing as when I tried to keep up with myself on keyboard, I couldn't do it. It was just too complex. Eventually I was able to come up with something that was much simpler.
What happened to me is what's been called,"the Mozart Effect." This is said to happen after 10 minutes of listening to Mozart or other pieces of classical music. But, my point in bringing up that aspect of listening to classical music is just to highlight the benefits of listening to it.
Much of the music of the 70s remains popular to this day and I think that it's due in part to the influence of classical music and a strong sense of composition. This was the era when artists were given more artistic freedom. With that freedom, music artist began to add to their music, everything but the kitchen sink. Artist combined their skills as songwriters with a good amount of composition and arranging. And while strings and horns have been around since the beginning of recorded music, in the 70s they became a larger part of an artist's musical vision.
Artist across just about every genre were combining their favorite musical styles and writing songs within the 3:30 format that radio airplay required. The result was an awesome amount of music that often defied classification. At any given time, the pop chart might have contained a song from Aerosmith, Stevie Wonder, Charlie Rich, Bruce Springsteen, Fleetwood Mac, and Earth Wind & Fire, all in the top 10.
Isaac Hayes became know for his skills as a composer when he scored big with the soundtrack to the motion picture "Shaft." At the time he had be writing songs with his partner David Porter. As a solo artist, he gained a reputation for taking standards like Burt Bacharach's "Close To You," and arranging it into a sprawling 8:58 opus. While some music critics at the time criticized him for what they called, "excess," many other artists followed his lead into success. One such artist was Barry White, who was known for doing the same with his original compositions.
Movies and TV shows may also have a score as well as a soundtrack. The score being the music that is composed for placement within the film at a particular moment to accentuate or highlight that scene or moment, while the soundtrack will usually contain music or songs that are written for the film. Scores, when they are well written, often go unnoticed, as they may have such an impact that the scene that they're included in becomes a highlight of the movie.
While classical music might not be everyone's cup of tea, there's still a good chance that a song that was or may still be popular, contains either some horns and/or strings, or a touch of classical influence.
In my own personal experience, I bought some music by Mozart. The pieces were adagios which contained mostly strings. A couple of weeks after listening to the music, I remember that I was trying to write a bass line for a song that I was working on. To my amazement, I managed to write a bass line that modulated through several keys before returning to the root. But, nothing was as amazing as when I tried to keep up with myself on keyboard, I couldn't do it. It was just too complex. Eventually I was able to come up with something that was much simpler.
What happened to me is what's been called,"the Mozart Effect." This is said to happen after 10 minutes of listening to Mozart or other pieces of classical music. But, my point in bringing up that aspect of listening to classical music is just to highlight the benefits of listening to it.
Much of the music of the 70s remains popular to this day and I think that it's due in part to the influence of classical music and a strong sense of composition. This was the era when artists were given more artistic freedom. With that freedom, music artist began to add to their music, everything but the kitchen sink. Artist combined their skills as songwriters with a good amount of composition and arranging. And while strings and horns have been around since the beginning of recorded music, in the 70s they became a larger part of an artist's musical vision.
Artist across just about every genre were combining their favorite musical styles and writing songs within the 3:30 format that radio airplay required. The result was an awesome amount of music that often defied classification. At any given time, the pop chart might have contained a song from Aerosmith, Stevie Wonder, Charlie Rich, Bruce Springsteen, Fleetwood Mac, and Earth Wind & Fire, all in the top 10.
Isaac Hayes became know for his skills as a composer when he scored big with the soundtrack to the motion picture "Shaft." At the time he had be writing songs with his partner David Porter. As a solo artist, he gained a reputation for taking standards like Burt Bacharach's "Close To You," and arranging it into a sprawling 8:58 opus. While some music critics at the time criticized him for what they called, "excess," many other artists followed his lead into success. One such artist was Barry White, who was known for doing the same with his original compositions.
Movies and TV shows may also have a score as well as a soundtrack. The score being the music that is composed for placement within the film at a particular moment to accentuate or highlight that scene or moment, while the soundtrack will usually contain music or songs that are written for the film. Scores, when they are well written, often go unnoticed, as they may have such an impact that the scene that they're included in becomes a highlight of the movie.
While classical music might not be everyone's cup of tea, there's still a good chance that a song that was or may still be popular, contains either some horns and/or strings, or a touch of classical influence.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Gently Down The Stream
Chances are, that if you are reading this, you not only know what streaming is but you use it one or more times when ever you are on line. It is through the use of streaming technology that we are able to listen to and view live broadcasts, watch videos, and listen to music online. You may in fact use streaming so much that you never realize just how much you actually use it. The application of streaming applied to music has recently been considered as one of the causes of the decline of recorded music sales. The debate rages on.
The decline in recorded music sales, actually began in the mid-1990s. At that time the World Wide Web portion of the internet was only a few years old. So, streaming could not have been a cause, at least not initially. Trying to discover the root cause of the decline may possibly go on for quite sometime. The real issue is listening, but not buying. But, music consumers have always listened without buying. But, they have also listened and bought. The issue then is, what made them buy after listening? That's a topic for a blog post all it's own.
Now, when it comes to streaming, my personal belief is that it is similar in a way, to radio and television. However, clearly as we continue to transition to an all digital society, radio and television will continue to merge with the computer and the internet. In fact, more and more flat screen TVs are becoming computerized. They are being built with the capability to log on to, and stream media from the Web. Stereo radio receivers now come with iPod docks so you can play your music from it or download music right into it.
Broadcast networks are now streaming whole episodes of your favorite shows on the Web. Local radio and TV stations are streaming their news cast and music programs, live over the Web. Websites like Hulu offer web browsers the opportunity to view episodes of popular TV show like The Family Guy and Lincoln Heights for free after registering. Youtube on the other hand, gives groups and individuals the opportunity upload and share videos of just about anything. And, Myspace is still the number one source for finding the latest in music from artist ranging from Major label to Independent to DIY artists.
Devices like TIVO are now taking advantage of streaming. TIVO, billed as the most advanced DVR on the market, now offers NETFLIX, Amazon VOD and Pandora.
And, lets not forget about the streaming music stores like, Rhapsody and of course, iTunes.
While it's possible to make a case for streaming as a cause for the decline in recorded music sales, every indication, as near as I can tell, is that streaming technology is only going to grow and become even more prevalent. And, I don't think that anyone who enjoys viewing there favorite video or listening to there favorite song would want to see an internet without it. In fact, the Web would become a very stale, quiet, and uninteresting place.
The decline in recorded music sales, actually began in the mid-1990s. At that time the World Wide Web portion of the internet was only a few years old. So, streaming could not have been a cause, at least not initially. Trying to discover the root cause of the decline may possibly go on for quite sometime. The real issue is listening, but not buying. But, music consumers have always listened without buying. But, they have also listened and bought. The issue then is, what made them buy after listening? That's a topic for a blog post all it's own.
Now, when it comes to streaming, my personal belief is that it is similar in a way, to radio and television. However, clearly as we continue to transition to an all digital society, radio and television will continue to merge with the computer and the internet. In fact, more and more flat screen TVs are becoming computerized. They are being built with the capability to log on to, and stream media from the Web. Stereo radio receivers now come with iPod docks so you can play your music from it or download music right into it.
Broadcast networks are now streaming whole episodes of your favorite shows on the Web. Local radio and TV stations are streaming their news cast and music programs, live over the Web. Websites like Hulu offer web browsers the opportunity to view episodes of popular TV show like The Family Guy and Lincoln Heights for free after registering. Youtube on the other hand, gives groups and individuals the opportunity upload and share videos of just about anything. And, Myspace is still the number one source for finding the latest in music from artist ranging from Major label to Independent to DIY artists.
Devices like TIVO are now taking advantage of streaming. TIVO, billed as the most advanced DVR on the market, now offers NETFLIX, Amazon VOD and Pandora.
And, lets not forget about the streaming music stores like, Rhapsody and of course, iTunes.
While it's possible to make a case for streaming as a cause for the decline in recorded music sales, every indication, as near as I can tell, is that streaming technology is only going to grow and become even more prevalent. And, I don't think that anyone who enjoys viewing there favorite video or listening to there favorite song would want to see an internet without it. In fact, the Web would become a very stale, quiet, and uninteresting place.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Way Way Back
Back catalog. When you say those two words, you might think of golden oldies or classic hits. But, the previous works of recording artist can often be of more value then their current work. And in some cases, the previous work of a particular can be reissued and give current Pop successes a run for their money.
One of the most notable catalog releases, is Pink Floyd's, "Dark Side Of The Moon," which was reported in 2001 as being on Billboard's Catalog Chart for 1,285 weeks or just under 25 years. That's staying power.
I bring this up because as a fan of music and a music consumer, I once believed that I would never get caught up in the quest for older tunes. And, as a musician, I try to keep up with what's going on in today's music. But, what happens when you turn on the radio, looking for something, anything that fits the mood you're in, and ultimately end up playing a CD? Maybe even a CD of music from ten or more years ago.
While it's clear that every generation believes that it's music is "the" best music ever made, how do we account for the success of the Beatles recently released on iTunes. Is there something in the music of non-mainstream artist that music fans are longing for a return to? That's probably still up for debate.
Still, there's an overall decline in music sales that has lasted for more than a decade. No one seems to have the answer. After a while, the reasons given tend play on like a broken record. There are CDs, downloads, steaming, and, oh yeah, file sharing, all of which have been listed as contributors. But, what if is as simple as putting the melody back into the music? Too easy, right? I will say this, I'm just guessing, but I'd be willing to bet that the average age of a reissue buyer is probably falling. And, I think this is so because everyone who enjoys music wants to hear a good melody every once in a while. Maybe, they may even want to hear words they can actually sing along with. Sounds old fashion, I know. But what would it hurt to hear some music that really touches your soul?
One of the most notable catalog releases, is Pink Floyd's, "Dark Side Of The Moon," which was reported in 2001 as being on Billboard's Catalog Chart for 1,285 weeks or just under 25 years. That's staying power.
I bring this up because as a fan of music and a music consumer, I once believed that I would never get caught up in the quest for older tunes. And, as a musician, I try to keep up with what's going on in today's music. But, what happens when you turn on the radio, looking for something, anything that fits the mood you're in, and ultimately end up playing a CD? Maybe even a CD of music from ten or more years ago.
While it's clear that every generation believes that it's music is "the" best music ever made, how do we account for the success of the Beatles recently released on iTunes. Is there something in the music of non-mainstream artist that music fans are longing for a return to? That's probably still up for debate.
Still, there's an overall decline in music sales that has lasted for more than a decade. No one seems to have the answer. After a while, the reasons given tend play on like a broken record. There are CDs, downloads, steaming, and, oh yeah, file sharing, all of which have been listed as contributors. But, what if is as simple as putting the melody back into the music? Too easy, right? I will say this, I'm just guessing, but I'd be willing to bet that the average age of a reissue buyer is probably falling. And, I think this is so because everyone who enjoys music wants to hear a good melody every once in a while. Maybe, they may even want to hear words they can actually sing along with. Sounds old fashion, I know. But what would it hurt to hear some music that really touches your soul?
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
And Ye Shall Receive.....
File sharing. I'm sure that everyone has heard about it by now. And, I'm sure that everyone has an opinion about whether or not you feel that it's OK or not. I personally have never done it, but I'm sure that I know someone, either in the "real world," or the virtual world who either has done it or continues to do it on a regular basis. Of course, it didn't really become an issue of any great importance until Shawn Fanning, the creator of Napster got into trouble with the Recording Industry Association of America, (RIAA).
The year was 1999, when Fanning's vision of a world united by P2P technology came crashing down. In his vision,anyone who wanted to, could download file sharing software that would allow them to connect to any other computer in the world that also had the software. After searching those computers for the files, in this case music or mp3's, they could download them to their computer. This seemingly harmless transaction quickly got the attention of the RIAA.
The reason was simple, countless numbers of music files which contained music that was copyrighted by the Library of Congress and licensed by one or more performing right organization, (PRO) were passing from person to person with without so much as a thank you let alone any money. In the RIAA's view, this was not only copyright infringement, but an act of piracy. A law suite was filed and eventually Fanning's company, Napster was sold.
Since then, file sharing has continued, but nowhere close to the extent that it was then. So, why even talk about it? I thought about why or how file sharing is so wrong. First, I went back to take a look at the days of vinyl. If someone bought an album that everyone was into, but not everybody had the money to buy it, they would borrow it from a friend, make a cassette or eight track copy and then give it back. Now, while this may seem like a justification for file sharing, I have to qualify that by saying that in many cases, the copy that was made usually served as a temporary, until the borrower could, and often did buy their own album. This was a statement of how good the music a particular artist was. In fact, many music buyers would make tape copies of their own vinyl collection, so they could store the original away with the belief that it would someday become a collectors item.
Then, there was the Audio Home Recording Act of 1992, which essentially gave people the right to make copies of digital recordings that they purchased, as long as they were for personal use and not for resale or profit in any way. This is also not a justification for file sharing . In fact, I think that this comes closer to what I finally came up with. Anyone who bought a CD from a "brick and mortar," would have what I like to call, purchasers rights.
With purchasers' right rights, you could also do the same thing with digital downloads. If you pay for it, you can copy it as long as you do try to resell it. Now, the internet has always been the home of free stuff. But, when a product is for sale and someone tries to circumvent paying for something, in my humble opinion, this is stealing. Don't get me wrong though. I'm not in favor of suing the eight year old girl from some small town in the Midwest for scavenging a couple of tracks, but if she downloading thousands of songs without paying anything then she got to be stopped somehow. The RIAA views this as an act of theft and as far as I now, may still be going after individual violators.
As a songwriter/artist, I find it difficult to accept someone having access to my work without my permission. The reason is simply this, making a recording can involve a good deal of expense. Equipment is either bought or rented. There are countless hours spent trying to make your recording as good as you can get it. Then you may send it to be mastered, so that it can be given a sound that as competitive as you can get. Then if your making a physical CD, you have to have your music replicated. And lets not forget, you've got to get it into the stores, so you're going to need a distributor. All of these things, and a few more, cost money. The only way to justify the amount of money you spend making a recording is by asking for something, IE money, in return for your effort.
When it's all said and done, you will find that many bands or artists will at times give away free singles or even free CDs. They may also from time to time offer some free downloads. I know that I have done this from time to time. Artists and bands know that fans of their music want to get their music any way that they can. All that they are looking for, is just a little reciprocity. Enough so that they can keep the music coming.
The year was 1999, when Fanning's vision of a world united by P2P technology came crashing down. In his vision,anyone who wanted to, could download file sharing software that would allow them to connect to any other computer in the world that also had the software. After searching those computers for the files, in this case music or mp3's, they could download them to their computer. This seemingly harmless transaction quickly got the attention of the RIAA.
The reason was simple, countless numbers of music files which contained music that was copyrighted by the Library of Congress and licensed by one or more performing right organization, (PRO) were passing from person to person with without so much as a thank you let alone any money. In the RIAA's view, this was not only copyright infringement, but an act of piracy. A law suite was filed and eventually Fanning's company, Napster was sold.
Since then, file sharing has continued, but nowhere close to the extent that it was then. So, why even talk about it? I thought about why or how file sharing is so wrong. First, I went back to take a look at the days of vinyl. If someone bought an album that everyone was into, but not everybody had the money to buy it, they would borrow it from a friend, make a cassette or eight track copy and then give it back. Now, while this may seem like a justification for file sharing, I have to qualify that by saying that in many cases, the copy that was made usually served as a temporary, until the borrower could, and often did buy their own album. This was a statement of how good the music a particular artist was. In fact, many music buyers would make tape copies of their own vinyl collection, so they could store the original away with the belief that it would someday become a collectors item.
Then, there was the Audio Home Recording Act of 1992, which essentially gave people the right to make copies of digital recordings that they purchased, as long as they were for personal use and not for resale or profit in any way. This is also not a justification for file sharing . In fact, I think that this comes closer to what I finally came up with. Anyone who bought a CD from a "brick and mortar," would have what I like to call, purchasers rights.
With purchasers' right rights, you could also do the same thing with digital downloads. If you pay for it, you can copy it as long as you do try to resell it. Now, the internet has always been the home of free stuff. But, when a product is for sale and someone tries to circumvent paying for something, in my humble opinion, this is stealing. Don't get me wrong though. I'm not in favor of suing the eight year old girl from some small town in the Midwest for scavenging a couple of tracks, but if she downloading thousands of songs without paying anything then she got to be stopped somehow. The RIAA views this as an act of theft and as far as I now, may still be going after individual violators.
As a songwriter/artist, I find it difficult to accept someone having access to my work without my permission. The reason is simply this, making a recording can involve a good deal of expense. Equipment is either bought or rented. There are countless hours spent trying to make your recording as good as you can get it. Then you may send it to be mastered, so that it can be given a sound that as competitive as you can get. Then if your making a physical CD, you have to have your music replicated. And lets not forget, you've got to get it into the stores, so you're going to need a distributor. All of these things, and a few more, cost money. The only way to justify the amount of money you spend making a recording is by asking for something, IE money, in return for your effort.
When it's all said and done, you will find that many bands or artists will at times give away free singles or even free CDs. They may also from time to time offer some free downloads. I know that I have done this from time to time. Artists and bands know that fans of their music want to get their music any way that they can. All that they are looking for, is just a little reciprocity. Enough so that they can keep the music coming.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Schooless Groove
The subject of "old school," is not easy to talk about with a certain amount of negativity. But, try to keep in mind that everything that I say will be not only subjective, but will be my own opinion. So, why say anything at all? First of all, defining "old school," varies from source to source. As near as I can tell, "old school," is any R&B music from before 1992. That's just a guess. The actual term, "old school," is street vernacular for Rap music that wasn't done in the latest style. Ultimately, the term has come to refer to any Black music that isn't done in the
latest style. And of course, with continued use, it has come to mean anything that is not done or made in the latest style.
In reference to R&B music, the concept of "old school," tends to relegate certain artists' music to the repetition of their former hits and reunion tours. But, the sound of "old school," is undeniably true to a stronger sense of melody and songwriting craftsmanship. This is where the negativity comes in. There is an obvious and discernible difference between "old school," and "new school." "New school," is the sound of today's mainstream music market place. So the issue becomes a matter of taste, right?
In the 80s, when Rap was on the rise, a lot of school districts were forced to make cuts in certain programs in order to keep their doors open. Music programs were usually among the first to go. Many young people interested in leaning more about making music turned to the sound of the street. The Rap music of that time didn't always require music. This appealed those who wanted a chance to make it in the music business. The major labels were finding out about the power of the "novelty," of Rap, and looked for ways to capitalize on it. One way to do that was to keep bringing fresh faces to the forefront. This served to encourage a whole generation away from traditional music making and toward Rap, which grew in popularity partly because of the influx of people wanting to seek their fortunes.
In 1989, the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences did their part by awarding the first Rap Grammy, which served to legitimize Rap as a true music art form all its own. From then until the present, becoming a "Rap Star," has been something to aspire to.
During the mid 1990s, a huge amount of merging and acquiring left the recording industry pared down to just four major label competitors. Artists whose music was not selling or not selling well were let go as the majors began to do what ever it took to maintain their bottom lines. Since selling music was not necessarily the make focus or source of revenue for these huge conglomerates, the nature of what was popular with the music buying public was not their number one concern. Instead, it became a matter of who was selling well and what was selling well, and then sell that until something or some else came along. Most often, however, it's been more like an endless attempt to keep the "assembly line," moving, rendering the sound of what was being sold, more and more disposable.
This may sound like so much criticism, but how else can it be stated if the result of this trend has contributed to a continued decline in record sales. But, my purpose is not to condemn a particular style of music over another. When you go DIY you don't really have the time. As a fan of music, I'm always on the lookout for something that I think sounds great. And I'm not really not that big on nostalgia, while I admit that music of the recent past still hods a fascination for me. I personally have only wanted for music to pick up where it left off. Put melody back into the forefront and try to raise the lyrical content at least to a level that on one would mind singing. Make something memorable, yet indescribable. I'm talking about creating a schooless grove.
latest style. And of course, with continued use, it has come to mean anything that is not done or made in the latest style.
In reference to R&B music, the concept of "old school," tends to relegate certain artists' music to the repetition of their former hits and reunion tours. But, the sound of "old school," is undeniably true to a stronger sense of melody and songwriting craftsmanship. This is where the negativity comes in. There is an obvious and discernible difference between "old school," and "new school." "New school," is the sound of today's mainstream music market place. So the issue becomes a matter of taste, right?
In the 80s, when Rap was on the rise, a lot of school districts were forced to make cuts in certain programs in order to keep their doors open. Music programs were usually among the first to go. Many young people interested in leaning more about making music turned to the sound of the street. The Rap music of that time didn't always require music. This appealed those who wanted a chance to make it in the music business. The major labels were finding out about the power of the "novelty," of Rap, and looked for ways to capitalize on it. One way to do that was to keep bringing fresh faces to the forefront. This served to encourage a whole generation away from traditional music making and toward Rap, which grew in popularity partly because of the influx of people wanting to seek their fortunes.
In 1989, the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences did their part by awarding the first Rap Grammy, which served to legitimize Rap as a true music art form all its own. From then until the present, becoming a "Rap Star," has been something to aspire to.
During the mid 1990s, a huge amount of merging and acquiring left the recording industry pared down to just four major label competitors. Artists whose music was not selling or not selling well were let go as the majors began to do what ever it took to maintain their bottom lines. Since selling music was not necessarily the make focus or source of revenue for these huge conglomerates, the nature of what was popular with the music buying public was not their number one concern. Instead, it became a matter of who was selling well and what was selling well, and then sell that until something or some else came along. Most often, however, it's been more like an endless attempt to keep the "assembly line," moving, rendering the sound of what was being sold, more and more disposable.
This may sound like so much criticism, but how else can it be stated if the result of this trend has contributed to a continued decline in record sales. But, my purpose is not to condemn a particular style of music over another. When you go DIY you don't really have the time. As a fan of music, I'm always on the lookout for something that I think sounds great. And I'm not really not that big on nostalgia, while I admit that music of the recent past still hods a fascination for me. I personally have only wanted for music to pick up where it left off. Put melody back into the forefront and try to raise the lyrical content at least to a level that on one would mind singing. Make something memorable, yet indescribable. I'm talking about creating a schooless grove.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Albums Verses Singles
Which do you prefer, albums or singles? I've always like the album. Singles have been what it all about for a long time now. The reason being is that radio plays our favorite music as one single play followed by another. However, the music always that's gotten my attention has mostly been from albums. It seemed that the artists whose music I liked always had several track on an album that packed more melody and less gimmick. Also, it was often that an album would be so well put together that just about every song could be released as a single. In fact, it wasn't until the late 1980s that the single became all important in a record company's quest to produce a hit record. Actually, in the beginning of music recording, it was the LP,or long play format that lead the way. But after the introduction of the 45 RPM the push to score a hit with a single release was on.
Successful recording artist of the 90s use several producers who names were synonymous with scoring hits. These producers would might appear on several artists' albums who might all be on the same label. The problem with this was that many times an album done this way would not have a uniform sound and might only have a couple of song that lent themselves to repeated play. The result would often be a very successful album with one or two hits and the rest would be filler. As we moved into the mid 90s it was very common to find one hit albums selling millions of copies. Many albums of this nature were the result of powerful marketing and promotion campaigns. Combine radio air play with a couple of visits to the late night talk show circuit, and maybe an appearance on a prime time TV show or a movie in theatrical release, and your name could well become a household word.
There's been not only a decline in overall music sales, and a decline that continues into the present day. Many reasons have been given for this. Everything from piracy to file sharing has been blamed. When digital downloads exploded on to the scene, they too were added to that list. Many have come to believe that album sales have dipped due to consumers "cherry picking," singles from the albums of their favorite artists. Lets face it, there's nothing like getting what you want and only what you want. But, at best, most compilations assembled in this way, lose some of the soul of the albums from which the singles were taken. My own personal belief as to why music sales continue to slump, is that it's due to the merging and acquiring of the late 1990s, but that's a topic for a blog post all its own.
Thankfully, there are many new and up and coming artists and bands who believe in the album as art. In fact some of them are beginning to release their albums on on Flash drives. In this way, they can give music consumers value added extras like the art work for the album. Also, they may add demos, outtakes, and bonus tracks. So, the next time you go shopping for new music, be sure to check out the independent section. You never know what you might find. It just might be the next, "Dark Side of the Moon."
Successful recording artist of the 90s use several producers who names were synonymous with scoring hits. These producers would might appear on several artists' albums who might all be on the same label. The problem with this was that many times an album done this way would not have a uniform sound and might only have a couple of song that lent themselves to repeated play. The result would often be a very successful album with one or two hits and the rest would be filler. As we moved into the mid 90s it was very common to find one hit albums selling millions of copies. Many albums of this nature were the result of powerful marketing and promotion campaigns. Combine radio air play with a couple of visits to the late night talk show circuit, and maybe an appearance on a prime time TV show or a movie in theatrical release, and your name could well become a household word.
There's been not only a decline in overall music sales, and a decline that continues into the present day. Many reasons have been given for this. Everything from piracy to file sharing has been blamed. When digital downloads exploded on to the scene, they too were added to that list. Many have come to believe that album sales have dipped due to consumers "cherry picking," singles from the albums of their favorite artists. Lets face it, there's nothing like getting what you want and only what you want. But, at best, most compilations assembled in this way, lose some of the soul of the albums from which the singles were taken. My own personal belief as to why music sales continue to slump, is that it's due to the merging and acquiring of the late 1990s, but that's a topic for a blog post all its own.
Thankfully, there are many new and up and coming artists and bands who believe in the album as art. In fact some of them are beginning to release their albums on on Flash drives. In this way, they can give music consumers value added extras like the art work for the album. Also, they may add demos, outtakes, and bonus tracks. So, the next time you go shopping for new music, be sure to check out the independent section. You never know what you might find. It just might be the next, "Dark Side of the Moon."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)