How much like my father do I sound? (probably quite a lot is the unfortunate answer), I can't think when it happened, did someone swap my skin tight jeans for some tweed trousers or something? Granted my father doesn't have an earring, but is that my only attempt to veer away from the long downhill roll into oblivion?
What started this one? (thank you for asking dear reader, I was wondering when you would step in) I was cringing in the worst possible way at what passes for talent (I can even feel shades of my Grandpa seeping through now). Alright there are some amazing songs (oops I mean tracks!) from time to time (and all praise to bands such as Muse who dash this little corner of bitterness into a pulp and waggle their finger at the general line I'm taking), but we are running out of these acts, the ones that show any form of longevity (and originality come to think of it).
I'm probably going to contradict myself during this blart so watch out for it (first correct entries will receive a curt "Bog Off") but what I'm trying to get at is not the lack of talent (for there must be huge piles of it (round the back, bring your own sack)) but what will our wonderful successors use to illustrate when they berate their youngers "call this a tune? we had real bands in my day" (Small child with 1930's hair do (for it is back in fashion) "no you f##king well didn't!" (and he'll be correct)). Lady Gaga is not a new concept she is a mildly talented hag with a marketing division behind her (ooh but she reinvents herself all the time! That old trick? I think you might want to refer back to David Bowie for that (and Madonna was a cheap (if sometimes more masculine) version of him too).
Where are the modern day versions of Slade's Merry Christmas? (maybe not that one then but you catch my drift).
I was fortunate enough to have been aware when Punk was emerging (OK my sisters were doing a wonderful job of aversion therapy using the fab four, which has had the profound effect of making me feel nauseous at the very sound of the intro to "I wanna hold your hand" and the majority of the Beatles catalogue.) and the new wave phase, then I got into Motorhead (no don't laugh) and via them I turned the clock back to Black Sabbath, Led Zep and ultimately Deep Purple, all the while my dad was running a Ceilidh (pronounced Kaylee) band and playing Steeleye Span, Swan Arcade and Fairport Convention (which to be honest I still like, and they were a shit load better than grandpa's Jimmy Shand and his Band). Eclectic? Yes I like to think so, I do like to listen to classical music from time to time too.
Does this make me a music snob? Probably, but I was in a couple of bands (many many wonderful wonderful years ago) so I do appreciate the complexity (and the aggravation ) of getting a song to sound as if it was meant to be played by the protagonists "who stand before you" and the heartache (and sheer awkwardness) of seeing those who didn't quite (OK some were so bad they were brilliant).
So what I'm pushing at is that there doesn't seem to be many bands (not like there were in my day (Yorkshire accent will do this justice) who are up to the task of standing the test of time, when the dear little mites are not so little (and probably a lot more likeable than they are right now) who will they have to annoy their fledglings with, who will they be able to hold up to the light and declare "that was a band that shaped a generation"
Justin (Nae Baws) Bieber? JedWood? Come on! Convince me I am wrong someone (or are we about to see a George Formby revival?
What started this one? (thank you for asking dear reader, I was wondering when you would step in) I was cringing in the worst possible way at what passes for talent (I can even feel shades of my Grandpa seeping through now). Alright there are some amazing songs (oops I mean tracks!) from time to time (and all praise to bands such as Muse who dash this little corner of bitterness into a pulp and waggle their finger at the general line I'm taking), but we are running out of these acts, the ones that show any form of longevity (and originality come to think of it).
I'm probably going to contradict myself during this blart so watch out for it (first correct entries will receive a curt "Bog Off") but what I'm trying to get at is not the lack of talent (for there must be huge piles of it (round the back, bring your own sack)) but what will our wonderful successors use to illustrate when they berate their youngers "call this a tune? we had real bands in my day" (Small child with 1930's hair do (for it is back in fashion) "no you f##king well didn't!" (and he'll be correct)). Lady Gaga is not a new concept she is a mildly talented hag with a marketing division behind her (ooh but she reinvents herself all the time! That old trick? I think you might want to refer back to David Bowie for that (and Madonna was a cheap (if sometimes more masculine) version of him too).
Where are the modern day versions of Slade's Merry Christmas? (maybe not that one then but you catch my drift).
I was fortunate enough to have been aware when Punk was emerging (OK my sisters were doing a wonderful job of aversion therapy using the fab four, which has had the profound effect of making me feel nauseous at the very sound of the intro to "I wanna hold your hand" and the majority of the Beatles catalogue.) and the new wave phase, then I got into Motorhead (no don't laugh) and via them I turned the clock back to Black Sabbath, Led Zep and ultimately Deep Purple, all the while my dad was running a Ceilidh (pronounced Kaylee) band and playing Steeleye Span, Swan Arcade and Fairport Convention (which to be honest I still like, and they were a shit load better than grandpa's Jimmy Shand and his Band). Eclectic? Yes I like to think so, I do like to listen to classical music from time to time too.
Does this make me a music snob? Probably, but I was in a couple of bands (many many wonderful wonderful years ago) so I do appreciate the complexity (and the aggravation ) of getting a song to sound as if it was meant to be played by the protagonists "who stand before you" and the heartache (and sheer awkwardness) of seeing those who didn't quite (OK some were so bad they were brilliant).
So what I'm pushing at is that there doesn't seem to be many bands (not like there were in my day (Yorkshire accent will do this justice) who are up to the task of standing the test of time, when the dear little mites are not so little (and probably a lot more likeable than they are right now) who will they have to annoy their fledglings with, who will they be able to hold up to the light and declare "that was a band that shaped a generation"
Justin (Nae Baws) Bieber? JedWood? Come on! Convince me I am wrong someone (or are we about to see a George Formby revival?
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