Music Banter - View Single Post

Oriphiel · 09-06-2015, 05:22 PM

I don't think his idea of "retromania" is as severe as you guys are assuming (the idea that taking joy in old things stifles creativity, etc.). In the video, he mentions that it's incredibly important for the hypothetical teenage savior of rock and roll to "find Joy Divison", etc. It's clear that he thinks being influenced by the past is not only important, but crucial. After all, two of the artists that he mentioned as legends were both deeply rooted in "retro" music, with John Lennon being a huge fan of old rock stars like Chuck Berry, and Kurt Cobain being influenced by artists like Terry Jacks. His mention of "retromania" was simply his way of saying that he was frustrated by the way people put figures like John and Kurt up on a pedestal, without giving anyone else a chance to take their place, which created a world that refused to let new rock heroes come into existence.

Also, his mention of cutesy "'80s movies" wasn't bashing retro movies, he was just using it as an example. They used to be original and meaningful, but now, after years of seeing them countless times, people see them as "cute and cuddly". Due to repetition, they've become benign, hence "those images lose their power." It's fine to love retro movies, and you could even argue that it's essential to learn from old movies if you have an interest in cinema, but... well, it's just like what he said about John, Kurt, and Marley. People become far too obsessed with them, and never let anyone rise up to take their place. People get too caught up with praising the past, and they develop a "everything sucks nowadays" mentality. Instead of taking that love of retro movies and becoming a director/actor/screenwriter/etc. that creates the kind of movies that they want to watch, people would rather give up before they begin, and the people that do enter the film industry usually just play it safe (creating yet another boring Adam Sandler comedy, because they'll get a return for their investment). It's the same for the music industry. Everyone complains that rock is dead, but when someone actually rises up and tries to bring it back, everyone bashes them by saying "**** off, you're not John Lennon, you'll never be as good/inspired as him". And so, once again, the only ones that stick around are the ones that play it safe. The true pioneers have moved on to other genres, where they'll actually be appreciated and remembered.

Oddly enough, this also happened in the martial art world. The last generation had Bruce Lee, Jet Li, Jackie Chan, Chuck Norris, Sammo Hung, etc. Who do we have now? Only a few people manage to break through, and they usually don't last for very long. It's not because suddenly all of the good martial artists just disappeared. It's because the world of martial art flicks went in the same direction that rock and roll did.

09-06-2015, 05:22 PM	#5 (permalink)
Oriphiel Ask me how! Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: The States Posts: 5,355	I don't think his idea of "retromania" is as severe as you guys are assuming (the idea that taking joy in old things stifles creativity, etc.). In the video, he mentions that it's incredibly important for the hypothetical teenage savior of rock and roll to "find Joy Divison", etc. It's clear that he thinks being influenced by the past is not only important, but crucial. After all, two of the artists that he mentioned as legends were both deeply rooted in "retro" music, with John Lennon being a huge fan of old rock stars like Chuck Berry, and Kurt Cobain being influenced by artists like Terry Jacks. His mention of "retromania" was simply his way of saying that he was frustrated by the way people put figures like John and Kurt up on a pedestal, without giving anyone else a chance to take their place, which created a world that refused to let new rock heroes come into existence. Also, his mention of cutesy "'80s movies" wasn't bashing retro movies, he was just using it as an example. They used to be original and meaningful, but now, after years of seeing them countless times, people see them as "cute and cuddly". Due to repetition, they've become benign, hence "those images lose their power." It's fine to love retro movies, and you could even argue that it's essential to learn from old movies if you have an interest in cinema, but... well, it's just like what he said about John, Kurt, and Marley. People become far too obsessed with them, and never let anyone rise up to take their place. People get too caught up with praising the past, and they develop a "everything sucks nowadays" mentality. Instead of taking that love of retro movies and becoming a director/actor/screenwriter/etc. that creates the kind of movies that they want to watch, people would rather give up before they begin, and the people that do enter the film industry usually just play it safe (creating yet another boring Adam Sandler comedy, because they'll get a return for their investment). It's the same for the music industry. Everyone complains that rock is dead, but when someone actually rises up and tries to bring it back, everyone bashes them by saying "**** off, you're not John Lennon, you'll never be as good/inspired as him". And so, once again, the only ones that stick around are the ones that play it safe. The true pioneers have moved on to other genres, where they'll actually be appreciated and remembered. Oddly enough, this also happened in the martial art world. The last generation had Bruce Lee, Jet Li, Jackie Chan, Chuck Norris, Sammo Hung, etc. Who do we have now? Only a few people manage to break through, and they usually don't last for very long. It's not because suddenly all of the good martial artists just disappeared. It's because the world of martial art flicks went in the same direction that rock and roll did. __________________ ---------------------- \|---Mic's Albums---\| ---------------------- ----------------------------- \|---Deafbox Industries---\| ----------------------------- Last edited by Oriphiel; 09-06-2015 at 05:28 PM.