Old Guys Are Feeling Old

**Janszoon** · 05-20-2009, 10:34 PM

This article "What Will Save Rock 'n' Roll" from cnn.com made me laugh. Steven Van Zandt from the E Street Band and some other old people attempt to make a case for how music isn't as good as it used to be but instead demonstrate that they, like a lot of old farts, just don't deal well with change. The full article is at this link but here are some highlights:

Quote:

"I want to spend just a minute on a topic that never ever gets discussed in the music business -- the music," the Bruce Springsteen guitarist and "Sopranos" star said in a speech to the SXSW music and arts festival in March. "The reason nobody wants to talk about it is because it mostly sucks!

"Who are we kidding here?" he said. "Nobody's buying records? Because they suck!"

He called the speech "A Crisis of Craft," and implored listeners to get back to rock 'n' roll's roots. Learn how to play cover songs, he said. Get people to dance. Harness your working-class energy. Take pride in craft.

Quote:

He's quick to observe that he's not slamming all pop music. There's vibrancy in some hip-hop, he says, and he admires "Idol," particularly when it promotes music history.

"But it's quite an alien world to my traditional rock 'n' roll world," he adds. "It has nothing to do with it."

Within that rock 'n' roll world, he worries. Today's bands, he says, look down on performing covers, and as a result many have gotten lost in a musical wilderness. "The result is an extraordinary amount of mediocrity," he says. "There are no standards to live up to."

Which is part of the problem with rejuvenating rock 'n' roll, says Steve Greenberg, founder of S-Curve Records, which includes alt-rockers Tinted Windows and We The Kings among its acts.

Technology is one problem, he observes. "I think in the old days, in order to even be decent, it took a lot of work," he says. "And today, relatively untalented and uncreative people can actually make rock 'n' roll music that sounds kind of decent. And I think that kind of fools people and causes people to be lazy."

LoathsomePete · 05-20-2009, 10:37 PM

You worded it beautifully, musicians are not exempt from the horrors of aging. Times are changing, the music industry has changed and part of that change is how we obtain music. The reason why people aren't buying as many albums is because it's so readily available, I mean just today you received an Ani DiFranco album from me, which I got from somebody else.

sidewinder · 05-20-2009, 10:43 PM

Wow, what a bunch of nonsense.

**Janszoon** · 05-20-2009, 10:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sidewinder

Wow, what a bunch of nonsense.

My favorite part was the idea that playing more covers will help you to be more original.

Edit: Also, the fact that one of the only positive things Van Zandt said was about American Idol was pretty funny.

sidewinder · 05-20-2009, 10:47 PM

And implying that no one's doing covers.

lucifer_sam · 05-20-2009, 10:49 PM

i like how he says that advances in technology are part of the problem. what a truly informed fellow.

and by fellow i mean cunt.

**Janszoon** · 05-20-2009, 10:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sidewinder

And implying that no one's doing covers.

Heh. Yeah that too.

Comus · 05-20-2009, 10:50 PM

More people join dylan in the "old hacks" category.

EDIT: also according to CNN there is no such thing as metal.

dac · 05-20-2009, 11:18 PM

And people say FOX news is bad...

Neapolitan · 05-20-2009, 11:24 PM

Quote:

"Who are we kidding here?" he said. "Nobody's buying records? Because they suck!"

I guess he hasn't looked for any good music, probably he's never heard of The Strokes.

05-20-2009, 10:37 PM	#2 (permalink)
LoathsomePete Cardboard Box Realtor Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Hobb's End Posts: 7,648	You worded it beautifully, musicians are not exempt from the horrors of aging. Times are changing, the music industry has changed and part of that change is how we obtain music. The reason why people aren't buying as many albums is because it's so readily available, I mean just today you received an Ani DiFranco album from me, which I got from somebody else. __________________ Last.FM 101 Albums That May Not Change Your Life, But I Really Like And You Might Too

05-20-2009, 10:43 PM	#3 (permalink)
sidewinder Engorged Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 5,536	Wow, what a bunch of nonsense. __________________ last.fm \| my collection on RYM \| vinyl instagram @allthatyouseeandhear I'd love to see your signature/links too, but the huge and obnoxious ones have caused me to block all signatures.

05-20-2009, 10:47 PM	#5 (permalink)
sidewinder Engorged Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 5,536	And implying that no one's doing covers. __________________ last.fm \| my collection on RYM \| vinyl instagram @allthatyouseeandhear I'd love to see your signature/links too, but the huge and obnoxious ones have caused me to block all signatures.

05-20-2009, 10:49 PM	#6 (permalink)
lucifer_sam Unrepentant Ass-Mod Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 3,921	i like how he says that advances in technology are part of the problem. what a truly informed fellow. and by fellow i mean cunt. __________________ first.am

05-20-2009, 11:18 PM	#9 (permalink)
dac MB's Biggest Fanboy Join Date: May 2008 Location: Cloud Cuckoo Land Posts: 2,852	And people say FOX news is bad... __________________