Taxman

Have you ever though how important diversity is when it comes to music? It seems like nowadays many bands take something from their idols and then just copy it. And that's all. For example, Led Zeppelin, while they were hard rock/blues band, were also heavily influenced by British Folk among the other things. But when someone says that Zeppelin is his idol, he usually takes only that hard rock thing from them.
And Stones. The myth of Stones Formula is a lie. There's more to the picture than meets the eye. They played country, pop, even reggae, disco and early rock n roll, blues and also of course riff-based rock.
And Beatles, can anybody even define their sound? It changed between every album. And if a band is able to make one record that includes piano pop, psychedelic music, Motown- pastiche, baroque pop, a song for children, an Indian tune, and then straight guitar rock, ain't that pretty diverse? Nearly everyone of those songs on Revolver sound different

But nowadays every have to have their own sound. People think that band have not found their style yet if they have more than one sound. People want to categorize them "You are punk rock band, if you record a ballad, you are a sell-out" or "What they think they are? They are just a pop band. They're completely inadequate to do anything like that" and so on.
But that is a shame. A big shame.

You see, most of the great bands were so diverse because every member had different musical background. But nowadays, if five GNR fans decided to found a band, they'd probably end up to sounds just like Guns and Roses- of course, that's what they want.
If you have even a slightly different music taste, it is hard to join a band with people who have different taste. This is just completely stupendous. How can you ever create anything new then??

So this is why, even if I don't like something new and exciting experience someone has come up with, I always respect even an unsuccessful experiment more than someone who does five same-sounding albums in a row. yep, I'm thinking about you, Noel Gallagher.
So everytime a band is called a sell-out or something because they have changed, I get pretty annoyed.

I don't mean that taking influences from others is wrong, no, no. Just he sure you are influenced by more than just one band. It is all right to love The Ramones (everyone should do so) but it is not allright to sound just like them.
No one can say that Ramones were not exactly diverse band. But they invented a new perfect sound. Now if they had just copied their sounds completely they would not be so good (I'd still like them because I love melodies, but I wouldn't respect them then.)

What I'm trying to say? don't know. I'm just sitting on a bus and getting bored. But maybe my point was that try to be original and it is not that you should actually invent anything. Usually it is enough just to make a new mix, ya know.
That is what I'm trying to do. When I write my little songs, I always try to tackle a new style. Just because I'm you don't do that, soon you have a formula that you cannot **** with. So everyone should **** with formula ( to misquote Mike Love)

Also I'd like to tell what I've been listening lately.
I have made an acquaintance with classic prog that I used to dislike but I'm not doing it anymore. Also I have fell in love with folk music, especially British/irish folk. A little history-nerd inside of me makes me wanna listen to those folk melodies...
Also I rediscovered my longtime love, fifties rock n roll and rockabilly. I know that my tastes may sound odd, but I can not help it.
Still one of the biggest genres I'm not familiar with is metal. Someday I should make an acquaintance with it, too. Just if it includes melodies. I'm a big sucker for melodies.

Trollheart

OK well if you don't get an emotional reaction after hearing "Who wants to live forever" and you want to paint Queen as nothing more than an act, I can't help you. There are some excellent songs with great emotion in them, though I'm not the biggest Queen fan. And humour? "I want to break free"? "Radio Gaga"? Even "We are the champions" has a sense of laughing at the pomposity of such a statement about it. But we'll agree to disagree I guess.

As for Bruce, well I'm not sure how you can accuse him of being too American: that's where he's from after all. What would you prefer? He sang about Africa or Poland or Sweden? Or Finland? Come on: the guy has spent his career learning and perfecting his art. Seems to me you're just looking for things to not like artistes for, which seems a very close-minded way of going on. Not getting at you, but you do not seem to be open to different styles at all. If someone doesn't sing how you want them to, or about what you want them to, you don't rate them? Weird.

Well, good luck with the journal and as the Overseer/Caretaker of this place I'll continue to read your entries so I can include them in the update thread, but your entrenched attitude makes me reluctant to continue debating with you, as you seem to have your mind firmly set and nothing I say will change it, or make you see another way.

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Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

galt54

Hey, Taxman - you and I have something in common! I am a big sucker for melodies too. And there is not much metal-style music which I like much. Even mean and loud music is only fun to listen to if it has good or great melody. The only metal band which I love is Blue Öyster Cult (their first three studio albums, their three live albums and plus Imaginos). I also like some songs by Led Zeppelin, Budgie, AC/DC and Kiss (the fact that they are clowns is irrelevant here). I also love three mean and loud punk bands: The Ramones, The Queers and The Punkles.

I presented my esthetics of music in the thread I started titled "My tastes in music - an essay on my esthetics of music". Have you seen that thread, Taxman? Any thoughts?

That thread is located in the section "General Music".

Maybe your esthetics of music is similar to mine?

galt54

Hey, Taxman - you and I seem to have a lot in common when it comes to taste in music!

I also go for melody and diversity in music. Also - even in regard to mean and loud music, such as metal - I only enjoy listening to hard rock, metal and punk songs which have good or great melodies. The only mean and loud groups which I love are Blue Öyster Cult (their first three studio albums, their three live albums plus Imaginos, that is to say - most of the rest of their output bores me), The Ramones, The Queers and The Punkles. I also like some of the output (the stuff with the best melodies, that is) of Led Zeppelin, Budgie, AC/DC and Kiss (the fact that Kiss acted like clowns when on stage is irrelevant here).

Taxman, have you noticed the thread which I started a few days ago in the "General Music" section? I mean the thread with the title "My tastes in music - my esthetics of music"? I present my criteria for liking or not liking music in that thread. I suspect that you would agree with most of my ideas, Taxman.

Maybe you could check out my thread and share whatever thoughts you have with me?