Once upon a time there was musical genius in the world and bands wrote and performed their own music. Life was good. We had Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Beatles, The Who, Donovan, Simon & Garfunkel, The Stones, and so many more.
Well, time went on and newer generations of kids decided they didn't like talented musicians anymore. They wanted choreographed pretty boys and girls lip-synching to throbbing beats that they couldn't write or perform themselves in a million years. Yeah, music pretty much sucks these days.
Genius is still out there, however, even if you have to search for it long and hard. I've got lots of it in my collection, but I'll just give a sampling from one great singer/songwriter -- Maynard James Keenan. If you haven't heard of him, well he sings for Tool and A Perfect Circle (and some other bands when he feels like it). He's one odd duck, but he has an amazing voice and writes some of the best modern songs around. I dare you to listen to these five or six times and tell me he's not a genius.
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Midnight Died Tonight
2 minutes ago
I agree with the whole post and Tool has always been one of my favorites.
ReplyDeleteTool/Perfect Circle are as weird as they are awesome. Have you listened to the "wings for Marie" songs on 10,000 days? they dont make any sense when played separately, but when you lay one track over the other, it makes a complete song. Awesome stuff.
ReplyDeleteI love Tool. There was a blues guitarist a few years back (okay maybe 15) who caught my ear, and I really liked his stuff. Kenny Wayne Shepard. Sounds country but was anything but. More like Stevie Ray Vaughn.
ReplyDeleteAnd he's got a sense of humor also, as seen in his "side-group" Puscifer. :)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dM3yqRp5Yy0
ReplyDeleteI have several of his albums and he is incredibly talented. Some of his views conflict with my own, so I no longer follow his music. But there are some incredible musicians out there who get no radio play because their music is complex and not accessible. Most of what I listen to is progressive rock because of its depth.
ReplyDeleteGenius is STILL out there. You are correct. In my opinion, it all changed when kids got so much money that they could spend it on crap. Kids make poor decisions whether it is books, programming, music, or whatever.
ReplyDeleteTool/Perfect Circle put out some spectacular stuff. I can't agree with you more about 'em. I daresay the 90's and early into the millenium was more about bombarding us with pop-synching-dance-boy-groups that were more about selling posters and product than music.
ReplyDeletePersonally I think the pendulum is (thankfully) swinging back the other way.
I hope you are right, Francois. I don't get to see changes in America up close since I live overseas, but watching advertisements for various musical awards shows makes it look like the same old hip hop and girly dancing crap.
ReplyDeleteI've heard a lot about him but not really heard his stuff. These are good. Mind you, there has always been manufactured stuff back to the Monkees (their songs were good though, although they didn't write them).
ReplyDeleteI've given you the Versatile and Kreativ Blogger awards. Pick them up at my blog!