Gearslutz.com - View Single Post - "When's the last time you could tell who the drummer was?"

dbbubba · 14th March 2008

The sad part is that this is true with so many instruments and players!

There was once a time when people were pioneering ideas, styles and such, but eventually the catalog of acceptable pop/rock or what-ever sounds became so vast that people started to feel content re-hashing the same old stuff.

Remember that rock as a style isn't that old really.
Rocket 88 was cut in Memphis in the early/mid '50s and the whole thing was born.
It almost seems hard to belive it, but the Beatles were starting to kick ass and be noticed by 1962 and that was only SEVEN YEARS after Elvis started to hit big!
It seems like a light year musically, but Led Zepplin's first record came out in 1969!
That is barely FIFTEEN YEARS AFTER Elvis came on the scene!
Now it seems like music from fifteen years ago is recent history!

These days it is just ridiculous!

I honestly think that it a problem of lack of familiarity with past music and a definite short cut to an accepted "hit."
I swear that writers and producers must hear an idea and say, "Well, Gee! That is a great riff or hook. I really feel comfortable with that musical idea. It moves me."
Well of course it does! It was already part of a hit song!

Example: Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and Boston's "More Than a Feeling."

It might not seem that way to a neophyte, but if you were there when Boston hit the scene and was played and played and played, that rhythm figure was beat into your brain. The first time I heard "Smells Like Teen.." I thought "More Than a Feeling with different chords!" Been there... Done that!

There is definitely a musical cookbook that the "pioneers" formulated.
The days of juxtaposing styles and sounds is gone.

I don't know... Maybe a Gamelan orchestra with naked, Tibetian monks singing and T Pain adding some parts. Nahhh... probably been done!

14th March 2008	#6
dbbubba Banned Joined: Sep 2005 Posts: 7,099	The sad part is that this is true with so many instruments and players! There was once a time when people were pioneering ideas, styles and such, but eventually the catalog of acceptable pop/rock or what-ever sounds became so vast that people started to feel content re-hashing the same old stuff. Remember that rock as a style isn't that old really. Rocket 88 was cut in Memphis in the early/mid '50s and the whole thing was born. It almost seems hard to belive it, but the Beatles were starting to kick ass and be noticed by 1962 and that was only SEVEN YEARS after Elvis started to hit big! It seems like a light year musically, but Led Zepplin's first record came out in 1969! That is barely FIFTEEN YEARS AFTER Elvis came on the scene! Now it seems like music from fifteen years ago is recent history! These days it is just ridiculous! I honestly think that it a problem of lack of familiarity with past music and a definite short cut to an accepted "hit." I swear that writers and producers must hear an idea and say, "Well, Gee! That is a great riff or hook. I really feel comfortable with that musical idea. It moves me." Well of course it does! It was already part of a hit song! Example: Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and Boston's "More Than a Feeling." It might not seem that way to a neophyte, but if you were there when Boston hit the scene and was played and played and played, that rhythm figure was beat into your brain. The first time I heard "Smells Like Teen.." I thought "More Than a Feeling with different chords!" Been there... Done that! There is definitely a musical cookbook that the "pioneers" formulated. The days of juxtaposing styles and sounds is gone. I don't know... Maybe a Gamelan orchestra with naked, Tibetian monks singing and T Pain adding some parts. Nahhh... probably been done!