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"Compression" of artistic talent


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Is it just me or does it seem that with the advent of the electronic age of (making) music (easier), [i]true, talented, deserving artists[/i] are getting "lost in the sauce" of the more mediocre plethora of talent out there? It seems that the "highest peaks" ie, REAL talent are being CUT to a lower denominator, and the less talented individuals are seemingly "at the same level"? Kinda like the [i]compression[/i] we all know and love? Like the "standouts" get lost amongst the other "pseudo-elevated" peaks? Am I offbase with this obtuse observation? Looking forward for responses (brain food). ----LEE

Joe Pine (60's talk show host who sported a wooden leg) to Frank Zappa -- "So, with your long hair, I guess that makes you a woman." Frank Zappa's response -- "So, with your wooden leg, I guess that makes you a table."

 

 

http://www.nowhereradio.com/artists/album.php?aid=2001&alid=-1

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What decade would you suppose, Al? [quote]Originally posted by Alndln: [b]To me,that started happening long before the personal studio/DAW thing.[/b][/quote]

Joe Pine (60's talk show host who sported a wooden leg) to Frank Zappa -- "So, with your long hair, I guess that makes you a woman." Frank Zappa's response -- "So, with your wooden leg, I guess that makes you a table."

 

 

http://www.nowhereradio.com/artists/album.php?aid=2001&alid=-1

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[quote]Originally posted by Lee Tyler: [b]Is it just me or does it seem that with the advent of the electronic age of (making) music (easier), [i]true, talented, deserving artists[/i] are getting "lost in the sauce" of the more mediocre plethora of talent out there? It seems that the "highest peaks" ie, REAL talent are being CUT to a lower denominator, and the less talented individuals are seemingly "at the same level[/b][/quote]Not at all. In my opinion, it has gotten easier to make music, but not easier to make [i]good[/i] music. The "electronic age" has made music making more accessible to a wider range of people, including those not dependant on it for income. This means there's a lot more crap to wade through, but it also increases the amount of quality stuff. Mediocre artists are in no way at the same level as talented artists, no technology will change that.
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[quote] Mediocre artists are in no way at the same level as talented artists, no technology will change that. [/quote]We all [i]know[/i] that. But it is the [i]public[/i] that is being bamboozled. They have been wayyyy "dumbed down" as far as I can see. Dontchathink?

Joe Pine (60's talk show host who sported a wooden leg) to Frank Zappa -- "So, with your long hair, I guess that makes you a woman." Frank Zappa's response -- "So, with your wooden leg, I guess that makes you a table."

 

 

http://www.nowhereradio.com/artists/album.php?aid=2001&alid=-1

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[quote] true, talented, deserving artists are getting "lost in the sauce" of the more mediocre plethora of talent out there? It seems that the "highest peaks" ie, REAL talent are being CUT to a lower denominator, and the less talented individuals are seemingly "at the same level"? [/quote]This is completely subjective and untenable. And I suspect that you're part of this 'REAL talent' that's being 'CUT'? And that you're bitter and frustrated about it? Tell us more... when did these feelings start? How would you describe your relationship with your peers? Sudden outbursts of anger?
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Well, there's a smart-ass New Yawka for ya! (I am from there too). Psych major, maybe? Try to answer the question and please limit your mental masturbation to a minimum. :freak: (just kidding, Gratte') [quote]Originally posted by gratte: [b] [quote] true, talented, deserving artists are getting "lost in the sauce" of the more mediocre plethora of talent out there? It seems that the "highest peaks" ie, REAL talent are being CUT to a lower denominator, and the less talented individuals are seemingly "at the same level"? [/quote]This is completely subjective and untenable. And I suspect that you're part of this 'REAL talent' that's being 'CUT'? And that you're bitter and frustrated about it? Tell us more... when did these feelings start? How would you describe your relationship with your peers? Sudden outbursts of anger?[/b][/quote]

Joe Pine (60's talk show host who sported a wooden leg) to Frank Zappa -- "So, with your long hair, I guess that makes you a woman." Frank Zappa's response -- "So, with your wooden leg, I guess that makes you a table."

 

 

http://www.nowhereradio.com/artists/album.php?aid=2001&alid=-1

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What I've noticed, 99% of radio stations (pop and rock) either play songs released in the last few months or stuff from the 50's, 60's or 70's. I can only think of one reason for this. MTV brought the concept of dispoable music (and artists) to the masses. Once the current trend passes, the music becomes stale and dated because it is all style and no substance.
So Many Drummers. So Little Time...
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[quote]Originally posted by dBunny: [b]I think popular music has been "dumbed down" since its inception, whenever [i]that[/i] was. :freak: [/b][/quote]That was just to prepare for the emergence of the great [b]dBunny[/b] :D ;) :D :p
So Many Drummers. So Little Time...
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[quote]Originally posted by Lee Tyler: [b]Is it just me or does it seem that with the advent of the electronic age of (making) music (easier), [i]true, talented, deserving artists[/i] are getting "lost in the sauce" of the more mediocre plethora of talent out there?[/b][/quote]Can you name a few of the "lost" for us, without naming any of the "mediocre?" -------------------- "I got strings on a floppy that'll give you diabetes."
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Your theory must be true because "Jimmy Crack Corn" is truly a work of unadulterated pop music genius and thing have only been going downhill ever since. Actually if we go back in history you can see where "Jimmy Crack Corn" is actually a big step down the musical evolutionary ladder compared to its generational predecessor "Goober Peas". Yeah things are only getting dumber and dumber. Or maybe they just come and go a bit? ;) - DJDM
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I agree that the music of today is pretty crappy, but where did all of the cool people go? And it wasn't 1977 on.....only an Old Schooler would say something like that. There have been alot of good bands, and musical styles since then. It's more like 1993 on. I do think that the different styles of recording and music making have alot to do with it though. The music of today sounds lamely over engineered, suprisingly, audio "engineers" are making alot of the new music. DJ's and alot of their styles are engineers more than true musicians, they take things already made, and rearrange them. And with the plethora of dialable amps signal processors etc. it's a whole lot easier for posers to sneak through than before. When all that you had was a guitar an amp and a few effects, you had to have you business together or people knew it. Nowadays, a little studio magic can make it harder to tell, but there still is an overall feeling of blandness, no matter how dressed up it is.
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I agree with most of the above - crappy art, in all it's form , by mediocre and for mediocre was always here and always more popular then most Good art by talanted people. Check out most of the biggest movies , the most popular painters etc... We, those of us that posses good taste are the only one to suffer... That said, I'll probably hate what you think is Good, and you'll hate my good. So the fact that both of us hate pop doesn't mean we both like the same GOOD. Confusing, tell it to the A&R guys.

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"There will never be another Sinatra. They don't make music like that any more." "There will never be another Elvis. They don't make music like that any more." "There will never be another Beatles. They don't make music like that any more." "There will never be another Hendrix. They don't make music like that any more." "There will never be another Zepplin. They don't make music like that any more." "There will never be another Madonna. They don't make music like that any more." "There will never be another Nirvana. They don't make music like that any more." "There will never be another Soundgarden. They don't make music like that any more." "There will never be another Britney Spears. They don't make music like that any more." [b]Brought to you by the "Get a grip" society of the SSS.[/b]
I really don't know what to put here.
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[quote]Originally posted by Alndln: [b]1977 onward to be specific.[/b][/quote]This is when the 26+ year recycling period started, coupled with the crawling up it's own ass project.With the occasional and rare exception, this tidle wave of sludge has been impenetrable thus far.
"A Robot Playing Trumpet Blows"
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[b]THANK YOU[/b] [quote]Originally posted by John Brown: [b]I agree that the music of today is pretty crappy, but where did all of the cool people go? And it wasn't 1977 on.....only an Old Schooler would say something like that. There have been alot of good bands, and musical styles since then. It's more like 1993 on. I do think that the different styles of recording and music making have alot to do with it though. The music of today sounds lamely over engineered, suprisingly, audio "engineers" are making alot of the new music. DJ's and alot of their styles are engineers more than true musicians, they take things already made, and rearrange them. And with the plethora of dialable amps signal processors etc. it's a whole lot easier for posers to sneak through than before. When all that you had was a guitar an amp and a few effects, you had to have you business together or people knew it. Nowadays, a little studio magic can make it harder to tell, but there still is an overall feeling of blandness, no matter how dressed up it is.[/b][/quote]

Joe Pine (60's talk show host who sported a wooden leg) to Frank Zappa -- "So, with your long hair, I guess that makes you a woman." Frank Zappa's response -- "So, with your wooden leg, I guess that makes you a table."

 

 

http://www.nowhereradio.com/artists/album.php?aid=2001&alid=-1

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Hmm. I've NEVER liked much that was in the top 40, no matter what decade it is. I mean, I'm a nut for the music of the 60's but if you look over the charts back then there was plenty of mediocre garbage. I suppose maybe it was all right when jazz and big band stuff ruled the charts - but even then, you had your Glenn Miller watered down junk. :D BUT... at least up until maybe 8 or 9 years ago, along with all the garbage there were always a few very good acts in the mainstream, or at least on some fairly high profile independent labels. Nowadays it seems you have to look much deeper underground to find anything good (although there's still good stuff around), and there's little chance of anybody that far underground making a living which is unfortunate. The labels seem to want either a guaranteed blockbuster or nothing. I can't think of the last time I heard any new artists that are really creative on mainstream radio. Since the Internet music revolution, there are probably a lot of good artists who don't even WANT to sign with major labels and therefore it will probably take them longer to develop their careers. I hope we start seeing some genius DIY'ers in the near future. But it does help to remember that real genius is rare, and the amount of it doesn't increase just because more people are making music. :D
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Thanks for the time you all took to respond to my inquiry. Very interesting and some real thought out posts. To the 2 psychiatrists in the thread, no, this question has NOT been prompted by personal experience, but I can see you are on your toes-ies....or something else. ;) :D ---LEE

Joe Pine (60's talk show host who sported a wooden leg) to Frank Zappa -- "So, with your long hair, I guess that makes you a woman." Frank Zappa's response -- "So, with your wooden leg, I guess that makes you a table."

 

 

http://www.nowhereradio.com/artists/album.php?aid=2001&alid=-1

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Lee Flier, I agree with everything you just said. To the letter. Hell, sometimes I think we're the same person. Then I remember that you're a white, female rock guitarist, and I'm a male jazz pianist of undisclosed ethnicity. Other than that, we're pretty close. The thing that frustrates me is that I know there are so many great bands that I've never heard. I don't have the TIME to sift through all of the crap to find them. I rely on magazines and a network of friends, whose taste I trust, to loan me good CD's. The guy who lives downstairs from me owns something like 5000 CDs, and he constantly scours the scene for good music. I need more friends like that.
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[quote]Originally posted by Sal Paradise: [b]Please do tell us more about Goober Peas [img]http://www.earboards.com/images/smilies/new/rockdevil.gif[/img][/b][/quote]"Peas, Peas, Peas Eatin Goober Peas" It is a song that was extremely popular on both the blue and the grey sides during the Civil War. Not much of a tune really. Basically it sucked, well... peas. It was a very simple song and if sung backward it has the message that kids should kill themselves and that the devil told them to do it. ;) The vast majority of music has sucked through out time. Get over it and make something worth remembering or at least herald something worth hearing! - DJDM
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[quote]Originally posted by Lee Tyler: [b]Is it just me or does it seem that with the advent of the electronic age of (making) music (easier), [i]true, talented, deserving artists[/i] are getting "lost in the sauce" of the more mediocre plethora of talent out there? It seems that the "highest peaks" ie, REAL talent are being CUT to a lower denominator, and the less talented individuals are seemingly "at the same level"? Kinda like the [i]compression[/i] we all know and love? Like the "standouts" get lost amongst the other "pseudo-elevated" peaks? Am I offbase with this obtuse observation? Looking forward for responses (brain food). ----LEE[/b][/quote]I don't think it has anything to do with the "electronic age." Back in the pre-electronic age, we had no talent entertainers like Tiny Tim and Rick "Disco Duck" Dees, and lots of people bought their records. Dont' blame music technology; blame the lack of sophistication of the music buying public. Blame the morons who idolize Britney S.

The Black Knight always triumphs!

 

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[quote]Originally posted by Dan South: [b]... Dont' blame music technology; blame the lack of sophistication of the music buying public. Blame the morons who idolize Britney S.[/b][/quote][i]"No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people."[/i] - H.L. Mencken (1880-1956) ...or any other people! ;)
"WARNING!" - this artificial fruit juice may contain traces of REAL FRUIT!!
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[quote] It is a song that was extremely popular on both the blue and the grey sides during the Civil War. Not much of a tune really. Basically it sucked, well... peas. [/quote]Nah, that song rocks. "Peas! Peas! Peas! Peas! Eating goober peas! Goodness, how delicious, eating goober peas!" Britney Spears' music is the BEST. la la la la! Most of you will soon be the old smelly guy on the porch who yells at kids to stay out of his shrubs. With one gnarled, arthritic hand you clutch your prized prog-rock LPs... the other, a colostomy bag. la la la la!
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[url=http://www.civilwarmusic.net/display_song.php?song=gooberpeas]The Complete Pea-tles[/url]

Joe Pine (60's talk show host who sported a wooden leg) to Frank Zappa -- "So, with your long hair, I guess that makes you a woman." Frank Zappa's response -- "So, with your wooden leg, I guess that makes you a table."

 

 

http://www.nowhereradio.com/artists/album.php?aid=2001&alid=-1

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