@sam-houston
Short Circuited
<p> Hi folks. I’ve been thinking again. I know I know, it’s a scary thing for me too. I’m sort of reluctant to continue this because I’m not really sure how to approach it. I’m relatively sure it will offend somebody somehow but my interest in this subject is strong enough to pursue it. So, when all else fails, just say it.</p> <p> I will say this though, try to remain civilized, mature, and respectful and I will too. There’s no reason we can’t discuss this reasonably.</p> <p> I’ve always been very curious as to what draws one person to another, in particular an audience to a performer. What is it about a performer that can cause a person, or group of people, to be so enthralled and infatuated? They will even go so far as to fight about it. When I was playing full time I had many fans, as I’m sure most of you have too. Even now that I’m not on stage all the time, I still have many fans. And again, I’m sure most of you do too. And these are people I don’t even know and have never met in person. But, why? What has any performer ever done to deserve such admiration and accolades? Is it just the act itself of being brave enough to get up in front of many people and expose a little of your inner self in a song? Is it that we can do that and they can’t? It certainly isn’t because we are the greatest that ever was at singing or playing the guitar or whatever. Many times, just the song itself can provoke deep emotion. But, when that type song is coupled with great musicians and a from-the-heart singer, it can be life-altering for some people. But that’s just one song and is not what I’m getting at. People attach themselves to performers. They believe in that performer like no other and will believe just about anything they say, sing, or play. Why?</p> <p> Now that I’ve posed that question, I want to go deeper. I did a blog a few days ago regarding home recordings and got some good feedback and advice that I intend to implement and try. But, since then I’ve had conversations and read Mix forum topics on that subject and also on emotional vocalization in a song. That got me thinking and eventually brought me to this subject.</p> <p> Although my main theme here will be mainstream music and performers, it has to do with everybody that has anything to do with music. The root of all this is that I want to understand why some mainstream performers get awards of every sort, sell millions of albums, have sold-out shows, make millions of dollars, and have screaming, half crazed fans all clamoring for even a brief glimpse of their favorite performer, while other performers who are obviously MUCH more talented get very little airplay and are relegated to relative obscurity in what amounts to a musical “Death Valley”. It seems to me that if a performer is contributing positively to the collective good of his/her genre, they should be allowed to continue and receive the same airtime and awards as anyone else. Why should they be cut from the mix? It makes no sense. It seems in the music industry these days, performers of legendary status are forced down and denied their rightful place in the spotlight. If they are still able to perform then they should be allowed to and be billed right up there with the top sellers, but they aren’t. They have to play places that hold maybe 1/100th of the quantity of people they once performed for. It’s sickening.</p> <p> It’s also sickening to think about the fact that music of today is just not what it once was or what it should be. With technology comes laziness. People are always figuring out how to do more and more with less and less but never seem to care about the costs involved. We can synthetically reproduce practically any sound imaginable, but do we really want to? You lose all the intricate nuances of live performance by a human being when artificially reproduced. I’m not referring to home recordings or small studio recordings. I’m talking about the supposed “upper echelon” of the music industry. They have multitudes of musicians at their disposal but readily utilize synthetic sources when possible. That has a lot to do with what we hear, or don’t hear, these days. Rather than paying a musician to participate in a recording, they can just as easily use sampling or other means to attain the required part. I’m not saying they always do that, but it happens. And for me, that degrades the quality rather than improve it.</p> <p> Hang in there, this will come full circle momentarily. So, what is it that drives people to be fanatics? By the way, that’s where the term “fan” came from. It’s short for fanatic. Merriam-Webster defines fanatic as “marked by excessive enthusiasm and often intense uncritical devotion”. So, there you go, “uncritical devotion”. That’s what I was saying before. Essentially this means that when someone is a “fan” of a performer, they are unconditionally devoted to them, regardless of whether that devotion is rational or not. However, we all know there are varying degrees of fanaticism. But, I often wonder what motivates some people.</p> <p> If we are honest with ourselves, we know that there are plenty of high level mainstream performers that honestly just don’t have it and should not be in the lime light they are in. There are even others that shouldn’t even be in the music business at all. At this point, I will refrain from referring to specific performers because I don’t want this to turn into an argument over who is the better no-talent. You will note however, that throughout this blog I have continually referred to them as “performers” rather than artists or entertainers. These people are performers….period. They simply appear on stage, similar to a dancing chicken with a hot plate under it. So, with that being said, what causes “fans” to be attracted to these type people when some of these performers these days blatantly get on stage and play the wrong notes, sing off key, play out of time, etc etc.? If somebody continually gets on stage and cranks out amazing guitar solos or just has an amazing voice, then I can see why people would like that and be attracted to it. But, when that isn’t the case…..why? Is it that the performer has been marketed in such a way that it draws in lots of people? Is it that people are so gullible that if television and radio says it’s good then it must be? Are people tone deaf? I would agree that a lot of the songs are good songs but then get butchered by the performer. But, maybe it’s the message in the song. But, don’t people realize that a lot of performers don’t write their own songs? What is going on? There used to be an unspoken “code of ethics” in music that said if you can’t play, don’t. If you can’t sing, don’t. That doesn’t seem to be the case many times in mainstream music these days.</p> <p> I just don’t understand this type of strange behavior. I just don’t get why somebody would gravitate to a performer who is obviously significantly musically challenged. I also don’t understand how these performers get to the levels they are. It just makes no sense.</p> <p> That’s why independent music and musicians are taking over! But, the mainstreamers are “supposed” to be the best of the best. But, obviously that isn’t true in a lot of cases. This seems to hold true no matter what genre or age group. So, what goes through peoples minds when they select these people to idolize?</p>
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otay.... :-D
Dace, you need to stop kicking your own ass, man!!
Nigel, I don't have any answers either. But, yes, it is fun to discuss.
Well keep posing the questions Okie.
I don't have the answers but it is nice to think about things in depth.
I agree Dace. And, I think that's one reason I liked your song!
Nigel, nah man, I'm just a good 'ol country boy. Definitely not a journalist. But thanks for the compliment.
Kalo, I'm glad you enjoyed it and I hope it DOES cause people to think. And I'm definitely thankful for places like Mix as well.
Yep,Okie knows how to write.
I think he missed his calling as a journalist.
I get what you are both saying. I guess I put too much thought into things sometimes. So, don't worry Dace, I know quite a few people who would say I'm the craziest of all. :-O
People still want music,and there has NEVER been more of it available to them.
You can try to figure out how they think,or better still IMHO,figure out how you think,how and what you create,and then go find the people that would be interested.
OFF omd's,in forums that reflect your style of music.
No, I think I get what you're saying. And I agree that people like what they like and nobody can change that. But, I don't want to change it. I just want to try to understand it a little better, which I think will in turn help me. We, as songwriters, are poets and philosophers. We tap into peoples psyche and attempt to stir deep primal emotions that maybe they didn't even know they had, while at the same time tell our story as viewed from our prospective and experiences. So, I think we need to understand more about what people like and why if we intend to reach out to others with our music. If we are writing songs for ourselves and don't care what anybody thinks then that's one thing, but if we want the public to listen then we have to be able to understand them as much as we can.
Simply put,it doesn't matter to the general publuc what musical credentials they do or do not have.
A team has put together an image,taught it to dance,and lastly given it a song to sing that was written to well established formula.
The public will buy and disgaurd.
Hero today,nobody tomorrow.
An endless stream of fashion that requires no investment in time.
It's todays sound for todays people.
As an example we have a large proportion of the young who have adopted hip hop rap.
The language it uses,the symbols it uses and the mentality it uses.
FAN applied,they dress the same,think the same and shape their lives to fit.
We now have a gun culture and gun run estates of a generation who WANT the kind of image and hoperlessness it brings.
Pride in ignorance.
Me,I just get to live with that.
So it's fashion mate.
Music is fashion.
Cheap (realtivly),disposable fashion.
And tommorow,they will buy the next dozen icons.
I agree with both you guys in what you've said. However, to put it more bluntly, what causes people to become fans of bands/performers that by every definition are obviously musically impaired?
There are performers right now on mainstream radio that are just plain terrible musicians and/or singers.
Use a session musican...
Union rules,union rates.
USE a VSTO,no rules,no rates
Deep questions mate.
Seriously deep.
The sort of questions that can derail the strongest of musical trains.
"Why does it happen?
Because it happens,roll the bones" (Rush : Roll The Bones)
I think some of your thoughts are towards what I think of as fashion.
I was having a conversation on the Motorhead forums about music and telling them that their/our devotion to the band (Over 25 years) will likely not be seen again.
I mentioned the X factor shows as an example where the audience screams the roof off for every artist,MAYBE downloads the winners christmas single,and six monthes later would be hard pushed to remember 3 artists from the show.
Music is disposable fashion.
The lables have made it thus.
In house designed artists.
Selling to the markety:
Stage 1 New,greatest,love,BUY!!
Stage 2 Old,lost it,disinterest,don't buy.
Repeat ad infinitum.
From our heady days of the 70's we lived and breathed music.
Probably unlike it will ever be seen again.
We became FANS of our own fav bands in ways that maybe today wouldn't be understood,with unmatched loyalty that has stood the test of time.
Ah but time does not stand still.
Today the love affair is fiery and brief.
Why did we gravitate towards one and not the other?
Something spoke to us.
Maybe alyric,maybe a riff,maybe a searing passage of lead.
I used to stay up all night with headphones on,fall asleep with them on,Jimi,Zep,Floyd,Purple,and so many others.
It was the soundtrack to my life.
Every waking momment the music played.
It spoke to me in a way that society,government,church could never speak to me.
It spoke my language,felt what I felt.
I am not sure it can be that way again.
But for me,my loyalties remain (Another wolf trait)
As well as to jobs,family and a thousand other things,we gave our lives to music.
I have no regrets.
Today;s generation may not ever feel the things I have felt through music,and for that,I feel sorry for them.
I continue to make the music I want to hear.
Some say that it is SO 70's,well....
Of course it is.
That's where it began,that's where it grew from it's roots.
I have no need or wish to follow fashion.
Only the music.
That's true Nigel. But, it just make no sense to me. Why would you buy a car with no transmission, or buy a house with no roof, or buy a dead horse, or idolize musical inferiority?
I guess it has to do with today's mentality of instant gratification and the attitude of "give it to me because I deserve it even if I didn't earn it".