Is 'Rock' music impotent?

[Guest Sundaram]

Has Rock(& Roll) and all it's sub genres become impotent?

I find myself unable to take any supposed new rock music seriously as time after time it just seems to be either a parody or a tribute to former bands etc!

Whats your opinions on this? Whats your opinion on the future of Rock?

[Guest stuartmaxwell]

Has Rock(& Roll) and all it's sub genres become impotent?

I find myself unable to take any supposed new rock music seriously as time after time it just seems to be either a parody or a tribute to former bands etc!

Whats your opinions on this? Whats your opinion on the future of Rock?

rock started out as rock but has gained influences from every other genre of music, this will continue into sub sub styles of rock etc

rock is an evergrowing conurbation, a bit like a city that starts off small, builds a couple of scummy housing schemes but also builds upmarket houses/churches/etc

hmm not as profound as i thought it would look

[bryn]

Rock is totally dead at the moment, ok there will be a few minor acts producing interesting music, but commercially rock is totally obseolete. Too many people willing to sacrifice musical integrity to make it big.

[bryn]

rock is an evergrowing conurbation' date=' a bit like a city that starts off small, builds a couple of scummy housing schemes but also builds upmarket houses/churches/etc

[/quote']

Suggesting that bands of today have totally progressed beyond 60s 70s 80s bands??

You must be pretty deluded, rock music today is just a pale reproduction of the riffs and chord progressions of everyone from the beatles to zeppelin / metallica to jethro tull.

If you about it, from the 50s to 80s music went from being quite basic singalong chuck berry style dances ('scummy houses') to the super technical, incredible architecture of the leaning tower of Yngwie Malmsteen (oooh - imagery). But after grunge etc, we're back again to the scummy houses....

I've heard music is meant to repeat itself.

[rach Lexuz]

see i think rock music is getting pretty big right now. depends what you take as "rock" though. There are so many really great up and coming bands from everywhere and these days im getting excited all the time at all these new bands im hearing. but i am pretty exciteable to be honest.

the future looks really really bright and theres lots of drugs and alcohol and real rock stars around. just the way it should be.

[Guest Stripey]

see i think rock music is getting pretty big right now. depends what you take as "rock" though. There are so many really great up and coming bands from everywhere and these days im getting excited all the time at all these new bands im hearing. but i am pretty exciteable to be honest.

the future looks really really bright and theres lots of drugs and alcohol and real rock stars around. just the way it should be.

is it getting big because its being pushed by the industry, or because its what people genuinely want? I mean all these bands in the charts offer nothing new atall. I think its just a marketing ploy, playing up to a new generation of naive kids who aren't already sick to death of the derivative rubbish which is being peddled by the major labels and the media.

It makes me fucking puke, to see 15 year old kids worshiping shit like iron maiden and jimi hendrix. It's not because they are enchanted by it, it's because they think its trendy. It was their bloody *parents* who really felt it and loved it.

Where is the sound of this generation? Cuz at the moment, it appears to be the sound of a big corporate fatcat slurping down champagne and shitting mcdonalds cheeseburgers.

[bryn]

see i think rock music is getting pretty big right now. depends what you take as "rock" though. There are so many really great up and coming bands from everywhere and these days im getting excited all the time at all these new bands im hearing. but i am pretty exciteable to be honest.

Bands such as....?

If its the NME type bands I expect you to say due to ure display pic, for example the killers, then I must ask what the hell they contribute to a thriving and interesting scene? other than another clumsy, soul-less, bland sing-a-long for people who don't really understand the traditional ethos behind rock music.

Bands have such pretentious images, I'm thinking the Strokes and their constant Malboro endorsement. Its almost them reaching out to try and seem like their physchadelic era predeccessors. Saying that the Strokes write some ok songs, as do Franz Ferdinand.

[psydoll]

Has Rock(& Roll) and all it's sub genres become impotent?

I find myself unable to take any supposed new rock music seriously as time after time it just seems to be either a parody or a tribute to former bands etc!

Whats your opinions on this? Whats your opinion on the future of Rock?

Are you trying to suck up to/antagonise Stripey or what?

[psydoll]

Rock music will always be alive. There's never going to be a time that it's dead despite protestations to the contrary.

Having listened to rock and metal for YEARS I'd say that there's always someone doing something in a way you haven't quite heard before. As long as you can get excited about it, it's not dead.

[spellchecker]

yep, bingo bango. i think saying the term rock music is misleading however. i was just trying to think of a term meaning all encompassing un-pop and off-playlist music, which i might have suggested was rock music, but perhaps not anymore.

however, at the time, i was very, very drunk.

in a small way, i was thinking about this very thread in my head whilst in bed instead of watching father ted, today. i thought that if you found yourself running out of music, then your musical spectrum is too narrow. don't get me wrong, i still run out of music and find myself playing old classics for medium-scale self-entertainment, however the thought crossed my mind that if you enjoyed enough variation of music, you would like so many bands, that at least one of them would be putting out a new record every couple of months or so, hence, you should never run out of music. i've actually done alright this year, and that new bjrk album is going to help.

coming back to the question however, to say that rock music is becoming or already is impotent, raises two questions. or two scenarios.

i can't believe the powercut didn't make my computer reset there. i heard the modem click, so i know it died. the computer has already reset twice, and it's got to be said, i'd be pretty fucked off it reset now after typing all this bullshit.

anyway, the scenarios. fuck, there it goes again. yes the scenarios. You either don't have enough variation in your musical spectrum; you need to broaden your musical horizons; you need to actively search for something that touches you in a different way. if you find rock music impotent, then why the fuck are you still pondering about that bored and tired genre. maybe the real question is, "why the fuck is good music not falling into my lap anymore?". now there's a deep question. your friends are boring? you are stuck in your ways and blinkered when it comes to other types of music? Music did used to fall into my lap, recommendations were easy and choices were good, but now I find that i have to live with my ears open and pay attention to what's going on around me; not necessarily musically, but quite possibly personably.

the second scenario of course being, rock really is dead. a certain part of me thinks that from around 1990 to 2005 rock music took an escalating form of extremism, whereby each new record had to in some way better, or beefierise (v. : to make more beefy), the last one. pixies -> nirvana, nirvana -> alice in chains, alice in chains -> guns 'n' roses, guns 'n' roses -> marilyn manson, marilyn manson -> korn, korn -> limp bizkit, limp bizkit -> slipknot, slipknot -> mudvayne, etc. blah blah blah. i'm not saying any of these bands were a progression on each other genre wise, but the music just kept getting heavier, and more extreme, in some cases obscene, in others - serene. sorry, just needed something that rhymed. anyway, the natural conclusion to this scenario being, that a new take on music, a new way to express emotion, a new honesty, a new awareness about the musical environment, is required to revive what is essentially - normal people's music. alternative is the REAL pop - it is the music for people that feel; the music for people who are compassionate and who empathise, for people that understand the world they live in and accept that it may not be right (the greatest crime of all?). real music is not divided by genres, but by relating and understanding. there is nothing to "get" about the top 40. the thunderstorm is over by the way.

anyway, none of this was personally directed at you philip.

motherfucker, it's started again. i'm just going to post before i lose it all.

[psydoll]

Basically threads like this are redundant in general as no type of music will ever 'die out'.

Admit it!

[Guest Stripey]

Rock won't "die out"' date=' but the cultural significance it once had has been greatly diminished . People will still make rock music in the same way others are creating classical, folk, blues and other such musical forms. The significance of the new music within the genre is only apparent to those who keep an interest in the subject.

There is more music being produced and released for public consumption now than at any time in the history of recording. As such, the consumer has an almost limitless choice of material to indulge themselves in. Rock music, in its primal form, was a catalyst for social change, regardless of whether that was the intention of the artists involved or not. Today, it's just another form of harmless entertainment.[/quote']

Very well put.

[psydoll]

Rock won't "die out"' date=' but the cultural significance it once had has been greatly diminished . People will still make rock music in the same way others are creating classical, folk, blues and other such musical forms. The significance of the new music within the genre is only apparent to those who keep an interest in the subject.

There is more music being produced and released for public consumption now than at any time in the history of recording. As such, the consumer has an almost limitless choice of material to indulge themselves in. Rock music, in its primal form, was a catalyst for social change, regardless of whether that was the intention of the artists involved or not. Today, it's just another form of harmless entertainment.[/quote']

Is it just me that thinks that an age barrier is evident here?

Who cares how much music is being produced, is catalysing a change or is being released these days? I know it does affect the more music-geeking public (myself included) but if I were 10 *doodnudundundndundundundun*

Think of only getting into rock now through say Good Charlotte. You look at the Leeds lineup and see The Bronx and The Icarus Line. You watch MTV2 and see no end of pleasing bands. I digress as Partridge distracts me but you know what I mean. There are gems in each genre.

[Guest Sundaram]

Rock won't "die out"' date=' but the cultural significance it once had has been greatly diminished.[/quote']

Rock music lost it's ability to affect change a long time ago, it's just another product now, just a form of entertainment!

I look forward to the day when the current ways of doing things, ie: 'the two year treadmill' of (record an album, market & promote on MTV etc, tour, then go away in preperation for the next round) is at an end!

RE: Hendrix etc.

The Jimi Hendrix Experience is what got me in to listening, playing and making music in a serious way.. I think the reason they are still popular is because they were 'that' good! To my ears nothing that is on the go these days comes anywhere near the creative, inspirational music that is held within those JHE albums. I could say this of so many albums from 'the golden' period.

I really hope that people dont listen to music because it's 'cool' if this is so, then I will feel sad and even more out of touch with the world.

The people who do this should be forced to drink a gallon of milk within 50 minutes!

Aaaaach, be gone!

[Frosty Jack]

yep' date=' bingo bango. i think saying the term rock music is misleading however. i was just trying to think of a term meaning all encompassing un-pop and off-playlist music, which i might have suggested was rock music, but perhaps not anymore.

however, at the time, i was very, very drunk.

in a small way, i was thinking about this very thread in my head whilst in bed instead of watching father ted, today. i thought that if you found yourself running out of music, then your musical spectrum is too narrow. don't get me wrong, i still run out of music and find myself playing old classics for medium-scale self-entertainment, however the thought crossed my mind that if you enjoyed enough variation of music, you would like so many bands, that at least one of them would be putting out a new record every couple of months or so, hence, you should never run out of music. i've actually done alright this year, and that new bjrk album is going to help.

coming back to the question however, to say that rock music is becoming or already is impotent, raises two questions. or two scenarios.

i can't believe the powercut didn't make my computer reset there. i heard the modem click, so i know it died. the computer has already reset twice, and it's got to be said, i'd be pretty fucked off it reset now after typing all this bullshit.

anyway, the scenarios. fuck, there it goes again. yes the scenarios. You either don't have enough variation in your musical spectrum; you need to broaden your musical horizons; you need to actively search for something that touches you in a different way. if you find rock music impotent, then why the fuck are you still pondering about that bored and tired genre. maybe the real question is, "why the fuck is good music not falling into my lap anymore?". now there's a deep question. your friends are boring? you are stuck in your ways and blinkered when it comes to other types of music? Music did used to fall into my lap, recommendations were easy and choices were good, but now I find that i have to live with my ears open and pay attention to what's going on around me; not necessarily musically, but quite possibly personably.

the second scenario of course being, rock really is dead. a certain part of me thinks that from around 1990 to 2005 rock music took an escalating form of extremism, whereby each new record had to in some way better, or beefierise (v. : to make more beefy), the last one. pixies -> nirvana, nirvana -> alice in chains, alice in chains -> guns 'n' roses, guns 'n' roses -> marilyn manson, marilyn manson -> korn, korn -> limp bizkit, limp bizkit -> slipknot, slipknot -> mudvayne, etc. blah blah blah. i'm not saying any of these bands were a progression on each other genre wise, but the music just kept getting heavier, and more extreme, in some cases obscene, in others - serene. sorry, just needed something that rhymed. anyway, the natural conclusion to this scenario being, that a new take on music, a new way to express emotion, a new honesty, a new awareness about the musical environment, is required to revive what is essentially - normal people's music. alternative is the REAL pop - it is the music for people that feel; the music for people who are compassionate and who empathise, for people that understand the world they live in and accept that it may not be right (the greatest crime of all?). real music is not divided by genres, but by relating and understanding. there is nothing to "get" about the top 40. the thunderstorm is over by the way.

anyway, none of this was personally directed at you philip.

motherfucker, it's started again. i'm just going to post before i lose it all.[/size']

As I read that, I couldn't help but do it in the voice of -

Did you fail the interview too?

[the rapscallion]

Interesting.Music of today faces an impossible mission to be 100% original,and that applies to every genre.Rock possibly comes under the spotlight more than other forms as we seem to have more exposure to it,its appeals being more instant to the average person than say jazz, or prog.Without being negative, or defeatist,it seems unlikely that anything will come along in the near future that will open up whole new vistas and be astounding in its originality.Another problem that seems to be evident is that until the musicianship of the majority improves, we wont be hearing the "lost chord".Bands like the JHE were simply on another level than any charlatan of todays scene.Mitch Mitchell, arguably the greatest rock drummer ever.Why?- because he was trained as a jazz drummer,as were most of his contemporaries.Todays average musician is only versed in the rigidity of rock, therefore cannot incorporate the fluidity and invention of their predecessors.Also it seems to be that musicians of today dont possess the hunger to experiment as freely as say, Traffic or Hendrix.Maybe its just a reflection of todays sterile society.Who knows.Maybe we just dont give a shit anymore.

[HummerOfIntenseEvil]

Interesting.Music of today faces an impossible mission to be 100% original' date='and that applies to every genre.Rock possibly comes under the spotlight more than other forms as we seem to have more exposure to it,its appeals being more instant to the average person than say jazz, or prog.Without being negative, or defeatist,it seems unlikely that anything will come along in the near future that will open up whole new vistas and be astounding in its originality.Another problem that seems to be evident is that until the musicianship of the majority improves, we wont be hearing the "lost chord".Bands like the JHE were simply on another level than any charlatan of todays scene.Mitch Mitchell, arguably the greatest rock drummer ever.Why?- because he was trained as a jazz drummer,as were most of his contemporaries.Todays average musician is only versed in the rigidity of rock, therefore cannot incorporate the fluidity and invention of their predecessors.Also it seems to be that musicians of today dont possess the hunger to experiment as freely as say, Traffic or Hendrix.Maybe its just a reflection of todays sterile society.Who knows.Maybe we just dont give a shit anymore.[/quote']

Good point on the musicianship. How can anything original be created if everyone is just learning from the same music?

Actually I have a really good point about this, but I don't know how to express it, partly because I'm hungover.

Anyway, look at Muse... love them or loathe them, it's undeniable that Absolution sounded unlike any other album of late, and that's because Matt has the classical music leanings.

And then there's just about every band Mike Patton has ever been in. Mr Bungle are quite bizarre, they have a bit of everything in their albums, and it's done so well. Delerium Cordia which was released by Fantomas this year is definitely unlike anything I have ever heard. Tomahawk are essentially a standard rock band with killer riffs and hooks, but they've also got an element of drum 'n' bass, and there is of course Mike Patton's brilliant use of vocal distortions etc. Even Faith No More, who were essentially just a fucking great rock band, had elements of originality in them. It's often said that they basically created nu-metal by themselves (whether or not that's good is another question...) and Album Of The Year sounds unlike any of their peers at the time.

And I found out about all these Mike Patton bands purely by seeing Ashes To Ashes on MTV2 and thinking "wow, that's so much better than Epic is. I'll have to buy that album..."

[Guest pop-notmyface]

after decades of music, concepts must have been repeated thousands of times. maybe genuinely new music isnt being made anymore, but some bands still push musical boundaries (pretty girls make graves, mars volta and so on...). but lets not forget that if a new artist finds a place in someones record collection, they will never be forgotten, no matter how original/unoriginal they are/were. heres a tip for a contemporary listen: yourcodenameis:milo

[spellchecker]

As I read that' date=' I couldn't help but do it in the voice of -

[img']http://www.couplandesque.net/icons/spud.gif

Did you fail the interview too?

they threw me out for pissing my pants in the waiting room.

[Guest Sundaram]

after decades of music' date=' concepts must have been repeated thousands of times. maybe genuinely new music isnt being made anymore, but some bands still push musical boundaries (pretty girls make graves, mars volta and so on...). but lets not forget that if a new artist finds a place in someones record collection, they will never be forgotten, no matter how original/unoriginal they are/were. heres a tip for a contemporary listen: yourcodenameis:milo [/quote']

Mars Volta aint pushing any boundaries what so ever, maybe in comparison to whats on the go now, but not in a historical sense!

[Guest pop-notmyface]

Mars Volta aint pushing any boundaries what so ever' date=' maybe in comparison to whats on the go now, but not in a historical sense!

[/quote']

yeah i know, im really struggling to name any new bands that do something new...

but Liam Lynch is a cool guy....

[Guest Sundaram]

but Liam Lynch is a cool guy....

Who, fa, fit?

[HummerOfIntenseEvil]

but lets not forget that if a new artist finds a place in someones record collection' date=' they will never be forgotten, no matter how original/unoriginal they are/were.[/quote']

I was typing out a list of all my CDs a while back. out of about 250, I'd forgotten at least 50 of them

[Monk Rocker]

Rock is cock. Feel the jazz!!

On a serious note, I can't really remember the last time I was really excited about a new rock album being released (apart from Stray Cats - Janes Addiction). There's not alot of new rock music that excites me anymore. Most things that are coming out in the rock genre have all been done before in one guise or another. There's only so many ways you can make a guitar sound different.

People should broaden their horizons a bit and listen to different types of music. There is always something new and exciting happening, but it's sadly not in rock............

[HummerOfIntenseEvil]

Rock is cock. Feel the jazz!!

On a serious note' date=' I can't really remember the last time I was really excited about a new rock album being released (apart from Stray Cats - Janes Addiction). There's not alot of new rock music that excites me anymore. Most things that are coming out in the rock genre have all been done before in one guise or another. There's only so many ways you can make a guitar sound different.

People should broaden their horizons a bit and listen to different types of music. There is always something new and exciting happening, but it's sadly not in rock............[/quote']

Hmmm..... my defence for rock is that electronic music is only any different because you can make your keyboards have different sounds, and hip hop basically steals old rock riffs.

This is, of course, a very blinkered view. But then I love RAWK!

Anyway, Strays was hardly anything new, but that didn't stop it being one of the best albums to come out in recent years. Sometimes change isn't good!