I've been thinking, (a dangerous task, indeed), about how generations of people have actually de-evolved musically instead of evolving. What do I mean by this?

When you were a youth in the 50's, you started to get into Rock and Roll. The straightlaced 40's and earlier generation just didn't get it and it caused a huge gap in communication between generations. It was assumed that any greaser who listened to Rock and Roll was trouble.

In the 60's, they said they want a revolution, well you know, we all want to change the world. The Beatles, Stones, Doors, Jimi, The Dead... There was an obvious shift in the music that our youth listened to. Artistic freedom became acceptable in public, and the prevalence of stimulants only added to the movement. The parents who were raised in the 40's and 50's were completely clueless as to what was going on with their kids.

Along came the 70's and some of our first (and best) hard metal and rock bands. Frampton, Aerosmith, KISS, Bad Company...these groups were all about sex, drugs, and rock and roll instead of trying to send a message to the "man". Again, our parents were listening to 1950's and 60's easy listening or country.

The 80's gave rise to the hair bands that were mostly cookie cutter with a few notable exceptions. Speed metal via Motorhead and Metallica became popular. Ratt, Poison, Motley Crue, Scorpions, GnR, Bon Jovi...they all were rocking and rocking loud. This generation also gave credibility to girl rock and rollers and girl bands. Our parents were rocking to Wham, Michael, and Cyndi thinking they were cool, they weren't.

The 90's was an unusual period in music. Our previous generation was stuck in the 70's and 80's, but the 90's music scene never really pigeon holed itself. We rocked to Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, Oasis, and Goo Goo Dolls, but there was never any defining genre. If I may, let me give the 90's a genre right now. I call Nirvana as the defining music style. Our previous generation was now into Bee Gee's.

Welcome 2K. You know what my kids listen to? My music. You know what I listen to? Their music. I think that our generations have finally converged in this decade...even the little old ladies I work with listen to rock and roll. My kids will listen to Velvet Revolver while I tell them to turn it up and I will throw in some old ZZ Top and they will ask me to crank it.

I don't know how many times I have been suprised by hearing some very excellent tunes coming from the car next to me only to see it is a silver haired person in a Cadillac or Buick. As far as rock and roll goes, I think we have reached a point of convergence with all generations.

Unfortunately, there is another genre out there called "Rap". I appreciate the music, but I cannot understand why a middle class white boy would get into this music. I see these kids with the hat askew, pants around their knees and giving gangster signs. I guess we haven't reached full music convergance yet.

Well, I'm just rambling because this is the Sock and Feather where a few beers makes for a loose mouth.

Sounds good, but I'd like to know is what happened to the trheads you started about old war stories of yours.
Tell us another one !!!!!!

cmon BA, you and I both know that rappers in North Dakota are the definition of Gangsta, love seeing gangstas flash gang symbols to a farmer driving his tractor down main street. right next to tractor supply.

I think its the New generation of Rap that gives it a bad image. The older rap like Pac, Biggie and them or even as old as DMC was all ok, it actually gave a message not just randomly yelling Sh!t that rymes.

Has anyone heard DMX's latest Sh!T? Its soooo bad, the lyrics are so random, no message no nothing just random words that rhyme.

All I can say is my daughter loves Pink Floyd and has a Led Zeppelin bumper sticker on her guitar case.

Quote: Originally Posted by BigAkita I don't know how many times I have been suprised by hearing some very excellent tunes coming from the car next to me only to see it is a silver haired person in a Cadillac or Buick.

What ya talking about willis? I drive a Caddy and I most deffinately play Rock and Roll very loud in mine... hahahahaha Oh yeah I am also minus allot of grey hair...

Your music history lesson was right on . Props for your post.....
Much respect
Digi

Nothing could be closer to the truth...

Just about all the music I listen to comes from the good old days, not this year or the past 5. Doesn't mean I don't listen to some of todays music, just that the number of good songs from the past way outnumber the good songs from today.

So BA, where do jazz, classical, the blues, and electronic music fit into your theories?

BA give the flaming lips ,jon spencer blues explosion,radiohead ,ugazi and robert randolf & the family band a shot for new music.They have been around a while but still pushing their limits.music is dictated by fashion now for the most part.

Quote: Originally Posted by BigAkita Unfortunately, there is another genre out there called "Rap". I appreciate the music, but I cannot understand why a middle class white boy would get into this music. I see these kids with the hat askew, pants around their knees and giving gangster signs. I guess we haven't reached full music convergance yet.

I can almost see why many young kids are into rap these days. Much of it has to do with the whole "bad boy" image. Just as kids in the 60's greased their hair to look like Elvis Presley, just as kids in the 70's got mullets, just as kids in the 80's got a Flock of Seagulls haircut (or a mohawk), they do so in emulation of current popular trend. Suprisingly, the rap music today contains a lot of anger than many of these kids can't fathom because they have nothing to measure it against; rather, they pretend to relate to foster, again, the "bad boy" image (i.e., Vanilla Ice). It's not about musical talent but more about the "shock value" of it all (which is why I give no credence to Brian Warner's "Marilyn Manson" gimmick).

Some of the rap I actually listen to because I find it somewhat enjoyable, purely in an entertainment sense. Nelly happens to be a favorite as he grew up in my neck of the country. Some of what he says about St. Louis I can recognize such as the "E-I-E-I" answered with the "O-O". Someone recently described it as "lyrical poetry" and if you listen long enough, BA, you'll find that it can be enjoyable.

These kids would be really suprised to know exactly how much of their money spent on gansta rap is actually going to fund real street gangs. I can hear the screams, flames, and protests now that I have no idea what I'm talking about and it's nothing but innuendo. I know of a case in which a rap star's residence/studio was raided and the accounting books taken into evidence. The group isn't around anymore, but due to a successful conviction, the police department gets in the mail every month a royalty check for all the CD's that this group still sells (proceeds of the crime).

For example, take Snoop Dogg. One of his very familiary catch phrases is, "With so much lovin' in the LBC, it's kinda....yada, yada, yada". Snoop's affiliation was known long before his nationwide popularity so it's no suprise that LBC stands for Long Beach Crips. Many rap stars get their start-up funding today by street gangs looking for a return on their investment.

Gangsta rap is out there solely as a money making machine for the major street gangs that also deal in illegal weapons and drugs. As a matter of fact, many of them think that it's pretty ironic that a "white bread from the cornfield" would buy one of their CD's. Should one of these kids from the midwest drive through the worse parts of LA looking for an autograph are going to find out really quick that they aren't as "Pimp" as they thought they were no matter what kind of colors they're wearing.

Still, kids are going to grow up in the midwest looking to be "cooler" than the rest of the kids and how are they going to get that reputation?

By slicking their hair back and fighting the man.

Personally, I will listen to any band/musician that sounds good. It doesn't matter when it was made, or even the genre. The only important thing is that the music sounds professional (even that is debatable in some cases) and that it is pleasing to the ear. Also, music preference is entirely opinion based. So what one person may think is the best band to walk the face of the earth another may think that there music is horrid. So take each persons opinion as just that, opinion.

It's all about the internet and file-sharing. People see their father's music in real life and dismiss it as father's music, but see a lot about it online, download it, realize it really doesn't suck. They start to trust from there.

I can say that file-sharing changed my life. I used to have pretty mainstream tastes. I found out about punk online (it hadn't caught on just yet, especially amongst my friends in which case still nobody is) and started downloading. I had found an unexplored genre. But I didn't stop there. I moved out into indie. As I kept on downloading I realized that eveyrbody likes their sort of music for a reason, and if I could find that reason and enjoy that music too, then there's more music for me to enjoy. I spend at least an hour every day online for music-related things and now I buy a new CD for every 1.5 to 2 days. It has become a habit. I listen to genres people haven't even heard of like noise-rock, shoegazer, post-punk, along with genres complely different like hip-hop. I've become a music nut. I find myself dancing to 50's music playing while waiting for the elevator and I wish I knew who it was. I love it.

I'm not an example for every kid, but I think the file-sharing revolution has broadened everyone's horizons. Kids don't have their music served to them radio-style but can go download it and explore, get their own music.