Ian Billen wrote on Oct 31
st, 2008 at 10:12pm:
Ryan Adams & The Cardinals, Lucinda Williams, Oasis, Kasey Chambers & Shane Nicholson, Joan Osborne and The Pretenders.
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To me this list isn't that impressive. (however I do like The Pretenders latest...but then again... they are an old act themselves so you can't count them to my original argument).
To me, all of these are not totally top notch artists putting out a product with staying power. "Most" of those groups to me are just aren't outstanding and neither is their output for that matter. That is my opinion. What is fact is their music will be long forgotten in 15 years (if not in six or seven years).
Now, compare those artists to my original comparison of ...say 1994. That year we had strong releases from.... Stone Temple Pilots, Aerosmith, Sound Garden, Green Day, Shania Twain, TLC, Maria Carey, Weaser, Nine Inch Nails, Seal, Beck, Hootie and The Blowfish, REM, Korn, Jonny Cash, Pearl Jam, Tom Petty ...(not tom mention our Rolling Stones with Voodoo Lounge) to just name some!
Not all listed above are my cup of tea but still all put out good albums and many were anticipated. Almost all were very well received and were quite notable ****that produced songs we still commonly hear today some 14 years later in which basically everyone knows!
This year we get Ryan Adams, Cold Play, Lucida Williams, and Hanna Montanna... that's sort of a "big whoop" to me. In 14 years, as in comparison from 1994 until now, nobody will give a hoot about these artists, nor will you hear their music because it just isn't top notch and has no staying power. Saying you will still hear them and people will still care by then is fooling yourself. You won't hear Ryan Adams or Lil Wayne on the radio in 14 years (certainly not that radio play means it's better but it does mean those songs stood the test of time to a strong degree) and they will be long forgotten by then. Consumers, the press, and the general public ( and realistically most, if not all of us) will not care to hear them in 14 years either, much less remember them and their quality output released this year... because it simply isn't that "quality" so to speak. The products these artists have released this year and the artists themselves aren't good enough to have any real staying power as the groups of yesteryear did, and many of those artists from yesteryear are still being played on the radio and on home stereo's alike as well as they are releasing good stuff people now that folks are willing to buy today.
That is the difference to me. Today's output is simply weak compared to yesteryear. If you feel that this years releases can compare and will be notable, as well as will still be substantially played 15 years from now I gotta say your only fooling yourself
Ian
Ian, you need to give yourself an education in music. Sure I agree Coldplay or Hannah Montana will be nothing but a footnote like Duran Duran and Debbie Gibson are now, but Ryan Adams could endure. He's put out maybe too many albums for his own good since emerging, but has been very intriguing for the most part. He could become a respected cult artist in the rock world one day that got ignored in his time, say like the Replacements of the 80s became (even better than Adams and one of the last great rock bands for me).
And please tell me you're not very familiar with Lucinda Williams. I hope that excuses you passing her off. She is one artist who we will look back on as one of the era's finest writers. Sure, she's 55 and has been at recording for 30 years but it wasn't till 1988 that she got going with a major label and only released 3 albums in the following 12 years. Since then though, she's put out 4 and all have been at least quite good. Her first three might be her best (Lucinda Williams-1988, Sweet Old World-1992 and the masterpiece Car Wheels on a Gravel Road-1998, one of the top 5 best albums of the 90s IMO).
If they are considered "acquired tastes" then count me in as one who has acquired the taste and it doesn't take long. Essence is a bit weary for me, but West and World Without Tears grew on me and I can't wait to hear her newest. Lucinda will be in the R&R hall if there's any justice... but Jann Wenner n' co. are usually ignorant to artists without commercial impact. By then, she'll probably be a rockin' granny too. I think you make a good point about the quality of major label releases being so shoddy, but these labels have plumbed the bottom of the barrel for acts lately, especially in rock. How else do you explain acts like Nickelback, Kid Rock, Cold-gay and a ton of identical EMO bands ruling the rock charts?
P.S. Oh and check out Kings of Leon. They're not too underground and still kick some ass.
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Quality Output is at an all time low ....from Ian (Read 5,352 times)
