Posted on 03/25/2017 10:13:00 AM PDT by Mariner
For music fans, the recent flood of celebrity deaths has been overwhelming: David Bowie, Glenn Frey, Prince, Leonard Cohen, George Michael and Chuck Berry seem like a disproportionate number of superstars to lose in a short time span.
But with many of rock’s founding fathers and mothers reaching their 70s, the end of the age of rock ’n’ roll is just beginning. While every generation bemoans the passing of its great artists, the outsize influence of rock promises to have a profound impact on popular culture and overall music-industry sales.
Of the 25 artists with the highest record sales in the U.S. since 1991, when reliable data first became available, just one—Britney Spears—is under 40, Nielsen data show. Nineteen of the 25 are over 50 years old.
(Excerpt) Read more at wsj.com ...
“There is nothing wrong with modern music, and it is a vastly better time for music lovers than the sixties....”
Yeah... RIGHT (insert eye-roll here).
"Rock and roll was indeed an extension of what was going on – the big swinging bands – Ray Noble, Will Bradley, Glenn Miller, I listened to that music before I heard Elvis Presley. But rock and roll was high energy, explosive and cut down," says Dylan in the most extensive answer of the 8,000-word interview. "It was skeleton music, came out of the darkness and rode in on the atom bomb and the artists were star headed like mystical Gods. Rhythm and blues, country and western, bluegrass and gospel were always there – but it was compartmentalized – it was great but it wasn’t dangerous. Rock and roll was a dangerous weapon, chrome plated, it exploded like the speed of light, it reflected the times, especially the presence of the atomic bomb which had preceded it by several years. Back then people feared the end of time. The big showdown between capitalism and communism was on the horizon. Rock and roll made you oblivious to the fear, busted down the barriers that race and religion, ideologies put up. We lived under a death cloud; the air was radioactive. There was no tomorrow, any day it could all be over, life was cheap. That was the feeling at the time and I’m not exaggerating."
What is your definition of plenty?
Rock drummers must be in tip top shape. Distance runner shape.
Boston’s drummer just died on stage this last week. He was 67. Heart attack.
Ginger baker, in his mid-seventies can’t even practice. He is racked by arthritis.
Eric Clapton, disabled by some inflammatory ailment, is giving his final concerts over the next couple of weeks before permanent retirement.
Even Lars Ulrich says he won’t last much longer as the demands of live concerts may be more than he can handle, and he runs 1/2 marathons.
Good on you for remembering the Master of Space and Time.
I knew Freddie Mercury was gay when I first heard "Killer Queen."
I think it’s time for us all to start considering what sort of world we’re going to leave to Keith Richards.
“Everyone will sit and watch a two hour movie, hardly anyone will sit and listen to a 40 minute album.”
So true.
When I got seriously in to music at around 12 or 13 I’d sit alone and listen to both sides of a record. It was great. Nearly forty years later, there are so many distractions it’s tough.
Long drives can be great to really get into music, if the damn phone would stop buzzing and ringing.
Leon Russell died? I didn't know that.......or maybe I did at the time but have forgotten. I forget a lot of things these days.
With that being said, whenever I hear the name Leon Russell I automatically think of Lee Michaels and John Mayall from the exact same era..........
Good one.
Phil Collins can’t drum anymore because of his ailments, and he hadn’t even been the full-time live drummer for Genesis since he replaced Peter Gabriel.
My definition of “plenty” does not involve sitting passively waiting for the radio gods to bestow a “hit” upon me to run out and buy. There are multiple ways of being exposed to music that may suit your tastes as you define them, and you’ll find a great deal of talent out there that you’ve never heard of. But, you’ve got to trust your own judgment, Dick Clark isn’t around anymore to tell you.
About as much mystery there as Elton John. But, regarding Rob Halford of Judas Priest, for crying out loud he looked like he’d been sent from central casting for the Village People, lol.
I discovered Lee Michaels while living in San Diego in ‘68 going to various Navy schools. There was a superb FM station, KPRI, that would play entire albums in the wee hours and I first heard Michaels around 3 AM. Radio like that doesn’t exist anymore.
Yes it does, it’s just not “radio” as you understood it anymore. There has been an explosion of specialized music outlets via online streaming, as obscure or offbeat as you want if that’s what floats your boat. The music industry has fragmented into a million pieces and that’s not been an entirely bad thing.
When I was teaching HS (public) from 1978-2008, I would play music on a nice stereo (XM) to fill the time and the silence while they worked on exams, or memorizing maps or on other projects, and the only thing the whole room could ever agree on hearing was either a) classical, or b) classic rock.
“Boston’s drummer just died on stage this last week. He was 67. Heart attack.”
I didn’t know that. Damn, how terrible. Although he did go out doing his craft, but sad.
For me the first two Boston albums were in a class by themselves. I’d play them at max and it was euphoric. Still is.
And yes drummers: Neil Peart wrote about his workout routine in prep for a tour, was quite serious.
A new documentary came out last fall about Rush and it was shown at theaters nationwide for a couple days. Was great, of course.
Peart motorcycles between venues and on the last tour he rode in rain got his feet wet had massive infections on both feet but finished the tour. Someone commented he was in agony playing the second half of the tour.
All three members of Rush are consummate professionals.
Thanks for posting this thread!
He also mentioned, reverentially, Merle Haggard and Leon Russell.
Yep, “Hell Bent for Leather” should have been the first clue.
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