What Killed Rock Music ???

Robert Herndon said:
I grew up being forced to listen to and perform country music. I earned my first paycheck, in Mom's country band, being paid as a BMI recording artist in 1978 at the age of 14. Rock-N-Roll (modern for the time) was "The Devil's Music" and was forbidden at home. I kept a Walkman and box of cassette tapes hidden the loft of the barn. I still like some traditional - real- country music from the old days, but largely I hate ANY music that doesn't rock. There are classic songs from the 1970's and 1980's that - to this day - I have never heard all the way through because either the first few measures of the music bored me to death, or i found the singer's voice repulsive/annoying.

In 2003, I was offered the lead guitar spot in Yoakham's band and flat turned it down because I have no desire to play music that I don't absolutely love, regardless of how much money may or may not be involved.

I won't own or play an acoustic guitar. I just don't put any effort into things I don't love, so music is really easy for me... :)

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Robert! Geez, just to think that I could have seen you on stage with Dwight in Vegas @2004! I caught his show there when Celine Dion cancelled due to a cold. Wife was really upset, but we had a backup plan. :)
 
Gahr said:
While I certainly don't think rock is dead, Shreddy has some good points here. The industry has changed a lot, and bands don't necessarily get the same breaks these days. Record sales are lower, and record companies are VERY picky. There are tons of bands from the 60s 70s and 80s that would not have got the same deals today.

Another thing I think actually plays a part is social media and how freely information flows these days. A lot of the mystique around stars has been lost after the rise of the internet and social media. Everyone "knows" everything about everyone. When I was a kid the rock bands we loved were all larger than life, much because information about them was very restricted. We were lucky to see a few pictures or read an article in a music magazine every three months, and if we were really lucky we'd see them on tv every now and then. Now, everything is there; every performance, every interview, every blunder, every success, is there at the click of a mouse button. The stars of old lived in a mysterious world of glamour, excess, parties, money, good times and sex. All the things that we as kids thought we wanted and considered to be the true meaning of life. (Just think of all the absolutely INSANE stories that were told about Kiss. I remember a friend of mine telling me, with great sincerity and conviction, that some of the women depicted on the cover of "Love Gun" were dead because Paul Stanley had f***ed them to death! The fact that the cover is a drawing didn't matter...) Now the stars better behave, or else they will be busted. Not that they necessarily behave that differently from the heros of old at all times, but the mystique, the allure of the stars is gone. My kids have different heros. Whether this is good or bad is an entirely different discussion, but I don't see rock as being larger than life to the same extent as before.
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Extremely well stated, Gahr. I had never contemplated this issue in the way you explained it. Thanks!
 
Goldmember said:
Robert! Geez, just to think that I could have seen you on stage with Dwight in Vegas @2004! I caught his show there when Celine Dion cancelled due to a cold. Wife was really upset, but we had a backup plan. :)
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LOL!!! Yes!!! Word is the very capable Keith Gattis got the spot...
 
I'm fascinated and equally depressed by the revelation that social media, e-commerce, and our culture's resulting expectations of instant gratification,
for all its good, could very well stifle and kill the creative process and evolution of a band.
 
Robert Herndon said:
LOL!!! Yes!!! Word is the very capable Keith Gattis got the spot...
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I can't remember which casino hosted his concert, but it was during the Blame the Vain tour. My favorite moment in the concert was
when Dwight needed to retune his acoustic, and rather than taking a newly tuned back up from his roadie (who came out immediately,
holding out the replacement), he pulled up a stool and tuned his main guitar while talking to us, his audience. Very down to earth.
 
Chris Cornell had a great voice and I own his 1968 Marshall Super Tremolo 100 that he recorded most of Soundgarden CD's on.

Funny my wife was friends with Joe Walsh total snowflake long story short Joe asked me what I thought of his new CD sounds like Pro Tool's crap. How could you tell I'm a drummer.

One thing Joe did was give me a referral to my favorite guitarist of all time. I got a phone call after my wife's death he had me design two one of a kind amps and service his other gear
I'm under contract no to mention names but when I was home he would call 3-5 times per week and ask how I was doing. At the end of it we played the music game play something we have
never played before I played drums what fun. The point is I know deep down what we played that day could hit the music charts.
 
WOW Gball, While I wasn't a Terp, my girlfriend's son is and is a PHD student and employee of UMD.
Smitty, I wonder if your boys know or can figure out who he is if I post his name.
 
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