What music are you listening to?

[marshlander]

Hi @InbetweenDreams... hope it was tastee!

One of the things I like about the 60s - it was all about the musical ability/talent and less about image!  A lot of the acts wouldn't stand a chance these days because of the way they looked!

I'm not convinced this is strictly true. I think many people would be very surprised to find out how many so-called musicians didn't actually play on their records in the 60s ... including some very well-known ones. Anyone know Clem Cattini? Probably not many, but he was a jobbing session muso who went from studio to studio and played on forty-three number one singles. I've been fortunate enough to chat to him about his life a few times - lovely bloke, although his age and arthritis means he no longer plays.

I also think the standard of musicianship is generally higher these days, although there would appear to be less innovation. One downside of better instrumental teaching has been more of a homogeneity in stylistic expression.

I would agree that there is now probably more of a focus of style over content, but that does not mean style was absent in the 60s. After all in London alone there were the mods (who had to sport a different look every week - "... one week he's in polka dots, the next week he's in stripes 'cos he's a dedicated follower of fashion ..." as The Kinks rightly sang), Carnaby Street, all the places and people associated with "swinging London". The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Johnny Kidd and the Pirates (one of the bands Clem played in), The Pretty Things, The Jimi Hendrix Experience etc ad nauseam all had an image and dressed to that (or those) images. There were also many sub-cultural fashions throughout the decade which were promoted through some of the music. The ones that have lasted tended also to have the musical chops to back it up ... though not always.  

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Hi @InbetweenDreams... hope it was tastee!

One of the things I like about the 60s - it was all about the musical ability/talent and less about image!  A lot of the acts wouldn't stand a chance these days because of the way they looked!

I'm not convinced this is strictly true. I think many people would be very surprised to find out how many so-called musicians didn't actually play on their records in the 60s ... including some very well-known ones. Anyone know Clem Cattini? Probably not many, but he was a jobbing session muso who went from studio to studio and played on forty-three number one singles. I've been fortunate enough to chat to him about his life a few times - lovely bloke, although his age and arthritis means he no longer plays.

I also think the standard of musicianship is generally higher these days, although there would appear to be less innovation. One downside of better instrumental teaching has been more of a homogeneity in stylistic expression.

I would agree that there is now probably more of a focus of style over content, but that does not mean style was absent in the 60s. After all in London alone there were the mods (who had to sport a different look every week - "... one week he's in polka dots, the next week he's in stripes 'cos he's a dedicated follower of fashion ..." as The Kinks rightly sang), Carnaby Street, all the places and people associated with "swinging London". The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Johnny Kidd and the Pirates (one of the bands Clem played in), The Pretty Things, The Jimi Hendrix Experience etc ad nauseam all had an image and dressed to that (or those) images. There were also many sub-cultural fashions throughout the decade which were promoted through some of the music. The ones that have lasted tended also to have the musical chops to back it up ... though not always.  

I did go on to develop this argument but lost it somewhere in the editing process, but it was something to do with bands moving on as sartorial and musical fashions changed. Simon Dupree and the Big Sound did not look the same when they became Gentle Giant. That most iconic of mod groups, The Small Faces looked very different from their beginnings through flower power and into the bands they split off into - The Faces (with Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood as replacement members for Steve Marriott), Humble Pie and Slim Chance.

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All right I give up! I've messed up the editing on two posts now.

Andy, it would be helpful if there were obvious options to edit, re-edit and delete our own posts.

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Oh yes, I also mentioned The Move who used to wear suits and smash televisions on stage with a sledgehammer and who looked very different when they split off into The Electric Light Orchestra and later Wizzard.