[Dixielandjazz] Big Business Sucking The Life Out Of Art

Mon Oct 29 11:14:55 PDT 2007

Bob -- I am thinking even more specifically of the garbage that big business 
is
palming off on the American public as music.\
__________________________________
LW --I remember the exact same statement being made in the 50's when rock 
started.  The only difference between the 50's and earlier, was that the 
DJ's got caught with their hands in the Payola jar.
_______________________________________
Bob > They took someone with absolutely no talent as a singer, took him into 
a
> recording studio.  When they got through doing pitch correction, adding 
> reverb, music, background singers, etc.  He sounded just like any of the 
> other so-called recording stars who are popular today.

Remember when pedals of various kinds came out for guitars like the fuzz box 
and the wah wah pedal?  All of a sudden it became a fad and even to this day 
various gimmicks are used to cover up poor musicianship.  What about taking 
out a clunker or squeak from an 18 track recording before mixing? is that 
OK?  What about overdubbing a part because someone didn't come in exactly 
right or taking the first half of this cut and splicing it onto the last 
half of that cut?  What about click tracks?  Is that cheating?

There are a thousand tricks and techniques to make less than perfect 
performances, perfect.  That's why they offer college degrees in this now.

Live performances often have glitches that just don't become apparent or 
objectionable until you hear them six or seven times on a recording.  The 
ear is forgiving but recordings aren't.

I think that the worst thing about "perfect" recordings is that becomes the 
norm and anything less isn't acceptable.  This can have an effect on young 
people trying to learn how to play instruments.  It certainly has an effect 
when we listen to a live performance and hear a glitch.  We write off that 
performer as bad and that's too bad.  My hair starts to stand on end when I 
hear a H.S. or amateur choir sing and the pitch starts to wander yet I know 
those kids are doing the best they know how to do.

Everyone has a desire for perfection (except in other people :).  I like to 
think that music is God's way of letting us know we aren't perfect and have 
to try just a little harder next time.
Larry
StL

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Robert S. Ringwald" <robert at ringwald.com>
To: "Larry Walton" <larrys.bands at charter.net>
Cc: "Dixieland Jazz Mailing List" <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Saturday, October 27, 2007 9:30 PM
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Big Business Sucking The Life Out Of Art

>I am the one who started this Thread.
>
> Even though I don't think I mentioned it specifically, I was speaking of 
> music.
>
> I was curious to see if anyone would come up with the same answer as I 
> did.
>
> A couple listmates kind of did but never really stated it.
>
> IMHO, there is one answer -- MONEY.  As simple as that.
>
> I am thinking even more specifically of the garbage that big business is 
> palming off on the American public as music.
>
> They develop a star for just as long as they can eek every little bit of 
> money out of he/her and then discard them like an old rag.
>
> Very few of these artists (musicians or singers) have any lasting power. 
> Sure, a very few do, but, on the overall scale of things,  not many.
>
> I have mentioned this before:  A few months ago on TV, I watched a show 
> where they demonstrated what they could do in a recording studio with 
> modern technology.
>
> They took someone with absolutely no talent as a singer, took him into a 
> recording studio.  When they got through doing pitch correction, adding 
> reverb, music, background singers, etc.  He sounded just like any of the 
> other so-called recording stars who are popular today.
>
> You call that art???
>
> --Bob Ringwald K6YBV
> 530/642-9551
> 916/806-9551 Cell
> www.ringwald.com
> Fulton Street Jazz Band
>
> "If you think health care is expensive now,
> wait until you see what it costs when it's free"!
> --P.J. O'Rourke
>
>
>
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