The final nail in the coffin of British youth culture

[JSW]

Damn, how could I forget The Smiths? Yes they were an explosion alright, Johnny Marrs guitar work was just extraordainary, finger picking, Rock? ehh!!? Combined with Morrisseys truly gorgeous use of the English Language, and epic stage presence ... truly a great band.

The Cure, Bunnymen, New Order, I guess so-so, did some good stuff on occasion ... the rest, a bit meh in all honesty, nothing to get all excited about.

Skip back to the 60's though, and that's a totally different story, it's 50 years this year since Hendrix recorded Little Wing, still the finest 2m 26s ever recorded, IMO.

And we won't get into the rest of the 60's.

 

[MrTeroo]

I agree, plenty in the 60's and 70's too, which is exactly my point.

 

[JSW]

That there was an explosion in the late 70's early 80's? There wasn't. Mid 80's we had grunge, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden (God rest ye CC, hell of a voice), That's as close as you'll get.

 

[MrTeroo]

No, that the music scene for kids in the uk now is the poorest it has been for 50+ years

 

[JSW]

Yeah that's a given, and I personally blame the ******* talent shows on TV for that, Britains got Talent? I think that answers itself, bunch of worthless twonks bulling themselves up with pity stories.

 

[JSW]

On a lighter note: My 19y/o son comes around every Sunday for a decent meal (lives with his Mum, ahem), and took up the guitar about 9 months ago. I used to play, gig occasionally, and still will have a plunk on the ol' fender acoustic once in awhile.
From the very outset, it was Norwegian Wood and Hide your Love away (Beatles) he wanted to learn, and did so remarkably easily, then the aforementioned Little Wing, that one's a work in progress.
Johnny Cash? tick! House of the Rising Sun? (picking) tick! Today he came in and asked if I knew any John Martyn, ohh buddy, have I got a treat in store for you was the answer.

 

[MrTeroo]

Some happy times ahead for you

 

[JSW]

Yeah but the point being, and referring back to the topic title .. I'm not so sure it is the final nail in the coffin? I have a suspicion that todays youth (specifically 16+, let's say) have a far more vested interest in past music than they do current? I also think that a (one of many, not the only one) catalyst was the phenomenal success of the Awesome Mix Vol. 1 soundtrack for Guardians of the Galaxy, but thats just my suspicion.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

No, that the music scene for kids in the uk now is the poorest it has been for 50+ years

I agree totally. I think maybe it's because in the past no matter what type of music you were involved in you effectively had a time served apprenticeship, whereas now with a pretty face and Simon Cowell throwing a few £million behind you you've made tens of millions in your first year year. Reminds me of the story about the guy going to the agents office telling him he he just written the next number one and the agent pointing at banks of filing cabinets telling him they were all full of number ones, he just needed the faces to go with them. The bay City Rollers were probably at the beginning of the end. :lol:

 

[MrTeroo]

The bay City Rollers were probably at the beginning of the end. :lol:

What's wrong with you!

Have you forgotten Shang a Lang? (hammer)

 

[MrTeroo]

The bay City Rollers were probably at the beginning of the end. :lol:

Reminds me of a stag night I went on in the early 90's in London.

My friend told the bar staff in a hip pub that I was Woody from the Bay City Rollers.

A few autograph signings later we all had a free round of drinks.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

The Bay City Rollers were probably at the beginning of the end. :lol:

What's wrong with you!

Have you forgotten Shang a Lang? (hammer)

Unfortunately not.

 

[DoctorWibble]

...... the music scene for kids in the uk now is the poorest it has been for 50+ years

TBH what you're likely noticing is that as you get older YOU lose touch with most that isn't mainstream. Its unavoidable.

Having kids of a certain age helps. Mine like bashment, and endless variants of something called trap. That sentence though is at least a year out of date and so likely ancient musical history. There are so many genres of music these days each university holiday they come back with a new one I've never heard of.

Seems little of this gets aired on the radio. Mostly shared as MP3 and promoted through clubs and festivals attended by the under 25s often in places as far away as Croatia. Anyway I've really enjoyed the music these past few years and am making the most of it while I can. Soon my kids will be too old themselves. And they too will start moaning about music today not being as good or not as varied as it used to be.

And no doubt they'll be wrong too.

 

[whiskywill]

When I were a lad there was a thriving British music scene. Now our spotty youths are spoon fed warm diarrhea in the form of rehashed American music.

Don't get me wrong. American music is fine if you are an American, but not relevent to our culture.

If you are so much against the American cr*p, why do you use the American spelling?

 

[MrTeroo]

It's a pedant trap. Get in the van!

 

[MrTeroo]

Having kids of a certain age helps. Mine like bashment, and endless variants of something called trap. That sentence though is at least a year out of date and so likely ancient musical history. There are so many genres of music these days each university holiday they come back with a new.

Bashment - Ragga
Trap - Hip Hop

No brave new world for UK youth culture there I'm afraid.

 

[MrTeroo]

All of these imported musical genres are great but my old git rant concerns the lack of indiginous genres.

Merseybeat
Heavy metal
Glam rock
Prog Rock
Punk Rock (a uk phenomenon, save your breath)
New Wave / Indie
Britpop


To name some of them.

We gave the world all of his music and enjoyed the surrounding youth culture that accompanied it.

A blind man could see that in this case the old days were better.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Britpop is good one to forget. Damon Albarn (and probably Jarvis Cocker) has more talent in his nail trimmings than both Gallaghers have in the whole of their beings. Oasis were nothing more than a second rate John Lennon tribute band.

 

[DoctorWibble]

Most of those on your list aren't really genres. Brit pop is music marketing wibble. As was Glam rock and Merseybeat.

Your list spans 30 years but only includes three things that could actually be called a genre and they were either the horrible things that happen when old bands aren't forced into retirement (Progrock or Paul Weller) or weren't solely British (punk) New wave was 'merican. Indie is just new wave without the new.

None of the significant musical genres were British. Blues, jazz, R&B, soul, funk, reggae, dub, disco, hip-hop, electronic. All American or Jamaican. or German or multinational. And you can add to that list techniques like dub, DJ, mixing, sampling etc none of which originated in the UK.

You're comparing a myopic view of the present with an inaccurate rose tinted view of the past.

 

[DoctorWibble]

Having kids of a certain age helps. Mine like bashment, and endless variants of something called trap. That sentence though is at least a year out of date and so likely ancient musical history. There are so many genres of music these days each university holiday they come back with a new.

Bashment - Ragga
Trap - Hip Hop

No brave new world for UK youth culture there I'm afraid.

Bashment = dancehall.
Trap is more EDM than hip hop. With drops.

Me thinks Mr Treoo is trying too hard to provoke a debate. Trolling as it used to be known, Or else is offering a demonstration of the old adage that the less you know the stronger your opinions.