Songwriting

[LouieB]

I'm willing to give the Beatles a lot of credit for popularizing the idea that artists can/should write their own songs -- they certainly managed to convince their record company of that, and the Stones and Kinks and others soon followed suit -- but I can't believe this thread has gotten this far without anyone mentioning the late, great Charles Hardin Holley.

 

Nice horn rims.....how contemporary......

 

And by the same token Hank Williams wrote many of his own songs too. (In fact many country artists from the classic eras (the 20s-60s) wrote their own material.) Throughout the entire history of show biz there have been singers who have written their own songs. But let's not forget (I said this already) that the Beatles, Stones, et al where essentially cover bands in their early days. We are all better off (or maybe not) that artists write their own material.

 

While the singersongwriter era clearly has changed the dynamics of what we want from performers, it also put alot of really fine songwriters out of business as well. Songwriters and song pluggers were part of the equation in the past (along with sheet music publishers and salespeople) and are far far less so now.

 

LouieB

[dazzler]

Let's not forget that covering other peoples songs can be an art in itself. Taking someone elses words and transforming them into your own voice and feelings is difficult to do well (just watch 5 min. of American Idol). Some artists have crafted fine and illustrious careers from singing well written songs. One of my favorites, Emmylou Harris, is as big a supporter of songwriters and their art as you will find. It is nice to see her doing some of her own writing these days.

[LouieB]

Let's not forget that covering other peoples songs can be an art in itself. Taking someone elses words and transforming them into your own voice and feelings is difficult to do well (just watch 5 min. of American Idol). Some artists have crafted fine and illustrious careers from singing well written songs. One of my favorites, Emmylou Harris, is as big a supporter of songwriters and their art as you will find. It is nice to see her doing some of her own writing these days.

Well said and point well taken. I have to admit, I think Emmylou's songs are weak (although stronger when aided by the McGarrigles who are great songwriters). But the tradition of covering songs helped catapult many a fine songwriter's career back in the 60s. If not for Judy Collins, Joan Baez, Tom Rush, etc, many of whom we think of as great singersongwriters (Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Jackson Browne, Joni Mitchell, etc. etc.) may never have seen the light of day. Likewise Emmylou did the same for more people than we can possibly name.

 

LouieB

[Analogman]

Let's not forget that covering other peoples songs can be an art in itself. Taking someone elses words and transforming them into your own voice and feelings is difficult to do well (just watch 5 min. of American Idol).

 

 

That's becasue those people are more plastic than plastic. What a crock of crap - you go on TV and sing a song and you become the next one hit wonder.

[LouieB]

After being slightly nice to contemporary country music I switched over to the CMA awards a bit last night and frankly I am sorry I said ANYTHING nice about these guys. Everything I saw and heard was dreadful.

 

But strangely enough I have been reading (and finished) Dave Van Ronk's book "The Mayor of MacDougal Street" and what he has to say in chapter 14 about the New Song Revolution is relevant. He wonders why anyone would want to write a song that others wouldn't sing and as mentioned here praises those who "cover"others songs because that is an art in itself. Frankly the entire book is worth reading, it goes quickly and what he has to say about the "folk music scare", the various stages of the folk music revival (the 40s-60s and beyond) is very interesting. I highly recommend the book.

 

LouieB

[rghammo]

After being slightly nice to contemporary country music I switched over to the CMA awards a bit last night and frankly I am sorry I said ANYTHING nice about these guys. Everything I saw and heard was dreadful.

 

And how did you feel the last time you watched the MTV music awards? Popular music is pretty bad, on the whole. That is true for all genres.

 

I'm not sure if it was always true though. When I think about what music I listen to from the '60s and '70s, most of it was popular then (e.g. Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Rolling Stones). (There are obvious exceptions: Big Star). But, I'm too young to say that back in the good ol' days the rule was that good music made it to the radio while now it is the exception for good music to make it to the radio. I don't really know if there has been a decline in the quality of music on the radio and if so, when it happened. I think the radio plays a very different role in today's music industry than it once did.

 

I must need to go to graduate school to study the music industry because I think these are all fascinating questions.

[LouieB]

And how did you feel the last time you watched the MTV music awards? Popular music is pretty bad, on the whole. That is true for all genres.

 

I'm not sure if it was always true though. When I think about what music I listen to from the '60s and '70s, most of it was popular then (e.g. Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Rolling Stones). (There are obvious exceptions: Big Star). But, I'm too young to say that back in the good ol' days the rule was that good music made it to the radio while now it is the exception for good music to make it to the radio. I don't really know if there has been a decline in the quality of music on the radio and if so, when it happened. I think the radio plays a very different role in today's music industry than it once did.

 

I must need to go to graduate school to study the music industry because I think these are all fascinating questions.

I don't have cable and so i miss the MTV crapola. But yea, I agree that the bulk of what is popular music these days on the commercial radio is only slightly better than what is sold on the contemporary country radio.

 

I did grow up during the good old days and it was pretty amazing, since the top 40 did play a wide variety of stuff, rock, soul, crossover country and all sorts of groovy stuff, along with a pretty good dose of dreck (which is now considered okay with time). Early FM was also great. You could hear all kinds of great stuff on it, sometimes late at night.

 

I am not sure you need to go ot graducate school. I just read American Popular Music Business in the 20th Century" by Russsell and David Sanjek. It took me months because it is pretty dense stuff, but well worth the time.

 

I took issue a few days ago with the statement that indie rock is the only place that innovation in music is occuring. I still think that is an overstatement and feel that all kinds of innovation is taking place in niche markets, but at this point mainstream popular music may be at its lowest ebb ever. Also a good book, but slightly out of date now is "the Rise and Fall of Popular Music" by Donald Clarke. I have recommended that for years. It is a great overview of the music side of 20th (and earlier) century popular music.

 

LouieB