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Re: Re: Why does mainstream seem more like , downstream these days?
- To: Petri Lahtinen <aikuinen@gmail.com>
- From: Rick Walker <looppool@cruzio.com>
- Subject: Re: Re: Why does mainstream seem more like , downstream these days?
- Date: Mon, 14 Feb 2011 14:40:46 -0800
On 7/22/64 11:59 AM, Petri Lahtinen wrote:
> Latest love of mine was Rihanna's "Man down".
>
> I've always loved Meredith Monk, Nat King Cole, GG Allin, Exploited,
> Dark Angel etc.
>
> I've never seen the reason to diverse the streams.
>
> There's something good in every stream.
>
> -Petri-
I'm with you there, Petri.
This is what I've come to believe. If you go to any music genre'
section at a record store these days,
at least 95% of it runs from just mediocre to utter crap. If you
research, ask around, listen to radio
or even just stumble onto something, 5% of the music out there is
pretty good to fantastic.
Of course, everyone has aesthetics so we may miss some of the good music
out there.
I just don't love bluegrass and mainstream country as an example, so I
probably miss a lot of good music
because I just don't put the energy into finding the 5% that is awesome
in those fields, but I know
it's out there.
My first professional gig of my life as a drummer was with a country
band. At the time
I thought I hated country music but the guys I played with were such
good musicians and they were so
intelligent and kind that they turned my head around about that large
style. I saw a Barbara Walters
special where she asked Dolly Parton in her trailer (getting ready to
put on her overblown, glitzy shows
with a huge band) if she ever just let her hair down and played guitar
with no accompaniment. Dolly
said, 'sure, I always write my songs with just a guitar" and she sat
down and played "Jolene" and
"Coat of Many Colors" with her impossibly long fake fingernails in front
of Barbara Walters. It was
just stunning and beautiful. I went out and bought a Dolly Parton's
greatest hits album at the
end of that first summer of my professional drumming career. I still
have it to this day on vinyl.
That's my formula "5% in all genres of music is excellent." We just
need to ferret it out.
rick walker