That is complete and utter nonsense... Beatles just took black music and whitened it like Elvis... No George Martin, no Beatles (who had little musical knowledge)...
They noticeably started their innovations with Rubber Soul, then stepped it up with Revolver, then came Sgt. Pepper, and the stage was set for others to do breakout music.
I'm a big Beatles fan but you're comment is off. Many bands were influenced by the Fab Four (just like they were influenced by so many) but they still wouldn't have existed. And, you seem to be leaving out/ignoring all of the R&B, Soul and even disco bands-who were not influenced by the Beatles.
@@bluzedoggso true, pretty much anything off of The White album sounded like label contract filler. Their delivery schedule of songs to their record label was very aggressive.
I'll take the White Album over virtually any other rock/pop album ever made myself. It's so diverse and creative that dismissing the whole thing this way rather diminishes your argument. Now if you want to diss Don't Pass Me By or Savoy Truffle or Cry Baby Cry - that's fair enough.
Well put...just spend a few minutes on FB watching all the cell phone addicts post meaningless nonsense/photos of themselves playing with a wild animal or whatever.
“Our purpose is greatness. Not ego gratification.” I love it. Little Steven perfectly distills the meaning of art and of life. We’ve entered an age where the individual can isolate himself from the “interference” of others to create music the way he wants it to be using programs he can control, without having to “compromise” anything. And this might seem like perfect freedom. But in fact, that isolation limits us in ways we cannot perceive. We cannot reach our fullest creative potential without the input and engagement of others. The “compromises” Little Steven talks about, like relinquishing some control of our creative vision to others who might contribute or suggest changes, is very uncomfortable. But that’s what makes greatness happen. Reminds me of a similar quote from Pope Benedict XVI, “The world offers you comfort. But you were not made for comfort. You were made for greatness.”
Sometimes singer songwriters have to do what they have to do,in my own case the band I was trying to make it with ended so I just kept writing and taping my songs on my own on my four track cassette recorder and one day I decided to put my songs out on You Tube on my wife's channel,I didn't want my songs to never ever be heard,songs that were never meant to be records,they were just me recording what I had written and some of it ended up being not bad,crude and raw for sure but it's the best I could do under the circumstances and I'm actually getting a few views so people seem to be liking what I've done,it's a little Beatley I guess because the Beatles were such a huge influence on me and yes it would have been nice to have super talents like George Martin and others helping out during my recordings but then again some of us just don't have that luxury,you do the best you can do under the circumstances. Bob
Steve tells the truth. John and Paul, for example, were not educated people but read a lot of books. They went to galleries and cinema. They were immersed in the arts, and had the time to absorb things into their subconscious. That's where art comes from. Now, most people are preoccupied with their smartphones, social media, and streaming. It's not individuals that are corrupt. It's society.
And out of certain environments too,...the BAND rehearsing and recording in an unremarkable pink house in rural America away from the hustle and bustle of the big cities. The BEATLES testing out their songs at Georges house. MIKE OLDFIELD recording TUBULAR BELLS at a manor house in an English village. Then again, JOHN LENNON recording GIVE PEACE A CHANCE in a Montreal hotel room is a bedroom,...kind of worked there.
Writing a great song and making a great record are two different things. I agree with Steve. The song is a building block but input from the producer or band mates can sharpen the arrangement and improve the song. That is how a great song becomes a classic. I agree that input is vital and recording a song solo on your iPhone lacks that ingredient .
Good point. Although there can be a Boston who singlehandedly innovated both musically and technically alone in his basement, that is very much the exception
It's the songwriting. That's what it's all about. If you don't have a great song, nothing will make it better. No producing. No arranging. No recording. No musicianship. Nothing can make a lousy song great. Paul and John wrote like crazy since the ages of 15 and 17. And they threw out their bad songs, which were many. They kept the great ones. They had a brilliant sense of what would work, and were honest with themselves about what they made. And they were relentless. It is and always will be the songwriting that makes a great song. And that's what's elusive.
And McCartney did McCartney by himself. Sometimes all a great artist needs is themselves. Sometimes a great artist creates amazing stuff via collaboration. There's no strict rule
@@Matthew-ve7uv I don't think Stevie is saying no great DIY records have ever been made: he's saying it's a shame that's the default. Also, until I read the McCartney Legacy book by Allan Kozinn and Adrian Sinclair, I thought McCartney was Paul and his tape machine. All the big trscks on it Maybe I'm Amazed, Every Night etc were done in Morgan Studios or Abbey Road - with a team of engineers/tape ops etc. Im sure McCartney also got studio touch ups too.
He has it right. I think the digital tools, loops, samples etc have become too much of a crutch for today’s music creators. Gone are the days of great albums.
Steve is a very smart guy. DYI in almost every medium is the bane of our existence. As far as arrangers, Steve Van Zandt is an unsung master. Not just a guitar player. But for Van Zandt, Bruce Springsteen would not be the Boss. We remember Miami Steve, from his days getting big promotion from Kid Leo on Buzzard Radio WMMS. Great times.
I've had recording studios here in New Jersey since the 1980s. Call today's generation of music what is really is...."Dystopian". We've spoken about it's arrival for decades. It was right on time. I've watched generations of reaction channels come and go on UA-cam for years. It's like people seeing color or feelin warmth for the first time. "Why did they stop making such music, they ask? No soul?
Steve's right! So many people jump on a DIY idea thinking it will bring them money, fame and success. A cinematic example? Remember the Blair Witch Project? Suddenly, everyone with a camera was trying to emulate that found-footage film. Eilish and her brother make songs in her bedroom and EVERYBODY is doing their own DIY crap. Steve says mediocrity is the result of self-styled songsters. Agreed. There is a creative synergy when many talented minds work together to create anything.
Creative input is the key and in all my years of playing in bands, songwriting, recording, etc, there were great "players" and mediocre ones but when the rubber met the road, those with the most creativity, especially when it came to original material, were the most important who "made it happen". No group of musicians will ever match The Beatles because not only were they were creative geniuses, they were "soul mates" or "blood brothers", if you will. Glad to have grown up musically on their influence even though I never got "far" in that rough and tumble industry.
Joni Mitchell said in an interview, a few years ago, that the music business has always been run by crooks, but they used to be crooks that loved music.
The DIY mentality has infected our society. Everyone has somehow become convinced that they know everything and it's "my way or the highway." Nothing good can come from that. Anyone that played team sports understands how it works so well and feels so good.
There are of course earlier examples of masterful DIY albums, or what could pass for them, such as some by Todd Rundgren, Prince, Stevie Wonder and also Paul McCartney. Great achievements, but however talented and creative those artists are, I often had the idea of uniformity in those expressions, precisely because they kept so much in their own hands. Nevertheless, gems compared to much of the sameness that passes by today.
@@contecrayononpaper Yes - but could he have made it without the other "army of people" albums honing his craft first? Maybe, maybe not. That's what I like about music discussions: no right or wrong answers!
This guy likes to come over like a sage of rock n roll wisdom. His own records however don't bare this out. He's really a journalist who happens to play a bit of mediocre guitar and says the right things to stars.
The biggest artists today have an army behind them. It's the DIY artists that are making the best music today. Give me them over a Taylor Swift and artists that have 12 other songwriters on the credit any day.
I disagree almost entirely. Its not that arrangers and external resources are not needed, its just that increasingly those corporatised resources were abused to pretty-up crap. Nowadays educational establishments are stepping into the fray, supporting their alumni. Catalonia is a remarkable example with music colleges, their professors and ad hoc/post hoc educational organisations creating a rich and hugely nurturing loam from which truly original and multitalented composer/performers can sprout. Rita Payes (Tiny Desk) to see what a college education and enterprise (SAJB) can achieve.
We see the decline evident every year when there are no new good Christmas songs. And every year the same refrain of “it’s because there are so many good songs already”- as if that wasn’t the case in the past too.
Think of Eagles Hotel California, Moody Blues Nights in White Satin, Zepplin's Stairway to Heaven, Rush's Xanadu, Genesis Suppers Ready, etc. There are no songs like these today. There are quality musicians who cover these old bands, but nothing new is created unless it fits the autotuned back up dancer industry quick buck standard.
Great records are made by an army of people? Maybe when there was massive budgets for recording, but if you think since those budgets have shrung, no great records have been made, you're full of it. Even before that, there were a lot of great records produced on a smaller budget, with the bands or performers co-producing.
As wrighter composer french american mexican from classical to blues , rock , or french style I just can say than today music and the world are just mathematc,numeric whithout no more soul , peace love , money first money narcissist depravedly Dyonisiac 😂 happy new year bitcoins 😂!..
I totally agree. Music has always been a communal art form - until very recently. You need a like minded team around you to help create, and you actually do need an audience to reflect. This isolationism of the ‘i’ era is destroying the quality of songwriting and production.
There are people still doing it but the mainstream isn't. Do you know Louis Cole? If not, look up These Dreams are Killing Me, then go down the rabbit hole of him and his collaborators. Likewise, Jack Stratton, aka @vulfmon , founder of Vulfpeck. Check out his new album, Dot. It's full of well-written, group played bangers. Or even Silk Sonic! ua-cam.com/video/6pw_Wx7KpoU/v-deo.htmlsi=2LALvkN-VSq1tTmk
@ yup I’m a big Vulfpeck fan. They are the very definition of a musical team, the collaboration and cross pollination makes them bigger than the sum of their parts. I don’t mean to sound negative, there definitely is still quality out there, there’s just a lot to wade through to find it.
@@GarethThomasTunes Good work! Louis is the same. I wrote a blog on him recently. www.desburkinshaw.com/reviews/des-burkinshaw-on-louis-cole-and-genevieve-artadi
@@WithoutTheBeatles Louis is cool. Though I prefer a bit more space and understatement in music - Louis Cole is wonderfully ambitious. A bit like Knower. And a little like UMOs later albums.
I am afraid Steve is talking a load of bull. I am a 73 year old musician playing professionally for nearly 60 years here in Ireland. The main reason I am on now is because I heard Adele just singing "Take it easy on me" on the radio, new to me, so I went to you tube to check it out a live version. It knocked me for dead. Brilliant arrangement and brilliant performance by her. Every old codger like myself thinks the music of their generation was the best (age 17 to 35), but it is obviously untrue. When I play a gig I check out the demographics and play to the age group. Good music is a bit harder to find ok, but it is there. Country music seems to play now what I would consider the pop music of my day. The music industry was always two pronged, on the one side entertainment and the other side, music. Boy Bands are entertainment and The Killers are music. That is the way it has always been. Music never changes but styles do. That has been my mantra for the last 60 years.
@@WithoutTheBeatles But he says that kind of approach is gone. What I am trying to say is that it has not. Yes she had tremendous back up, producers, arrangers, musicians. I am listening to lots of modern acts with fantastic arrangements. As I have said we all like to think that the music of era was the best.
Not entirely true. Here's a playlist of genuinely good artists for you. Silk Sonic, Wasia Project, Vulfmon, Vulfpeck, Cory Wong, Jacob Collier, Louis Cole, Knower, Billie Eilish (at her best). These are all people writing great sings, with real instruments and soul. But top10 pop is awful, agreed.
It seems like the purpose of today's music is all ego and money driven. And it is so formulaic that nothing interesting gets created. At least not in popular music.
Love ya ' Stevie, but record company greed killed all of that. And the main reason why there is no "greatness", is because we know now, we have learned from history, that touring, is a blueprint for self destruction, and therefore unnatural. We got the message in "Turn The Page. We listened. Most long touring people die 10-20 before they should. We have also learned that music is not a business. Ticket pricing is broken for example. "Wings Of Pegasus" has shown us that almost everybody including Bryan Adams, Celine Dion, and even Taylor Swift are singing to a back up track. Is that "greatness" ? Of all the ones tested I think that it is only Adele that is not actually singing (*and I assume that authentic bands like Oasis and Bruce are included in this very short list). So $300 (or more) for someone that is lip sinching is another example of broken. "Greatness" is no longer the answer. Local grass roots IS now the answer. I have found local albums on par with "great" albums a few times in my life. And I do not need it to be liked by billions. HAPPY NEW YEAR ! .:)
Steven is wrong and he's right ... amazing records have been made without an Army of people and huge production. Sex Pistols debut is one of the greatest albums of all time ... and there are many others. What has proliferated mediocrity is Technology and the Music Industry itself.
@@WithoutTheBeatles It was not done with an ARMY of production and personnel ... the entire album was tracked by only TWO musicians ... Paul Cook on drums and Steve Jones played everything else. Lydon sang Vocals and that was it ...Sex Pistols entered Wessex Sound Studios to record with producer Chris Thomas and engineer Bill Price. THAT was it mate ... the Pistols were the very definition of the new era of DIY ethics ... ( P.S My fathers band were managed by Brian Epstein, some members playing on a variety of Beatles songs - and they toured with the Beatles as their only support act ) I see both sides of the discussion quite clearly.
"mediocrity" is being generous.....it implies that some or even most of today's music has redeeming qualities.....it doesn't and will be long forgotten.....there won't be cover bands playing any of today's "hits" in 50 years......they'll still be playing the Beatles.....
Times have changed and no one should know better than you about that. There is great music being made all the time. It's just not pop culture. Let's not forget that the Beatles also made a bunch of shitty music too.
Yep . I am a musician who has been forced into a D.I.Y. approach , because the Record Companies won't even listen . " No unsolicited material " . So , screw them . I do it myself .
Bullshit. Plenty striving for greatness. Sure there’s 1000x more mediocre cretins around, but there’s still the same amount, of not more kids who play ‘real’ music and are having a go.
I think what he's saying is, great records still get made, but the default is now to make records on a smaller scale. He's definitely not blaming artists for that.
@@Bluemusic66 If you listen to his whole interview, that is what he's saying though: it's not clickbait. He has his opinion about it which I partially agree with, but there is no doubt (Im a muso and a behind the camera music guy too) that the industry is not as well resourced. Projects are done quicker, with smaller teams. Plenty of good music being made every day but he is right too that one more great rock album just ain't required.
This is partially true but the main reason there's no more Great work is simply because it's all been done. As a species, we humans have achieved/accomplished all of the Great we'll ever know. In art and (other than computer-based technology) nothing new has come to be in decades; no new musical instruments, no new types of music, visual art... even the automobile; other than some "tweaking," it's the same thing it was when it was invented (1885); four wheels, a steering wheel and seats. Our creative minds reached its peak long ago. ...Hell, 1939 is considered to be the greatest single year ever for Filmmaking....it's downhill from here on kids....................
Listen to Steve's interview here. open.spotify.com/episode/4e6j3RVQ9TbZUNTYVPqdFV?si=uZ8I1K8zTX-El92qSvf65g
this is music to my ears - it needs saying - the industry has abandoned artists
More from Steve's interview here: ua-cam.com/video/nAIAxEVy0Ig/v-deo.htmlsi=yUJYLbteTOtdXjB7
There is great music being made all the time. It's just not pop culture.
Steve's got a great knowledge of music. He was Bruce's go to guy in the early days for arrangements
If you like any bands from the late 60's, 70's and even 80's, you need to understand that without the Beatles none of them would have existed.
That is complete and utter nonsense...
Beatles just took black music and whitened it like Elvis...
No George Martin, no Beatles (who had little musical knowledge)...
They noticeably started their innovations with Rubber Soul, then stepped it up with Revolver, then came Sgt. Pepper, and the stage was set for others to do breakout music.
@@RK-um9tuthanks for telling us of your gratuitous ignorance.
Yes :). @@Ornamentmountain
I'm a big Beatles fan but you're comment is off. Many bands were influenced by the Fab Four (just like they were influenced by so many) but they still wouldn't have existed. And, you seem to be leaving out/ignoring all of the R&B, Soul and even disco bands-who were not influenced by the Beatles.
Stevie: insightful, brilliant, and right on target…as always.
The Beatles were an army. They had a consistent group of people, from the very beginning, that helped the boys to achieved greatness in every way.
the Beatles also made a bunch of shitty music
@@bluzedogg name one song Nr, Deaf
@@bluzedoggso true, pretty much anything off of The White album sounded like label contract filler. Their delivery schedule of songs to their record label was very aggressive.
@@Totem360 You've described Exile on Main Street perfectly.
I'll take the White Album over virtually any other rock/pop album ever made myself. It's so diverse and creative that dismissing the whole thing this way rather diminishes your argument. Now if you want to diss Don't Pass Me By or Savoy Truffle or Cry Baby Cry - that's fair enough.
No one wants to be great any more period. They just want to be famous
Well put...just spend a few minutes on FB watching all the cell phone addicts post meaningless nonsense/photos of themselves playing with a wild animal or whatever.
Very clever, short and clear !
Thanks.
“Our purpose is greatness. Not ego gratification.”
I love it. Little Steven perfectly distills the meaning of art and of life.
We’ve entered an age where the individual can isolate himself from the “interference” of others to create music the way he wants it to be using programs he can control, without having to “compromise” anything. And this might seem like perfect freedom.
But in fact, that isolation limits us in ways we cannot perceive. We cannot reach our fullest creative potential without the input and engagement of others.
The “compromises” Little Steven talks about, like relinquishing some control of our creative vision to others who might contribute or suggest changes, is very uncomfortable. But that’s what makes greatness happen.
Reminds me of a similar quote from Pope Benedict XVI, “The world offers you comfort. But you were not made for comfort. You were made for greatness.”
open.spotify.com/episode/4e6j3RVQ9TbZUNTYVPqdFV?si=IF4rZFb9RBykY0LGAI-L2A
Sometimes singer songwriters have to do what they have to do,in my own case the band I was trying to make it with ended so I just kept writing and taping my songs on my own on my four track cassette recorder and one day I decided to put my songs out on You Tube on my wife's channel,I didn't want my songs to never ever be heard,songs that were never meant to be records,they were just me recording what I had written and some of it ended up being not bad,crude and raw for sure but it's the best I could do under the circumstances and I'm actually getting a few views so people seem to be liking what I've done,it's a little Beatley I guess because the Beatles were such a huge influence on me and yes it would have been nice to have super talents like George Martin and others helping out during my recordings but then again some of us just don't have that luxury,you do the best you can do under the circumstances. Bob
Steve tells the truth. John and Paul, for example, were not educated people but read a lot of books. They went to galleries and cinema. They were immersed in the arts, and had the time to absorb things into their subconscious. That's where art comes from. Now, most people are preoccupied with their smartphones, social media, and streaming. It's not individuals that are corrupt. It's society.
I think collaboration is the word he is looking for to take the place of compromise.
Yes, he needs your help because he is so inarticulate.
Brilliant. So thoughful.
"You can't do all of those jobs..." Except maybe Paul McCartney I say. Lol
Some people can do it all but their brilliance usually drives them into a self destructive loop. Again Macca was a notable exception.
So many songs came out of thin air just from a band jamming together in a rehearsal space. It’s hard to jam in someone’s bedroom.
And out of certain environments too,...the BAND rehearsing and recording in an unremarkable pink house in rural America away from the hustle and bustle of the big cities. The BEATLES testing out their songs at Georges house. MIKE OLDFIELD recording TUBULAR BELLS at a manor house in an English village. Then again, JOHN LENNON recording GIVE PEACE A CHANCE in a Montreal hotel room is a bedroom,...kind of worked there.
Zep and Traffic at some country houses.
Writing a great song and making a great record are two different things. I agree with Steve. The song is a building block but input from the producer or band mates can sharpen the arrangement and improve the song. That is how a great song becomes a classic. I agree that input is vital and recording a song solo on your iPhone lacks that ingredient .
open.spotify.com/episode/4e6j3RVQ9TbZUNTYVPqdFV?si=0QGZZmiDRXWnYs0e0lwSyw
Good point. Although there can be a Boston who singlehandedly innovated both musically and technically alone in his basement, that is very much the exception
It's the songwriting. That's what it's all about. If you don't have a great song, nothing will make it better. No producing. No arranging. No recording. No musicianship. Nothing can make a lousy song great. Paul and John wrote like crazy since the ages of 15 and 17. And they threw out their bad songs, which were many. They kept the great ones. They had a brilliant sense of what would work, and were honest with themselves about what they made. And they were relentless. It is and always will be the songwriting that makes a great song. And that's what's elusive.
The one thing that can make a lousy song great is rewriting. And even then, the solution might be to throw it out and start over.
He's so right. This is the same in any genre.
His whole episode is very insightful.
open.spotify.com/episode/4e6j3RVQ9TbZUNTYVPqdFV?si=uZ8I1K8zTX-El92qSvf65g
Most relaxed I've seen Silvio.
The music is what's important we are just the messengers.
And McCartney did McCartney by himself. Sometimes all a great artist needs is themselves. Sometimes a great artist creates amazing stuff via collaboration. There's no strict rule
@@Matthew-ve7uv I don't think Stevie is saying no great DIY records have ever been made: he's saying it's a shame that's the default.
Also, until I read the McCartney Legacy book by Allan Kozinn and Adrian Sinclair, I thought McCartney was Paul and his tape machine. All the big trscks on it Maybe I'm Amazed, Every Night etc were done in Morgan Studios or Abbey Road - with a team of engineers/tape ops etc. Im sure McCartney also got studio touch ups too.
@@WithoutTheBeatles Thank you! Good to know.
Spoken like a real artist.
He has it right. I think the digital tools, loops, samples etc have become too much of a crutch for today’s music creators. Gone are the days of great albums.
All the really great music and genres has been written. Nobody will ever equal Mozart, Beethoven, or the Beatles.
Watch Sir George's visit to LA to hang at the board with Brian Wilson. Arrangers extraordinaire.
The Beatles were just unmatched. Where'd the good music go? I agree. No one turning down the bad stuff.
Well said Steve
He's correct. They could also play their songs to recorded it. LIVE! The best end point, greatness is not normally perfect but human.
When the guys in the room were John, Paul, and George (Martin), it's a fair bet that the best ideas they came up with were pretty good ...
The Beatles, whatever happened there
I understand they eventually did quite well.
Yeah they did vairly well
Died on the vine
He,s saying, what I've been saying for two decades...but I'm not a celebrity. My opinion is known by very few.
Steve is a very smart guy. DYI in almost every medium is the bane of our existence. As far as arrangers, Steve Van Zandt is an unsung master. Not just a guitar player. But for Van Zandt, Bruce Springsteen would not be the Boss. We remember Miami Steve, from his days getting big promotion from Kid Leo on Buzzard Radio WMMS. Great times.
I've had recording studios here in New Jersey since the 1980s. Call today's generation of music what is really is...."Dystopian". We've spoken about it's arrival for decades. It was right on time. I've watched generations of reaction channels come and go on UA-cam for years. It's like people seeing color or feelin warmth for the first time. "Why did they stop making such music, they ask? No soul?
Steve's right! So many people jump on a DIY idea thinking it will bring them money, fame and success. A cinematic example? Remember the Blair Witch Project? Suddenly, everyone with a camera was trying to emulate that found-footage film. Eilish and her brother make songs in her bedroom and EVERYBODY is doing their own DIY crap. Steve says mediocrity is the result of self-styled songsters. Agreed. There is a creative synergy when many talented minds work together to create anything.
Creative input is the key and in all my years of playing in bands, songwriting, recording, etc, there were great "players" and mediocre ones but when the rubber met the road, those with the most creativity, especially when it came to original material, were the most important who "made it happen". No group of musicians will ever match The Beatles because not only were they were creative geniuses, they were "soul mates" or "blood brothers", if you will. Glad to have grown up musically on their influence even though I never got "far" in that rough and tumble industry.
Legend
open.spotify.com/episode/4e6j3RVQ9TbZUNTYVPqdFV?si=0QGZZmiDRXWnYs0e0lwSyw
Joni Mitchell said in an interview, a few years ago, that the music business has always been run by crooks, but they used to be crooks that loved music.
The DIY mentality has infected our society. Everyone has somehow become convinced that they know everything and it's "my way or the highway." Nothing good can come from that. Anyone that played team sports understands how it works so well and feels so good.
Yeah it’s very self centred. The end product has been very poor for the last 2 decades.
There are of course earlier examples of masterful DIY albums, or what could pass for them, such as some by Todd Rundgren, Prince, Stevie Wonder and also Paul McCartney. Great achievements, but however talented and creative those artists are, I often had the idea of uniformity in those expressions, precisely because they kept so much in their own hands. Nevertheless, gems compared to much of the sameness that passes by today.
True
Springsteen's 'Nebraska' album is the counterpoint.
@@contecrayononpaper Yes - but could he have made it without the other "army of people" albums honing his craft first? Maybe, maybe not. That's what I like about music discussions: no right or wrong answers!
This guy likes to come over like a sage of rock n roll wisdom. His own records however don't bare this out. He's really a journalist who happens to play a bit of mediocre guitar and says the right things to stars.
The biggest artists today have an army behind them. It's the DIY artists that are making the best music today. Give me them over a Taylor Swift and artists that have 12 other songwriters on the credit any day.
Generally agree, but the Basement Tapes and Paul's first solo album weren't too shabby.
the wrecking crew was an army of great artists who played on so many songs and hits, then you add in the producers and engineers............
Some of the best rock every made is coming out of Japan and elsewhere too bad so many folks are so West-oriented.
Band Maid and others are SO good
I disagree almost entirely. Its not that arrangers and external resources are not needed, its just that increasingly those corporatised resources were abused to pretty-up crap. Nowadays educational establishments are stepping into the fray, supporting their alumni. Catalonia is a remarkable example with music colleges, their professors and ad hoc/post hoc educational organisations creating a rich and hugely nurturing loam from which truly original and multitalented composer/performers can sprout. Rita Payes (Tiny Desk) to see what a college education and enterprise (SAJB) can achieve.
We see the decline evident every year when there are no new good Christmas songs. And every year the same refrain of “it’s because there are so many good songs already”- as if that wasn’t the case in the past too.
Think of Eagles Hotel California, Moody Blues Nights in White Satin, Zepplin's Stairway to Heaven, Rush's Xanadu, Genesis Suppers Ready, etc.
There are no songs like these today. There are quality musicians who cover these old bands, but nothing new is created unless it fits the autotuned back up dancer industry quick buck standard.
Check out the Centrifugal Satz Clock! This is someone trying to be *better* than the Beatles!
Great records are made by an army of people? Maybe when there was massive budgets for recording, but if you think since those budgets have shrung, no great records have been made, you're full of it. Even before that, there were a lot of great records produced on a smaller budget, with the bands or performers co-producing.
At first I thought he meant DEI.
As wrighter composer french american mexican from classical to blues , rock , or french style I just can say than today music and the world are just mathematc,numeric whithout no more soul , peace love , money first money narcissist depravedly Dyonisiac 😂 happy new year bitcoins 😂!..
I totally agree. Music has always been a communal art form - until very recently.
You need a like minded team around you to help create, and you actually do need an audience to reflect.
This isolationism of the ‘i’ era is destroying the quality of songwriting and production.
There are people still doing it but the mainstream isn't. Do you know Louis Cole? If not, look up These Dreams are Killing Me, then go down the rabbit hole of him and his collaborators. Likewise, Jack Stratton, aka @vulfmon , founder of Vulfpeck. Check out his new album, Dot. It's full of well-written, group played bangers. Or even Silk Sonic!
ua-cam.com/video/6pw_Wx7KpoU/v-deo.htmlsi=2LALvkN-VSq1tTmk
@ yup I’m a big Vulfpeck fan. They are the very definition of a musical team, the collaboration and cross pollination makes them bigger than the sum of their parts.
I don’t mean to sound negative, there definitely is still quality out there, there’s just a lot to wade through to find it.
@@GarethThomasTunes Good work! Louis is the same. I wrote a blog on him recently.
www.desburkinshaw.com/reviews/des-burkinshaw-on-louis-cole-and-genevieve-artadi
@@WithoutTheBeatles Louis is cool. Though I prefer a bit more space and understatement in music - Louis Cole is wonderfully ambitious. A bit like Knower. And a little like UMOs later albums.
I am afraid Steve is talking a load of bull. I am a 73 year old musician playing professionally for nearly 60 years here in Ireland. The main reason I am on now is because I heard Adele just singing "Take it easy on me" on the radio, new to me, so I went to you tube to check it out a live version. It knocked me for dead. Brilliant arrangement and brilliant performance by her. Every old codger like myself thinks the music of their generation was the best (age 17 to 35), but it is obviously untrue. When I play a gig I check out the demographics and play to the age group. Good music is a bit harder to find ok, but it is there. Country music seems to play now what I would consider the pop music of my day. The music industry was always two pronged, on the one side entertainment and the other side, music. Boy Bands are entertainment and The Killers are music. That is the way it has always been. Music never changes but styles do. That has been my mantra for the last 60 years.
@@raymonddixon7603 Adele literally has an army of helpers. Might prove his point, no?
@@WithoutTheBeatles But he says that kind of approach is gone. What I am trying to say is that it has not. Yes she had tremendous back up, producers, arrangers, musicians. I am listening to lots of modern acts with fantastic arrangements. As I have said we all like to think that the music of era was the best.
It’s all been done, there’s nowhere to go, Taylor Swift isn’t doing anything new.
Where's his crystal ball?
Steve really has hit the nail on the head here - he’s absolutely right……….. todays music is just so mediocre
open.spotify.com/episode/4e6j3RVQ9TbZUNTYVPqdFV?si=IF4rZFb9RBykY0LGAI-L2A
The Beatles killed it in the 60s. 😂
It’s all synthetic packaged goods now.
There’s no passion, soul or guts to the modern stuff.
Not entirely true. Here's a playlist of genuinely good artists for you. Silk Sonic, Wasia Project, Vulfmon, Vulfpeck, Cory Wong, Jacob Collier, Louis Cole, Knower, Billie Eilish (at her best). These are all people writing great sings, with real instruments and soul. But top10 pop is awful, agreed.
@
Yes I should have stated mainstream chart music.
@@ArchieFatcackieNo arguments there
Nah...there's still great artists and songwriters makin' great sounding albums ... But yeah ,you can't deny the 60's & 70's were a ''golden age''.
It seems like the purpose of today's music is all ego and money driven. And it is so formulaic that nothing interesting gets created. At least not in popular music.
Love ya ' Stevie, but record company greed killed all of that. And the main reason why there is no "greatness", is because we know now, we have learned from history, that touring, is a blueprint for self destruction, and therefore unnatural. We got the message in "Turn The Page. We listened. Most long touring people die 10-20 before they should. We have also learned that music is not a business. Ticket pricing is broken for example. "Wings Of Pegasus" has shown us that almost everybody including Bryan Adams, Celine Dion, and even Taylor Swift are singing to a back up track. Is that "greatness" ? Of all the ones tested I think that it is only Adele that is not actually singing (*and I assume that authentic bands like Oasis and Bruce are included in this very short list). So $300 (or more) for someone that is lip sinching is another example of broken. "Greatness" is no longer the answer. Local grass roots IS now the answer. I have found local albums on par with "great" albums a few times in my life. And I do not need it to be liked by billions. HAPPY NEW YEAR ! .:)
Digital
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Steven is wrong and he's right ... amazing records have been made without an Army of people and huge production. Sex Pistols debut is one of the greatest albums of all time ... and there are many others. What has proliferated mediocrity is Technology and the Music Industry itself.
@@thevelointhevale1132 Bollocks was done n a proper studio, with proper engineers and a proper producer!
@@WithoutTheBeatles It was not done with an ARMY of production and personnel ... the entire album was tracked by only TWO musicians ... Paul Cook on drums and Steve Jones played everything else. Lydon sang Vocals and that was it ...Sex Pistols entered Wessex Sound Studios to record with producer Chris Thomas and engineer Bill Price. THAT was it mate ... the Pistols were the very definition of the new era of DIY ethics ... ( P.S My fathers band were managed by Brian Epstein, some members playing on a variety of Beatles songs - and they toured with the Beatles as their only support act ) I see both sides of the discussion quite clearly.
Steve looks like the kind of guy who smells bad right after taking a shower.
"mediocrity" is being generous.....it implies that some or even most of today's music has redeeming qualities.....it doesn't and will be long forgotten.....there won't be cover bands playing any of today's "hits" in 50 years......they'll still be playing the Beatles.....
I think there's plenty of great music still being made. Shame that Rock is dead though!
Bullshit..... Great records are sometimes made by 4 people in a garage....
@@bikepacker9850 Sometimes.
Sometimes, but the vast majority of the time, they don’t. My local music “scene” is solid proof of that.
Bob Dylan never did this.
Times have changed and no one should know better than you about that. There is great music being made all the time. It's just not pop culture. Let's not forget that the Beatles also made a bunch of shitty music too.
Today's music aspires to be mediocre.
You're considered cool if you say music's as good as it's ever been. Simply not true
Steve is very mediocre and he's always been that way. Kissin Bruce's @ss for years.
Yep . I am a musician who has been forced into a D.I.Y. approach , because the Record Companies won't even listen . " No unsolicited material " . So , screw them . I do it myself .
Bullshit. Plenty striving for greatness. Sure there’s 1000x more mediocre cretins around, but there’s still the same amount, of not more kids who play ‘real’ music and are having a go.
I think what he's saying is, great records still get made, but the default is now to make records on a smaller scale. He's definitely not blaming artists for that.
@ I know that, just sick of these bullshit clickbait titles.
@@Bluemusic66 If you listen to his whole interview, that is what he's saying though: it's not clickbait. He has his opinion about it which I partially agree with, but there is no doubt (Im a muso and a behind the camera music guy too) that the industry is not as well resourced. Projects are done quicker, with smaller teams. Plenty of good music being made every day but he is right too that one more great rock album just ain't required.
This is partially true but the main reason there's no more Great work is simply because it's all been done. As a species, we humans have achieved/accomplished all of the Great we'll ever know. In art and (other than computer-based technology) nothing new has come to be in decades; no new musical instruments, no new types of music, visual art... even the automobile; other than some "tweaking," it's the same thing it was when it was invented (1885); four wheels, a steering wheel and seats. Our creative minds reached its peak long ago. ...Hell, 1939 is considered to be the greatest single year ever for Filmmaking....it's downhill from here on kids....................
😆 🤣 😂 he's so out of touch. Explains a lot about him.