And maybe this was always true to some extent, but I was listening to a CD played in its entirety online as I went about my household chores. (Now that I am in a ranch I can do that easily). And from what was usually a room or two away, the songs were way too similar. He could have been playing the same tune over and over. Same voice, of course, but also same everything (tempo, instrumentation, feel). If I am going to buy a CD I like versatility in the tunes. Some fast, some slow, some with different instruments. Like the Beatles used to do. Or even folk singers like Bob Dylan. This was really brought home to me when I listened to a Nina Simone CD last week. Great variation in all things.
What more recent CD has this sort of variation on it? I know of none other than a show tunes CD.
My review of THE OVERNIGHT appears
here.
8 comments:
So are you only talking pop and rock here, as this seems to rule out classical (classical guitar, or chamber music, or all orchestral...), and some other genres. As for rock, I guess most bands have a sound, and most of the songs have it.
And of course, it's not CDs, as streamed albums, or vinyl would share the same thing.
I rarely buy music, but on a whim I got Glen Campbell's Greatest Hits the other day. The one thing that stood out for me is that every song had violins and there was a sameness to them.
Oh, that is sad, Bob. I remember him so fondly. Yes, classical is very different.
I think there are certainly bands and artists who have a particular kind of 'sound' that you hear in all of their work. Then tehre are others that vary more. I think it depends on the band/artist.
According to Patrick, CDs are going the way of 8-tracks and do-dos. We'll all be streaming our music from the Internet. Sadly, albums seem to be a vanishing artform. I remember playing Joni Mitchell's COURT & SPARK until I wore the grooves out. There's no current album that would tempt me to do that.
This would not be true of such recently-recording performers as the Go! Team or Nellie McKay, among those that come immediately to mind, and Alice would want me to mention Lady Gaga as well. The dreary monotony of a Beyonce Knowles album, or one by her husband, I couldn't speak to. Even a dance-oriented outfit such as the Thievery Corporation aren't so dull, or I'm not likely to pay them much attention.
George, I don't want to listen to music as an internet stream. There are both sound quality issues and problems with selection. People who set up music streams have their own agenda, and it's difficult to find and listen to less popular stuff.
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