Optimism is one thing...
...but it's been nearly 50 years since Forever Changes was recorded and it still delights time and again.
A promise of "Jam tomorrow" (musical puns intended) competes very poorly with what exists already in this album.
Especially so in our current audio landscape filled by the glorified calculator produced offerings of contemporary "musicians".
But as they say, each to their own...
(, Wed 22 Jul 2015, 11:24, Reply)
If you have a bad opinion of what's happening musically today you are actually ruining it for yourself and purposefully overlooking lots of great stuff by not giving it a chance.
There's loads going on at the moment, some great stuff gets posted here too, if you were to put Arthur Lee in a studio now and say 'record something' he'd be fucking lost, things have moved on, 'glorified calculator' is quite demeaning, just because something was recorded 40 years ago doesn't mean they were gifted the ability to play in time anymore than people are able today.
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Dawn Of The Bread $$$$ E-THUG 4 LIFE - THAT'S HOW I SCROLL $$$$, Wed 22 Jul 2015, 11:53,
Reply)
Strictly speaking if you were to put Arthur Lee in a studio today he'd possibly just stink the place out.
Obvs. if he were alive and you were to give him pretty much any musical instrument he'd be anything but lost.
The real test of a current *ahem* musician, would be to ask if you could transport them back to 1967 what would they "produce" and how might it compare to Forever Changes.
BTW. Nothing is ruined for myself by acknowledging greatness. You are undoubtedly correct in that there is some "good" stuff being made, and shown on these boards - hell, some of it may even be great.
But the fact remains that forever changes is one of the greatest recordings ever made.
A lot of stuff since it was made is the comparative visual equivalent of a child with special educational needs producing school led drawings on orange sugar paper using jumbo sized wax crayons, half of which they've already eaten or shoved in their, or their classmates, orifices. They may need a well done for trying, but the result ain't going to be hung in a gallery in perpetuity for the appreciation of the world (unless someone pranks it into the Tate for shits and giggles).
(, Wed 22 Jul 2015, 12:22, Reply)
If anything i think people are more talented today.
It's not so common anymore just to get people who play the guitar or piano, people are learning instruments and then learning how to record themselves and master a lot of software also.
"if he were alive and you were to give him pretty much any musical instrument he'd be anything but lost."
People can still play instruments and play them well, i could easily say "Well, compared to Mozart he was no musician....", but that would be stupid.
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Dawn Of The Bread $$$$ E-THUG 4 LIFE - THAT'S HOW I SCROLL $$$$, Wed 22 Jul 2015, 12:32,
Reply)
If all the bench mark were was instrumental technical ability sure there's folks that can play. But there aren't that many Arthur Lee's, or Mozarts. Albums like forever changes are very few and very far between.
Of course if we did bring Mozart into it, then it might be fair critique to applaud him as writing some "good" ditties possibly suitable for entertainment while on telephonic hold, or spending time in a lift perhaps...
(, Wed 22 Jul 2015, 17:43, Reply)
There are just as many great musicians today as there were back then, just because you don't like them doesn't mean they're rubbish, maybe the problem actually lies with you.
Well done on reducing Mozart to the lowest possible place you could, in the same way you're reducing 'modern musicians' to the lowest place possible in order to make a point and back it up.
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Dawn Of The Bread $$$$ E-THUG 4 LIFE - THAT'S HOW I SCROLL $$$$, Wed 22 Jul 2015, 19:15,
Reply)
It's slightly unfair to say I've reduced Mozart to the lowest place possible - I assure you I have never sold a recording of a performance of his work to a lift company or switchboard manufacturer...
..but it is quite kind of you to admit I had a point and backed it up, so you are forgiven for saying forever changes was just "good" x
(, Wed 22 Jul 2015, 23:13, Reply)