We all know the song American Pie, better known as The Day the Music Died, by Don McLean. It is supposed to be referencing the death of Buddy Holly,The Big Bopper and Richie Valens. Other verses talk about the loss of innocence in American youth. The interpretation of the lyrics is left to the listener. Don McLean has not commented on the meaning and refuses to do so.
I think the music dies for all of us at different times. For me, Disco killed the music. No popular form of music has appeared for me following that debacle. This so called Rap stuff is not even music as far as I'm concerned. Certainly no signing talent is required and isn't that music ? Label me old fashioned and not hip but it stinks ! Occasionally I will hear a catchy tune on the radio as I pass by. A quick novelty though, no more than that.
For my parents the music died with Lawrence Welk and the Champagne music makers. Guy Lombardo and his royal Canadians being the only holdout for a number of years. And of course we lost him too. It is inevitable.
The genre of music lives on however. It does change a little in form and the messages being told in the song. But country music is still country music and classical still classical. Those forms have endured the test of time. That, old rock and roll, is living on but has yet to be around long enough to prove itself. I think that it will. Now Disco is only played as a nostalgic kinda joke. No one I know takes it seriously. High heel boots and leisure suits. I will survive. It didn't. I can't see future generations listening to Rap music either. I don't think it will be relevant twenty years from now. And you can't dance to it. All you do to that is pull up your baggy jeans, wave your hands around while making weird finger gestures and grab at your crotch. You're gonna look pretty silly doing that at eighty.
There are those that will speak to the purity of the music. I do agree there is too much electronic assistance going on to suit me. I hear they can alter your voice to keep you on pitch. All sorts of enhancements. I do prefer an acoustic guitar and unamplified sound. Just the singer and his/her instrument. Well, unless it is rock and roll then that is a necessary part of the performance. Disney has a regular factory of pop stars going on. Those studios are turning out single performers, groups and entire companies of talented kids. I don't deny the talent of the kids, just the manufacturing of the music.
I started writing this yesterday afternoon before I heard the news of Dick Clarks' passing. Now perhaps this entire blog has taken on a different meaning altogether. The exact word to describe it escapes me at the moment. Did I have some future vision ? I think not, but an odd coincidence.
One day the music does stop for us all. We become defined by it. If you are young and listening to the latest thing you are cool. If you are an older person listening to the latest thing, others think you are either amusing or senile ! Music can be young and new. Eventually it grows old. And in the inevitable passage of time it will someday die. But there are timeless examples, classical and country. And in the same vein, Dick Clark was timeless too.
I think the music dies for all of us at different times. For me, Disco killed the music. No popular form of music has appeared for me following that debacle. This so called Rap stuff is not even music as far as I'm concerned. Certainly no signing talent is required and isn't that music ? Label me old fashioned and not hip but it stinks ! Occasionally I will hear a catchy tune on the radio as I pass by. A quick novelty though, no more than that.
For my parents the music died with Lawrence Welk and the Champagne music makers. Guy Lombardo and his royal Canadians being the only holdout for a number of years. And of course we lost him too. It is inevitable.
The genre of music lives on however. It does change a little in form and the messages being told in the song. But country music is still country music and classical still classical. Those forms have endured the test of time. That, old rock and roll, is living on but has yet to be around long enough to prove itself. I think that it will. Now Disco is only played as a nostalgic kinda joke. No one I know takes it seriously. High heel boots and leisure suits. I will survive. It didn't. I can't see future generations listening to Rap music either. I don't think it will be relevant twenty years from now. And you can't dance to it. All you do to that is pull up your baggy jeans, wave your hands around while making weird finger gestures and grab at your crotch. You're gonna look pretty silly doing that at eighty.
There are those that will speak to the purity of the music. I do agree there is too much electronic assistance going on to suit me. I hear they can alter your voice to keep you on pitch. All sorts of enhancements. I do prefer an acoustic guitar and unamplified sound. Just the singer and his/her instrument. Well, unless it is rock and roll then that is a necessary part of the performance. Disney has a regular factory of pop stars going on. Those studios are turning out single performers, groups and entire companies of talented kids. I don't deny the talent of the kids, just the manufacturing of the music.
I started writing this yesterday afternoon before I heard the news of Dick Clarks' passing. Now perhaps this entire blog has taken on a different meaning altogether. The exact word to describe it escapes me at the moment. Did I have some future vision ? I think not, but an odd coincidence.
One day the music does stop for us all. We become defined by it. If you are young and listening to the latest thing you are cool. If you are an older person listening to the latest thing, others think you are either amusing or senile ! Music can be young and new. Eventually it grows old. And in the inevitable passage of time it will someday die. But there are timeless examples, classical and country. And in the same vein, Dick Clark was timeless too.
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