The decline of class in music

While teaching English in Korea, my class had to read a Scholastic book called "The Roots of Rock and Roll." I actually learned quite a bit from that, as it covered the origins of rock from R&B in the 40s, through the heavyweights like Elvis and Chuck Berry, until today. Another thing I noticed is the early rock musicians tried to have class. Not like the artists we have today.

Here are some pictures of musicians from the 50's.


The Drifters


Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers

Back then, most singers and musicians dressed nicely. It was how they earned their living, for one; they dressed like they were going to the office. They also played in public venues where they were expected to maintain decorum. For example, the music shows such as American Bandstand had dress codes. Even Elvis wore a tie. Of course there was a lot of racism (lots of angry letters poured in after Frankie Lymon was shown dancing with a white girl on TV) but everything else seemed respectable.

Around the late 60's, however, musicians started to look a lot scruffier. For example, the Beatles went from this:


To this.


Goddamn hippies.

Appearance continued to decline throughout the 70's and 80's. More and more musicians started to look as if they'd just rolled out of bed after a hard night. This is not to say there weren't any exceptions. The guys in the pic below might appear strange, but at least they don't look like hobos.


The following pic is an example of today's norm. Kids actually think it's cool to look like this?


It's not that I think musicians should still wear suits. I hate wearing those things myself. Nor do I think they should all dress up in white like Pat Boone. But I think they should at least try to not look like strung-out bums or convicts.

Thoughts?

you sound like an old person.

Get off my lawn! You damn kid! And stop skateboarding on the sidewalk!

Seriously though, the standard certainly has gone down.

It's not about class. They're products of their era.

Each music genre has its own styling.

Originally Posted by Jabberwock

It's not about class. They're products of their era.

Each music genre has its own styling.

It is about class. These new "styles" are gaudy and are in poor taste. The Beholder's eye can only squint so much.

Originally Posted by bushbush

you sound like an old person.

This.

Originally Posted by bushbush

you sound like an old person.

Yep your kids will be saying the similar stuff to their kids about the music of their generation.

Its a result of cultural change.

We went from happy go-getters to pissed off barely-awake self-haters.

Just look at the expressions on the people's faces. They go from happy, to high, to pissed.

I too wish musicians would dress nicer, as most look like drug addicts, ex-cons, or just plain crazy.

I honestly think black music died after the 1960s/1970s. Everything after that is just crap. This is mainstream, btw. I don't mean exceptions like Michael Jackson and that sort who don't follow everyone else and go into rap/hip-hop/R&B.

Ah well. I don't really listen to it anyways, I just listen to classical and orchestral music.

This was the first rock & roll song ever written. If you look at the audience, they're enjoying it but they're being quiet. Most crowds at today's rock concerts would be screaming and throwing stuff onto the stage.



See? Respectable, dignified, and classy. They even did a bow at the end. They would never do that on today's MTV.

And yes, I am fully aware that it wasn't perfect back then. The first rock concert (hosted by Alan Freed) ended in disaster. They sold too many tickets, the police had to close the arena, attendees tried to break in, and a huge brawl compelled the musicians to withdraw. The racist attitude of the time was also something we could've done without. Nat King Cole was beaten on stage by some racist dicks, resulting in his refusal to play in the South ever again.

Originally Posted by IronBrig4

This was the first rock & roll song ever written. If you look at the audience, they're enjoying it but they're being quiet. Most crowds at today's rock concerts would be screaming and throwing stuff onto the stage.



See? Respectable, dignified, and classy. They even did a bow at the end. They would never do that on today's MTV.

And yes, I am fully aware that it wasn't perfect back then. The first rock concert (hosted by Alan Freed) ended in disaster. They sold too many tickets, the police had to close the arena, attendees tried to break in, and a huge brawl compelled the musicians to withdraw. The racist attitude of the time was also something we could've done without. Nat King Cole was beaten on stage by some racist dicks, resulting in his refusal to play in the South ever again.

He speaks English, what happened to that?

Originally Posted by IronBrig4

See? Respectable, dignified, and classy. They even did a bow at the end. They would never do that on today's MTV.

They still do but they mostly just wave at you and say thank you isn't that good enough?

Originally Posted by Thanatos

I honestly think black music died after the 1960s/1970s. Everything after that is just crap. This is mainstream, btw. I don't mean exceptions like Michael Jackson and that sort who don't follow everyone else and go into rap/hip-hop/R&B.

Ah well. I don't really listen to it anyways, I just listen to classical and orchestral music.

Hold on. Hip Hop from the 80s and early 90s is pretty decent. And modern non-commercial Hip Hop is good too.


The real black music is Blues and (black) Gospel though.

Does appearing on stage dressed like a Viking that is ready for battle count as class?

There are a few books around about the rise of adversarial culture, which is basically what you're talking about.

American anti-intellectualism has a long history, anti-intellectualism in general has a long history and there will always be a lot of people who like stupid, simple, unprofound music.

Another great American tradition is criminal worship. We love con-artists, the mafia, selfishness, instant gratification and brutality in general, so when you mix the two together you get...

See above.

Obviously it's not limited to America, but clearly the rise of semi-criminal, world-hating, uncreative, selfish and stupid music started on American soil.

they look like crap but they sound good, espcially nu-metal & post grunge...

Originally Posted by Downey

they look like crap but they sound good, espcially nu-metal & post grunge...

Exactly. That is stupid. No offense but it is. It's not really music. It's more like a drum circle, especially when every instrument is tuned to z minor. Or else the singer's voice is digitized or it's just some big group masterbation to see how many notes can be played in ten seconds.

Honestly there are probably five guys standing in the middle of the Serengeti playing bongos and two stringed instruments who are more talented than 75% of western "performance artists" with all of their technology. But when you think about it though, they are playing the exact same kind of simple, under-developed .

Just goes to show. We have limitless access to musical history, theory, recordings, mass-market instruments, etc... and this is the best we can do.

Just to clarify, I'm not putting down anybody's taste in music. There are some modern pieces I enjoy listening to. My point is modern artists don't seem to put any emphasis on appearance or manners. That is also reflected in their audiences.

Originally Posted by tullyccro

Exactly. That is stupid. No offense but it is. It's not really music. It's more like a drum circle, especially when every instrument is tuned to z minor. Or else the singer's voice is digitized or it's just some big group masterbation to see how many notes can be played in ten seconds.

Honestly there are probably five guys standing in the middle of the Serengeti playing bongos and two stringed instruments who are more talented than 75% of western "performance artists" with all of their technology. But when you think about it though, they are playing the exact same kind of simple, under-developed .

Just goes to show. We have limitless access to musical history, theory, recordings, mass-market instruments, etc... and this is the best we can do.

Indeed, although its all relative.On the matter of the personal tastes. Anyway i found interisting pick your line and intruduce the oldest musical group in the world, at least is the musical group with the oldest musical tradition.
The master musicians of jajouka


http://www.jajouka.com/
The history:
"Jajouka is an ancient village perched above a long valley in the blue Djebala foothills of the Rif Mountains in northern Morocco. The village is home to the Master Musicians of Jajouka as well as the sanctuary of Saint Sidi Ahmed Sheikh, who came from the East around 800 AD to spread Islam to North Morocco. As founding members of the village of Jajouka, the Attar family maintains one of the oldest and most unique surviving musical traditions known on the planet. The music and secrets of Jajouka have been passed down through generations from father to son, by some accounts for as long as 1,300 years.Brion Gysin, William S. Burroughs, Steven Davis and other writers have connected elements of Jajouka’s musical traditions to Ancient Greek and Phoenician ceremonies. Burroughs famously dubbed the Master Musicians of Jajouka “A 4000 year old rock band.” However, he was likely connecting the unique rites of Boujeloudia, performed in Jajouka during the Aïd el–Kebir, to Lupercalia, the ancient Roman celebration, rather than precisely dating the origins of the music itself. Bachir Attar, leader of the Master Musicians of Jajouka, whose father, El Hadj Abdesalam el Attar led the group until his death in 1981, says the family’s most sacred compositions originated more than 1000 years ago."