Frazz by Jef Mallett for May 04, 2023

Exceptions disprove the rule.

Offhand, I can’t think of any famous individuals from the 60s and 70s that didn’t get their start as part of a band.

Back then, bands had to be able to both sing and play music. No computers to do everything for them.

Technology has made it easy to do the whole thing yourself. In fact, sometimes there is LITERALLY no band. Back then, there was always a band, even if it was a studio band.

During my life there has been shifts from groups to individuals as well as from instrumental to vocal. People have shifted their interests between dancing to the music and just being entertained by the lyrics or the melody. Then MTV and electronics changed the rules.

You no longer needed a ticket/record/disc. Free accesses to the performance/costumes/dance/lights. Music? Not so much.

I wouldn’t know about today’s music. It doesn’t appeal to me, so I don’t listen to it.

From my childhood in the 30’s through the next several decades, popular music was comprised of many bands which were made famous by outstanding individual performers. The combination worked. But there also were performers who worked solo with a band backup, and small combos of very strong individual performers who worked well together, either vocally or instrumentally. Some of that style still applies but rarely.

Nowadays, it appears there are mostly solo performers with backup dancers and bands, one loud thumping beat, lots of strobe lighting, incredible volume, and mostly in-your-face lyrics. Most to me sound hoarse and angry and they yell rather than sing.

But, then, I’m just an old guy who grew up with what I consider some of the best music in the world. My memories are so much better than what I hear when I turn on local radio anymore, which is rare. Thank goodness for internet radios and the many broadcasters who also remember.

What is the rule being proven?

But if you go back two generations it’s kind of like it is now…

Today’s musical performers are more individuals than bands. The bigger difference is with the songwriting. Whereas in the good-old-days most songs were written by individual songwriters or band members, nowadays the hit songs are written by committees of 8 to 12 people.

Mallet, are you really trying to say stuff about your generation’s music, and how it’s different? Do you actually care?

The 50s and 60s were about even. There were lots of single performers but also just as many bands, groups [not playing instruments, just singing] and quite a instrumentals – both rock and some hold-overs from the Big Band Era. It really was eclectic. Great time for music and radio – too bad most was only AM at the time.

 My generation’s music included lots of 4-movement symphonies; later on it shifted to lots of show tunes.

Today’s music is made by individuals, until you get a look at the songwriter credits

I blame all the television competition shows. There are so so so many good singers out there we never hear from, except locally