"Entertainer" has replaced "Musician"

[ClaytonN]

In my opinion, there are very few musicians left in the music scene. For the most part, only entertainers remain.

Now, that's not to say your favorite acoustic guitar player who often frequents your local bar to play on Friday nights isn't a musician, it's to say that the music on MTV, VH1, and on the radio these days generally blows.

Am I off base here?

[TimM]

Pretty ironic statement considering your avatar.

In general I agree, that's why I stay away from MTV, VH1, radio stations, etc.

[daryn]

actually i think of MJ as a good mix of both

[Gatts]

Mainstream music has, for the most part, always sucked.

[liquidboss]

You are correct, it is very rare in popular music to find a musician. Musician's don't need to dance and have fireworks, they just make music.

[istewart]

daryn: how long have you played drums?

[turnipmonster]

michael jackson is definitely a great musician/singer. listen to his stuff with the jackson 5 when he was in his early teens, how many singers have that kind of rhythmic and melodic authority at that age? not very many.

I haven't liked his music for years, but not calling him an excellent musician is just absurd. his time feel was up there with any of the greatest pop singers, also his pitch is excellent.

--turnipmonster

[turnipmonster]

it depends on what music scene you're referring to. if you're talking about stuff you see on vh1 and mtv, sure, that's been dreck for a long time. singers using pitch correction has made it worse, but who really cares? it's not a "scene" and never has been.

People that are really great musicians always find a way to rise to the top, however. Norah Jone's popularity was inspirational in that regard, she's a hell of a singer and a very good pianist. Diana Krall falls into that same category as well.

that's just in popular music. in jazz, the last 10 years has seen more young talent than ever before.

--turnipmonster

[daryn]

</font><blockquote><font class="small">In risposta di:</font><hr />
daryn: how long have you played drums?

[/ QUOTE ]


maybe 7 years or so

[TimM]

[ QUOTE ]
actually i think of MJ as a good mix of both

[/ QUOTE ]

This is true but he's practially a symbol for the pop side of the industry. Maybe I'm out of touch. I haven't watched MTV since they stopped playing those things called music videos. Heh, I remember when MTV first came out, and it was mostly rock. I loved it back then.

[whiskeytown]

there's a thousand ways to label this...who is a Musician..

to me, I put songwriting near the top along with performing (not just singing) - so Wilco obviously is near the top- Norah Jones is good...maybe a little lower cause she does a lot of covers...

or are we talking singers? - Let's face it...Jessica Simpson and Christina Aguieria are excellent singers...but musicians? - nah....not even close - entertainers again.

but then, Bob Dylan called himself an entertainer....in 1965, when asked about his music, he basically said, folks in the audience aren't there to learn or get bummed...they're there to be entertained...and so he's an entertainer...

but he did a lot of flakey stuff then....like carry a 1 foot lightbulb to interviews...

Me, I write/play/sing my own stuff, so I feel most superior of all... /images/graemlins/grin.gif

RB

[bernie]

[ QUOTE ]
Am I off base here?

[/ QUOTE ]

I think so. I don't see too many entertaining shows nowadays when it comes to bands. Which is one reason I think older bands do so well on comeback tours. They know how to put on a show.

Many bands nowadays look like they just got done mowing your lawn when they're up there.

This is in terms of rock. In terms of pop, well, that really hasn't chaged much other than the faces providing it.

b

[RcrdBoy]

There is always a bunch of crap out there that blows.

Unfortunately, now there are a lot more places to find it.

You can find great and terrible in every decade, at least in Rock-n-Roll, from the 50s until now, but isn't that the case with most things?