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Reason why musics gone down the drain ia not just business etc. its cultural. People are losing their morals and becoming more entrenched in degeneracy, me included. So if we stop being so goofy we can make better stuff my son. Get some morals yo theyre dope as heck
The idea that everyone was connected before and social media increased segregation is mostly a myth. Before the internet people still only watched news/talked to people who agreed with them. After the internet people are more exposed to things they don't like, an attention-focused algorithm likes to show you things you hate, hate=engagement. Kurzgesagt did a good piece on this
@@tsardean9192 depends upon what type of connections are made, are they stronger due to social media or are they weaker, reality is weaker, meaning the connections are worse, similar to how the music is getting worse in this video
Honestly I don't think I well represented what I was trying to say in my original comment. The points made in the video "The Internet is Worse Than Ever - Now What?" by Kurzgesagt (the people who make the science videos with the birds) is more what I wast trying to bring up.
I was working on a project at Ocean Way studios in Nashville. On the flight home I was reading Mix magazine and an older gentleman sitting next to me asked "Are you in the music business?" I replied "my accountant would argue otherwise, but yea." Well this gentleman was the engineer for Led Zeppelin, we had an amazing conversation and then he said something to me I never forgot. He said "As engineers and producers we used to capture performances now we create them."
@@adamrad2220 He said "create" not contrive or manufacture, even though I understand your point of view. We are blessed that performances have been captured! But I really cannot believe tech or business could interfere with the genius of a Jimmy Page.
When you mentioned kids just clicking to the next one if they don’t like it, it reminded me of how, back in the day, we had no choice but to listen to an entire album, even the songs we didn’t immediately connect with. It was like being “forced” to give those tracks a chance, and so many of them ended up becoming favourites after a few listens. That experience of growing to love a song is something I really treasure.
Agreed. Some of my favourite songs (or even whole albums) are ones I wasn't too sure about on first listen. I have a half-formed theory that this occurs with more complex or unusual music; whereas the ones that resonate immediately can sometimes be predictable and thus get old more quickly.
That whole concept is one I strive to impart to my students in music class. I urge them not to decide until multiple listens and even then they may find years later they do like something. That's true beyond music. There are countless foods, movies, music, stories, etc., that at one point I hated yet grew to love. I still try watermelon every few years to see if I change my view of it- so far, this one has stayed the same- it's still not my thing.
I don't know. It's kinda of like saying that even though you know you don't feel comfortable with a guy you don't like, just let him hang out for a while until you get used to him and you might even start to like him.
@@beatrixbrennan1545 That's a stretch of an interpretation. First of all, I state to my students that they may discover they still don't like something after giving it a fair chance. That's legit. I still don't like watermelon, however, I'm grateful that I was willing to stick with some things or willing to give them another try another time.
Growing up we listened to what my parent's listened to. At the time I was not really thrilled, but now in my 70s, I'm thankful to have heard all of it! I actually would prefer some of the music from the 40s and 50s.
So glad I grew up in the 70s. It was such a different experience. When your buddy got the new Aerosmith album and everyone headed to his house to listen to it. That experience is no longer and it’s really sad.
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I remember Toys in the Attic like it was yesterday…. I was waxing my homemade sled while listening to it probably on KJR95 or KISW or KZOK.
I hear that!!! it unified kids, forged friendships there was something magical about the LP and the artwork... Speaking of interviews or rumours we heard about 'bats getting their heads bit off' and so on😊 Good times.
Was that way in the 80s too tho which is when I grew up. No internet then either. I had a job mowing lawns. Took the cash walked to the bus station…rode 30 minutes to the “big” town w the cool record shop….bought an album….30 minutes home excited as hell….listened for hours….read the lyrics…producer….musicians…..then discussed with friends etc. Last generation to do that. Super sad
My wife and I will do a 1000 piece puzzle and listen to a whole album through, and discuss it as we work on the puzzle. It's become one of my favourite things to do.
Great commentary, as usual. It is a sad time, I am 60, and the world we grew up in is gone, quite literally, its gone. Thank you for all you do, you are a treasure to us all.
Just turned 59, so we have enjoyed the same music and artists. From, wiring speakers, and cassette players to CD's. It's no wonder so many radio stations are still playing our generations music. Like the song, "I love music, any kind of music." 8 tracks, albums, cassette and cd. No experience with real to real, but must have been great.
It's not gone. Not at all. Take it from someone who is your age. I enjoy my music on vinyl. I develop my own photos. The old technology is still available.
I think you're spot on, Rick! I've been a live performer and recorded a lotbas well, for 45 years now. But since the Covid lockdown, it has been extremely difficult to even find music work at all (as a woodwind doubler). Pay has gone down to low because the owners know they don't have to pay so much because musicians who have not done the real work are willing to go out and play for $50-$75 a night for a 4 hr gig. I can't do that.
I'm a musician.I play in three bands, five nights a week. Our audiences love us and dance. We use small amps. The guitar players use a couple pedals. We have fun, the audiences have fun and the club owners make money. Real live music is still available, but just like when we were young, you got to work for it.
Exactly music is about the moment... Not bottling it labeling and monopolizing for profit. That's what people spend money or time on it for, the moment...
That makes me think of the way the Hays codes forced movie script writers to get around them with some of the most brilliant examples of innuendo the world has ever seen. Today, with almost no limitations of obscene language and imagery, all of that is lost.
Yes! The BBC once commissioned Benjamin Britten to write a piece for some occasion or another, and Britten asked how many horns he could use. The BBC answered, "Oh Mr Britten, you can have as many horns as you like!" But that wasn't what he wanted to hear. He always needed to work within set parameters.
@@pcno2832 I was thinking more budgetary, time and technological limitations, rather than censorship, although, censorship is a limitation that did provide for some creative writing.
This. I’ve noticed young people who don’t know even the most obvious music. They hadn’t heard of anyone. Or they say “OMG I looove Zeppelin, The Who, the Smiths etc. But when you talk to them it turns out they know one or two songs by them. They’re remarkably incurious.
@@Dreyno Do you know Car Seat Headrest? Alex G? Mitski? Men I Trust?Boygenius? Young people have never cared about musicians that are way older than them. Why would a kid born in 2000 care about a band that began 40 years before they even gained conscience? A b-side of Pavement, fucking Pavement went incredibly viral with young people. Just accept that the passage of time and juvenoia is kicking your ass
At college in the 60's I actually listened to music late at night on WABC New York. I remember hearing one night the first play of Strawberry Fields Forever. But that's how I first heard Joni Mitchel and Frank Sinatra and The Beatles and The Four Tops. I was raised on Classical Music, which I still feel is the best. But, Rick, could you offer an analysis of, and a tribute to that short time when radio presented an eclectic sampling of popular music. I believe that it is so unfortunate that pop stations now have such a narrow vision. I appreciate that experience of being exposed to Glen Campbell followed by the Stones, followed by Smokey and the Miracles, followed by Simon and Garfunkle, followed by, etc. It was all good. I didn't look down on any of it. I still remember loving "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" and "The Tears of a Clown" and "The Witchita Lineman" and "Both Sides Now". I didn't see any need to distinguish Motown from Nashville. Decades later I recall a station regularly trumpeting "Never Barry Manilow"! Okay. So maybe not Manilow. But recently I have seen You Tube videos of "First Reactions" to "Unchained melody " and to Karen Carpenter and to Bridge Over Troubled Water. These first time listeners have been cheated because these songs did not fit into the electron microscopicly narrow range of their radio.
DJs were heroes in my eyes. Casey Kasem expanded our horizons to some degree with top hits from top genres. NY DJ Frankie Crocker used to say if he wasn't on the radio, your radio wasn't really on and he was right. Ska, Reggae, Jazz, R&B, Funk, Classic tunes we heard it all even though HE was accused of payola...weird. I stopped listening to commercial radio with the advent of internet radio. And Tiny Desk? It's such a gift to see and listen to known and lesser knowns!!!
Thank you. At first I was afraid that only "Back In The Day" old people, including my 73-year-old self, would respond to this, but thankfully all ages are. because the damage to our souls is way-down-deeply sensed and universal. Growing up (whatever that means) in Manhattan, for pop'n'rock I listened to WABC too. Was Cousin Brucie on that? And WNEW. And also WBAI, the only radical station around (that was on FM, however-the things they talked about could only be broadcast on FM): although it was not an all-music station by any means, they were upliftingly adventurous in the music they chose to play. It was so cool not knowing how amazing the next song would be! And you had to remember it and wait for the next time they played it if you couldn't get the record; but that was real gaining of what transported you.
@@GuyMichel-neverbetter Yes, I remember Cousin Brucie. I am three years older than you. I was going to college north of the city, in Briarcliff Manor. From the college we could see Sing Sing Prison and the Hudson. It was the commuter train into town. So I see that they have replaced the Tapanzee Bridge. I don't get up there anymore. Anyway, I now really appreciate the broad choice of music played in the 60's. I listened to WABC and WLS, Chicago. Sometimes I'd listen to late night radio with the guys on the top floor. It was in one of those sessions that I heard "Alice's Restaurant" by Arlo Guthrie. And late one night on WABC the first playing of Strawberry Fields Forever. I really liked the Beatles. But I liked all of it. I don't remember the station, but I liked listening to a guy who did a monologue. Can't remember his name.
As a very young teenager, I used to cut grass in the neighborhood and ride my bike to the store and buy a record album or the small records we called a 45. I would sit and listen to it for hours in a relaxed state and meditate on the song that was playing. That was long before computers or cellphones. It was more of a simple life, and a lot of times, I wish I could go back to those days.
I was there too. And I prefer it right here and now. 3:45 If you went back, youdwant out of there in a few days. It's called the good old days fallacy.
The best advice I ever received from anyone about music was from my dad. He said to listen to the entire album and appreciate it as a whole. I have found some of my favorite songs from this. There are so many songs that are great that never made the charts.
I was a DJ at a bar for three years in the mid 80s. My philosophy was that when I played tracks off classic albums I wouldn't play the one or two that only the radio played. I'd play the others that you never heard on the radio but everyone knew because they had listened to the whole album many times.
@@kenbrunet6120 Along those lines, I would argue that there are numerous songs in a good band's catalogue that are better than those on the charts. Those on the charts are just catchier, easier to digest...
Fantastic yet dated advice. I too have found some of my favourite tracks from listening to whole albums. However, increasingly, modern artists have adapted to streaming formats and are more and more making albums that are merely a collection of songs or single tracks aiming to get one of them to go viral rather than a full 40+ minute continuous composition.
This is a fantastic bit of social commentary. Speaks to something beyond just music. Our whole culture is increasingly 1) Easily produced, 2) Easily consumed, 3) Valued less.
This goes right along with a discussion I had with a male friend earlier about how hard we both are finding it to find good quality trousers. Yup, everything out there is crap. Good and cheap, but garbage. And since neither of us want to shop online but want to go to stores it's even harder to find anything passible. That seems to be the world we're living in right now. We've been Walmart-ized. Everything is cheap and available but it's not worth much.
Rick, I couldn't agree more and have had the same basic rant with my kids. It is so sad that youngsters today don't have the experience around the joy of music and the artists that produced it. I remember hearing some great tracks that were the B side which in today's would would probably never be heard. Love what you do.
Excellent Rick, you nailed this. I'm 59 and you brought back the day Van Halen's 1st album was released. My buddies and I prepared for a week, we all cut lawns, pooled our money together, got the album and listened to it forever. There is Nothing like the Anticipation feeling we had back then. Thank you!
There is still a lot of great new music being created by young artists. I host house concerts in my backyard featuring younger singer/songwriters (I'm 66) singing their own songs. No samples. No backing tracks. Just a couple of singers playing their guitars. So there is hope. The problem as you alluded to is how do these artists get found. Great video with a lot of great points.
The answer may be: Play live in as many places as possible (more exposure than playing the same venue all the time) and put some of the live performances on YT and add some studio recorded songs, interviews, skits, etc. to build a following. The live performances will bring people to YT and the YT videos will bring some people to the live performances.
I agree, Robert! I’m just starting to host and performing house concerts again and am involved with group of people who are working to raise more awareness about them. I know there are some house concert networks out there and would love to connect these groups together. How do you get the word out about your concerts? Just word of mouth locally?
We also live an age of social media algorithms that spread content based on trending topics and hashtags. That incentivizes creating content that is easy to quickly make (5 uploads or more per day) that tracks existing trends (politics, existing famous people and brands etc.). In other words, it's not even worth peoples time to make "original" crappy autotune music if it doesn't track an existing trend to be picked up by the algorithms.
Yep! I just saw “Joe Purdy” open up a Tedeschi Trucks concert. Had never heard of him and he had the whole venue, singing along. He’s Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie ‘ish. Get out of your home, and go support live music and bands, everyone!
@@EricWmUpdate You hit the nail on the head. Music, and now with the rise of AI, art as a whole, has become monetarily valueless. in our society, that means that there is no logical reason to pursue it. for most of human history, access to creation of art was extremely limited. people spent the majority of their lives working, the 8 hour work day doesn't work when you're subsistence farming. or enslaved. it is only very recently that the means to create art, and the structured time to do it, have become somewhat standard or expected. and still, this is only the case in rich first world countries. the fact is, we are headed in a direction where people will have to devote more and more of their life to working, and the time for humans to create art will dwindle. while AI and big corporations will continue their steady churn of creative slop, while demanding more and more money for the "privilege" (source: spotify raising prices TWICE this year). in fact this effect can be seen in other markets, take a look at what amazon has become. all garbage low quality products, but ooh you get it in 1 day. and don't get me started on video streaming. face it, unless people as a whole stop CHOOSING this life with their money and attention, nothing is going to change and they'll take more and more of our time, money, and souls.
Bonjour Rick, I had this feeling for years when I listened to new singers that something was missing. Then, I realised recently that all the selected singers in a French competition called "Les Victoires de la Musique" during the last ten years had no musicians. They were stand alone singers. The human imperfections were missing in most of these new music. It sounds like sweat and blood to play an instrument was gone. Your explanations are crystal clear. Thank you for sharing them. Merci.
My daughters friend (23 years old) was here the other day and we were talking about music, she had never seen a vinyl album before other than in the movies. I handed her one and you could see the excitement of all the artwork and lyric sheet, this tangible experience is lost to so many. Sad really.
I write music for the art of it and for exploring myself. I'm not concerned with trends. You know that something is a passion when you put time and sweat into making it knowing that you might not get any monetary value from it. Keep your art alive. Shine on!!
Same here. I make music for one person... Me. If other people hear it and like it, that's a bonus, but it's not why I make music. I have songs in me that I have to get out. I think they're awesome, but I would do. After all, they were written and recorded just for me. I found creative freedom when I was released from the dream of being successful or making a career from music. That was always a hard dream to chase, but it's even harder now when 100,000 songs are uploaded every day. It's pretty much impossible to get noticed in amongst all that noise. So why pollute your art by trying to make it for people who will almost certainly never hear it? Make it for yourself.
Is it really possible to make music only for yourself? I mean what motivates you to create music just for yourself. I am a musician and I would love to make music for myself but honestly .. me alone does not motivate me. I like it when I receive praise for my songs even more when make a new fan and that's what makes me want to churn out more.
Same here. I just make music for myself. When people say music is getting worse I say, how dare you! I just dropped a project two weeks ago. I'm still the dopest.
Dogs chase cats because they are dogs. I create music because I am a musician. Just like a dog, I can't help it. It's just who I am. To stop would be going against my true nature. To stop creating music would make me miserable.
I can't agree more Jeff as that is what my philosophy is too. I create music as a well trained pianist and my love for being creative and not simply follow a trend is a big plus for me. Well super done and keep enjoying your passion for music.
I am 74 I have experienced what you describe and I never analyzed this. I believe you are spot on. Music becomes just background noise in our lives, beyond sad. Thank you
“I find it so amazing that when people tell me that electronic music has not got soul, and they blame the computers because they think and they point at the computer - it’s like “there’s no soul here!” It’s like, you can’t blame the computer. If there’s no soul in the music it’s because nobody put it there and it’s not the tool’s fault.” -Björk
Haha, lol. She's wrong. Tools influence the way we produce, so yes we can point to the tool. But she's partly right in the sense that we have some degree of freedom while using the tool too
@tobiokanlawon1562 so you can blame your influences for why your music has no soul? At what point are you going to have accountability as the creator? She definitely isn't wrong. there is electronic music that certainly has soul and no, it isn't predicated on accompanying vocals. If you can't listen to DJ Shadow and recognize the soul in his tracks, it might actually be a you problem
Excellent summary on how public appreciation for music has so drastically changed over the years. There's nothing more pure, organic, and human than live acoustic music. When the internet & power grid goes out, live acoustic music will become very valuable and even essential.
People can create power, it is not impossible. It is also not essential for most Humans to continue to live. You can feel the emotion of real music, in person.
Great stuff, Rick! I long for the days when I collected albums and spun records on AM radio in Upstate NY. Makes me want to upgrade my turntable and get serious about vinyl again. Really enjoy your interviews and attention to music detail. We need more of this. Thank you.
“You Vote With Your Attention” what a great quote Rick. As a Music teacher of primary school aged students I get them to listen to one song at the start of my lesson to set up my intention to get their attention and watching their expressions when they come across a bridge or a chord change in a song is wonderful because they than question can songs do that!
you should go through anime music then. Things what Japanese can do with pentatonic scale is crazy. They change tempo, rhythm but so cohesively you still know this is one piece of music. You can start with a bit of jazz: Tank! from Cowboy Bebop for example. Or OST to Macross Do You Remember Love? Both OSTs are by the one and only Yoko Kanno, known to switch genres like it's nothing. From classical music - Litvinovsky is a good choice - his pieces aren't complicated but have enough variety to them to spot them easily. And they are just good pieces to listen to. And, of course - traditional music. My fav go to album is Rhythms of the Pridelands - never gets boring. For that Asian vibe I like: erhu, gu zheng, taiko drums, shamisen, shakuhachi... And enka for singing.
I've always said that if you would have told me in 1984 that I could have access to any music I wanted instantly I would have lost my mind. But in reality, going to the record store on the weekend and digging through the import section was so great!
Many a Friday or Saturday night spent at the record store doing exactly that. I picked up so much import vinyl it was crazy. Good vibes and the constant pursuit.
I miss going to real stores to buy stuff. It feels soulless. There's this lack of discovery. And worst of all : I don't get to own the music any more ... I got a thousand cd's I have bought (and digitized for easy consumption). And I'm only rarely adding new things when I see new bands at events in real life, because I simply can't buy the physical product. Never mind the ridiculously small amount of royalties that artists get when someone listens to their songs on a streaming service. Record companies were bad, but streaming services are even worse when it comes to exploiting artists.
and I'd read music magazines, Kerrang, Creem, Rolling Stone, find out what they raved about, ooh, who is this Accept? Never heard of them. Bought Restless & Wild, thought it was a mistake when the start of Fast as a Shark came on, like, wtf? did they switch disks? then the Udo scream, ah, now that's better! one of my favorite disks now! Picked up Bad Brains, X, Tool, Skinny Puppy, and Godflesh among others based on magazine recommendations, until I found a good core of friends who we can talk music with as magazines died
"The best way to counteract this alarming trend is by educating yourself and becoming a more knowledgeable musician so that great music can make a return." Educating yourself and becoming a more knowledgeable person... applies to every aspect of life, not just music. Beautiful video, beautiful essay. Thank you.
Sitting down, without distractions, and REALLY listening to an album once or twice a week has made me realize how much music I listen to nowadays, yet how little music I listen to.
My rule for myself is no screens. Whether I'm looking at my turntable spinning, the LP jacket, or nothing because my Pi-based streamer has the touchscreen backlight powered off, my eyes need no distraction to really hear the music. Then and only then can I listen to an album and really hear it.
@@charlienyc1 I’ve looked at getting a vinyl player specifically BECAUSE it’s not a smooth experience. Consuming music is so frictionless now, great in a lot of ways, not so great in others.
There is significant value in deliberate listening. Where all you are doing is consuming your music. My friends and I have social gatherings where we sit in front of a stereo and people put on songs. We have a very enriching time!
@@njsteere I just bought my first one in the last couple years. Besides all the G.A.S. (gear acquisition syndrome) that came with that purchase, my listening got much more intentional. I'd recommend it. And set yourself an initial budget for TT, preamp, cleaning products, and any other accessories plus another weekly or monthly vinyl budget. Don't do what I did and spend more than double what I meant to spend 😆
How much music you hear but how little you listen. People talking over songs irritates me no end. Play ambient music without lyrics if you don't want to hear the messages enclosed.
The irony for me is that having all music always available was the dream. Now that it’s here ….. “the only thing worse than not getting what you want, is getting what you want”. I must admit I’m very glad I have access to all of Bach’s music, it brings me so much comfort and joy.
Yeah, Sebastian Bach was great in Skid row! in a Darkened room man ugh.......just......and Wasted Time.....ugh....we haven't got anything like that since....well the early 90's! lolz
I remember the days of pouring over liner notes, knowing who produced and engineered the record, what studio it was recorded in, etc. Knowing and caring about these things really does bring the music alive on a whole other level
Yep, as a huge Yes fan I remember being irritated because "Relayer" (at least the LP edition) said nothing about who the recording engineer/s was, or about what kind of keyboards and synths Patrick Moraz was using. I could hear that it was an outstanding feat of production, mixing and musicianship, even by Yes standards; it sounds really different from any other album with the band - but all the album said on production was "produced by Yes and Eddie Offord; tapes by Genaro Rippo" (a name I have never seen on any other album). :) It was a quarter of a century before I found out that most of the album had not even been recorded at Offord's Advision studios in London, but - in Chris Squire's basement! 😄 Which makes it even more impressive, even if it was actually mixed at Advision. :) And I still don't know who those sound engineers were...Offord was mostly sitting in a studio bus outside of Squire's home when they were recording the album.
I loved your story of buying an album. I used to skip lunch in junior high and high school to save up money to buy an album. I would listen to the album while reading the lyrics on the album cover over and over and over. To this day, I can sing along with albums I bought in my youth without missing a lyric.
This! The liner notes are so important. They are a deeper dive into the music and the artist. Streaming is convenient but we miss all that content! With some artists, there are whole stories in the liner notes. Thinking of Loreena McKennitt or Secret Garden.
One time when I got really depressed I would hook up headphones to my stereo, sit in a chair, close my eyes and listen to Coltrane's "A Love Supreme". I let that album seep into my brain over and over, and it was like medicine.
goes to the whole society like California New agenda. Making more stuff free. Which has no value when you dont work for it. Then we all end up paying the government and never knowing what it is all for.
Great video. I'm a little bit older than you, and I can remember that one of the great joys of buying an LP from a favorite artist was having to listen to all the non-feaured, "fiiller" tracks and discovering true gems.
Nice job Rick! I’m 68, I remember listening to music the way you described it. We truly appreciated music the way it should be appreciated. Keep up the good work. 👍🏼
As a music teacher your massage at the end is one of the most important ones I’ve been teaching my students. When we listen to music in class it’s the only thing we focus on, and afterwards we start a discussion on what makes it beautiful (or not so beautiful). I hope they keep listening to music properly outside of my classes as well.
Sound like a good Idea to me! When I remember the music lessons at my time at school we mostly listened to classic music and had to remember when the artist lived and so on. Mostly dates of birth and death. Now i'm 38 and I know that it is or should be interesting how music was made in the beginning because that music influences music until now, but it would also have been pretty cool to listen to current music, which genres exists, what makes them special and what they have in common. I regret not to be able to play an instrument (I learned accordeon when I was around 10 for about a year or so but didn't like it really much), but I plan to start learning to play guitar soon. I would really like not to only listen to but also being able to play music myself.
I got the chills listening to you describe what it took to acquire music (an album), what it meant to you, adding it to your collection and sharing it. This is exactly how it was for me growing up in the'70s.
We used to have a record store called Wide World of Music and we called it Wild World. They had a sale every month, any album $5.44 per disk. And they would play albums in the store during the day. That's one way we found new artists that weren't on the radio.
I can't imagine how people listen to music without the full context of the album, it's ludicrous if you ask me I might be Gen Z but I've felt and heard Zep IV on a mint condition 70's pressing and it's magical. Love my Don Cab 2 vinyl in particular, that record just hits different in analogue
And adding to that - If you didn't enjoy what was popular/mainstream you either had to go to great lengths to find something different OR you created something yourself. Now you just need to browse youtube for 20 minutes.
@@saulgoodman.exe_ Albums as such are rare today. They are usually a collection of unrelated, stand-alone objects - there is no theme any more. "Tommy" by The Who would be impossible today.
This is a very heroic move against the end of humanity, Rick. People need to hear this everywhere. I'll be doing my part as a 20+ year musician who just decided to start giving music lessons in a town where there aren't any left. Together we rage against the dying of the light.
It's curious you call it "end of humanity". For years, I've said music will save humanity. (Or rather, is actively and continously saving us.) Just an observation on your choice of words. There are dozens of us! :)
Dear sir. I just watched my first video of you. I love your knowledge and wealth of music production. It is sad to say that you were absolutely right. I’m sure you’ve been following the industry for more than 50 years. Thank you for the wonderful video man. Keep up the good work
Had a friend in high school who restored an old van. Whenever anyone got a new cassette we'd all pile in the back, park somewhere, light one up and just sit and listen. It was an actual event we looked forward to, sometimes days in advance!
Rick Beato just gave the most comprehensive and descriptive analysis of why the music composed today lacks creativity - which in turn means a lack of originality. I have been playing guitar since 1964 and Rick you have answered all of my questions that I have had for years. Thank you!
Agreed, I’m born 92 and I’m lucky I got to experience a world of more music choices and risks. This isn’t just “kids these days suck” stuff, this isn’t just nostalgia this is a corporatized world with no art anymore. You guys had the perfect mix of access and creativity and I saw it in my early days but it’s sadly now gone.
Honestly, I wish I got to live through these times too... I hate that these days its more about "content creation" and marketing rather than making timeless and original art.
I'm 76 and I fully concur - I'm an old analog gal in a digital world, and I like it that way. Joe Walsh (also our age) wrote a great song "Analog Man" You should get that album and give it a listen (In analog of course!) LoL💗
This was a beautiful video, Rick. I’m 24, while I do use Spotify, one of my favorite things to do is listen to an album all the way through. I play in a 4 piece rock band and I know a lot of my buddies also think the same thing. We write rock songs the old fashioned way and will never quantize our recordings. I’ve recently gotten into CDs so the fight ain’t over yet brother!
As older,70, former professional musician, you are absolutely right. At 15, I saved up money to buy my first album. The experience of opening the album cover, after studying the cover for a long time, pulling the record sleeve slowly and removing the vinyl and getting that smell. It made your connection with what you were about to hear so special. Nothing like it. That ritual was so special.
Albums are things to own and treasure whereas streamed is throwaway. You are also more likely to listen to the whole thing and let it grow on you, rather than skipping stuff that doesn't have that instant hook.
Pretty same with video games for me. I got tons of pleasure out of searching for a worthy game, saving up, anticipating the day i’ll finally buy it, installing… Now you can install thousand of shitty free games and get zero pleasure out of them and even get scammed into paying for quest rewards 😅
I'm glad I never gave in to the streaming trend even if it was supposed to be my generation's thing. Still got my collection of CDs and I save the songs I love most on various devices to listen to. Streaming, never.
Funny you mention the smell. At the time we discovered different labels had slightly different vinyl smells. We used to play a quiz-like game by guessing albums blind-folded, without sound. So much fun we had, back in the 80's.
SO well said. I'm a professional musician and retired middle school band/orchestra teacher. I've been doing this my whole life and you just distilled everything I've been saying and thinking into a clear and concise 12 minute video. Well done, Rick. Bravo.
@@NathanMason-r4s , he didn't say the music doesn't exist. Of course not. His hundreds of vids demonstrate his love for music past and present. He said the technology has literally devalued it for the average person in our culture. He's sure not wrong about that.
The problem is with a new song coming out every second, popular music is losing its meaning. A popular song would rise through the ranks of the various countdowns and become part of pop culture. Now songs are far more ephemeral. They become all the rage until the next new song comes out and then they're quickly forgotten. There is still good music being made, but the most popular means of distributing music doesn't pay attention to them.
I think you can say the same thing about the transition from having to go to listen to music being played live to it being something you ‘own’. I think that you’re onto something but you are just starting from the starting point of your own life 😊
Rick, oh my God you so nailed it. Thank you for this. I am 68 years old. I remember my kid brother and I riding our bikes together when I was like 10 years old in Evanston IL to buy the latest Beatles album (Revolver, Rubber Soul--can't remember which one) from the local record store with allowance money (had to do our chores) we saved up (or begged or stole from our parents). Those albums with the cover art, the feel, the record, stayed with me for many years. Your challenge at the end of your video is pure gold.
there's nothing more to be said. you articulated every thought i'd been processing over the last 10 years and then some more. this video should be shown everywhere. people need to understand the cost of convenience. our heart and soul.
Hmm. Is not that they don't understand. They simply just don't care. The whole damn life has become one big competition but in the end... There are gonna be more losses than winners...
More than that - their identity. We used to listen, because we became alive listening. It was music that woke us up (in a good way). It doesn't do that now. It's become a background hum. We don't need it.
@@anzacman5 Even the people seeking people act like buying in a supermarket. Sad generation really. As long as I have my own music boost, I am happy. ;)
You're spot on Rick. I was a research and practicing psychologist for 55 years. I think there has been a loss of the knowhow of using attention. Not only have we lost the capacity to deeply listen to music, we've lost the ability. to listen to each other--music is just one symptom.
Peter, this horrible trend of people unable to "lock in" to any endeavor is horrible alarming. Obviously a byproduct of electronic technologies (aside from video games and a few other meaningless "entertain me now" pastimes that seem to be the only time people "lock in", we are reaping the results of short sightedness commerce. Yes while it's partially true that the smart phones, computers and other devices have helped us in certain ways, we are only seeing the beginning of the damage being created through these media methods. While my statements may sound more like an old timer the truth remains, next time you're with a teenager have them shut off their phone and ask them to describe in detail what they hear, see, smell and feel in the moment and see how in depth their answers are..
@user-kg6di5vf9x Very true, and if you're a young person starting out in a career this can be used to your advantage. I taught my children to be the young person that shows up, pays attention, and keeps focus until the task is completed. This has paid off in a big way for them.....because to your point, they're in a sought-after minority.
Yes, it not just music, its "everything". There is now very little critical thinking and/or intellectual curiosity taking place, we seem, as a race, to have adopted such a lazy approach to everything we encounter that we would rather have a set of algorithms do our thinking for us and we just skim everything - news articles, informative television programs and ultimately our greatest creation - music. Digital manipulation and AI are creating a world where we don't know what is real or true and so we now mistrust everything, just so sad.
@@straymusictracksfromdavoro6510 I think this is just another step in evolution, and a greater divide between parts of the species is being made. We still have great scientists that think deeply (Higgs Boson and CERN for example in 2012 or The James Webb), but I cannot think of any recent creativity that would match. Maybe Kush the painter, or Billie Eilish come close for me. I still wonder where evolution is taking us, we definitely are not driving this bus.
@@jet251 Is it really progress ? Evolution can make you go back if it helps your survival right ? So if everyone will forever use AI to make songs in 100 years we will lose ability to play instruments and why would we need them anyway if AI is doing the job.
Rick Thank you!! You make this topic understandable with your well thought out and straight to the point clip. I washed dishes at a restaurant to buy Zepplin, Pink Floyd, Doors albums. I'm damn glad i was 17 in 76 and heard/saw great bands. Rock on my friend!!
The flip side of streaming is that if you really love music, you will discover, experience and enjoy 1000% more music that only would have purchased and listened if you were a millionare. I still collect cds, but not purchasing as many as in the old days. With my friends who also love music I share the album links and personal playlists, it is another experience. With that said, I sympathize totally with Rick on this matter.
I think this is why I like streaming despite it being looked down upon. Especially, as someone who didn't always gel with the music from my country. Even as a kid I didn't get to connect with friends through music since my tastes were different. I was able to listen to and discover so many gems through streaming.
I’ve thought about this before. When I was a kid I would buy an album and listen to it over and over because a) I worked to get it and b) I didn’t have a crazy amount of choices. So I would deep dive into these albums, read the liner notes, lyrics, etc. as you mentioned, this resulted in a very deep connection to the music and the band. Nowadays, it’s a paradox of too many choices. I use Spotify, but I tend to use it meaningfully, I will take one artist, and listen to every album in chronological order. Things like that. It helps me see the progression of a musician, and find new (to me) music I enjoy.
I use Spotify music like that as well. I'm catching up on music I missed when life just got in the way, like my workplaces tended to disallow playing music or the choice of music, or my car stereo broke and I couldn't afford to replace it. I do have to put some effort into active listening. It may sound lame, but I have to maintain a job, a home, and a computer with internet to do all that. No small feat nowadays. And of course, I try get out and experience live music. I simply can't afford today's ticket prices, so a big name concert is a once a year special event. But I can attend less popular artists and still get just as wonderful quality auditory bliss. Local bands are great, too!
I've been collecting CDs since the format was first introduced, and I have somewhere near 1,500 CDs. I used to buy every album by bands I like, even if I didn't like every song on the albums. I stopped doing that when streaming mp3s came along. Now I bookmark bands I listen to on Spotify and or Tidal (Tidal has better sound, Spotify has more stuff I like) and that also had the extra benefit of making my wife happy. She used to tell me to get a room for all of my CDs... So I told her to be happy I didn't collect LPs, they take up a lot more room. Those comments were rewarded with a blank stare that said in no uncertain terms "Are you crazy?" Then I started collecting DVDs and BRDs. I bet you can guess how well _that_ went over...
I'm 53 and this year my wife and i joined a choir (first time singing into a semi-pro fashion) there I met various youngsters (they are in their early 20's) and we became friends, and during the break on one of our rehearsals the kids started to talk about vinyls, and long story short we formed a "Vinyl club" where we meet at my house to play my vinyls!!! the greatest thing of all is their amazement listening to "new-old" music, and as you said here, I showed them the process, and how we used to enjoy it, told them that's the way we used to do it back in the day. That's why it was so important... but now it's just chewing gum
Greetings from Scotland Rick! I'll be 65 this year, and when I was a teenager I remember working and saving for my vinyl fixes - Bowie, T Rex, Simon and Garfunkel, Carol King, Motown, Jazz - all sorts, I also went to second hand record shops. I agree with your attention span observation; I use the term "instant gratification syndrome". Sadly we'll never see the like of Procul Harem, Eleanor Rigby, or Running Down a Dream again. In theearlt 80s, in London, I saw Dylsn supported by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (who did sn entire set themselves), and also with Roger McGuinn - it was brillient. The truth of your video brought a tear to my eye. Thanjs Rick, and keep up the great work Nigel
Man, I am in so much agreement with you Rick. I'm 30 but I don't stream. I started buying cassettes when I was 7 with birthday/Christmas money, I started buying CD's when I was 10 when I finally bought a Discman. I listened to the albums and read the liner notes. I have a massive CD collection, and a small cassette and vinyl collection. I got into playing music when I was 22. I do it for part time work now. That money made largely goes into gear. I record my own music in my house - real drums, real guitars and amps, real microphones. No samples, no autotune, no backing tracks, a basic DAW. Music has been such a massive part of my life, and you have been a massive inspiration for me. Thank you for keeping music real and meaningful, some of us are trying to do the same.
My kids basically multi-task music into their day. It just plays while they do other things. I remember when listening to music was an activity. Bringing an album/tape/CD home from the store; pulling off the shrink wrap; sniffing the tray card; and reading through all the lyrics while I sat on my bed and listened to the album in its entirety. The world has definitely changed.
Experiencing music live has always been the best way to enjoy music and have lifelong memories. In the 1980s an Ozzy concert would be $10 to $15. Do your children have enough access to wealth to even attend a concert today? If so, they are more fortunate than most. Talking about the costs of recorded music without bringing up the cost of live music shows the extreme bias of Rick Beato.
My father has a lot of CDs, and some of the best ones I actually listen to without doing anything else. It feels kinda weird doing just one thing at a time, only one sense. Of course this doesn't work with every song, but I find that a lot of new ones are not deep enough to achieve complete attention. There are, als always, lots of exceptions though. Adele, Gorillaz and a good amount of rock songs examples for that, though I'm not really following any artist so this could be completely bs I'm talking, I just find a higher density of good music there.
Rick, I'm 18 years old. This is the best video I have seen about music. I started my life listening to the Doors and the Beatles. The whole CD!!! Now i have my grandfather's record collection, and i know the names of players and producers. This video spoke to me. I hope to spread this as much as I can, I want my friends and generation to cherish music.
You’re most welcome and it’s a great feeling to do drop the needle 🪡 on a vinyl record and listen 👂 to the music 🎶 and do nothing. No phone 📱 No 🛜 No Instagram. As German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche said, “Without music, life would be a mistake.”
Speaking of knowing producers, starting to follow the works of Kevin Shirley and the late Steve Albini who know how to get the best out of their artists. And Steve himself has been a great champion for artists willing to create.
Such a great explanation. I recently got back into vinyl and the listening experience between streaming and listening to a record with no distractions is radically different and far more enjoyable
When I was a kid, I saved up, my dad drove me to the record store and I bought the White Album by the Beatles. It was a huge event in my life. Today I still cherish it!
I walked into a church basement that was doing some sort of after-school teen hangout thing. Somebody put on the White Album and played the entire thing thing loud on big speakers. It had just been released and we were eager to listen. It builds and builds with all those sweet little songs and then erupts into the frightening and magnificent Revolution Number 9. Every song is a solid gem but together they all build something so much bigger.
I’m 55. Total Rush nerd. As a kid I could not wait for the next Rush album to be released. The anticipation of what they would come up with and finally getting the album was such a great experience. Permanent waves,moving pictures,signals,grace under pressure. I miss musicianship and real music. Think I’m gonna go play limelight on the guitar right now.
I think I came to love Rush because I had bought the albums and darn it, I was going to get some enjoyment out of it! At first Rush would...intrigue me, but...not immediately grab hold. I would have to listen over and over and at some point... Everything clicked in place! Saw Primus recently where they did the Rush tribute. At first I was skeptical, the two are quite different beasts, lol. But my appreciation for Les Claypool and company, their talent, rose immensely. Until Claypool's voice finally dropped a fraction of an octave near the end of the set from the stress, if I closed my eyes, I was listening to Rush reborn. It was as if I got 2 concerts in one. Live.
This is why I love singing along to my favorite tunes despite being a terrible singer, it helps me connect with that music at a deeper level, relate it to situations in my life past and present. Music is not just background noise to drown my inner voice, its a gift to enhance it
This is probably your deepest, most important video so far. I am 57 and I have a huge vinyl collection. I listened to LP records at my friends' all the time. Back covers and lyrics meant a lot. We knew the musicians and we followed them. Most of us played an instrument (I play the drums). I can relate to everything you say here, and your diagnosis is perfect. Thank you.
I never comment on videos, but have been really enjoying your content recently Rick. This video really reinforced all the things I hate and what I'm trying to avoid in my own music. Nothing beats analog, mistakes, experimentation and genuine creativity. Lets get analog music back in the charts!
Watching you 5 years, and this is perhaps the most important video you have made, you summed up everything I have been trying to tell my kids for years, it’s not just nostalgia, it’s a direct reference to what REAL music, really is.
Rick, I’ve been so very privileged to have been in the music & sound industry from early modular systems, through Akai (MPC-60, S950, S1000), then onto Roland, Digidesign ProTools, then left the industry to become a graphic artist until my retirement mid year 2024, always having GarageBand or some other portable DAW within my reach. Now I’m doing meditative music for spiritual communities and teaching my precious granddaughters about making up songs. Gotta say, simple is sweet, and joyous. The insight for me is keeping it simple and don’t overthink things. Thank you for all you do and all the enrichment you bring to every one of the lives you touch. 🙏🏼
My son is a young 20s something up & coming musician, extremely talented (not just saying that because he's my son) and I'm in my mid 50s. I have Spotify and make playlists and sometimes listen to the Spotify recommended playlists. My son challenged me recently to only listen to an album. 1 album only, all the way through, not these silly mixed playlists. He's a kid and gets it. I have to say I was brought back to my childhood sitting in my parents living room holding Rush Farewell to Kings, and listening to it all the way through. We used to do that! It took my son to remind me. I'm forever grateful to him!
People don't listen to albums anymore? It's the only way I listen to my music... I do have some mixes but then extend them to mixes of albums, i.e. a couple of albums of artist X then artist Y etc... Not using shuffle.
Not to be overly cynical, but part of the reason you (and I, I'm 59) did that was because that's the way the music industry was structured. It was limited by the technology of the time, and was kept that way to maximize profits for a cabal of ultra-powerful music labels. You may also be nostalgic about making mixtapes for your crush in the early 80s like i did . . . yet at the time, THAT was the technology that was disrupting the music industry business model and playing it's part in destroying the album-format of music production. Overall I think any fan of Ricks channel can agree that we should actively listen to music to better appreciate its magic.
Talk about hitting the nail on the head with this video. You’ve perfectly explained how music has been trivialized to nothing, that is such a sad, sad thing
Very much appreciated your take, it was en pointe. Not just the music explanation and opinion but the comment on the TDD (Thought Deletion Device)…you nailed it.
Rick: You have done many YT videos as a working, knowledgeable musician. I watch and respect everything you do. But here on Sunday morning with a hot strong cup of coffee in hand I am blown away. I must admit this is the BEST thing you have ever posted ! Why? 'Cause it's so damned true!
Wow. I’m 60. The first LP I bought was Zeppelin Presence in 76. I was twelve working a paper route for the Detroit News. I was so proud of that and listened to every single song several times a day for a very long time. I have been trying to figure why music is so empty and soulless today. You did a great job of presenting a well thought out and presented perspective. I’m thankful I’ve raised my kids on the music I love and they love a lot of it. My grandkids are proving to be difficult in getting them hooked. We keep them off social media, cell phone use is limited to communication only and still, very hard to get them to identify with music.
I just had this conversation with my 18 year old daughter. I couldn’t put it in words how I felt about music when I was her age. You put it so well, I am going to share this with her.
@@NathanMason-r4sHe gets a lot wrong here, as he seems to dislike the accessibility of music today, which is an insensitive take. He doesn’t get that not everybody has the money to do all this elite level recording, and there are digital ways that can get 99% of the way there for those who want to put music together but don’t have the resources.
I love your material. So good. I can’t get enough of Sting’s material and really gained a greater appreciation of his stuff from your interview with him. I really appreciate Vinny’s musicality and creativity with Sting’s songs. He’s my favorite drummer.
fantastic video Rick. couldn’t have said it any better. In a world where, in the right hands, could make some of the most unfathomable music creations ever due to how far technology has come. Yet, majority of what is popular right now is lackluster.
i think a big part of it is because people can get away with not giving something their all when it comes to music and well when it comes to the media in general, you know back then without social media and streaming services getting recognition and status was alot more difficult but you know now its way easier to blow up even if your music isnt that good, of course theres other big factors as well though
Rick you hit the target spot on. Dead center! Working hard as a young person, paper routes, working at my Father's TV store, mowing lawns etc. Taking the bus to down town San Jose to purchase Jimi Hendrix, Deep Purple, Elton John, Yes, Genesis, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Doobie Bros, on and on. There is NO sweat equity!! The best feeling is sharing the music with your friends. Having something tangible in your working hands to share. You would play side one and finish the story with side two. I started playing the ukulele at 3, violin at 8 years and guitar at 11 years of age. I learned by ear. However I purchased your Beato bundle because learning is endless! I love and appreciate all that you have done for the music community. God Bless you my dear friend , even though we have never met. Keep up the fantastic work! Sincerely, Lenny Federico
This was an excellent video! Very true. I remember the late 70s and 80s when I use to spend my money on albums. Read and absorbed so much from the cover and sleeves as much as the music. I won’t say those days were better, but I wonder if we had Alexa and other Music apps back then if I would know the words to every Zeppelin song. I doubt it. I’m glad I do…
Your thoughts are so true !!! Especially the fact , that everything You have "for free" does not mean much to You . And yes , we had to spare for some time to buy an album and we were proud to own it !
Had this conversation with friends so many times. Riding on the bus home reading all the notes on the sleeve getting home and listening to an album from start to finish, not skipping any songs. Better times.
I used to sit in class as a 4th grader and play Metallica's entire Black Album from start to finish in my head. There's songs I hear and I can instantly remember when I got the CD, where I first heard it, the room I was in and the people around me.
Full transparency: as drummer, when he described how he mics a drum kit.... I yelled I LOVE YOU Out of respect and the fact that you went more overboard than me. I like that.
The message in this clip couldn’t be more true, factual, and relevant. Only thing I found missing was decades ago artists had one-take to record their song on wire or whatever medium there was at the time. No punches, no layers, no extra flare. Ironically I was having a conversation last week discussing everything you’re saying. I really appreciate your final statement on just let the music play. I try to focus on this and make it a way of life, and miss the days of song order on an album telling a story, since there was no skip button.
I live in Toronto. One night in early 1997 I was driving home late from work. There was a massive snowstorm. My normal 25 minute commute turned into two hours. The DJ on my favourite station at the time came on and said that he knew a lot of us were stuck in our cars and that as a gift he was going to play Dark Side of the Moon in it’s entirety with no commercials. It was the best 42m50s I’ve ever spent in a car. It instantly transported me back to album listening sessions I had with friends in high school and university. Pouring over the cover art, the liner notes and anything else we could get our hands on….and had to expend energy to get. Something you’d never get in the radio today or listening to Spotify. Just sitting there and letting the music wash over you. Listening to the lyrics, the bass line, the drum fills, and all the little intricate details that make music such and engaging art form. But Rick’s right. We vote with our actions. How will you vote ?
I've found artists on Spotify that I've then gone looking for. I've watched every interview. I've gone to their Bandcamp page and paid for their music. That still exists for those of us that care. The vast majority of people just want generic songs they can listen to while they clean their house 🤣 That's their choice.
This is why Im not worried about AI ruining the visual arts...AI art is not real art. Never will be. This tech will PREVENT hacks from having hits because they will give in to temptation.
That’s why I’m back to physical media- CDs, vinyl and books. I use my Apple Music to screen stuff I may want to own but then I buy and own and listen, absorb and enjoy- again and again- just like in my youth.
As a writer who's been in love with books my whole life, I've always said if you can't hold it in your hand, you don't really have anything, and that goes for music, too. No Kindle ebooks or downloaded music for me. I still take traditional photos and put them in photo albums. I've seen too many people lose photos, music, personal information, etc. when their cell phones get trashed. I guess that's why I've never owned a cell phone either.
But, with the greatest respect, isn't that just using streaming services but with extra steps? Using A.M to "screen" stuff means you're still using it as a metric by which you curate your music collection. I'm a big fan of owning physical copies of my favourite media, but A.M still seems to be an integral part of how you enjoy music, same as me. Once again, not tryna be a dick, genuinely asking 😅
I like this conversation. I had gotten into that habit of attending concerts and recording a lot, which really takes you out of the whole experience. But what changed my mindset and behavior was recently attending a Coldplay concert in Oct, 2023. Lead singer Chris Martin was so amazing. During one song, he asked the fans "for this one song, can I just ask you to put your phones in your pocket and hands in the air." We did. And that moment was so special because we were all present in the moment and really listening and feeling the song. He knew what he was doing. He could not force us to put our phones away. He wanted that connection and after the song, their were fireworks. we did not record that because our phones were in our pockets. Great lesson!!!
I have been trying to teach this lesson my entire life. I have traveled the world (80+ countries) without a camera or fancy phone. As I tell the grandkids, you are either living your life, or filming it. Can't do both, as the process of "capturing the moment" removes you completely from the moment.
I hear you. But Coldplay were kind of one of those bands .... the beginning of the end. A carbon copy of better bands. A safe act for people who rejected Radiohead and other more technically proficient English acts. The good thing is that after two or three records, Coldplay went through the growing pains other bands already had. They reformed themselves into something people either liked or didn't. That was smart. Remember them performing with Beyonce at the Superbowl?
@@warrendavis6023 yes very true. I do remember that. But they didn’t make an impact on my mindset to stop and really listen to music without videos, etc. but the biggest influence has been my 13-year-old niece .. I took her to see her very first live concert. She likes K-pop. I don’t understand it even though I’m half Korean, but her she wanted to experience the music without any recording of anything. She said to me, please stop recording. I don’t want you to send me any recordings if you do because I want to have my own experience and remember the music in my mind. I was blown away. But yes, I do hear what you’re saying about the carbon bands. I grew up with an uncle who was in the record business in the 1970’s… He made sure that we be exposed to all genres of music. When they first came out with CDs and CD players, he was really upset while we the teenagers were so excited to try something new… my first live concert was The Turtles. I remember seeing them live and I still listen to them on my own when no one’s around because I get judged🤣
@@warrendavis6023 I’d completely disagree that Coldplay is a “safe act” for those who rejected Radiohead…it’s simply just fine to NOT worship at the feet of bands like Radiohead…nothing wrong with them but so many RH fans somehow think it’s “higher, deeper” songwriting. It’s not. It’s possible some musicians think maybe it’s sometimes just boring, not musically superior. I DO like Radiohead in smallish doses but there’s definitely a snob aspect to the fan base…as if they’re the epoch of musicianship. Nobody can equal them. Ok, whatever…Coldplay is not lesser…Oasis is not lesser. Sometimes people just enjoy actual memorable melodies. And loving Radiohead is fine, and I really love some of their stuff. But they’re not necessarily special…so very special…to everyone. 😬😅😂🤣
I am with you Man. It is just not the same years ago. You had to break your back, to get the albums to listen to. It was hard for me, to get so many rock albums over time. And in turn, there are days I just break out my stereo system and listen outside on the back porch. And then put a rock CD on, and take in the music and all of the original depth and richness of the artist.
45 years ago, we would listen to entire albums and go on a journey w/ the artists. Music took you to mystical realms or to old familiar places. Those were good times.
I used to do that in the late 80's early 90's. Put a tape on and listen to the whole thing reading along with the lyrics and stuff in my bedroom uninterrupted. I doubt many teenagers do that these days.
@@maggoty I wouldn't focus on what the teens are doing. If you think these journeys were worthwhile - just keep doing it! The kids will see you doing it will be more inspiring to them than anything you can say.
It still does, you are just too old to connect to what 20 year olds are creating today. That’s not a dig, that’s just the law of nature. As a 20-something, I assure you we still value music lmao.
His second point - that there's too much access - applies to a lot of things today. Easy access to tv shows, movies, books. Anything you want anytime and practically free. It's made me pay less attention to any one thing. And so I get much less out of listening or watching or reading. Excellent analysis.
i think porn is another big one... it's not like it used to be, pre-internet. And look, i'm not against porn at all. But there is soooo much of it and it's readily available to anybody. And there are limitless options... anyone can find their own personal fetish category and get as much as they want of it. And i think scientists and medical researchers will eventually come to see it as a huge turning-point for society, and they'll recognize that too much porn has drastic negative effects on society, particularly for boys/men. Hell, they're already starting to understand this. But i think decades of research on the matter will eventually reveal some pretty alarming societal trends.
@@critch74997 no it doesnt, maybe a handful exceptions, it numbs for most. people who look athis channel are not the group he is talking about mainly. its a big minority.
@@american_cosmic When I was a teenager, it was basically Victoria's Secret catalogues and maybe videos on mtv. You had to use a lot of imagination to get from point A to point O. And that developed your awareness of your own sensuality. I don't know if Porn hub with all its hundreds of variations does much to develop that. Interesting thesis topic.
I have plenty of playlists that I made for myself on Spotify, and hit the shuffle button, like so many people out there. But when I am listening to a specific ALBUM, I always listen from Track 1, no shuffle, no skipping. That's how the artist and producer intended the album to be played, so that's how I listen to it.
Thank you soooo much!!! You’ve said what I have been trying to say for several years!!! (I’m now 72yrs & have played guitar sense I was 10) I STILL have fun learning the old stuff the old fashion way from back in the day!!! God bless you!!! 🥰😎👍
I real feel for young people. This uber-connection via the phone is the worst form of alienation. They miss out on so much and it's no wonder that their mental health suffers.
And sometimes the lyrics weren’t written. It was fun trying to write them down yourself and often we’d be totally wrong, which was hilarious sometimes.
@@annstevens6223 when we would try to cover a song in the 70s, since the vocal was mixed loudest, we would turn the record way down, almost to inaudible, and put our ear against the speaker, to figure out what the lyrics were.
What a brilliant video. Made me cry. Former front man, DJ, worked in music stores. All I can do now is raise a glass, go put on ELO's "A New World Record" and enjoy the night with my wife.❤
Was the same way stuck on the past songs. Then stumbled on a band called The Warning in January. They have such energy and amazing songs and an incredible backstory that will be a movie someday. Check out Black Holes live at the Dakota Bar if you are looking for something to move your soul.
Those years spent with friends in a darkened room, listening to albums, examining the covers (when my eyes worked so much better than they do now) and talking about the music endlessly. They were precious in a way I didn't realise at the time. And they left a indelible impression that lives with me still - almost to the point where I don't even need to listen to much of it as I can replay it in my head, note for note, line by line.
This is an important video. I agree so much with everything you said. Music for our artists growing up took time. They might release an album and it had 8-10 songs on it. And we cherished those songs.
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You're right Rick. Education is our only way out of this mess...
unfortunately nowadays finding a record store is extremely hard, miss the old days.....
Reason why musics gone down the drain ia not just business etc. its cultural. People are losing their morals and becoming more entrenched in degeneracy, me included. So if we stop being so goofy we can make better stuff my son. Get some morals yo theyre dope as heck
Damnit Rick, I haven't even gotten past page 30 of TONAL HARMONY. Slow down.
@@elusivelectron Thank you!
This reminds me of how social media was meant to improve connection but ended up segregating
The idea that everyone was connected before and social media increased segregation is mostly a myth. Before the internet people still only watched news/talked to people who agreed with them. After the internet people are more exposed to things they don't like, an attention-focused algorithm likes to show you things you hate, hate=engagement. Kurzgesagt did a good piece on this
@@tsardean9192 depends upon what type of connections are made, are they stronger due to social media or are they weaker, reality is weaker, meaning the connections are worse, similar to how the music is getting worse in this video
@@tsardean9192 The algorithm didnt exist in the earlier days of the internet.
@@tsardean9192 I disagree with that. We're more segregated than ever. Politics are proof of this.
Honestly I don't think I well represented what I was trying to say in my original comment. The points made in the video "The Internet is Worse Than Ever - Now What?" by Kurzgesagt (the people who make the science videos with the birds) is more what I wast trying to bring up.
I was working on a project at Ocean Way studios in Nashville. On the flight home I was reading Mix magazine and an older gentleman sitting next to me asked "Are you in the music business?" I replied "my accountant would argue otherwise, but yea." Well this gentleman was the engineer for Led Zeppelin, we had an amazing conversation and then he said something to me I never forgot. He said "As engineers and producers we used to capture performances now we create them."
That is profoundly sad.
That's actually a deep insight. And is tragic.
wow
Great insight!
@@adamrad2220 He said "create" not contrive or manufacture, even though I understand your point of view. We are blessed that performances have been captured! But I really cannot believe tech or business could interfere with the genius of a Jimmy Page.
When you mentioned kids just clicking to the next one if they don’t like it, it reminded me of how, back in the day, we had no choice but to listen to an entire album, even the songs we didn’t immediately connect with. It was like being “forced” to give those tracks a chance, and so many of them ended up becoming favourites after a few listens. That experience of growing to love a song is something I really treasure.
Agreed. Some of my favourite songs (or even whole albums) are ones I wasn't too sure about on first listen. I have a half-formed theory that this occurs with more complex or unusual music; whereas the ones that resonate immediately can sometimes be predictable and thus get old more quickly.
I was about to try and put into words just what you are saying. Thank you . Many B side songs became my favorites
That whole concept is one I strive to impart to my students in music class. I urge them not to decide until multiple listens and even then they may find years later they do like something. That's true beyond music. There are countless foods, movies, music, stories, etc., that at one point I hated yet grew to love. I still try watermelon every few years to see if I change my view of it- so far, this one has stayed the same- it's still not my thing.
I don't know. It's kinda of like saying that even though you know you don't feel comfortable with a guy you don't like, just let him hang out for a while until you get used to him and you might even start to like him.
@@beatrixbrennan1545 That's a stretch of an interpretation. First of all, I state to my students that they may discover they still don't like something after giving it a fair chance. That's legit. I still don't like watermelon, however, I'm grateful that I was willing to stick with some things or willing to give them another try another time.
Growing up we listened to what my parent's listened to. At the time I was not really thrilled, but now in my 70s, I'm thankful to have heard all of it! I actually would prefer some of the music from the 40s and 50s.
I agree wholeheartedly!!
So glad I grew up in the 70s. It was such a different experience. When your buddy got the new Aerosmith album and everyone headed to his house to listen to it. That experience is no longer and it’s really sad.
I remember Toys in the Attic like it was yesterday…. I was waxing my homemade sled while listening to it probably on KJR95 or KISW or KZOK.
I hear that!!! it unified kids, forged friendships there was something magical about the LP and the artwork... Speaking of interviews or rumours we heard about 'bats getting their heads bit off' and so on😊 Good times.
All in all the internet is more divisive than intended. It is the great leveler. Everyone is talented?
Was that way in the 80s too tho which is when I grew up. No internet then either. I had a job mowing lawns. Took the cash walked to the bus station…rode 30 minutes to the “big” town w the cool record shop….bought an album….30 minutes home excited as hell….listened for hours….read the lyrics…producer….musicians…..then discussed with friends etc. Last generation to do that. Super sad
@@davemartin2599 Yep. So much has been lost. These were formative experiences. What substitutes for these today??
My wife and I will do a 1000 piece puzzle and listen to a whole album through, and discuss it as we work on the puzzle. It's become one of my favourite things to do.
I envy you both. Wishing you many more years of puzzle time & music.
This is brilliant. I feel a new date trend coming on for me and my wife.
That's really beautiful ❤
Ok
that sounds like an awesome way to connect with someone you love
Great commentary, as usual. It is a sad time, I am 60, and the world we grew up in is gone, quite literally, its gone. Thank you for all you do, you are a treasure to us all.
I miss real instruments played by talented and original musicians.
Just turned 59, so we have enjoyed the same music and artists. From, wiring speakers, and cassette players to CD's. It's no wonder so many radio stations are still playing our generations music. Like the song, "I love music, any kind of music." 8 tracks, albums, cassette and cd. No experience with real to real, but must have been great.
It's not gone. Not at all. Take it from someone who is your age. I enjoy my music on vinyl. I develop my own photos. The old technology is still available.
all you need is to research genres you loved in the past, and find them online. thats all that changed, digital
I'm 57 and couldn't agree more. The simpleness of everything is gone and it's made us stupid
I think you're spot on, Rick! I've been a live performer and recorded a lotbas well, for 45 years now. But since the Covid lockdown, it has been extremely difficult to even find music work at all (as a woodwind doubler). Pay has gone down to low because the owners know they don't have to pay so much because musicians who have not done the real work are willing to go out and play for $50-$75 a night for a 4 hr gig. I can't do that.
That’s why all the music I listen to is priceless.
I'm a musician.I play in three bands, five nights a week. Our audiences love us and dance. We use small amps. The guitar players use a couple pedals. We have fun, the audiences have fun and the club owners make money. Real live music is still available, but just like when we were young, you got to work for it.
Are y’all primarily playing covers? Or able to also play originals that keep the crowds?
Cool! Keep it up! If you are any good, your audience and income will grow. Then anything is possible.
That’s awesome to hear. Keep going!!
Thank you for your service. We have a military/veteran discount where I work. I'm going to suggest a pro musician discount.
Exactly music is about the moment... Not bottling it labeling and monopolizing for profit. That's what people spend money or time on it for, the moment...
"The enemy of art is the absence of limitations" - Orson Welles Pretty much sums it up.
That makes me think of the way the Hays codes forced movie script writers to get around them with some of the most brilliant examples of innuendo the world has ever seen. Today, with almost no limitations of obscene language and imagery, all of that is lost.
TH-cam channel creators...
Truth! First time hearing that one, thanks. Right up there with “The great rule of art is complete unity in diversity.
Yes! The BBC once commissioned Benjamin Britten to write a piece for some occasion or another, and Britten asked how many horns he could use. The BBC answered, "Oh Mr Britten, you can have as many horns as you like!" But that wasn't what he wanted to hear. He always needed to work within set parameters.
@@pcno2832 I was thinking more budgetary, time and technological limitations, rather than censorship, although, censorship is a limitation that did provide for some creative writing.
The paradox of having the world of music quite literally at your fingertips, yet being numb to it.
This. I’ve noticed young people who don’t know even the most obvious music. They hadn’t heard of anyone. Or they say “OMG I looove Zeppelin, The Who, the Smiths etc. But when you talk to them it turns out they know one or two songs by them. They’re remarkably incurious.
@@Dreyno Do you know Car Seat Headrest? Alex G? Mitski? Men I Trust?Boygenius? Young people have never cared about musicians that are way older than them. Why would a kid born in 2000 care about a band that began 40 years before they even gained conscience?
A b-side of Pavement, fucking Pavement went incredibly viral with young people. Just accept that the passage of time and juvenoia is kicking your ass
@@SimonBishop779 That sounds like depression my guy, are you feeling good? Genuinely asking.
@@vixo551 Most of the music I listen to daily was written, recorded, and gained popularity before I was born. What the fuck are you on about bud?
@@Aveance94 Me too man, and so I know for experience, the average young people don't really care that much about music older than them.
At college in the 60's I actually listened to music late at night on WABC New York. I remember hearing one night the first play of Strawberry Fields Forever. But that's how I first heard Joni Mitchel and Frank Sinatra and The Beatles and The Four Tops. I was raised on Classical Music, which I still feel is the best. But, Rick, could you offer an analysis of, and a tribute to that short time when radio presented an eclectic sampling of popular music. I believe that it is so unfortunate that pop stations now have such a narrow vision. I appreciate that experience of being exposed to Glen Campbell followed by the Stones, followed by Smokey and the Miracles, followed by Simon and Garfunkle, followed by, etc. It was all good. I didn't look down on any of it. I still remember loving "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" and "The Tears of a Clown" and "The Witchita Lineman" and "Both Sides Now". I didn't see any need to distinguish Motown from Nashville. Decades later I recall a station regularly trumpeting "Never Barry Manilow"! Okay. So maybe not Manilow. But recently I have seen You Tube videos of "First Reactions" to "Unchained melody " and to Karen Carpenter and to Bridge Over Troubled Water. These first time listeners have been cheated because these songs did not fit into the electron microscopicly narrow range of their radio.
DJs were heroes in my eyes. Casey Kasem expanded our horizons to some degree with top hits from top genres. NY DJ Frankie Crocker used to say if he wasn't on the radio, your radio wasn't really on and he was right. Ska, Reggae, Jazz, R&B, Funk, Classic tunes we heard it all even though HE was accused of payola...weird.
I stopped listening to commercial radio with the advent of internet radio. And Tiny Desk? It's such a gift to see and listen to known and lesser knowns!!!
Thank you. At first I was afraid that only "Back In The Day" old people, including my 73-year-old self, would respond to this, but thankfully all ages are. because the damage to our souls is way-down-deeply sensed and universal. Growing up (whatever that means) in Manhattan, for pop'n'rock I listened to WABC too. Was Cousin Brucie on that? And WNEW. And also WBAI, the only radical station around (that was on FM, however-the things they talked about could only be broadcast on FM): although it was not an all-music station by any means, they were upliftingly adventurous in the music they chose to play. It was so cool not knowing how amazing the next song would be! And you had to remember it and wait for the next time they played it if you couldn't get the record; but that was real gaining of what transported you.
@@GuyMichel-neverbetter Yes, I remember Cousin Brucie. I am three years older than you. I was going to college north of the city, in Briarcliff Manor. From the college we could see Sing Sing Prison and the Hudson. It was the commuter train into town. So I see that they have replaced the Tapanzee Bridge. I don't get up there anymore. Anyway, I now really appreciate the broad choice of music played in the 60's. I listened to WABC and WLS, Chicago. Sometimes I'd listen to late night radio with the guys on the top floor. It was in one of those sessions that I heard "Alice's Restaurant" by Arlo Guthrie. And late one night on WABC the first playing of Strawberry Fields Forever. I really liked the Beatles. But I liked all of it. I don't remember the station, but I liked listening to a guy who did a monologue. Can't remember his name.
As a very young teenager, I used to cut grass in the neighborhood and ride my bike to the store and buy a record album or the small records we called a 45. I would sit and listen to it for hours in a relaxed state and meditate on the song that was playing. That was long before computers or cellphones. It was more of a simple life, and a lot of times, I wish I could go back to those days.
I have been playing kit since 1962, and I miss those days!!!
I was there too. And I prefer it right here and now. 3:45 If you went back, youdwant out of there in a few days. It's called the good old days fallacy.
Fleetwood ??
But mp3 is a hell of a lot more portable than truntable
@@roadyholmes we didn't have mp3 back in the 70s
The best advice I ever received from anyone about music was from my dad. He said to listen to the entire album and appreciate it as a whole. I have found some of my favorite songs from this. There are so many songs that are great that never made the charts.
I was a DJ at a bar for three years in the mid 80s. My philosophy was that when I played tracks off classic albums I wouldn't play the one or two that only the radio played. I'd play the others that you never heard on the radio but everyone knew because they had listened to the whole album many times.
I love finding amazing songs that never hit my ear because they didn't make it to charts. Any favorites you're willing to share?
@@kenbrunet6120 Along those lines, I would argue that there are numerous songs in a good band's catalogue that are better than those on the charts. Those on the charts are just catchier, easier to digest...
Thank YOU Dad!
Fantastic yet dated advice. I too have found some of my favourite tracks from listening to whole albums. However, increasingly, modern artists have adapted to streaming formats and are more and more making albums that are merely a collection of songs or single tracks aiming to get one of them to go viral rather than a full 40+ minute continuous composition.
This is a fantastic bit of social commentary. Speaks to something beyond just music. Our whole culture is increasingly 1) Easily produced, 2) Easily consumed, 3) Valued less.
This goes right along with a discussion I had with a male friend earlier about how hard we both are finding it to find good quality trousers. Yup, everything out there is crap. Good and cheap, but garbage. And since neither of us want to shop online but want to go to stores it's even harder to find anything passible.
That seems to be the world we're living in right now. We've been Walmart-ized. Everything is cheap and available but it's not worth much.
Spot On.
4. Easily forgotten
👏 Yes!!!
Just replace all that with: fake
Rick, I couldn't agree more and have had the same basic rant with my kids. It is so sad that youngsters today don't have the experience around the joy of music and the artists that produced it. I remember hearing some great tracks that were the B side which in today's would would probably never be heard. Love what you do.
Excellent Rick, you nailed this. I'm 59 and you brought back the day Van Halen's 1st album was released.
My buddies and I prepared for a week, we all cut lawns, pooled our money together, got the album and listened to it forever.
There is Nothing like the Anticipation feeling we had back then.
Thank you!
I was a freshman in college when that album came out. What a killer!
There is still a lot of great new music being created by young artists. I host house concerts in my backyard featuring younger singer/songwriters (I'm 66) singing their own songs. No samples. No backing tracks. Just a couple of singers playing their guitars. So there is hope. The problem as you alluded to is how do these artists get found.
Great video with a lot of great points.
The answer may be: Play live in as many places as possible (more exposure than playing the same venue all the time) and put some of the live performances on YT and add some studio recorded songs, interviews, skits, etc. to build a following. The live performances will bring people to YT and the YT videos will bring some people to the live performances.
I agree, Robert! I’m just starting to host and performing house concerts again and am involved with group of people who are working to raise more awareness about them. I know there are some house concert networks out there and would love to connect these groups together. How do you get the word out about your concerts? Just word of mouth locally?
We also live an age of social media algorithms that spread content based on trending topics and hashtags. That incentivizes creating content that is easy to quickly make (5 uploads or more per day) that tracks existing trends (politics, existing famous people and brands etc.). In other words, it's not even worth peoples time to make "original" crappy autotune music if it doesn't track an existing trend to be picked up by the algorithms.
Yep! I just saw “Joe Purdy” open up a Tedeschi Trucks concert. Had never heard of him and he had the whole venue, singing along. He’s Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie ‘ish.
Get out of your home, and go support live music and bands, everyone!
@@EricWmUpdate You hit the nail on the head. Music, and now with the rise of AI, art as a whole, has become monetarily valueless. in our society, that means that there is no logical reason to pursue it.
for most of human history, access to creation of art was extremely limited. people spent the majority of their lives working, the 8 hour work day doesn't work when you're subsistence farming. or enslaved. it is only very recently that the means to create art, and the structured time to do it, have become somewhat standard or expected. and still, this is only the case in rich first world countries.
the fact is, we are headed in a direction where people will have to devote more and more of their life to working, and the time for humans to create art will dwindle. while AI and big corporations will continue their steady churn of creative slop, while demanding more and more money for the "privilege" (source: spotify raising prices TWICE this year). in fact this effect can be seen in other markets, take a look at what amazon has become. all garbage low quality products, but ooh you get it in 1 day. and don't get me started on video streaming.
face it, unless people as a whole stop CHOOSING this life with their money and attention, nothing is going to change and they'll take more and more of our time, money, and souls.
Rick, make this a 90 minute documentary, with guest interviews, discussion about future of music, past of music. I would watch that 100%
Me three
There's a documentary that came out around the beginning of the end. It was called "Press Pause Play"... check it out!
As he said, you vote with your attention and more complex topics will not be watched. He would best do a 10sec tiktok
Agreed!
90 million? Why not 100 million?
Bonjour Rick,
I had this feeling for years when I listened to new singers that something was missing. Then, I realised recently that all the selected singers in a French competition called "Les Victoires de la Musique" during the last ten years had no musicians. They were stand alone singers. The human imperfections were missing in most of these new music. It sounds like sweat and blood to play an instrument was gone.
Your explanations are crystal clear. Thank you for sharing them.
Merci.
My daughters friend (23 years old) was here the other day and we were talking about music, she had never seen a vinyl album before other than in the movies. I handed her one and you could see the excitement of all the artwork and lyric sheet, this tangible experience is lost to so many. Sad really.
Yeah sadly it's all about speed of accessibility now. "How fast can I get what I want". Physical copies are not for the masses anymore.
Yes. The artwork was part of the whole article. It captured the imagination! Good insight!
nice
I write music for the art of it and for exploring myself. I'm not concerned with trends. You know that something is a passion when you put time and sweat into making it knowing that you might not get any monetary value from it. Keep your art alive. Shine on!!
Same here. I make music for one person... Me. If other people hear it and like it, that's a bonus, but it's not why I make music. I have songs in me that I have to get out. I think they're awesome, but I would do. After all, they were written and recorded just for me.
I found creative freedom when I was released from the dream of being successful or making a career from music. That was always a hard dream to chase, but it's even harder now when 100,000 songs are uploaded every day. It's pretty much impossible to get noticed in amongst all that noise. So why pollute your art by trying to make it for people who will almost certainly never hear it? Make it for yourself.
Is it really possible to make music only for yourself? I mean what motivates you to create music just for yourself. I am a musician and I would love to make music for myself but honestly
.. me alone does not motivate me. I like it when I receive praise for my songs even more when make a new fan and that's what makes me want to churn out more.
Same here. I just make music for myself. When people say music is getting worse I say, how dare you! I just dropped a project two weeks ago. I'm still the dopest.
Dogs chase cats because they are dogs. I create music because I am a musician. Just like a dog, I can't help it. It's just who I am. To stop would be going against my true nature. To stop creating music would make me miserable.
I can't agree more Jeff as that is what my philosophy is too. I create music as a well trained pianist and my love for being creative and not simply follow a trend is a big plus for me. Well super done and keep enjoying your passion for music.
"What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value." - Thomas Paine
I wish I could like this more than once.
Hell ya
T. Paine
@@MisterMoccasin LOL, the *real* T. Paine. 😆🇺🇸
I'm gonna be east bound and down running away from Sheriff Justice with your comment, Mr. Bandit 😂
I am 74 I have experienced what you describe and I never analyzed this. I believe you are spot on. Music becomes just background noise in our lives, beyond sad. Thank you
God bless you for making this video. So many others have either been unwilling or unable to articulate what you have successfully did in 12 min.
“I find it so amazing that when people tell me that electronic music has not got soul, and they blame the computers because they think and they point at the computer - it’s like “there’s no soul here!” It’s like, you can’t blame the computer. If there’s no soul in the music it’s because nobody put it there and it’s not the tool’s fault.”
-Björk
this
she was really ahead of her time for sure
That's why I love Aphex Twin, Richard D. James puts his entire soul into his music and it's awesome.
Haha, lol. She's wrong. Tools influence the way we produce, so yes we can point to the tool. But she's partly right in the sense that we have some degree of freedom while using the tool too
@tobiokanlawon1562 so you can blame your influences for why your music has no soul? At what point are you going to have accountability as the creator? She definitely isn't wrong. there is electronic music that certainly has soul and no, it isn't predicated on accompanying vocals. If you can't listen to DJ Shadow and recognize the soul in his tracks, it might actually be a you problem
Excellent summary on how public appreciation for music has so drastically changed over the years. There's nothing more pure, organic, and human than live acoustic music. When the internet & power grid goes out, live acoustic music will become very valuable and even essential.
People can create power, it is not impossible.
It is also not essential for most Humans to continue to live.
You can feel the emotion of real music, in person.
Great stuff, Rick! I long for the days when I collected albums and spun records on AM radio in Upstate NY. Makes me want to upgrade my turntable and get serious about vinyl again. Really enjoy your interviews and attention to music detail. We need more of this. Thank you.
“You Vote With Your Attention” what a great quote Rick. As a Music teacher of primary school aged students I get them to listen to one song at the start of my lesson to set up my intention to get their attention and watching their expressions when they come across a bridge or a chord change in a song is wonderful because they than question can songs do that!
you should go through anime music then. Things what Japanese can do with pentatonic scale is crazy. They change tempo, rhythm but so cohesively you still know this is one piece of music. You can start with a bit of jazz: Tank! from Cowboy Bebop for example. Or OST to Macross Do You Remember Love? Both OSTs are by the one and only Yoko Kanno, known to switch genres like it's nothing.
From classical music - Litvinovsky is a good choice - his pieces aren't complicated but have enough variety to them to spot them easily. And they are just good pieces to listen to.
And, of course - traditional music. My fav go to album is Rhythms of the Pridelands - never gets boring. For that Asian vibe I like: erhu, gu zheng, taiko drums, shamisen, shakuhachi... And enka for singing.
Kids
I've always said that if you would have told me in 1984 that I could have access to any music I wanted instantly I would have lost my mind. But in reality, going to the record store on the weekend and digging through the import section was so great!
I wonder sometimes whether the same holds for Women . . .
Many a Friday or Saturday night spent at the record store doing exactly that. I picked up so much import vinyl it was crazy. Good vibes and the constant pursuit.
I miss that too.
I miss going to real stores to buy stuff.
It feels soulless.
There's this lack of discovery.
And worst of all : I don't get to own the music any more ...
I got a thousand cd's I have bought (and digitized for easy consumption).
And I'm only rarely adding new things when I see new bands at events in real life, because I simply can't buy the physical product.
Never mind the ridiculously small amount of royalties that artists get when someone listens to their songs on a streaming service.
Record companies were bad, but streaming services are even worse when it comes to exploiting artists.
and I'd read music magazines, Kerrang, Creem, Rolling Stone, find out what they raved about, ooh, who is this Accept? Never heard of them. Bought Restless & Wild, thought it was a mistake when the start of Fast as a Shark came on, like, wtf? did they switch disks? then the Udo scream, ah, now that's better! one of my favorite disks now! Picked up Bad Brains, X, Tool, Skinny Puppy, and Godflesh among others based on magazine recommendations, until I found a good core of friends who we can talk music with as magazines died
"The best way to counteract this alarming trend is by educating yourself and becoming a more knowledgeable musician so that great music can make a return."
Educating yourself and becoming a more knowledgeable person... applies to every aspect of life, not just music. Beautiful video, beautiful essay. Thank you.
Amen Brother. I, too, bagged groceries in high school, bought a record damn near every payday, and went home to absorb it.
Sitting down, without distractions, and REALLY listening to an album once or twice a week has made me realize how much music I listen to nowadays, yet how little music I listen to.
My rule for myself is no screens. Whether I'm looking at my turntable spinning, the LP jacket, or nothing because my Pi-based streamer has the touchscreen backlight powered off, my eyes need no distraction to really hear the music. Then and only then can I listen to an album and really hear it.
@@charlienyc1 I’ve looked at getting a vinyl player specifically BECAUSE it’s not a smooth experience. Consuming music is so frictionless now, great in a lot of ways, not so great in others.
There is significant value in deliberate listening. Where all you are doing is consuming your music. My friends and I have social gatherings where we sit in front of a stereo and people put on songs. We have a very enriching time!
@@njsteere I just bought my first one in the last couple years. Besides all the G.A.S. (gear acquisition syndrome) that came with that purchase, my listening got much more intentional. I'd recommend it.
And set yourself an initial budget for TT, preamp, cleaning products, and any other accessories plus another weekly or monthly vinyl budget. Don't do what I did and spend more than double what I meant to spend 😆
How much music you hear but how little you listen. People talking over songs irritates me no end. Play ambient music without lyrics if you don't want to hear the messages enclosed.
The irony for me is that having all music always available was the dream. Now that it’s here ….. “the only thing worse than not getting what you want, is getting what you want”. I must admit I’m very glad I have access to all of Bach’s music, it brings me so much comfort and joy.
Yeah, Sebastian Bach was great in Skid row! in a Darkened room man ugh.......just......and Wasted Time.....ugh....we haven't got anything like that since....well the early 90's! lolz
I remember the days of pouring over liner notes, knowing who produced and engineered the record, what studio it was recorded in, etc. Knowing and caring about these things really does bring the music alive on a whole other level
Then cds came along and I had to get out the microscope. All that beautiful artwork shrunken, how would the artists have felt?
i loooove album notes
@@realityjunkyhappy they got paid a decent commission
Ah yes! Loved reading the liner notes. Do record companies even make them anymore?
Yep, as a huge Yes fan I remember being irritated because "Relayer" (at least the LP edition) said nothing about who the recording engineer/s was, or about what kind of keyboards and synths Patrick Moraz was using. I could hear that it was an outstanding feat of production, mixing and musicianship, even by Yes standards; it sounds really different from any other album with the band - but all the album said on production was "produced by Yes and Eddie Offord; tapes by Genaro Rippo" (a name I have never seen on any other album). :)
It was a quarter of a century before I found out that most of the album had not even been recorded at Offord's Advision studios in London, but - in Chris Squire's basement!
😄 Which makes it even more impressive, even if it was actually mixed at Advision. :) And I still don't know who those sound engineers were...Offord was mostly sitting in a studio bus outside of Squire's home when they were recording the album.
Everything you said was pure gold. Thank you.
I loved your story of buying an album. I used to skip lunch in junior high and high school to save up money to buy an album. I would listen to the album while reading the lyrics on the album cover over and over and over. To this day, I can sing along with albums I bought in my youth without missing a lyric.
COLUMBIA RECORD HOUSE - 20 albums for a penny, and never buy another one.
This! The liner notes are so important. They are a deeper dive into the music and the artist. Streaming is convenient but we miss all that content! With some artists, there are whole stories in the liner notes. Thinking of Loreena McKennitt or Secret Garden.
One time when I got really depressed I would hook up headphones to my stereo, sit in a chair, close my eyes and listen to Coltrane's "A Love Supreme". I let that album seep into my brain over and over, and it was like medicine.
goes to the whole society like California New agenda. Making more stuff free. Which has no value when you dont work for it. Then we all end up paying the government and never knowing what it is all for.
@@MonsieurTarzan-g3m I'll have to find that one on vinyl. I could use some musical therapy.
Great video. I'm a little bit older than you, and I can remember that one of the great joys of buying an LP from a favorite artist was having to listen to all the non-feaured, "fiiller" tracks and discovering true gems.
Nice job Rick! I’m 68, I remember listening to music the way you described it. We truly appreciated music the way it should be appreciated. Keep up the good work. 👍🏼
As a music teacher your massage at the end is one of the most important ones I’ve been teaching my students. When we listen to music in class it’s the only thing we focus on, and afterwards we start a discussion on what makes it beautiful (or not so beautiful). I hope they keep listening to music properly outside of my classes as well.
Sound like a good Idea to me!
When I remember the music lessons at my time at school we mostly listened to classic music and had to remember when the artist lived and so on. Mostly dates of birth and death.
Now i'm 38 and I know that it is or should be interesting how music was made in the beginning because that music influences music until now, but it would also have been pretty cool to listen to current music, which genres exists, what makes them special and what they have in common.
I regret not to be able to play an instrument (I learned accordeon when I was around 10 for about a year or so but didn't like it really much), but I plan to start learning to play guitar soon. I would really like not to only listen to but also being able to play music myself.
Beautiful, Amen
Wait, there was a massage at the end? Thank god, because this video needed a happy ending.
I got the chills listening to you describe what it took to acquire music (an album), what it meant to you, adding it to your collection and sharing it. This is exactly how it was for me growing up in the'70s.
That's because, Rick is exactly right,... Now is too easy to steal a sample of real music, loop it, & make some rap (crap) out it,...
We used to have a record store called Wide World of Music and we called it Wild World.
They had a sale every month, any album $5.44 per disk. And they would play albums in the store during the day. That's one way we found new artists that weren't on the radio.
I can't imagine how people listen to music without the full context of the album, it's ludicrous if you ask me
I might be Gen Z but I've felt and heard Zep IV on a mint condition 70's pressing and it's magical. Love my Don Cab 2 vinyl in particular, that record just hits different in analogue
And adding to that - If you didn't enjoy what was popular/mainstream you either had to go to great lengths to find something different OR you created something yourself.
Now you just need to browse youtube for 20 minutes.
@@saulgoodman.exe_ Albums as such are rare today. They are usually a collection of unrelated, stand-alone objects - there is no theme any more. "Tommy" by The Who would be impossible today.
This is a very heroic move against the end of humanity, Rick. People need to hear this everywhere. I'll be doing my part as a 20+ year musician who just decided to start giving music lessons in a town where there aren't any left. Together we rage against the dying of the light.
So true. Greetings from Germany (born in 1958).
It's curious you call it "end of humanity". For years, I've said music will save humanity. (Or rather, is actively and continously saving us.) Just an observation on your choice of words.
There are dozens of us! :)
Beautifully articulated thought and expression.
LMAO, you don't like modern music, so it's the "end of humanity"😂
@@s.miller2648 It´s the end of freedom.
Dear sir. I just watched my first video of you. I love your knowledge and wealth of music production. It is sad to say that you were absolutely right. I’m sure you’ve been following the industry for more than 50 years. Thank you for the wonderful video man. Keep up the good work
Had a friend in high school who restored an old van. Whenever anyone got a new cassette we'd all pile in the back, park somewhere, light one up and just sit and listen. It was an actual event we looked forward to, sometimes days in advance!
Great story! I had similar experiences in the 70s
I’m sorry I missed it!
Cassette? 70's was 8 track.
Dude said "experience". Comprehension is your friend!
Exactly right! The same with television shows in the eighties.
Rick Beato just gave the most comprehensive and descriptive analysis of why the music composed today lacks creativity - which in turn means a lack of originality.
I have been playing guitar since 1964 and Rick you have answered all of my questions that I have had for years.
Thank you!
Perfectly said Rick. I’ve been in the industry my entire life and now at 70 I feel blessed to have lived in a time when music had value and meaning
Agreed, I’m born 92 and I’m lucky I got to experience a world of more music choices and risks.
This isn’t just “kids these days suck” stuff, this isn’t just nostalgia this is a corporatized world with no art anymore.
You guys had the perfect mix of access and creativity and I saw it in my early days but it’s sadly now gone.
Honestly, I wish I got to live through these times too... I hate that these days its more about "content creation" and marketing rather than making timeless and original art.
I'm 76 and I fully concur - I'm an old analog gal in a digital world, and I like it that way. Joe Walsh (also our age) wrote a great song "Analog Man" You should get that album and give it a listen (In analog of course!) LoL💗
wtf is all this bs? mainstream music has always been populist trash. go listen to stuff like jinjer and tell me nothing is good.
Myself included, playing albums in my friends basement,having a few beers,was pure magic
This was a beautiful video, Rick. I’m 24, while I do use Spotify, one of my favorite things to do is listen to an album all the way through. I play in a 4 piece rock band and I know a lot of my buddies also think the same thing. We write rock songs the old fashioned way and will never quantize our recordings.
I’ve recently gotten into CDs so the fight ain’t over yet brother!
As older,70, former professional musician, you are absolutely right. At 15, I saved up money to buy my first album. The experience of opening the album cover, after studying the cover for a long time, pulling the record sleeve slowly and removing the vinyl and getting that smell. It made your connection with what you were about to hear so special. Nothing like it. That ritual was so special.
Albums are things to own and treasure whereas streamed is throwaway.
You are also more likely to listen to the whole thing and let it grow on you, rather than skipping stuff that doesn't have that instant hook.
Pretty same with video games for me. I got tons of pleasure out of searching for a worthy game, saving up, anticipating the day i’ll finally buy it, installing…
Now you can install thousand of shitty free games and get zero pleasure out of them and even get scammed into paying for quest rewards 😅
I'm glad I never gave in to the streaming trend even if it was supposed to be my generation's thing. Still got my collection of CDs and I save the songs I love most on various devices to listen to. Streaming, never.
@@dcostello1976 For most young music fans, we don’t skip tracks, even on streaming. Bridges still exist, you know?
Funny you mention the smell. At the time we discovered different labels had slightly different vinyl smells. We used to play a quiz-like game by guessing albums blind-folded, without sound. So much fun we had, back in the 80's.
SO well said. I'm a professional musician and retired middle school band/orchestra teacher. I've been doing this my whole life and you just distilled everything I've been saying and thinking into a clear and concise 12 minute video. Well done, Rick. Bravo.
Well said? He's wrong.
Dude is just hating. He is 100% wrong. It's all about finding which bands or artists to listen to. Maybe he should try expanding his playlist. lol.
@@CYB3R2K So says the incorrigible Cyborg cult here!!
@@NathanMason-r4s So says the incorrigible Cyborg cult here!!
@@NathanMason-r4s , he didn't say the music doesn't exist. Of course not. His hundreds of vids demonstrate his love for music past and present. He said the technology has literally devalued it for the average person in our culture. He's sure not wrong about that.
music isn't getting worse, popular music is getting worse.
A very valid point.
Fully agree
this.
and how many top 10 songs from 50 years ago are completely forgotten?
The problem is with a new song coming out every second, popular music is losing its meaning. A popular song would rise through the ranks of the various countdowns and become part of pop culture. Now songs are far more ephemeral. They become all the rage until the next new song comes out and then they're quickly forgotten. There is still good music being made, but the most popular means of distributing music doesn't pay attention to them.
I think you can say the same thing about the transition from having to go to listen to music being played live to it being something you ‘own’. I think that you’re onto something but you are just starting from the starting point of your own life 😊
Rick, oh my God you so nailed it. Thank you for this. I am 68 years old. I remember my kid brother and I riding our bikes together when I was like 10 years old in Evanston IL to buy the latest Beatles album (Revolver, Rubber Soul--can't remember which one) from the local record store with allowance money (had to do our chores) we saved up (or begged or stole from our parents). Those albums with the cover art, the feel, the record, stayed with me for many years. Your challenge at the end of your video is pure gold.
there's nothing more to be said. you articulated every thought i'd been processing over the last 10 years and then some more. this video should be shown everywhere. people need to understand the cost of convenience. our heart and soul.
Hmm. Is not that they don't understand. They simply just don't care. The whole damn life has become one big competition but in the end... There are gonna be more losses than winners...
More than that - their identity. We used to listen, because we became alive listening. It was music that woke us up (in a good way).
It doesn't do that now. It's become a background hum.
We don't need it.
@@anzacman5 Even the people seeking people act like buying in a supermarket. Sad generation really. As long as I have my own music boost, I am happy. ;)
You're spot on Rick. I was a research and practicing psychologist for 55 years. I think there has been a loss of the knowhow of using attention. Not only have we lost the capacity to deeply listen to music, we've lost the ability. to listen to each other--music is just one symptom.
Peter, this horrible trend of people unable to "lock in" to any endeavor is horrible alarming. Obviously a byproduct of electronic technologies (aside from video games and a few other meaningless "entertain me now" pastimes that seem to be the only time people "lock in", we are reaping the results of short sightedness commerce. Yes while it's partially true that the smart phones, computers and other devices have helped us in certain ways, we are only seeing the beginning of the damage being created through these media methods. While my statements may sound more like an old timer the truth remains, next time you're with a teenager have them shut off their phone and ask them to describe in detail what they hear, see, smell and feel in the moment and see how in depth their answers are..
@user-kg6di5vf9x Very true, and if you're a young person starting out in a career this can be used to your advantage. I taught my children to be the young person that shows up, pays attention, and keeps focus until the task is completed. This has paid off in a big way for them.....because to your point, they're in a sought-after minority.
Yes, it not just music, its "everything". There is now very little critical thinking and/or intellectual curiosity taking place, we seem, as a race, to have adopted such a lazy approach to everything we encounter that we would rather have a set of algorithms do our thinking for us and we just skim everything - news articles, informative television programs and ultimately our greatest creation - music. Digital manipulation and AI are creating a world where we don't know what is real or true and so we now mistrust everything, just so sad.
@@straymusictracksfromdavoro6510 I think this is just another step in evolution, and a greater divide between parts of the species is being made. We still have great scientists that think deeply (Higgs Boson and CERN for example in 2012 or The James Webb), but I cannot think of any recent creativity that would match. Maybe Kush the painter, or Billie Eilish come close for me. I still wonder where evolution is taking us, we definitely are not driving this bus.
@@jet251 Is it really progress ? Evolution can make you go back if it helps your survival right ? So if everyone will forever use AI to make songs in 100 years we will lose ability to play instruments and why would we need them anyway if AI is doing the job.
Rick
Thank you!! You make this topic understandable with your well thought out and straight to the point clip. I washed dishes at a restaurant to buy Zepplin, Pink Floyd, Doors albums. I'm damn glad i was 17 in 76 and heard/saw great bands.
Rock on my friend!!
The flip side of streaming is that if you really love music, you will discover, experience and enjoy 1000% more music that only would have purchased and listened if you were a millionare. I still collect cds, but not purchasing as many as in the old days. With my friends who also love music I share the album links and personal playlists, it is another experience. With that said, I sympathize totally with Rick on this matter.
I think this is why I like streaming despite it being looked down upon. Especially, as someone who didn't always gel with the music from my country. Even as a kid I didn't get to connect with friends through music since my tastes were different. I was able to listen to and discover so many gems through streaming.
I’ve thought about this before. When I was a kid I would buy an album and listen to it over and over because a) I worked to get it and b) I didn’t have a crazy amount of choices. So I would deep dive into these albums, read the liner notes, lyrics, etc. as you mentioned, this resulted in a very deep connection to the music and the band. Nowadays, it’s a paradox of too many choices. I use Spotify, but I tend to use it meaningfully, I will take one artist, and listen to every album in chronological order. Things like that. It helps me see the progression of a musician, and find new (to me) music I enjoy.
I use Spotify music like that as well. I'm catching up on music I missed when life just got in the way, like my workplaces tended to disallow playing music or the choice of music, or my car stereo broke and I couldn't afford to replace it.
I do have to put some effort into active listening. It may sound lame, but I have to maintain a job, a home, and a computer with internet to do all that. No small feat nowadays. And of course, I try get out and experience live music. I simply can't afford today's ticket prices, so a big name concert is a once a year special event. But I can attend less popular artists and still get just as wonderful quality auditory bliss. Local bands are great, too!
I've been collecting CDs since the format was first introduced, and I have somewhere near 1,500 CDs. I used to buy every album by bands I like, even if I didn't like every song on the albums. I stopped doing that when streaming mp3s came along. Now I bookmark bands I listen to on Spotify and or Tidal (Tidal has better sound, Spotify has more stuff I like) and that also had the extra benefit of making my wife happy. She used to tell me to get a room for all of my CDs... So I told her to be happy I didn't collect LPs, they take up a lot more room. Those comments were rewarded with a blank stare that said in no uncertain terms "Are you crazy?"
Then I started collecting DVDs and BRDs. I bet you can guess how well _that_ went over...
I'm 53 and this year my wife and i joined a choir (first time singing into a semi-pro fashion) there I met various youngsters (they are in their early 20's) and we became friends, and during the break on one of our rehearsals the kids started to talk about vinyls, and long story short we formed a "Vinyl club" where we meet at my house to play my vinyls!!! the greatest thing of all is their amazement listening to "new-old" music, and as you said here, I showed them the process, and how we used to enjoy it, told them that's the way we used to do it back in the day. That's why it was so important... but now it's just chewing gum
kudos to them that they made the effort. And kudos to you you share your passion with them.
Great story, my friend. Those were the days !
Shame on you for contributing to the delinquency of the youth.
@@dionysusnow ?
Greetings from Scotland Rick! I'll be 65 this year, and when I was a teenager I remember working and saving for my vinyl fixes - Bowie, T Rex, Simon and Garfunkel, Carol King, Motown, Jazz - all sorts, I also went to second hand record shops.
I agree with your attention span observation; I use the term "instant gratification syndrome".
Sadly we'll never see the like of Procul Harem, Eleanor Rigby, or Running Down a Dream again.
In theearlt 80s, in London, I saw Dylsn supported by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (who did sn entire set themselves), and also with Roger McGuinn - it was brillient.
The truth of your video brought a tear to my eye.
Thanjs Rick, and keep up the great work Nigel
Man, I am in so much agreement with you Rick. I'm 30 but I don't stream. I started buying cassettes when I was 7 with birthday/Christmas money, I started buying CD's when I was 10 when I finally bought a Discman. I listened to the albums and read the liner notes. I have a massive CD collection, and a small cassette and vinyl collection.
I got into playing music when I was 22. I do it for part time work now. That money made largely goes into gear. I record my own music in my house - real drums, real guitars and amps, real microphones. No samples, no autotune, no backing tracks, a basic DAW.
Music has been such a massive part of my life, and you have been a massive inspiration for me. Thank you for keeping music real and meaningful, some of us are trying to do the same.
My kids basically multi-task music into their day. It just plays while they do other things. I remember when listening to music was an activity. Bringing an album/tape/CD home from the store; pulling off the shrink wrap; sniffing the tray card; and reading through all the lyrics while I sat on my bed and listened to the album in its entirety. The world has definitely changed.
"sniffing the tray card" 🤣🤣🤣Me too!
Experiencing music live has always been the best way to enjoy music and have lifelong memories. In the 1980s an Ozzy concert would be $10 to $15. Do your children have enough access to wealth to even attend a concert today? If so, they are more fortunate than most. Talking about the costs of recorded music without bringing up the cost of live music shows the extreme bias of Rick Beato.
My father has a lot of CDs, and some of the best ones I actually listen to without doing anything else. It feels kinda weird doing just one thing at a time, only one sense. Of course this doesn't work with every song, but I find that a lot of new ones are not deep enough to achieve complete attention. There are, als always, lots of exceptions though. Adele, Gorillaz and a good amount of rock songs examples for that, though I'm not really following any artist so this could be completely bs I'm talking, I just find a higher density of good music there.
Rick, I'm 18 years old. This is the best video I have seen about music. I started my life listening to the Doors and the Beatles. The whole CD!!! Now i have my grandfather's record collection, and i know the names of players and producers. This video spoke to me. I hope to spread this as much as I can, I want my friends and generation to cherish music.
Cherish music? Not gonna happen. They can't even deal with the fact that they are born a certain sex or that they have to WORK for a living.
good for you lad, keep it up
I started my serious music life as a teenager listening to 60s and 70s music as well! It's just that that was 20 years ago now ;)
You’re most welcome and it’s a great feeling to do drop the needle 🪡 on a vinyl record and listen 👂 to the music 🎶 and do nothing. No phone 📱 No 🛜 No Instagram.
As German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche said, “Without music, life would be a mistake.”
Speaking of knowing producers, starting to follow the works of Kevin Shirley and the late Steve Albini who know how to get the best out of their artists. And Steve himself has been a great champion for artists willing to create.
Such a great explanation. I recently got back into vinyl and the listening experience between streaming and listening to a record with no distractions is radically different and far more enjoyable
When I was a kid, I saved up, my dad drove me to the record store and I bought the White Album by the Beatles. It was a huge event in my life. Today I still cherish it!
I walked into a church basement that was doing some sort of after-school teen hangout thing. Somebody put on the White Album and played the entire thing thing loud on big speakers. It had just been released and we were eager to listen. It builds and builds with all those sweet little songs and then erupts into the frightening and magnificent Revolution Number 9.
Every song is a solid gem but together they all build something so much bigger.
I’m 55. Total Rush nerd.
As a kid I could not wait for the next Rush album to be released.
The anticipation of what they would come up with and finally getting the album was such a great experience.
Permanent waves,moving pictures,signals,grace under pressure. I miss musicianship and real music. Think I’m gonna go play limelight on the guitar right now.
I think I came to love Rush because I had bought the albums and darn it, I was going to get some enjoyment out of it! At first Rush would...intrigue me, but...not immediately grab hold. I would have to listen over and over and at some point...
Everything clicked in place!
Saw Primus recently where they did the Rush tribute. At first I was skeptical, the two are quite different beasts, lol. But my appreciation for Les Claypool and company, their talent, rose immensely. Until Claypool's voice finally dropped a fraction of an octave near the end of the set from the stress, if I closed my eyes, I was listening to Rush reborn. It was as if I got 2 concerts in one. Live.
Best band ever 👍🇨🇦
I totally agree. I'm 57.
Play La Villa Strangiato instead, so much talent!
define "real music"
because there were people in the 1920s saying the same about jazz
This is why I love singing along to my favorite tunes despite being a terrible singer, it helps me connect with that music at a deeper level, relate it to situations in my life past and present. Music is not just background noise to drown my inner voice, its a gift to enhance it
Very insightful and well-put!
Spot on analysis! They just don’t know what they don’t comprehend; Preach on brutha💪
This is probably your deepest, most important video so far. I am 57 and I have a huge vinyl collection. I listened to LP records at my friends' all the time. Back covers and lyrics meant a lot. We knew the musicians and we followed them. Most of us played an instrument (I play the drums). I can relate to everything you say here, and your diagnosis is perfect. Thank you.
I never comment on videos, but have been really enjoying your content recently Rick. This video really reinforced all the things I hate and what I'm trying to avoid in my own music. Nothing beats analog, mistakes, experimentation and genuine creativity. Lets get analog music back in the charts!
Watching you 5 years, and this is perhaps the most important video you have made, you summed up everything I have been trying to tell my kids for years, it’s not just nostalgia, it’s a direct reference to what REAL music, really is.
Rick, I’ve been so very privileged to have been in the music & sound industry from early modular systems, through Akai (MPC-60, S950, S1000), then onto Roland, Digidesign ProTools, then left the industry to become a graphic artist until my retirement mid year 2024, always having GarageBand or some other portable DAW within my reach. Now I’m doing meditative music for spiritual communities and teaching my precious granddaughters about making up songs. Gotta say, simple is sweet, and joyous. The insight for me is keeping it simple and don’t overthink things. Thank you for all you do and all the enrichment you bring to every one of the lives you touch. 🙏🏼
My son is a young 20s something up & coming musician, extremely talented (not just saying that because he's my son) and I'm in my mid 50s. I have Spotify and make playlists and sometimes listen to the Spotify recommended playlists. My son challenged me recently to only listen to an album. 1 album only, all the way through, not these silly mixed playlists. He's a kid and gets it. I have to say I was brought back to my childhood sitting in my parents living room holding Rush Farewell to Kings, and listening to it all the way through. We used to do that! It took my son to remind me. I'm forever grateful to him!
People don't listen to albums anymore? It's the only way I listen to my music... I do have some mixes but then extend them to mixes of albums, i.e. a couple of albums of artist X then artist Y etc... Not using shuffle.
People are using Spotify wrong. They should treat it like being at night at the record store: rummaging through the albums, looking for new artist.
I’m 22 and routinely listen to albums. Recently listened to Hold Hold Your fire by Rush. Had to comment because I saw Rush!
Not to be overly cynical, but part of the reason you (and I, I'm 59) did that was because that's the way the music industry was structured. It was limited by the technology of the time, and was kept that way to maximize profits for a cabal of ultra-powerful music labels.
You may also be nostalgic about making mixtapes for your crush in the early 80s like i did . . . yet at the time, THAT was the technology that was disrupting the music industry business model and playing it's part in destroying the album-format of music production.
Overall I think any fan of Ricks channel can agree that we should actively listen to music to better appreciate its magic.
@@jacks5463 Great album!
Talk about hitting the nail on the head with this video. You’ve perfectly explained how music has been trivialized to nothing, that is such a sad, sad thing
Very much appreciated your take, it was en pointe. Not just the music explanation and opinion but the comment on the TDD (Thought Deletion Device)…you nailed it.
Rick: You have done many YT videos as a working, knowledgeable musician. I watch and respect everything you do. But here on Sunday morning with a hot strong cup of coffee in hand I am blown away. I must admit this is the BEST thing you have ever posted ! Why? 'Cause it's so damned true!
I agree
Wow. I’m 60. The first LP I bought was Zeppelin Presence in 76. I was twelve working a paper route for the Detroit News. I was so proud of that and listened to every single song several times a day for a very long time. I have been trying to figure why music is so empty and soulless today. You did a great job of presenting a well thought out and presented perspective. I’m thankful I’ve raised my kids on the music I love and they love a lot of it. My grandkids are proving to be difficult in getting them hooked. We keep them off social media, cell phone use is limited to communication only and still, very hard to get them to identify with music.
I just had this conversation with my 18 year old daughter. I couldn’t put it in words how I felt about music when I was her age. You put it so well, I am going to share this with her.
Don't. This guy is 100% wrong.
@@NathanMason-r4sno he ain’t..
@@NathanMason-r4sHe gets a lot wrong here, as he seems to dislike the accessibility of music today, which is an insensitive take. He doesn’t get that not everybody has the money to do all this elite level recording, and there are digital ways that can get 99% of the way there for those who want to put music together but don’t have the resources.
I love your material. So good. I can’t get enough of Sting’s material and really gained a greater appreciation of his stuff from your interview with him. I really appreciate Vinny’s musicality and creativity with Sting’s songs. He’s my favorite drummer.
fantastic video Rick. couldn’t have said it any better. In a world where, in the right hands, could make some of the most unfathomable music creations ever due to how far technology has come. Yet, majority of what is popular right now is lackluster.
i think a big part of it is because people can get away with not giving something their all when it comes to music and well when it comes to the media in general, you know back then without social media and streaming services getting recognition and status was alot more difficult but you know now its way easier to blow up even if your music isnt that good, of course theres other big factors as well though
That Bonham drum comparison was mind blowing. Now I know why classic rock just sounds sooo good!
I spent part of my first paycheck on _In through the Out Door_ .
I didn’t realize how much better Bonham’s part sounded
Real music has a soul that cannot be replicated.
Rick you hit the target spot on. Dead center! Working hard as a young person, paper routes, working at my Father's TV store, mowing lawns etc. Taking the bus to down town San Jose to purchase Jimi Hendrix, Deep Purple, Elton John, Yes, Genesis, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Doobie Bros, on and on. There is NO sweat equity!! The best feeling is sharing the music with your friends. Having something tangible in your working hands to share. You would play side one and finish the story with side two. I started playing the ukulele at 3, violin at 8 years and guitar at 11 years of age. I learned by ear. However I purchased your Beato bundle because learning is endless! I love and appreciate all that you have done for the music community. God Bless you my dear friend , even though we have never met. Keep up the fantastic work! Sincerely, Lenny Federico
This was an excellent video! Very true. I remember the late 70s and 80s when I use to spend my money on albums. Read and absorbed so much from the cover and sleeves as much as the music. I won’t say those days were better, but I wonder if we had Alexa and other Music apps back then if I would know the words to every Zeppelin song. I doubt it. I’m glad I do…
Your thoughts are so true !!! Especially the fact , that everything You have "for free" does not mean much to You . And yes , we had to spare for some time to buy an album and we were proud to own it !
“That one was for free.” 😂
Priceless
Wait, maybe I can copyright that one if Rick doesn’t 😊
I actually laughed out loud at that
Lol, Yeah I picked and commented on that too.
@@JakMang Not if the Eagles sue Rick first.
Let's all use this snare sample in our next production everyone, agreed? Rick Beato Free Snare Sample for the win.
Had this conversation with friends so many times. Riding on the bus home reading all the notes on the sleeve getting home and listening to an album from start to finish, not skipping any songs. Better times.
Sometimes that was the best part!
I used to sit in class as a 4th grader and play Metallica's entire Black Album from start to finish in my head. There's songs I hear and I can instantly remember when I got the CD, where I first heard it, the room I was in and the people around me.
I remember those days so well
Full transparency: as drummer, when he described how he mics a drum kit.... I yelled I LOVE YOU
Out of respect and the fact that you went more overboard than me. I like that.
The message in this clip couldn’t be more true, factual, and relevant. Only thing I found missing was decades ago artists had one-take to record their song on wire or whatever medium there was at the time. No punches, no layers, no extra flare. Ironically I was having a conversation last week discussing everything you’re saying. I really appreciate your final statement on just let the music play. I try to focus on this and make it a way of life, and miss the days of song order on an album telling a story, since there was no skip button.
I live in Toronto. One night in early 1997 I was driving home late from work. There was a massive snowstorm. My normal 25 minute commute turned into two hours. The DJ on my favourite station at the time came on and said that he knew a lot of us were stuck in our cars and that as a gift he was going to play Dark Side of the Moon in it’s entirety with no commercials. It was the best 42m50s I’ve ever spent in a car. It instantly transported me back to album listening sessions I had with friends in high school and university. Pouring over the cover art, the liner notes and anything else we could get our hands on….and had to expend energy to get.
Something you’d never get in the radio today or listening to Spotify. Just sitting there and letting the music wash over you. Listening to the lyrics, the bass line, the drum fills, and all the little intricate details that make music such and engaging art form.
But Rick’s right. We vote with our actions. How will you vote ?
I vote for Dark Side of the Moon...
Sounds like a top night 👍🏻🤘🏻
I've found artists on Spotify that I've then gone looking for. I've watched every interview. I've gone to their Bandcamp page and paid for their music. That still exists for those of us that care. The vast majority of people just want generic songs they can listen to while they clean their house 🤣 That's their choice.
I’m from Toronto, was it 97.3?
This is why Im not worried about AI ruining the visual arts...AI art is not real art. Never will be. This tech will PREVENT hacks from having hits because they will give in to temptation.
That’s why I’m back to physical media- CDs, vinyl and books. I use my Apple Music to screen stuff I may want to own but then I buy and own and listen, absorb and enjoy- again and again- just like in my youth.
Real books smell good. Real paint, real canvas. That's where it's at.
@@genestone4951just use vr and sniff candles
As a writer who's been in love with books my whole life, I've always said if you can't hold it in your hand, you don't really have anything, and that goes for music, too. No Kindle ebooks or downloaded music for me. I still take traditional photos and put them in photo albums. I've seen too many people lose photos, music, personal information, etc. when their cell phones get trashed. I guess that's why I've never owned a cell phone either.
But, with the greatest respect, isn't that just using streaming services but with extra steps? Using A.M to "screen" stuff means you're still using it as a metric by which you curate your music collection. I'm a big fan of owning physical copies of my favourite media, but A.M still seems to be an integral part of how you enjoy music, same as me. Once again, not tryna be a dick, genuinely asking 😅
not neccesary, its the mindset how you approach it, wihout ereader i cannot read, i need big letters haha
I like this conversation. I had gotten into that habit of attending concerts and recording a lot, which really takes you out of the whole experience. But what changed my mindset and behavior was recently attending a Coldplay concert in Oct, 2023. Lead singer Chris Martin was so amazing. During one song, he asked the fans "for this one song, can I just ask you to put your phones in your pocket and hands in the air." We did. And that moment was so special because we were all present in the moment and really listening and feeling the song. He knew what he was doing. He could not force us to put our phones away. He wanted that connection and after the song, their were fireworks. we did not record that because our phones were in our pockets. Great lesson!!!
I have been trying to teach this lesson my entire life. I have traveled the world (80+ countries) without a camera or fancy phone. As I tell the grandkids, you are either living your life, or filming it. Can't do both, as the process of "capturing the moment" removes you completely from the moment.
I hear you. But Coldplay were kind of one of those bands .... the beginning of the end. A carbon copy of better bands. A safe act for people who rejected Radiohead and other more technically proficient English acts. The good thing is that after two or three records, Coldplay went through the growing pains other bands already had. They reformed themselves into something people either liked or didn't. That was smart. Remember them performing with Beyonce at the Superbowl?
@@warrendavis6023 yes very true. I do remember that. But they didn’t make an impact on my mindset to stop and really listen to music without videos, etc. but the biggest influence has been my 13-year-old niece .. I took her to see her very first live concert. She likes K-pop. I don’t understand it even though I’m half Korean, but her she wanted to experience the music without any recording of anything. She said to me, please stop recording. I don’t want you to send me any recordings if you do because I want to have my own experience and remember the music in my mind. I was blown away. But yes, I do hear what you’re saying about the carbon bands. I grew up with an uncle who was in the record business in the 1970’s… He made sure that we be exposed to all genres of music. When they first came out with CDs and CD players, he was really upset while we the teenagers were so excited to try something new… my first live concert was The Turtles. I remember seeing them live and I still listen to them on my own when no one’s around because I get judged🤣
@@dos-fslady3140yes it sure does!!
@@warrendavis6023 I’d completely disagree that Coldplay is a “safe act” for those who rejected Radiohead…it’s simply just fine to NOT worship at the feet of bands like Radiohead…nothing wrong with them but so many RH fans somehow think it’s “higher, deeper” songwriting. It’s not. It’s possible some musicians think maybe it’s sometimes just boring, not musically superior. I DO like Radiohead in smallish doses but there’s definitely a snob aspect to the fan base…as if they’re the epoch of musicianship. Nobody can equal them. Ok, whatever…Coldplay is not lesser…Oasis is not lesser. Sometimes people just enjoy actual memorable melodies. And loving Radiohead is fine, and I really love some of their stuff. But they’re not necessarily special…so very special…to everyone. 😬😅😂🤣
I am with you Man. It is just not the same years ago. You had to break your back, to get the albums to listen to. It was hard for me, to get so many rock albums over time. And in turn, there are days I just break out my stereo system and listen outside on the back porch. And then put a rock CD on, and take in the music and all of the original depth and richness of the artist.
45 years ago, we would listen to entire albums and go on a journey w/ the artists. Music took you to mystical realms or to old familiar places. Those were good times.
I used to do that in the late 80's early 90's. Put a tape on and listen to the whole thing reading along with the lyrics and stuff in my bedroom uninterrupted. I doubt many teenagers do that these days.
@@maggoty I wouldn't focus on what the teens are doing. If you think these journeys were worthwhile - just keep doing it! The kids will see you doing it will be more inspiring to them than anything you can say.
It still does, you are just too old to connect to what 20 year olds are creating today. That’s not a dig, that’s just the law of nature. As a 20-something, I assure you we still value music lmao.
It's still out there. Hard to find, but it's there.
@@nikolaopacic8482 Music is timeless. Josh Turner has given me a lot of hope that the spirit is still alive.
His second point - that there's too much access - applies to a lot of things today. Easy access to tv shows, movies, books. Anything you want anytime and practically free. It's made me pay less attention to any one thing. And so I get much less out of listening or watching or reading. Excellent analysis.
i think porn is another big one... it's not like it used to be, pre-internet. And look, i'm not against porn at all. But there is soooo much of it and it's readily available to anybody. And there are limitless options... anyone can find their own personal fetish category and get as much as they want of it. And i think scientists and medical researchers will eventually come to see it as a huge turning-point for society, and they'll recognize that too much porn has drastic negative effects on society, particularly for boys/men. Hell, they're already starting to understand this. But i think decades of research on the matter will eventually reveal some pretty alarming societal trends.
How dare the plebes have access to whatever they want.
"Too much access" is a GOOD THING and sparks creativity.
@@critch74997 no it doesnt, maybe a handful exceptions, it numbs for most. people who look athis channel are not the group he is talking about mainly. its a big minority.
“Too much access” means less reason for ignorance.
@@american_cosmic When I was a teenager, it was basically Victoria's Secret catalogues and maybe videos on mtv. You had to use a lot of imagination to get from point A to point O. And that developed your awareness of your own sensuality. I don't know if Porn hub with all its hundreds of variations does much to develop that. Interesting thesis topic.
I have plenty of playlists that I made for myself on Spotify, and hit the shuffle button, like so many people out there. But when I am listening to a specific ALBUM, I always listen from Track 1, no shuffle, no skipping. That's how the artist and producer intended the album to be played, so that's how I listen to it.
Thank you soooo much!!!
You’ve said what I have been trying to say for several years!!! (I’m now 72yrs & have played guitar sense I was 10)
I STILL have fun learning the old stuff the old fashion way from back in the day!!!
God bless you!!! 🥰😎👍
buying a record, reading the lyrics, credits, and the admiration of the cover art and sharing it with your dear friends and family. That was magical!
I real feel for young people. This uber-connection via the phone is the worst form of alienation. They miss out on so much and it's no wonder that their mental health suffers.
Even the SMELL was magical. I still remember cherishing the smell of a new cassette for an album I had just bought!
And sometimes the lyrics weren’t written. It was fun trying to write them down yourself and often we’d be totally wrong, which was hilarious sometimes.
Yes, I agree with that but are you demeaning what others that came after us experience with their music ?
@@annstevens6223 when we would try to cover a song in the 70s, since the vocal was mixed loudest, we would turn the record way down, almost to inaudible, and put our ear against the speaker, to figure out what the lyrics were.
What a brilliant video. Made me cry. Former front man, DJ, worked in music stores. All I can do now is raise a glass, go put on ELO's "A New World Record" and enjoy the night with my wife.❤
Was the same way stuck on the past songs. Then stumbled on a band called The Warning in January. They have such energy and amazing songs and an incredible backstory that will be a movie someday. Check out Black Holes live at the Dakota Bar if you are looking for something to move your soul.
Those years spent with friends in a darkened room, listening to albums, examining the covers (when my eyes worked so much better than they do now) and talking about the music endlessly. They were precious in a way I didn't realise at the time. And they left a indelible impression that lives with me still - almost to the point where I don't even need to listen to much of it as I can replay it in my head, note for note, line by line.
Back when we used to be "with it."
This is an important video. I agree so much with everything you said. Music for our artists growing up took time. They might release an album and it had 8-10 songs on it. And we cherished those songs.