I have let my subscription to Rolling Stone lapse, but they keep sending the magazines anyway. My guess is the typical R.S. reader is a little slow getting around to things and they allow for that. To give you an idea of how grim things are, Justin Bieber was on the cover of the issue we received a couple of days ago. According to an article in the magazine there was not one Rock song in the top 25 selling records in America this past year. I guess things come and go, and rock has had a good run for it's money. They jibber-jabbered around and made excuses, but it appears it's R.I.P. time for Mr. Rock. It will become like Bluegrass, still existing around the fringes, but atrophied and just repeating what the past has already said. It seems the only justification for Rolling Stone Magazine is the gadfly writing of Matt Taibbi harpooning Wall Street and Goldman Sachs. I think I'll just let my subscription lapse continue.
7 comments:
The last important piece of commentary written for RS, was in 1990, when they named The Smiths' "The Queen Is Dead" the best album of the 80's.
There has been little worth commenting on, mainstream-wise, since.
Sure, Nirvana was good. But that's been it. Himachi likes that Queens of the somethin-somethin. Couple more.
I like my rock on the outside. There are SO many good bands right now. You just hafta stop paying attention to what they're trying to feed you.
I would have to be the contrarian, as the music scene is quite alive and well, diverse and interesting- far more then it has ever been.
I would attribute this to access (both in the finding and producing), and part the elimination of the corporate tastemakers. It is far more difficult to keep up, and i miss the concept of the music folio/album in popular preference for the single tune, but I am constantly amazed at how much really quality stuff is out there being produced by a variety of people.
As to rolling stone magazine, I don't think i have read it since Hunter Thompson was on staff, though the occasional article has been impressive that has passed my way.
Gabriel, I thought of you as I cast this one upon the water, knowing you would have to rise to the bait. There are a lot of reasons that there haven't been many popular songs. I think the best stuff has always been done out on the edges anyway. Frankly, I don't care. I've haven't listened to much mainstream Rock in 30 years.
Do you think that Rock as a genre has been "played out", and all that can be accomplished is rehashing old memes? It sure seems that way at the moment, at least the mainstream stuff. Perhaps it's just waiting for someone to advance the art. Innovation isn't a linear process. It usually happens in steps.
Innovate
copy,copy,copy,copy
Innovate
copy, copy, copy, etc.
And as previous commenters have pointed out, innovation always happens on the edges.
"...innovation always happens on the edges."
A thought. Evolution of species also tends to happen in small isolated populations.
"small isolated populations"
Like Albert Lea?
Small isolated populations under environmental stress. Yeah. Albert Lea.
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