Riffster Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 I think a new subgenre for metal could be "blues metal". Like a mixture between Metallica and SRV. Blues riffs, themes, and vocals, but with the sound of thrash. That's been going on for close to 10 years now but most people compare it to Black Sabbath since there is that Doom feel brought about by the Bluesy part. Other folks dismiss it because it sounds retro, I can't get enough of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PingPongBob Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 Guitar forums can be useful too. I have been turned on to lots of great music in this place. This! BTW surfpup, when you gonna start that thread that is in order for alt country bands? Really like The Jayhawks. http://forum.gibson.com/index.php?/topic/105710-greatest-album-ever/page__st__40 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zigzag Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 From where I sit, the guitar era ended a long time ago. But what do I know? I still search out more obscure music and musicians from the '70s and '80s, but I can only listen to even the good stuff from those days in small doses. There is nothing for me in contemporary pop music, and I'm not interested enough to search spotify or reverb nation for new or more obscure stuff. I lost interest in metal with hair bands in the 80s, which btw, was a time when music was pretty stagnant unless you knew where to look. I'll still listen to people like Robben Ford, Warren Haynes, and Jimmy Herring. You'd think I'd like Derek Trucks, but slide guitar gets old for me pretty quickly and has since Duane checked out. Most people listening to jazz these days were rockers who had a taste of it back in the '70s and have decided, as I have, that that genre is meatier and holds more musically. Interesting that someone mentioned Sinatra, whom I don't care for at all, but you cannot deny that he had some great bands playing some pretty sophisticated stuff. I have the same problem with bebop that I have with modern guitar shredders in that melody and swing has been sacrificed for speed and technique- music for musicians. I do love horn players. I love the sounds of Paul Desmond, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Lester Young, and Wayne Shorter. I want to sound like them with my guitar. As long as contemporary pop music is shaped by the likes of Simon Cowell and electronic music, it will remain stagnant. IMO, Indie music holds the greatest hope for genuine, original, guitar-based sounds, but few of those bands will have the success they deserve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NHTom Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 omg......don't get me going on drivin n cryin and son volt........LOVE both of them! NHTom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NHTom Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 grab mystery road also......great stuff NHTom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 I think in a sense I'm hearing a replay of what I heard "old people" say in the late '50s and early '60s. They couldn't believe the era of the big band was over. The great arrangements, the great soloists, the great vocalists... the great songs. It was all being done in the studio or with odd recording stuff like that new stuff Les Paul was doing - and it just wasn't the same quality as Miller, the Dorseys, Artie Shaw... "We" tend to be inclined toward the "popular" music around us when we were hitting ages 10 through maybe 18-22. Material your friends, parents and the occasional wild hare idea will make a huge influence on preference. That's true whether you're a really aging WWII vet and his wife, a kid my age (not quite 70), or 25. We may be in for another injection of "new" material or... perhaps it's here and we don't care for it? Yeah, I'm a guitar nut, both for playing and listening. But I think we cannot forget that we've gotta play for an audience - and if we're playing for money, we've gotta play what they figure they're paying for. That's what made so many of the old live radio musicians so blasted great - they could do doggone nearly anything - and a lotta them made a pretty good living thanks to that versatility. The really important question - and KS hit around the edges of it - is whether we're musicians who play/prepare for audiences or if we simply seek skills to copy folks whose playing we like. Even if "we" play for free, face it, they ain't coming back if they ain't hearing what they want. m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie brown Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 True...and, part of the problem with my current band, is they don't want to do "Country," and around here "Country" is KING! So...I think our fearless, if stubborn leader, is going to have to change his tune, a bit! IF he wants to continue, that is. I'll play whatever I can, the best I can, and/or learn it even better, if possible. But, that's just me. So, I'm fighting several "battles," nowadays, it seems. CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rct Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 The structure of a Katy Perry/Bruno Mars/Miley Cyrus song is quite simple. The timing is quite simple, un-original and the technical ability needed to perform said songs are beginner level. There is no requirement for any form of subjective complexity to music. While you are at it, look at the melodic and harmonic structure of, oh, I don't know, maybe every Beatles song ever. Were they somehow special and three chords really wasn't three for them, or the simplicity of Ringos drumming was somehow more complex than todays simple timing? Un-original? Really? The people that write them songs throw away better songs than I could hope to put together. And I do not agree with any beginner level ability. When you are there and the light is on, no beginner can cut it. Before "tone", before "chops", before "we'll fix it in the mix", before all of that crap, there is performance, and if the player does not play it well and with conviction they will be replaced. Quick. The art of recording today is much simpler, I have been around studios for 30 years and have seen the transformation up close. I have actually been in the studio with 2 Grammy winning bands (not bragging, just trying to make a point) and they would be the first to tell you that it is sooo much easier today that it was 25 years ago. Is that why it took those two grammy winning bands probably 8 months - year to make a record and when I was a kid and we went in and made three records we took no more than three weeks each because we had to be out playing? Because it got simpler? And you've been around studios all this time and you don't see the differences that make it very different, but certainly not easier? There is a reason that a Miley Cyrus song from 2013 will not be on the air in 2023, yet Frankenstein (the instrumental from 1973 billboard list) will be. I don't really want to rip the above artists...but you are making me...:) I don't care who you rip. Neither of us can say who will be on the air in 2023. Dude, yer killing me here. If you've been around as written above you certainly should know the business from the music. rct Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Surreal For Real Posted January 7, 2014 Author Share Posted January 7, 2014 rct, I'm not sure what you mean by your studio time point. I am saying it took longer back in the day because the equipment was more difficult to work with and the bands actually were recording compositions. I would say confidently that the Beatles had more thought and musical arrangement into the music than any Katy Perry CD. And if there is anyone on the forum that disagrees, I'd like to hear that one... And I am also waiting from anyone from this generation to present a musician from this era who matches any of the greats of yesteryear, that has captured the mainstream. It's not the fault of the musician, it's the fault of the general public. People have been disagreeing, but present no names. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krock Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 And I am also waiting from anyone from this generation to present a musician from this era who matches any of the greats of yesteryear, that has captured the mainstream. It's not the fault of the musician, it's the fault of the general public. People have been disagreeing, but present no names. What genre are we talking here? There are loads for metal. I'm also a huge Bonamassa fan, he's bringing blues back Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riffster Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 Once it all has been done it is hard to become a fantastic player to only then be compared to something that has already been done. A lot of guitarists of the 60s, 70's and 80's did not have to deal with that. I don't know, after Grunge and its deflation nothing exciting or at least nothing that hasn't been done before has followed. There are a lot of great bands right now but not so much guitar heros like those of the past. The very first answer to this thread. You are right, there are no Guitar Heros these days perhaps that is why so many folks love Slash, he is not new but he is current. At the same time you have to realize that if rock was ever popular it was just momentarily. I mean, back in '90 my younger sister shocked me by asking me to borrow my Gn'R records or before that Thrash Metal becoming popular? that was weird. It was not to last though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riffster Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 What genre are we talking here? There are loads for metal. I'm also a huge Bonamassa fan, he's bringing blues back Today, I am listening to Witchcraft, Uncle Acid, Graveyard and The Sword. All excellent guitar-driven music, no Guitar Gods or mainstream here but excellent current music. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krock Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 All excellent guitar-driven music, no Guitar Gods or mainstream here but excellent current music. What are we saying qualifies someone as being a guitar god though? Is it ability, presence or something else entirely? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riffster Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 Something at the level of Ritchie Blackmore, Jimi Page, Jimi Hendrix, etc. people that fans idolize as Gods. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Surreal For Real Posted January 7, 2014 Author Share Posted January 7, 2014 The very first answer to this thread. You are right, there are no Guitar Heros these days perhaps that is why so many folks love Slash, he is not new but he is current. At the same time you have to realize that if rock was ever popular it was just momentarily. I mean, back in '90 my younger sister shocked me by asking me to borrow my Gn'R records or before that Thrash Metal becoming popular? that was weird. It was not to last though. I understand that musicians face the task of creating something new and they avoid the exact footsteps before them. That is a big reason I believe that the guitar has waned. You can trace the guitar tracks, from say Berry to Vai and you see development, then none (mainstream). Satriani had an album in 1987 that hit the charts, with no lyrics, then Vai had one in 1990 (several since, but not as impactful) and you could toss in Bonamassa nowadays but he isn't at the level of EVH, Hendrix, Vai, Malmsteen, etc (level as in pubic awareness). I just think the guitar is dead to the mainstream and the reason that is bad is obvious to anyone on a Gibson board. The recording of music is too easy now. My son can make songs on his phone. Over time the impact is what I have said earlier, people take the path of least resistance and get their kicks on a phone, not a guitar. Much like an artist like Norman Rockwell who used paint compared to a video graphic. I consider Mr Rockwell a far better artist than a guy on a computer. Could Rockwell have created on the computer? Yes, but can the computer artist paint like Rockwell? I doubt it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riffster Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 I still would like to know what current rock bands you listen to, as in rock bands that came out in the last 10 years, just for perspective. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Surreal For Real Posted January 7, 2014 Author Share Posted January 7, 2014 I still would like to know what current rock bands you listen to, as in rock bands that came out in the last 10 years, just for perspective. No one, rock-wise. I have 'listened' to all of them but just not interested in any new rock bands. I listen to Esperanza Spalding, etc, for newer jazz artists. Otherwise it's the stuff from 1965-1990-ish. Rock, Fusion, etc., anything from Mahavishnu to Pink Floyd to old Bjork, Phish, Disco Biscuits, who knows...:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 ...I('m) just not interested in any new rock bands... This is all you needed to say. It doesn't mean that there are not good recent bands out there. Your taste is simply for something else. Accept it. All those bands which you love, of whose passing you bemoan and whose legacy is unfulfilled? My dad hated them. All of them. As far as he was concerned they weren't as good as the bands he knew when he was a lad. It didn't matter if it was Zep, Cream, Hendrix, Free and all the rest; They Were Not As Good As The Bands He Liked When He Was Younger. Period. P. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pin Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 I am saying that the public doesn't value the musicians. I am not comparing genres, I am comparing eras. Back the day, if an instrumental made the top 20 or top 10 that meant the public valued it. That will never happen again because the public does not value it. They value dancing and gossip. It is sad. I think your original post is a great topic and thanks for it. It has certainly generated some good discussion. Broadly, I think you are more right than wrong in what you say. In terms of what is getting airplayed mainstream I can no longer listen to it. A great deal of modern music is indeed cut and paste looped "quantised" junk. Can you imagine Mike Bloomfield "quantised"? But others are right when they say that great music is still getting made and played but you have to search it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riffster Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 No one, rock-wise. I have 'listened' to all of them but just not interested in any new rock bands. I listen to Esperanza Spalding, etc, for newer jazz artists. Otherwise it's the stuff from 1965-1990-ish. Rock, Fusion, etc., anything from Mahavishnu to Pink Floyd to old Bjork, Phish, Disco Biscuits, who knows...:) I think this is part of the issue with your perspective, and frankly it just may be part of the problem. If you don't listen and support current bands and look for new players how are they going to make it or make it big? Just to give you some perspective, I am almost 45, I hated the Disco years, was into the Beatles then around 1980 I got into Hard Rock then the NWOBHM then Thrash Metal I also liked some select Glam Bands songs (that was my Pop)then Gn'R and Skid Row and liked Grunge like everybody else, after that was over I got into Blues and found a lot of the 70's stuff that I didn't already know. Nowadays there are some great bands, they are not mainstream but they are great, like, really great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quapman Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 And I am also waiting from anyone from this generation to present a musician from this era who matches any of the greats of yesteryear, that has captured the mainstream. Opinions are like a$$h0les,, everyone has one. That happens to be yours. It's not a fact, it's your opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riffster Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 We all know this famous Guitar music prediction: "We don't like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out." -- Decca Recording Co. rejecting the Beatles, 1962. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zigzag Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 Drive By Truckers was mentioned earlier. I like them, too. Heard them with Booker T at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival several years ago. Lucinda Williams has a guitar-based band, and I really like her sound and the guitars in her band (esp. Doug Pettibone's unique guitarwork)- nasty but tasty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 Well whats the global rate of guitar sales? As long as there are players and people who appreciate guitar music, there will always be guitarists and rock bands.. As for what happens commercially... meh who cares... fashions come and go... People who like unfashionable music still like that music regardless of what the masses like.. And the recordings of all of the people we love to listen too from the 50s,60s and 70s will probably go on and inspire every new generation that listen to it as it has done for us. As for modern guitar music... Just look at Karrang to see whats popular these days, its just stuff im not interested in Nu Metal etc?? But it is still out there and will continue to evolve and change, and who knows maybe one day we will like it again? But there is some stuff.. The Foo Fighters, I think they are doing it right and Jack White, regardless if you like him or not hes doing his own thing ad a few others. BUT I think the real future is more collaborative styles of music.. Stuff like the Gorillaz but more guitar based. I don't think faster or louder is the way :) Stuff like this.. a mix of guitar, rap and dance music. (this is one of my favourite modern tracks) (and remember this band has Damon Albarn and two members of the Clash involved) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vacamartin Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 Is the Guitar Era gone? Now, I mean the era where great guitar players and MUSIC itself ruled. Back in my teenage days heavy/glam metal ruled. Yeah, it was superficial and it makes me laugh now, BUT, we guitarists strived to get better. We were sometimes competitive and that pushed us. There were musical bars that were set, just like the great bands of the 60's and 70's set. All genres looked to guys like Chet Atkins, etc., and no teenager I know nowadays knows who the great Chet Atkins is. And they don't want to know. I may sound like a music snob, but so be it. I think we are racing to the bottom...and I hope someone shows me that I am wrong. You make some valid points! I agree with your assessment that the days of instrumental guitar recordings climbing the music charts has stopped. Also that quite a few players have no interest in the previous masters of this fine instrument. Also the ubiquitous "home video" recordings are dominating the 15 minutes of fame market. But there is also a large group of players....world wide....that are passing the torch. And they're all age groups! It's not time to sound the alarm on the demise of the guitarist........just as many other musicians face these daunting questions, it's all good from here on out! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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