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Why don't todays bands do solos like they used to?


Silverbursted

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I have been listening to Satellite radio (long drive to work) and have tuned into the Boneyard. They play nothing but what I would consider as "Classic Rock". The one thing I have noticed is back in the 70's and 80's, it was very common for each member of the band to take a solo while the rest of the band goes off stage for a break. But listing to modern era music, I've noticed that they don't do that. Anybody have any idea why that is? Is it space on the CD, and these guys only play whats on their CD? Is it a kinder/gentler age of music where nobody wants to stand out from their bandmates? Don't have the talent? What? [blink]

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I'd have to say it's probably a little of all of the above.

 

Yes many grew up listening/learning in the 90's when lead solos weren't cool (because many couldn't play solos well).

I'm sure the record company suits have something to say about artist development.

 

This is one reason why I don't listen to much current popular music... and why I love jazz guitar players like Larry Carlton, Jeff Golub, Norman Brown and others - their songs are solos with a melody line thrown in to keep radio DJ's interested.

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because musicans are uninspired to be great? because they lack the courage to play in the spotlight with nothing to hide behind and no mix to fall back into? because bands rather be another average modern band as opposed to be blatently old school and stuck in the 70s? because bands write "so much good material" they have to sqeeze it all in? because bands get caught up in playing to the crowd, instead of playing for the crowd?

 

 

idk, it seems to me like "back in the day" you could always tell who was a musician because their nose was runny, and their hair was long, side effects of loading up the trucks, driving to the show, unloading and setting up the stage, playing, and then loading up and getting back home in time to fall face first into bed?

 

i guess what I am saying, is that being a musician in the 70s molded men into something special, where now-a-days, it is just something to do on a friday night

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I shouldve said this all in one post but i'm just gonna start a rant of my own.

 

Bands these days suck and I don't listen to any of them, unless they contain old guitarists (velvet revolver, chickenfoot, etc.). All they play is power chords.... no cool licks or intros or anything....just chords. Bands like the Jonas Brothers should die because they suck rhino balls (I'm pretty sure they can't even play guitar.... I heard somewhere that there is a band backstage). Most of the bands who are famous on much music today, suck too. They just all suck and can't solo worth hell. Bands like Billy Talent can make a pretty cool riff or something but they cant solo. It is almost like society is getting out of the good music....but wait. Everyone that is around my age (18) is listening to old music so I think in the next 10 years we will see another EVH or Joe Satriani..... I hope to god at least. You can see the proof on youtube... like 10 year old "guitar gods". I know they arent really guitar gods but they can shred pretty crazy.... Anyway.... I gotta take a sh!t so thats all for now..... dun dun dun dunnnnnnn.

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I take a slightly different tack on this............the reason they dont do it is because they bore the crap out of the majority of the audience - and in many cases the solo's came across as highly indulgent.

 

It was also a phase - a fashion, like everything else.

 

I think it is very different when there is a key musician in a band who everyone has come to see and hear, and who we expect to do quite a few long solos. Examples would be Santana, Eric Clapton, Page etc.

 

But the days when everyone does a solo are gone and I am happy that they are, quite frankly. As a regular concert goer, I really began to dread those indulgent and long drum solos. Very cliche. Then of course, so all the egos in the band could be placated, we had to have the bass solo and the keyboard solo and the vocalist solo and then we had to give the rhythm guitarist his or her time in the limelight. [blink]

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I take a slightly different tack on this............the reason they dont do it is because they bore the crap out of the majority of the audience - and in many cases the solo's came across as highly indulgent.

 

It was also a phase - a fashion' date=' like everything else.

 

 

[/quote']

 

 

 

+1

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This is a question that I hear many of the musicians I've been around lately discussing. My brother's band has three members who are in their forties, one who is in his twenties.

The consensus among them and others is that music today lacks any real inspiration OTHER than rage, hate, indifference.

Now, what we end up with is either the whackos who GRUNT and GROWL about how much they hate or the people who feel they are too cool to really care about anything.

So, we either get angry noise or indifferent noise. So, either way, we are in need of some truly inspired new musicians.

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... music today lacks any real inspiration OTHER than rage' date=' hate, indifference...

So, we either get angry noise or indifferent noise. So, either way, we are in need of some truly inspired new musicians.[/quote']

 

That pretty much sums it up! Well said, James Allen.

 

I think, however, we are only talking about the bands being promoted and heard widely on radio. In other words there are, and always have been, and always will be, exciting bands with passionate songs and great guitar. They just aren't being sold these days. They are there and will, hopefully, bubble to the top once again.

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I have been listening to Satellite radio (long drive to work) and have tuned into the Boneyard. They play nothing but what I would consider as "Classic Rock". The one thing I have noticed is back in the 70's and 80's' date=' it was very common for each member of the band to take a solo while the rest of the band goes off stage for a break. But listing to modern era music, I've noticed that they don't do that. Anybody have any idea why that is? Is it space on the CD, and these guys only play whats on their CD? Is it a kinder/gentler age of music where nobody wants to stand out from their bandmates? Don't have the talent? What? [confused']

 

 

You know what? I don't know why all the "new" (for me everything from 1993-now) bands don't do solos. I would understand them not doing any epic solos... but to not have solos at all?[biggrin]

 

I tell you this... The Lounge Lizards[laugh] will surely have a couple of solos here and there [biggrin]

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I think much of it is still left-over from the grunge era. There was a backlash against all the excess and self-indulgence of the 70s and 80s. Any soloing or extra music was considered posing.

 

You have to have "street cred" ya know. [biggrin]

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I think much of it is still left-over from the grunge era. There was a backlash against all the excess and self-indulgence of the 70s and 80s. Any soloing or extra music was considered posing.

 

You have to have "street cred" ya know. [biggrin]

 

Yeah' date=' except they just traded melodic self-indulgence for lyrical self-indulgence, which is completely obnoxious.

 

Freakin' Nirvana with their gosh-darn *grumble grumble grumble*...[biggrin

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Solos should...IMHO, augment a song, or take it to the next level...whether that be a new verse, or chorus...whatever.

The Long Solo's that some talk about, that "bore everyone to death," are done in Jazz, as well as Rock. Only, (in Jazz) it's usually horn solos, or keyboard, rather than guitar. Clapton, for just one example, played long extended solos, in an era, when he was "expected" to do so, or people felt like they didn't get their money's worth. It's still that way, with him, to an extent, because of how many of us came to appreciate his talent, back then. So, he plays longer than he probably wants to, at times. Then again, any musician of his talent, can just "get involved" in the music..."in the groove," so to speak, and the challenge, to do even more. But, he's a lot more self-restrained, and the better for it, nowadays. To me, the better soloists, are tasteful, and more restrained. "Cream" was KNOWN for improvisational music...really a Jazz/Blues Jam band, who happened to write some more "commercial" tunes, in the process. Because they were the first real "Super Group" as they were touted, other's that followed copied the formula, to varying degrees, so extended soloing became more "acceptable," or "normal," back then.

 

Eventually, everyone, including the musicians, got tired of it...it became "stale," and/or repetitive. So, later bands either didn't do solos, or trimmed them down, a LOT! They became more transitional, in nature, as opposed to being "featured!"

 

Plus, of course, all the other reasons, stated previously, on this thread. Anyway...that's just my "take" on it...

certainly not meant to be all that definitive.

 

CB

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I'm in agreement that the end of the solo era ended with grunge. But I agree whole hearted with those who say todays musicians don't have the heart. Cranking out repetitive notes at 180+ bpm and screaming into a microphone can hardly be considered musicianship in the true sense of the word. Showmanship should not be considered self indulgence. Playing music on stage has to be for the audience, otherwise whats the point. If the audience has the attention span of a house plant, then yes they get bored. But not showing off your skills because you've already decided you are playing for a large group of house plants is a cop out to not be inspired. Why should an artist put forth any effort to have people walk away from the concert; muttering "that guitar (drum, bass, keyboard) solo was ******* awesome!!!", when I still get paid to do the minimum.

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