"US rock scene has never recovered from grunge"- Rob Zombie

[Soot and Stars]

Concerning the guitarist who may be the best ever and us not ever hearing him, there's likely a reason for that. It's the same with very book smart people lacking common sense. Someone who's so harbored on technical proficiency likely can't create something that provides an enjoyable human aesthetic. It's very often a genius can't relate with those around them socially. I'll give the group Rush some credit as they seem to be able to do both with great musical proficiency and creating music that listeners can invest in and enjoy. Still, odds are I wouldn't get any enjoyment out of the upper echelon of proficient guitarist. It's the same reason I don't care what guitarist can play the fastest or how amazing that band is because of their weird guitar signatures. It would seem a waste of my time to worry about the level of talent and go digging for something that doesn't please my base needs in music. I discover talent not by analyzing what makes them talented but by having my ears open to anything and seeming what I get out of it. I'm not simply making the like what you like argument but rather saying that the talent of tapping into what draws a listener in is something more important than technical skill or proficiency. Good music is more art than craft imo. Art is the fine line between creation of something unique to you yet expressive enough to draw someone into your vision.

 

[Khor1255]

Well said. There is real talent in 'finding the pulse' as it were. However, there is also a thing called musical proficiency. The rate at which these things intersect and how and when they do is one of the things that makes music so interesting and multifaceted.
Hearing a guy make two chords really sing can be far more enjoyable than the most proficient musician who doesn't know or doesn't care about finding or nurturing a 'hook'.

I think you've cut to the chase of this discussion.

Well done.

 

[Soot and Stars]

Thank you!

 

[mrJim]

Concerning the guitarist who may be the best ever and us not ever hearing him, there's likely a reason for that. It's the same with very book smart people lacking common sense. Someone who's so harbored on technical proficiency likely can't create something that provides an enjoyable human aesthetic. It's very often a genius can't relate with those around them socially. I'll give the group Rush some credit as they seem to be able to do both with great musical proficiency and creating music that listeners can invest in and enjoy. Still, odds are I wouldn't get any enjoyment out of the upper echelon of proficient guitarist. It's the same reason I don't care what guitarist can play the fastest or how amazing that band is because of their weird guitar signatures. It would seem a waste of my time to worry about the level of talent and go digging for something that doesn't please my base needs in music. I discover talent not by analyzing what makes them talented but by having my ears open to anything and seeming what I get out of it. I'm not simply making the like what you like argument but rather saying that the talent of tapping into what draws a listener in is something more important than technical skill or proficiency. Good music is more art than craft imo. Art is the fine line between creation of something unique to you yet expressive enough to draw someone into your vision.

Nice!

 

[oscar gamble]

Yeah, some kind of talent. But comparatively, Punk and Garage Rock (really sort of the same thing) are on the low end of musical talent spectrum with things like Classical and some progressive rock being perhaps at the top.

I don't know, I think that technical skill and talent are really two different things. Sure, technical skill is part of talent but hardly the entire thing. There are a lot of great garage and punk rock songs that I like better than any progressive rock.

 

[Lynch]

I don't know, I think that technical skill and talent are really two different things. Sure, technical skill is part of talent but hardly the entire thing. There are a lot of great garage and punk rock songs that I like better than any progressive rock.

Technical skills and musical preferences are two very different things.

Ie: I think that Neil Peart is the most talented rock drummer of all time, and it's not even close... yet at the same time, I couldn't care less if I ever heard another Rush song ever again (not by any fault of his, it's Geddy's voice more than anything).

So, what you like to listen to doesn't mean it's the most proficient or technically amazing stuff out there. I love KISS and they are hardly proficient or technically amazing, yet they did have influence on some amazing artists and they did revolutionize the in-concert stage show. I find them highly entertaining, yet I also know they are no where near "amazing musicians".

(does that make sense?)

 

[oscar gamble]

Technical skills and musical preferences are two very different things.

Ie: I think that Neil Peart is the most talented rock drummer of all time, and it's not even close... yet at the same time, I couldn't care less if I ever heard another Rush song ever again (not by any fault of his, it's Geddy's voice more than anything).

So, what you like to listen to doesn't mean it's the most proficient or technically amazing stuff out there. I love KISS and they are hardly proficient or technically amazing, yet they did have influence on some amazing artists and they did revolutionize the in-concert stage show. I find them highly entertaining, yet I also know they are no where near "amazing musicians".

(does that make sense?)

It makes sense to me. I'd still say that talent and technical skills aren't really the same thing though. Technical skill is only a part (and in rock and roll, maybe only a small part) of talent. There's also songwriting, vocals, energy, the ability to play together as a band, etc. All of that stuff is a part of talent. That's how I'd argue that some garage bands can be more talented than some prog bands.

 

[Khor1255]

Technical skills and musical preferences are two very different things.

Ie: I think that Neil Peart is the most talented rock drummer of all time, and it's not even close... yet at the same time, I couldn't care less if I ever heard another Rush song ever again (not by any fault of his, it's Geddy's voice more than anything).

So, what you like to listen to doesn't mean it's the most proficient or technically amazing stuff out there. I love KISS and they are hardly proficient or technically amazing, yet they did have influence on some amazing artists and they did revolutionize the in-concert stage show. I find them highly entertaining, yet I also know they are no where near "amazing musicians".

(does that make sense?)

Perfect sense. Sometimes a few well placed chords are actually 'better' than an intricate composition.

 

[metalife]

I love Kiss too. I also love Dream Theater and Nightwish, both of which are amazing musicians. A lot of what goes towards liking an artist, apart from their music, is their attitude. If someones going to mope about 'not wanting to be a rock star' or 'the wrong type of people of people are buying our album' then I'll loose interest pretty quick. I may still like some of their music, but I loose interest in the band.

 

[AboutAGirl]

That's kind of a bizarre thing for Rob Zombie to say, it seems to be disparaging to both the US and Europe. If European music festivals are about style over substance, as he implies, then I'm not sure I want those kinds of festivals in the US.

'Course Mr. Zombie doesn't seem to have heard of Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, OzzFest, etc.

I think the best music festival of all is the Bridge School, which is here in the US. Not only does it host the best artists and the most impressive mix, but it also gets artists who otherwise would never put on an acoustic show, to do just that. So it's not just good artists playing their same old stuff, there's actually something worthwhile about the material they do for Bridge School. And on top of that, it's all for charity. It's the best music festival of all, I'd take it over Woodstock or Glastonbury anyday.