This past weekend I was listening to the Beatles Essential playlist on Apple Music from the passenger seat of our Rav 4, the farmland of Maryland’s eastern shore streaking past in a blur of green and gold outside my window. Because I was listening to a playlist as opposed to an album, I was hearing music from every era of the band. The differences in their compositions over the life of the band was striking and I was amazed by their inventiveness on some tracks and simplicity on others. A question came to mind. Would their songs land if they were released today? My wife must have heard what was going on inside my head because no sooner had I thought that when she opined that some songs, like Sgt. Pepper, were unique and interesting, others, like “Twist and Shout” were just run of the mill songs that were popular because of the time in which they were released and because of the hype around the Fab 4.To be clear, I think the Beatles were a great band, and Lennon and McCartney were a formidable writing team. But it’s hard to think that “Love Me Do” would have much if any impact if released now. I realize this negates the fact that much of the Beatles’ (and many bands from the past) appeal was that at the time they were putting their music out, much of what they were producing was a new sound, or an introduction (as in the case of the Rolling Stones and Elvis taking African American music and putting it in front of a white audience) of music that a specific audience was unaware of.
The nostalgia factor is clearly influential in what makes songs stand the test of time. I have a student who has similar musical tastes to mine when I was in high school. I’m certain that if we were the same age we would have been friends. I played some PIL for her at a recent lesson and was instantly transported back to my first concert at Merriweather Post Pavilion, a triple bill of PIL, New Order, and the Sugarcubes (with a little-known singer named Bjork fronting the band). I couldn’t sleep the night before from the anticipation and my friends and I screamed our voices hoarse, slammed in the impromptu mosh pit, and dodged flaming garbage that rained down on us during the majority of New Order’s set. I felt like the coolest kid in the world. And listening back I still feel it viscerally. But listening with my current ears, it’s mostly the nostalgia that gets me. Not the songs themselves.While searching for a podcast to listen to on our recent ride home from the shore I ran across and interview with Chris Robinson of the Black Crows. I was in high school when their first album, “Shake Your Money Maker”, took the airwaves and MTV by storm, eventually leading to the band being kicked off of their slot opening for ZZTOP because their popularity was overshadowing the headliner. At the time they were a new sound, Chris Robinson’s raspy voice grating over southern rock and blues. They, like the Beatles and generations of bands before them, introduced original material as well as reworking covers like, “Hard to Handle”, originally by Otis Redding. The Black Crows just released a new album, and I was curious to see how it would land with me now. The album is solid and sounds like the Black Crows, but unlike “Shake Your Money Maker”, which I listened to repeatedly then, and will gladly stay tuned to if I happen upon it on the radio or shuffle now, this album is probably a one and done for me. It's sound is from another era of my life and it doesn’t feed my nostalgia enough to keep it in rotation.
There was a time when we collectively rallied around certain songs and artists. Radio play was a deciding factor in who got played and how our collective taste was shaped. Whole summers were shaped around “Walk This Way” and “Thriller”. Casey Kasem, Doug “The Greaseman” Tracht (DC101), and “The Weasel” (WHFS) told us who to like and spun them repeatedly for our listening pleasure and indoctrination. With the massive changes in how we consume music our music culture is more fractured. We have more choices than we can juggle. Old songs heard for the first time can sound new. New songs all too frequently sound the same. It makes me wonder which, if any, songs from today will have what it takes to keep them interesting in years and decades to come.
Until next week,
Jason
PS- I have two performances this week and would love to see you in person!
Thursday I'll be at Little Beast Bistro with the John Howard Trio from 6-8pm playing a set of Duke Ellington in preparation of our upcoming salon concert (more on that later).
Saturday I'll be at Hershey's Restaurant in Gaithersburg, MD with Hard Swimmin' Fish. After 21 years as HSF we're in our final stretch of gigs before our guitarist sets off for life in Hawaii and we close this chapter of playing music together. Come out and join us for some used and original blues, and some great fried chicken before time runs out!