u45d wrote:It would appear the Beatles , Dire Straights and U2 ar`nt very relevant to the people posting on the thread.
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Yes they are, though. Especially the Beatles, as they changed the face of popular music and their influence has been and remains vast. I'd suggest that anyone of any age that gave the work of the Beatles a serious listen would find a huge amount of "relevance" along with some amazing music in there. Ask Oasis (or are they now old timers too?  )
But influences in your youth and late teens are what seem to set most people in stone, and much of what most artists mean to people is strongly coloured not just by the music, but exactly because it is closely interwoven with their personal experiences whilst growing up, and someone listening 20 years in the future can hear the music, but it hasn't made those connections. I understand that, and it's also why it's so hard to be objective about (a) music to which you got hooked in your teens and (b) music which pre-dates (or in many cases post-dates) your formative years. If you ever really can. And it's unlikely in the extreme that someone who was a genuine legend to you, and still is, can ever achieve that status in the ears of a newbie, even if they can get into the music.
An interesting point for discussion would be why this seems to be the opposite to what happens with classical music. For some reason classical music, opera etc. just doesn't chime with many young people, but of course the minority for whom it does, and the huge number of people of all ages who love the stuff, continue to venerate the old composers, Wagner, Beethoven, Mozart etc. Yes I know people continue to come up with modern classical music but still the old timers remain pre-eminent. (The same sort of thing applies to paintings, the greatest artists all seem to be largely dead).
Anyhoo, having just got back from chillin in Benidorm I found the chance to have a listen to some stuff I love with a passion. I got through
Neil Young - (i.e. God. Doesn't often put a foot wrong, and the great thing is he doesn't give a fook if he does)
Bowie - had the chance for a good listen to his 2013 album. Overall, this was, and is, a hard listen and I think I need to give it more time. But here's the thing; yes, it is Bowie, especially on Where Are We Now, but not as we know him. In many ways, a young 'un listening to this stuff is in no worse a position to judge than a Bowie addict, as it is largely unique, much of it with a discordant and deathly bent. Someone mentioned PJ Harvey, I respect her stuff though not my favourite sort of thing, but I’d be interested if a fan could have a listen to “I'd Rather Be High” and “How Does the Grass Grow?” and tell me if you think the influence is there.
Then I moved on to Bob Dylan. I have loads of his early stuff and later, but this time I concentrated on the excellent Love and Theft album, and the even better Modern Times. Though like Bowie, Dylan has always attracted a wide range of reviews. It was nice to have the chance to devote some time to them, and I love them both.
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