America: you're already great

[Revoltingest]

Hi Revoltingest,
Unfortunately, I have heard of them. Funny... for me, a LOT of pop music well fits the description of "derivative, repetitive and formulaic." Guess I'm getting old.

I find no art in pop music these days.
Is it.....
1) It's all junk.
2) I'm a curmudgeon living in the past.
3) Both.

 

[Kartari]

Probably both... but I'm with you there, lol. There are indeed some exceptional singers, to be fair. But the music itself (especially with respect to composition, and often lyrically) tends to be overly simplistic, derivative, repetitive, and rather boring imo. And stuff is overly processed now as well.

 

[sun rise]

Probably both... but I'm with you there, lol. There are indeed some exceptional singers, to be fair. But the music itself (especially with respect to composition, and often lyrically) tends to be overly simplistic, derivative, repetitive, and rather boring imo. And stuff is overly processed now as well.

In the good old days the music was raw and often indifferently played on instruments with slopping tuning. Now that has been fixed with processing and the result is too often boring.

For a long time it seemed to me that the peak of western music was J. S. Bach and its been all downhill since then with some temporary bumps upwards which did not last.

But even so, some is a total earworm.

 

[columbus]

I find no art in pop music these days.
Is it.....
1) It's all junk.
2) I'm a curmudgeon living in the past.
3) Both.

I'm pretty much with ya there. When you're old you start to realize how little new there is under the sun.
I also find that when something good comes along on the radio, it gets played until I am sick of it in a week or so. I really liked "Take me to church" the first 400 times I heard it.
Tom

 

[Revoltingest]

I'm pretty much with ya there. When you're old you start to realize how little new there is under the sun.
I also find that when something good comes along on the radio, it gets played until I am sick of it in a week or so. I really liked "Take me to church" the first 400 times I heard it.
Tom

Perhaps that's an advantage the oldies have....they don't continually assault us.
I find that the real creativity these days is in movie scores.

 

[columbus]

I find that the real creativity these days is in movie scores.

One of my favorite musical shows on NPR is called "The Score"!
I can hear the best music without sitting through a dumb movie.
Tom

 

[Revoltingest]

One of my favorite musical shows on NPR is called "The Score"!
I can hear the best music without sitting through a dumb movie.
Tom

Dang, I don't get that one here.
Back in the 70s in Baltimore, NPR had a show with Broadway musicals.
They also broadcast The Hitchiker's Guide To The Galaxy.

 

[sun rise]

Dang, I don't get that one here.
Back in the 70s in Baltimore, NPR had a show with Broadway musicals.
They also broadcast The Hitchiker's Guide To The Galaxy.

I had a lot of fun during my 42nd birth year along with a DON'T PANIC sign. "Don't panic" is still a good motto.

 

[Valjean]

Dang, I don't get that one here.
Back in the 70s in Baltimore, NPR had a show with Broadway musicals.
They also broadcast The Hitchiker's Guide To The Galaxy.

I recorded those broadcasts of The Hichiker's Guide on cassettes -- I lived in Baltimore at the time, as well.

 

[Revoltingest]

I recorded those broadcasts of The Hichiker's Guide on cassettes -- I lived in Baltimore at the time, as well.

That makes you an OLD racoon!

 

[Valjean]

Still got all my teeth, though, so don't get too close.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

I find no art in pop music these days.
Is it.....
1) It's all junk.
2) I'm a curmudgeon living in the past.
3) Both.

It was always almost all junk. The oldies just stop seeming like junk because the true garbage has been filtered out over time.

The junk we have on the radio now is no worse than "The Captain of Her Heart" or "Do the Freddie".

 

[Revoltingest]

It was always almost all junk. The oldies just stop seeming like junk because the true garbage has been filtered out over time.

The junk we have on the radio now is no worse than "The Captain of Her Heart" or "Do the Freddie".

I agree.
The same concept comes up when discussing classic movies & TV shows.

 

[Father Heathen]

I find no art in pop music these days.
Is it.....
1) It's all junk.
2) I'm a curmudgeon living in the past.
3) Both.

You're right. Pop isn't art, but a product marketed to and produced for the lowest common denominator.

 

[Debater Slayer]

I doubt many people can dispute the United States' scientific, economic, and industrial achievements, as well as the many freedoms it grants its citizens. However, personally, I can't call it a great country. I think it has a lot of great aspects, like the OP mentioned, but also a lot of glaringly bad ones.

When I think of great countries, the first ones that come to mind aren't ones that are responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths in needless wars overseas, in addition to having two warmongers as their primary presidential candidates. When I think of terrible countries, the first ones that come to mind aren't responsible for humanity's first instance of setting foot on the Moon, exploring Mars and Pluto, or having many of the world's best universities, among other things.

I think the U.S. is the definition of a bittersweet country. The country that invaded Afghanistan and Iraq is also the country that invaded the Moon and Mars. The country that enabled George W. Bush and Dick Cheney to hold power is also the country that has enabled thousands of scientists to have the best education in the world and given them the necessary means to conduct their research. The country that has many ardent civil rights movements is also the country that has a sizable number of Trump supporters.

Personally, I think the U.S. is capable of removing the "bitter" from its "bittersweet" status. It seems to me that the country's major resources have just been in the wrong hands for a long time. If that changes—and I believe it could change not very far into the future—then I think the U.S. will have more than become a great country, perhaps the greatest country, even, in more ways than it currently is (like higher education, space research, etc.).

 

[Valjean]

The greatest country is the one that provides the greatest happiness, prosperity and security for its citizens.

 

[columbus]

The greatest country is the one that provides the greatest happiness, prosperity and security for its citizens.

I think that is Monte Carlo or one of those countries that require a financial audit to get into.
Tom