Spellbound
New member
When I read today´s ST (28th June 2003) where lady writer Ong Soh Chin wrote about the 70´s line-up called The Band where the famed movie and rock & blues lover cum director Martin Scorsese directed the programme titled The Last Waltz.......I was nodding my head in agreement and smiling like a chesire cat.
I did catch that programme a few months back when it was shown on Central Arts......and it was great watching Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Van Morrison and many others on stage.
Even director/producer/actor Clint Eastwood was doing a rock & blues programme......good for them!
I agreed with Soh Chin when she said she found The White Stripes music hollow and derivative after watching and listening to the programme The Last Waltz featuring The Band.
I can understand where she is getting at.....when your ears are pampered with excellent music in the past be it rock or pop......it is hard settling for second best or hollow music without good melodies, character driven musicians/singers and lyrics these days.
When you listen to Glenn Miller, Bill Haley & The Comets, Johnny Horton to the ´Woodstock´ bands be it Grand Funk Railroad, Uriah Heep, Jethro Tull, Mountain, Blind Faith, Yardbirds, Led Zeppelin, The Who, Deep Purple, Ritchie Blackmore´s Rainbow, Crosby Stills Nash & Young, Gordon Lightfoot, Jackson Brown, CCR, Pink Floyd, etc. ....they have such volumes and character.........that you know at the back of your head that it took them awhile in terms of efforts to churn up such pieces.....
Even in the early 80´s.......every song on the UK or US charts was memorable and had substance.
Just listening to The Thompson Twins or OMD all over again is a good example I guess.....where every song has a memorable tune that sticks to your head.....where you can wake up in the wee hours in the morning, put on the CD and jive happily in the bathroom be it having all the foam on this planet from the toothpaste....... and sing along be it having a toothbrush in your mouth.
When I did log unto the Korg website where they featured Korg users like ex Genesis lead singer who came before Phil Collins, being Mr Peter Gabriel.......Peter Gabriel made the remark that he would round up as many musicians in his studio and hope to take bits and pieces of a tune from each and everyone and make a wonderful wholesome song from it.
I do agree with him whole-heartedly.......but it ain´t easy finding composers, arrangers, producers or musicians who would bother meeting up on a regular basis and minus their ego-maniac driven personalities and jam together in a studio and share a bit of character-driven tunes from each other......
But you get those terribly pathetic statements like hand me your completed materials when you are ´Ready´........´Ready´.......??????
How would one define ´Readiness?´
Most composers, arrangers, producers or musicians I have met do not seem to understand the term ´Collaboration´.........or is it the sad mindset syndrome of Singaporeans in general?
The sad ´To-Each-His/Her-Own´ Syndrome........where they still tend to keep to their ´boundaries´ or ´fortresses´........?????????
Or sadly get those who put self-imposed tags and labels like ´I Only Do Such Music Categories´ sort of statements......as for other categories of music......they cannot seem to digest the wide spectrums of music or put a cork stopper to further creations and do not seem to understand the term ´versatility´.......like it sounds too foreign and spaced-out for them.
I do agree partially that technology these days has helped individuals to set-up their own home studios a lot easier and on a budget as well.......but is the computerized materials being loaded too easily available in computer programmes till their minds are ´pampered´ and they lack the foundation in music creativity?
That it is all laid down on a platter and there is a short circuit in their creative brain cells?
Can certain ´talents´ be nurtured, taught or bought with $$$$$?
And meaning......that can you be labelled as ´talented´ after going for courses and lessons in a music school?
That you can come out an ah la singing diva like ´Barbra Streisand´ after going through a singing course or be as talented as a composer like ´Burt Bacharach´ after attending a composer course or be as good a producer as Giorgio Moroder after attending a producer or sound engineering course?
Are we being realistic or simply being idealistic?
Or do we still believe in the partial genetic/genome character driven statement ´Either You Have The Talents Or You Don´t......That You Are Born With Such Talents?´
It is on par with the debate on entrepreneurship......that ´Entrepreneurs Are Born And Not Made.´
That you cannot teach or make or churn out an entrepreneur from a school or course.
Sure......it is perhaps fairly reasonable to conclude that it ain´t a sin to lay the foundation/rudimentary levels with the theoretical aspects in the beginning.......but you still have to put and excercise weigh on the practical aspects to what you have learnt.
I guess the composer Beethoven is a very good example......even though he lost his hearing.......he could still compose with the basic theoretical scope of music.
And I guess Beethoven could execute such marvellous creations because he had passion and he did not have an attitude........´Action Speaks Louder Than Words´........he somewhat believed in himself irregardless of his lost of hearing and went all out......doubt he did it for anybody or anyone.......I am sure he understood the term collaboration even amongst his musician peers.
And Ms Ong Soh Chin......if you are reading this......I tried listening to White Stripes and Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs at the HMV in Heeren but as much as I listened to all the tracks twice over (I know....sales people detest fussy clients like me).......I still cannot tap even one little toe of mine throughout the session.
And ST writer.....good ol´ Mr Richard Lim......if you are reading this as well......I love your articles and I am sure you are a rocker and blues lover as well.
Still hopeful........
Gerry
See Me, Feel Me/ Baba O´Riley - The Who (Movie : Tommy)
That´s All/ Mama - Genesis
I did catch that programme a few months back when it was shown on Central Arts......and it was great watching Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Van Morrison and many others on stage.
Even director/producer/actor Clint Eastwood was doing a rock & blues programme......good for them!
I agreed with Soh Chin when she said she found The White Stripes music hollow and derivative after watching and listening to the programme The Last Waltz featuring The Band.
I can understand where she is getting at.....when your ears are pampered with excellent music in the past be it rock or pop......it is hard settling for second best or hollow music without good melodies, character driven musicians/singers and lyrics these days.
When you listen to Glenn Miller, Bill Haley & The Comets, Johnny Horton to the ´Woodstock´ bands be it Grand Funk Railroad, Uriah Heep, Jethro Tull, Mountain, Blind Faith, Yardbirds, Led Zeppelin, The Who, Deep Purple, Ritchie Blackmore´s Rainbow, Crosby Stills Nash & Young, Gordon Lightfoot, Jackson Brown, CCR, Pink Floyd, etc. ....they have such volumes and character.........that you know at the back of your head that it took them awhile in terms of efforts to churn up such pieces.....
Even in the early 80´s.......every song on the UK or US charts was memorable and had substance.
Just listening to The Thompson Twins or OMD all over again is a good example I guess.....where every song has a memorable tune that sticks to your head.....where you can wake up in the wee hours in the morning, put on the CD and jive happily in the bathroom be it having all the foam on this planet from the toothpaste....... and sing along be it having a toothbrush in your mouth.
When I did log unto the Korg website where they featured Korg users like ex Genesis lead singer who came before Phil Collins, being Mr Peter Gabriel.......Peter Gabriel made the remark that he would round up as many musicians in his studio and hope to take bits and pieces of a tune from each and everyone and make a wonderful wholesome song from it.
I do agree with him whole-heartedly.......but it ain´t easy finding composers, arrangers, producers or musicians who would bother meeting up on a regular basis and minus their ego-maniac driven personalities and jam together in a studio and share a bit of character-driven tunes from each other......
But you get those terribly pathetic statements like hand me your completed materials when you are ´Ready´........´Ready´.......??????
How would one define ´Readiness?´
Most composers, arrangers, producers or musicians I have met do not seem to understand the term ´Collaboration´.........or is it the sad mindset syndrome of Singaporeans in general?
The sad ´To-Each-His/Her-Own´ Syndrome........where they still tend to keep to their ´boundaries´ or ´fortresses´........?????????
Or sadly get those who put self-imposed tags and labels like ´I Only Do Such Music Categories´ sort of statements......as for other categories of music......they cannot seem to digest the wide spectrums of music or put a cork stopper to further creations and do not seem to understand the term ´versatility´.......like it sounds too foreign and spaced-out for them.
I do agree partially that technology these days has helped individuals to set-up their own home studios a lot easier and on a budget as well.......but is the computerized materials being loaded too easily available in computer programmes till their minds are ´pampered´ and they lack the foundation in music creativity?
That it is all laid down on a platter and there is a short circuit in their creative brain cells?
Can certain ´talents´ be nurtured, taught or bought with $$$$$?
And meaning......that can you be labelled as ´talented´ after going for courses and lessons in a music school?
That you can come out an ah la singing diva like ´Barbra Streisand´ after going through a singing course or be as talented as a composer like ´Burt Bacharach´ after attending a composer course or be as good a producer as Giorgio Moroder after attending a producer or sound engineering course?
Are we being realistic or simply being idealistic?
Or do we still believe in the partial genetic/genome character driven statement ´Either You Have The Talents Or You Don´t......That You Are Born With Such Talents?´
It is on par with the debate on entrepreneurship......that ´Entrepreneurs Are Born And Not Made.´
That you cannot teach or make or churn out an entrepreneur from a school or course.
Sure......it is perhaps fairly reasonable to conclude that it ain´t a sin to lay the foundation/rudimentary levels with the theoretical aspects in the beginning.......but you still have to put and excercise weigh on the practical aspects to what you have learnt.
I guess the composer Beethoven is a very good example......even though he lost his hearing.......he could still compose with the basic theoretical scope of music.
And I guess Beethoven could execute such marvellous creations because he had passion and he did not have an attitude........´Action Speaks Louder Than Words´........he somewhat believed in himself irregardless of his lost of hearing and went all out......doubt he did it for anybody or anyone.......I am sure he understood the term collaboration even amongst his musician peers.
And Ms Ong Soh Chin......if you are reading this......I tried listening to White Stripes and Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs at the HMV in Heeren but as much as I listened to all the tracks twice over (I know....sales people detest fussy clients like me).......I still cannot tap even one little toe of mine throughout the session.
And ST writer.....good ol´ Mr Richard Lim......if you are reading this as well......I love your articles and I am sure you are a rocker and blues lover as well.
Still hopeful........
Gerry
See Me, Feel Me/ Baba O´Riley - The Who (Movie : Tommy)
That´s All/ Mama - Genesis
