Music Durability (1 Viewer)

[Jimmy Magee]

I've me own ideas on this...but I'd be interested in what other people think, as I reckon there's a certain amount of personal taste involved, so...

I'm sure people are familiar with the phenomenon of some music being more durable than other music, to wit, some music sounds good initially but you get sick of it very quickly, whereas other stuff stays good for longer. Have people noticed any pattern to stuff that they've found durable/not durable? Let's bring this on.

I know people might think this a bit of a wanky subject, but I would be *really* interested in what people have to say...durability has always been me overriding concern, but I think I might have had a narrow focus as to how to acheive it...

 

[Anthony]

In terms of drum sounds then the more natural the better. Just listen to an old High 'n' Dry, the drums still sound just like drums, grand. However put on Hysteria and it just sound funny. I'm not sure that's what you meant though.

 

[GARYXKNIFEDX]

High 'n' DryQUOTE]

Fucking amazing record. Wish I still had "On Through the Night"

 

[Latex lizzie]

Live for the now is what I say. If the music is good no matter what it will stand the test of time. loads of stuff from the eighties still rocks my boat even though it was a decade of badness played on horrible snyths.

 

[Ex-User (250)]

if there is a piece of your actual heart in the music, it will be durable. everyone loves a bit of heart, even if it's broken

i.e. try not to be too clever...

heh heh heh

huh?

heh heh ouch!!!

 

[LMD64]

I find making music out of Teflon or Kevlar makes it more durable. And also non-stick or bulletproof.

 

[egg_]

I know people might think this a bit of a wanky subject

I kinda do - Richie you agonise about abstract shit too much
But anyway - sounds are very important, it's not really songs that age so much as sounds I think. The more "current" a sound is, the quicker it's going to age ... also what makes something durable is the same thing that makes it good, you can dress up a poor song is beautiful sonic clothes and it will wow people for a while but if they listen long enough they'll realise the clothes are empty

 

[Buzzo]

The more "current" a sound is, the quicker it's going to age

I don't geddit. Current? New? Imitated?
Didn't Monteverdi or Mozart or whoever not sound quite 'current' at the time?
Same with Phil Spectre in the 60s
Same with Plaid or Aphex in the 90s
Same with Peter Andre in the 90s and this century

Maybe some people do epitomise all that's wrong with a current era (e.g. Matchbox Twenty) but does that mean that the more current or contemporary a sound is, the less durable it is?

 

[windings]

"Electronic music sounds dated within 10 years of its' conception. Discuss"
"Dated" doesn't mean i think Electronic music is shit or anything, just in case i get attacked here. It just means, old, but not old enough to be vintage.

 

[Ex-User (250)]

I don't geddit. Current? New? Imitated?
Didn't Monteverdi or Mozart or whoever not sound quite 'current' at the time?
Same with Phil Spectre in the 60s
Same with Plaid or Aphex in the 90s
Same with Peter Andre in the 90s and this century

Maybe some people do epitomise all that's wrong with a current era (e.g. Matchbox Twenty) but does that mean that the more current or contemporary a sound is, the less durable it is?

la di da, spot the college student! hi-5

 

[Ex-User (250)]

"Electronic music sounds dated within 10 years of its' conception. Discuss"
"Dated" doesn't mean i think Electronic music is shit or anything, just in case i get attacked here. It just means, old, but not old enough to be vintage.

electronic music is kinda crap though, no? you don't need yokes to get a buzz off rock and shit. discuss.

 

[snakybus]

Or just because something lasts, this isn't an indication of quality

sadly, there's no absolute measure of the quality of art. It'd be nice if there was.

I think in general, good stuff lasts. In general, originality lasts. In general, things that connect with people last, whether the sound or whatever is current or not (and the meaning of currency is a whole other can of worms)

but these things aren't set in stone

 

[Buzzo]

What do you mean by dated then? That's it's from an identifiable era? Well that ain't too difficult. Most guitar music, classical music and often even traditional music is from an identifiable era.
If you're talking about durability on the other hand, (my knowledge is quite limited but...)see:

Kraftwerk
Tubeway army
Yazoo (i think they're deadly anyway)
Autechre
and the above mentioned Plaid/Black Dog and the Twin

 

[Buzzo]

Haggis. You'd need a barrell of Absinthe, a mountain of coke and a hansome virgin before one would even *think* of buzzing off the Frost (schmack hi 5 ysssss, whos your daddy).

.|..|

 

[Stan Bowles]

Kraftwerk

Thats really the only name you need to say. People who say dance music dates badly probably didn't like it in the first place. Planet rock sounds a lot less dated than most guitar songs of its era. Good is good, shit is shit, regardless of what instruments are used to play the song.

 

[Psychotic no 2]

Shouldn't you have started this debate before you recorded your record?

I've me own ideas on this...but I'd be interested in what other people think, as I reckon there's a certain amount of personal taste involved, so...

I'm sure people are familiar with the phenomenon of some music being more durable than other music, to wit, some music sounds good initially but you get sick of it very quickly, whereas other stuff stays good for longer. Have people noticed any pattern to stuff that they've found durable/not durable? Let's bring this on.

I know people might think this a bit of a wanky subject, but I would be *really* interested in what people have to say...durability has always been me overriding concern, but I think I might have had a narrow focus as to how to acheive it...

 

[egg_]

Current? New? Imitated?

I mean the actual recorded sounds, so I'm excluding the classical dudes ... I guess what I'm getting at is audio engineers adopting new technology quickly and then copying each other - in the 80s digital reverbs and synths and the like became widely available and everyone used them because they were the new thing, so a lot of the music of that era is easily recognisable as being of that era (i.e. dated) because those sounds are no longer used, having been replaced by better-sounding stuff. Stuff recorded in the 60s, say, often sounds less dated cos the natural sounds of drums, for instance, hasn't changed much over the last 40 years
It's the same as clothes, I guess (not that I'd know, being a slob) - if you're very fashionable you're going to have unwearable stuff clogging up your wardrobe very fast, whereas if you're never in style you never go out of style

 

[egg_]

Here's a dated sound - sax with lots of reverb on it. Currently playing in my office on some 80s Stones record, that kind of 80s "sexy" saxophone sound that you'd associate with high heels stepping out of a Ferrari on Magnum PI or something

 

[Latex lizzie]

Nice image egg. Reminds me of palm trees and dobermans beside a chain link fence for some reason. THe eighties and chain link fences go together like bullets and guns.

 

[Ex-User (250)]

this is the gayest, pointless and most meaningless thread ever.
don't pioneers tend to be remembered over anything else? like, most of the time, they're never recognised when they're alive (mozart was burried in a pauper's grave) but he was definitely a genius, a bit of a twinkle toes, maybe, but that's not the issue.
copyists are never revered, people study the past and copyists always get busted... this kinda applies to art (painting, composition, sculpture, etc.)
as far as writing, lyrics, etc go, if you can be honest and speak from your heart or with faith and conviction, that will last. if people can find light in what you say, encouragement or if they can empathise with what you're saying, that will also last. i mean, the human condition, love, faith... perennial problems, no?
people who cater to 'current markets' will simply end up snorting coke and will feel ultimately unfulfilled and sad.
if you can mix the pioneering thing with honest words... shizzle, that's the combination. right snakey?