Roger Edwards 4/12/23 Roger Edwards 4/12/23

The Problem With Ever Changing Band Lineups

I was reminiscing about the music of my youth the other day which led me to listen to a track by Pro-Pain. The band formed in NYC in 1991 and their debut album Foul Taste of Freedom got some traction in the UK. I lost track of them after the next album and moved on musically. However, because of my recent fit of nostalgia, I looked the band up on Wikipedia and discovered that they were still going. Now thirty years is quite a long period of time and nothing stays the same forever but even I was surprised to see that the lineup of Pro-Pain had changed over a dozen times. The only original artist in the band today is bass player, lead vocalists and founder member, Gary Meskil. As ever this started a train of thought about the subject. How so many bands have made substantial changes in their lineup over the course of their careers and the respective pros and cons of such decisions.

Being in a band is a stressful work environment. Creative differences, the amount of time you spend in each other's company and the constant travelling take their toll. Change is an inevitability. But when you change the line up of a band, how much of an impact does it have? Well that depends upon who is leaving and what contribution they made overall. If the outgoing member defined the band’s sound, wrote most of their material or had the biggest personality, then their absence is significant. Think Michael Jackson and The Jackson 5. If their contribution was more arbitrary, then replacing them may not be such an issue. Pete Best “leaving” The Beatles springs to mind. Sometimes the departure of a band member creates an opportunity for a band to reinvent themselves. In the case of Adam and the Ants, the entire band bar Adam left to form Bow Wow Wow. Adam then found new Ants and moved from Punk to New Wave.

Adam and the Ants “Ridicule is nothing to be scared of”

Another problem that arises from bands that have enjoyed great longevity and numerous changes in their line up, is that they will end up with a canon of work that is rich and varied. Fans therefore may not necessarily share the same point of entry into this oeuvre, or enjoy the same material. In such a case, do fans even like the same band? Is there an unbridgeable gulf between Dexy’s Midnight Runner fans who favour the 1980 album Searching for the Young Soul Rebels and those who preferred Too-Rye-Ay, two years later? And to complicate matters further, sometimes a successful band will not just see multiple lineup changes but will split into multiple iterations of the same band, due to legal and financial wranglings. At one point there were two versions of the popular English Reggae band UB40. One using the original name and the other being known as UB40 featuring Ali Campbell and Astro. That’s just weird.

The music industry has always been a battleground between art and business. Bands can be a collective of evolving musical artists, trying to produce art, as well as an established commercial product providing an ongoing service. Sometimes one trumps the other but it more often than not seems to be the latter. But music provides many things beyond artistic appreciation. Music nostalgia is a major psychological comfort blanket. If you see an iconic band like The Rolling Stones, do you really want to listen to their latest musings or just their greatest hits? It does seem like the provision of a service. However, due to the line up changes over the years, how authentic is that experience? Following a similar train of thought, can you really ever truly experience Queen any more, since the death of Freddie Mercury? However, Judging by ticket sales, this may not be an issue.

The Stranglers are down to their last original member, Jean-Jacques Burnel. Whether the band will produce any more albums or tour remains to be seen but it does seriously raise the question: are The Stranglers really The Stranglers any more? You can argue from a logical, semantical or emotional perspective and I’m not entirely sure if there is a right or wrong answer. You can have a band where all the original members are dead or retired, so what do people do? They form a bloody tribute act. Again, we return to the power of nostalgia and the money that it can generate. Regarding the original point of the post about the ever changing lineups that some bands have, I suppose you decide for yourself what, if any, lines in the sand you personally draw. I guess music has become like the film and TV industry. When talking to someone, if you state that you like such and such a band, you then have to clarify which version, or which period of their work you enjoy. That’s “fun”.

Music, Song Lyrics, Listening to music in a different language

Song Lyrics of Note

Music, Song Lyrics, Listening to music in a different language

Song lyrics can be powerful things. They can capture the mood and spirit of an era. They can also make powerful socio-political points. Or they can simply be pleasing to the listener by their use of language and playfulness. They can stick in your mind for both deep and trivial reasons. Mishearing them is also a common problem but that is a separate blog post. On this occasion I thought it would be worthwhile exploring the subject of song lyrics of note. Hence I have collated some that I find interesting, wise or just entertaining. These aren’t necessarily my favourite songs of all time, because I like so many. Instead these are some of the ones that sprang to mind when I was preparing this post. I have decided to have the selected lyrics first and the name of the artists afterwards, so that the emphasis is placed upon the words from the song. Although is is more than likely that you’ll be able to identify the songs from the lyrics immediately, or at least for some of them.

Music, Song Lyrics, Listening to music in a different language

Music, Streaming, Spotify, iTunes, Pop Music, Music Production

How Streaming Has Changed Pop Music

Music, Streaming, Spotify, iTunes, Pop Music, Music Production

The transition from purchasing music on CDs, vinyl or via downloads, to on-demand streaming has fundamentally altered the music industry. Furthermore, the current dominance of on-demand streaming as a medium for providing music has actually reshaped how pop music is written, produced and released. Because streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and TikTok operate on specific payment algorithms and cater to the rapid-scrolling habits of contemporary listeners, producers and songwriters have decided to completely rewrite the rulebook of how pop music is made. These new rules are not one hundred percent ubiquitous and you’ll still find song writers and artists who do things the old way or in a manner that suits them. However, sufficient numbers of song writers have adopted the new methodology, that you can hear the change if you spend a day or so listening to a mainstream pop playlist or radio station that showcases such material.

Music, Streaming, Spotify, iTunes, Pop Music, Music Production

Music, Spotify, Audio Quality

Spotify and Sound Quality

Music, Spotify, Audio Quality

I was recently listening to some music on Spotify when it struck me how poor the sound quality was. It lacked any depth and certain instruments seemed lost in what I can only describe as a somewhat flat and smudged soundscape. Then I remembered that I had recently reinstalled the app on my PC after the search facility "broke" on the previous install. It would seem that any prior settings and customisations that I may have made had not carried over, not that I recollect specifically making any. I consulted Google Gemini to see if this issue was a common one and low and behold it is. The latest version of Spotify, by default, has the streaming bitrate set fairly low to accommodate data capped internet services or low bandwidth connections. In audio terms the music quality sounds poor. Hence I spent sometime nosing around in the settings to see what needed to be changed to remedy this problem. Here is the breakdown of the alterations that I made.

Music, Spotify, Audio Quality

Music, Honest Playlist, Questionnaire

Honest Playlist

Music, Honest Playlist, Questionnaire

The Guardian news website have a recurring feature in their “culture” section called Honest Playlist where they ask various celebrities about their music listening habits. There are a dozen or so stock questions that they use to grill their guest, although they don’t always use the same ones. I think it makes for interesting reading so its a column that I often visit. As I haven’t published a post based upon an internet questionnaire for a while, I thought I poach this particular line of questioning and have a crack at it myself. I have chosen the ten questions that I think are the best and by that I mean, they have the most scope for interesting answers. I didn’t include the one about karaoke because it’s not something I especially like. Each to their own. Feel free to similarly purloin this set of questions and write your own responses. I’m always fascinated by these sort of things.

Music, Honest Playlist, Questionnaire

Editorial, Social Commentary, Listening to Music, Music, Digital Jukebox, Jukebox

Digital Jukeboxes

Editorial, Social Commentary, Listening to Music, Music, Digital Jukebox, Jukebox

I was in a pub last night, catching up with friends before Christmas, when I noticed on the wall something I haven’t seen in a pub for a very long time. A jukebox. In my experiences most of the pubs I go to take one of the following two approaches to background music. They either have a sound system and exclusively manage any music via personally curated playlists from behind the bar. Or they have no music at all. The Wetherspoons chain of pubs broadly follow the latter policy and actively use it as a marketing point. Quiet pubs for clientele that just want to talk can be popular. Hence finding an accessible jukebox was a blast from the past. During the late eighties and early nineties, I regularly visited my local pub and often used the jukebox there, which at the time, was operated by an ever changing store of CDs. The jukebox I encountered last night was digital.

Editorial, Social Commentary, Listening to Music, Music, Digital Jukebox, Jukebox

Music, Bass, Bass Player, Bassline

What Is Your Favourite Bassline In A Song?

Music, Bass, Bass Player, Bassline

I recently came up with a random writing prompt for the annual Blaugust: Festival of Blogging event. Namely, “what is your favourite bassline in a song”? For clarity, Wikipedia defines a bassline as follows: Bassline is the term used in many styles of music, such as blues, jazz, funk, dub and electronic, traditional, and classical music, for the low-pitched instrumental part or line played by a rhythm section instrument such as the electric bass, double bass, cello, tuba or keyboard. As I thought of this prompt, it only seems fair that I tackle it myself. Hence, here are five songs that I feel have notable basslines, or that have bassplayers that play in a unique style. I am not especially musically talented myself and therefore not au fait with all the correct musical terminology. However, I will strive to quantify why I think each song is a good example.

Music, Bass, Bass Player, Bassline

A Year in, A Year in Music, 2024, Music

A Year in Music

A Year in, A Year in Music, 2024, Music

This post is not intended to be a comprehensive review of music per se in 2024. It is simply a few thoughts on what I’ve been listening to over the course of the year and my ever changing relationship with the Terpsichorean muse. As a man in his fifties who has always enjoyed multiple genres of music and it is a comforting presence in day-to-day life. Up to a year ago, I relied upon my own music collection on my PC as the source of music to which I listened. Yet, this meant that I was somewhat locked into my own existing tastes and there was limited scope for me to find new material. This changed last December when I started subscribing to Spotify and since then it has become my primary source of music. It caters to my tastes, which at times are quite niche and it gently introduces me to new material without being too invasive. This has proven most beneficial.

A Year in, A Year in Music, 2024, Music

Editorial, Social Commentary, Music, Spotify

Spotify

Editorial, Social Commentary, Music, Spotify

I currently have over 152 GB of music on my PC. Approximately 26,000 songs or pieces of music. These are in MP3, Flac and other formats. The files have been sourced from various CDs that I have owned over the years and subsequently “ripped”. Others have been bought from Amazon or other similar sources. In the past I have copied music from friends’ collections and vice versa. The files are mainly categorised by artist or name which is sufficient for me to be able to trawl through them to find what I want. I use foobar2000 as my music player of choice, mainly because it is updated by its developer, plays all major file formats and has no adverts. The interface is verging on the spartan but I prefer this minimalist approach, as I do not require an excess of features.

Editorial, Social Commentary, Music, Spotify

Music, Listening to Music, Albums, Concept Album, Classic Themes

Listening to Music

Music, Listening to Music, Albums, Concept Album, Classic Themes

The following is about a cultural change. That is not to say that it’s a value judgement or one of those posts you so frequently read by bloggers of a certain age, that essentially boil down to “things were better in my day”. It is merely an observation and like all observations it is not 100% universal. There will always be exceptions to the rule. I am simply painting with broad strokes a general truism for your consideration. My point being that people listen, experience and enjoy music differently these days compared to how they did three to four decades ago. I’m not talking about the science of hearing or anything complex like that. I am merely highlighting the change in the way we choose to experience music and how that has an impact upon its creation and presentation. So like Anne Elk, presenting her theory on the Brontosaurus, here is the axiom at the heart of this post.

Music, Listening to Music, Albums, Concept Album, Classic Themes

Editorial, Social Commentary, Music, Changing Band Lineups

The Problem With Ever Changing Band Lineups

Editorial, Social Commentary, Music, Changing Band Lineups

Gaming, Open World Driving Game, MSR, GTA V, Mafia 2, Saint's Row: The Third, In-game Radio Stations, Music

Video Game Radio Stations

Gaming, Open World Driving Game, MSR, GTA V, Mafia 2, Saint's Row: The Third, In-game Radio Stations, Music

In 2000, I was the proud owner of a Sega Dreamcast. I had a broad selection of games for the console from multiple genres, including Metropolis Street Racer. This was an early example of an open world driving game which is noteworthy in itself. However, what stood out for me was that this was the first game that I had played which had in-game radio stations. Although this is something that is now de rigueur within this sub-genre, back then this was a novelty. The tracks were stored on the game CD but played selectively according to which radio station you were listening to when driving. The sound even broke up if you went into a tunnel. The songs were all original creations, rather than licensed properties. Although credited to faux bands and bogus artists, composer Richard Jacques wrote and arranged them all. I was especially fond of the Oasis inspired band Salford Quays and the track Live Your Life.

Gaming, Open World Driving Game, MSR, GTA V, Mafia 2, Saint's Row: The Third, In-game Radio Stations, Music

Editorial, Social Commentary, Fandom, Music, Gaming, Movies, Keeping Up

Keeping Up

Editorial, Social Commentary, Fandom, Music, Gaming, Movies, Keeping Up

I was a teenager during the eighties and the music that I listened to at the time was a major part of my overall experience. My musical taste influenced how I dressed and sometimes even determined friendships. Going to a gig and seeing music performed live was a major rite of passage. Furthermore, due to there only being a handful of TV channels in the UK at the time, meant that certain key programs were responsible for the dissemination of a broad spectrum of musical genres. Hence, while you waited for a band that you liked to come on, you’d sit and be exposed to a wealth of different artists. Something that tends not to happen nowadays as there is far more choice available. My passion for music persisted throughout the nineties and then began to wane round about the turn of the century. Work and the practicalities of daily life made it increasingly difficult to “keep up”. I used to read the music press and know about contemporary artists. I no longer do this. I often don’t even know what the current Number 1 record is.

Editorial, Social Commentary, Fandom, Music, Gaming, Movies, Keeping Up

Jeff Wayne, The War of the Worlds, Music, Liam Neeson

Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds

Jeff Wayne, The War of the Worlds, Music, Liam Neeson

I try and keep abreast of what's happening and going on, especially in those areas of interest to me such as movies, TV and gaming etc. Occasionally stuff passes me by that I subsequently discover at a later date, often to the refrain of WTF? A few years ago I was idly channel surfing only to discover that a seminal UK children's TV show from my youth, the Mr. Men, had been remade in a more contemporary idiom. Luckily, the source characters were still relatively unscathed, and the revamped show did a competent job in bringing Roger Hargreaves work to a new generation. Still, no one had told me and discovering this, in such a fashion was a bit of a surprise.

Jeff Wayne, The War of the Worlds, Music, Liam Neeson