Re: OT: music biz article

[Douglas Baldwin <coyotelk@optonline.net>]

I think you're absolutely right, Travis, about "an increasing number of
people who spend more time recording than performing." I think this has
already come to pass. I think this probably first took place in the 1980s
with the rise of four-track cassette recorders. However, the economic
incentive to spend countless hours with recording gear may be gone. I used
the term "studio masterpieces" to refer to commercial recordings that don't
reflect a performance-based aesthetic that are then embraced by a large
number of consumers. Y'know, "Pet Sounds" Smile" "Revolver" Sgt. Pepper's"
"Hotel California" "Houses of the Holy/Physical Graffitti/The Presence" "In
A Silent Way" etc. etc.

And of course there is the observation that, with all this recording gear
available, where are the masterpieces? My own take is this: the vast
majority of "studio masterpieces" were created by artists who established
themselves as live performers first. I bet we all have our favorite "studio
masterpieces" by unknown artists because the artist didn't go out and hit
the road either before or after the creation of said masterpiece. I also
believe very deeply, and largely from personal experience and observation,
that the music *business* is one of the worst in the Western world, and one
must be either extremely unbalanced or extremely focused to be a part of 
it.
Lots of brilliant music will be made, and kept within a small circle of
devoted listeners, because the means of mass distribution is corrupt.
dB


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Travis Hartnett" <travishartnett@gmail.com>
To: <Loopers-Delight@loopers-delight.com>
Sent: Friday, May 13, 2005 10:30 AM
Subject: Re: OT: music biz article


> I'm not sure what exactly you mean by "studio masterpiece", but I
> think that there's going to be an increasing number of people who
> spend more time recording than performing since all the former
> requires is a little bit of money and a lot of time.  HD recording
> encourages endless twiddling and complex things that weren't really
> feasible with analog recording and are now within the reach of just
> about anyone interested in it.  Plus, one can avoid the possibility of
> real-time public ridicule by staying holed up in one's bedroom comping
> together performances and mucking around with plug-ins.
>
> On 5/13/05, Douglas Baldwin <coyotelk@optonline.net> wrote:
> > Interesting article. Before the rise of Beatles-related popular music,
> > recorded music was seen as a bit of a "loss leader." You made records 
>to
> > promote your live performances or to promote your career in movies, not
to
> > make a living at recording. Artists were whisked in aod out of 
>recording
> > studios because it was too expensive to spend days re-recording the 
>same
> > thing. It could be argued that the technology didn't exist to warrant
extra
> > time in the studio, but then what were Les Paul and Stockhausen doing?
The
> > era of creating "studio masterpieces" may well be seen as a blip in the
> > history of the performing arts.
> >
>