Classic Music verses Classic Artists

Paul Crawford · From: Orlando, Fl

OK. I'm probably odd man out here, but I just don't see the attraction of 60 year olds doing songs they recorded 40 years ago.

I love older music and have a very extensive collection of CDs. But I'd always rather put on one of those CDs than see the original artist attempt to recreate it today. The Super Bowl Who show, Stones, CSNY, even the great Zepplin show a couple of years ago. What's the point? The music is still great, the artist is still respected for making that music, but seeing these guys being a tribute band to themselves just doesn't do it for me.

Country music, the same thing. I adore and revere the classic artists but I'd rather hear what their music would say today, not what it said in 1966.

There are some fantastic examples of older artists continuing to make wonderful music over the decades. George Jones had chart records in 6 decades running. Johnny Cash's last album was as good as he ever made. Brian Wilson came back 40 years after the Beach Boys and is exceeding even the great standards he set back in the day.

Like most people, I love to hear classic covers and play them most every gig. But even then I prefer to find a new voice to add to a classic tune while preserving and paying tribute to the original.

So educate me. Why pay $50 bucks to hear the artist play the same song the same way for the 2000th time rather than spend $15 bucks for his original album and maybe another $15 bucks for his new one?

Steve Hitsman · From: Waterloo, IL

I agree. You'd think these guys would have grown musically and delved into different genres... some of 'em certainly don't need more money do they? It makes me wonder how much ability they really have if they've never tried something else.

Brint Hannay · From: Maryland, USA

I agree, generally speaking.

But taking The Who at the Super Bowl for example (as this may have occasioned your post), Pete Townshend has done quite a bit of interesting music since the heyday of The Who--much of it better, IMO, than much of what he did with The Who. But that's not what they hired him to do at the S.B. Their perennial effort to present something "safe" at half time is to blame. (The "wardrobe malfunction" and Michael Jackson with a bunch of little kids on stage being rare slip-ups.)

All times are GMT - 8 Hours	Jump to: