Rob
Boy you got that right. You can't even recognize it anymore as country. :shrug: They all sound the same. I can't stand listening to most of it anymore. :shake:

The recording industry (really the music distribution industry) has been bad for music in general, with its near monopolistic control over what we have been able to hear. Its influence has been especially hard on the quality of country music. There have been exceptions to this trend on occasion. Every now and then, someone truly talented was in control of the choices being made for us. Barry Gordy comes to mind - sort of a benevolent tyrant. For the most part, it's been bad though.

The good news is that the industry is in its death throes. They'll never be able to stem the tide of widely available and affordable methods of recording and distributing music - no matter how many lawyers they hire.

In the old days, musicians made a living by being paid to perform. Those who were judged to be good did well. They might not become multi-millionaires, but they did OK.

The technological invention of sound recording led to the creation of recording artists and the eventual quality slide that we have experienced. It wasn't the technology itself, but the artificial legal rights assigned to recordings that caused the decline - and it didn't happen overnight. The early cost of the technology to record and distribute music served as a barrier to entry in the market, and made it easy to enforce the newly created, artificial, and bad recording rights.

We've been indoctrinated to believe that record companies somehow own soundwaves, and that when we copy them we are stealing. Well, legally, yes, but only through legislation of artificial rights. Morally, no.

I predict that the recent technology that makes recording and distributing music easier than ever will lead to another golden age of great performers. Of course they could be lost in a huge sea of crappy performers and recording artists, but they won't. We will also see the emergence of musical opinion leaders, like the DJs of old, who will do the work of wading through the crap to find the good stuff. Of course, what is good is very subjective. We will all be free to identify the opinion leaders that suit our tastes. A lot of this is already happening. There are Web sites that strive to identify your taste in music and then suggest new artists, based on your listening habits.

That's my crazy rambling for the morning. :blah: :yeah:

Damn! I always loved that Focus song... Everytime I hear it on the satellite radio, I open the windows of the truck and blast it loud... No other way to listen to that one, if you ask me! Of course all the other drivers think I'm nuts... :stupid2:

Little Feat
 

Rock 'n Roll Doctor

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEOlTZGuLKM

This band was chocked full of talent, not the least of which was Richie Hayward - easily on my top 10 list of best rock drummers.

EDIT:

Here's something from Lowell George's daughter. Doesn't sound anything like Little Feat, but I love it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDlEXQaMBpk

Hamilton.
You said you like percussion. How about this guy?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTT5pyfxQDE

Ah yes, my youth. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l38CIbuOPHw

Dan

Seeing the Little Feat video reminded me of a local musician who was slated to start playing with Little Feat-Danny Gatton. Sadly, he killed himself in 1994 and that never happened. I knew about Danny Gatton because of a guy I worked with who was an aspiring guitarist. I still remember Richard telling me if I liked guitar music then Danny Gatton was all I would ever need to listen to. I've read a lot of stuff about Danny, and his life story is one of almost being there at the right place but not quite at the right time. He never made it as big as he should have.

Check this out, recorded in a place in DC.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MS5XH84mmI4

Wow. That performance certainly deserved a better venue.

As a guitar player myself, I think I'm a little harder to impress than most folks. Not that I'm all that great myself, but I can spot a gimmick. That was inspired playing. I heard some things I never heard before.

Any one like Raul Midon?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IObO7aSMhYM

Forget Cowbell..... It's the Big Lizzard.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiHRm2DioMA


Forget Cowbell..... It's the Big Lizzard.

Danny, I hadn't heard of Raul before. Thanks.

Jetsfan, I had my lighter out on that one. :D


This performance has everything in it that shows why I love The Who so much. "A Quick One-While He's Away" (1968)

I love the bass line.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUu0B63qnAI


PS I showed this once to my high-school aged nephew, and he was a bit taken aback. From his perspective, only the "new" groups that he listens to can put on a powerful performance, and when he say this was from 1968 he was a little bumfuzzled. :D

I've been a Who fan since I was a little kid... They're so much more creative than anything else that's out there... Keith Moon started out as a surf drummer, so he was used more complicated drum beats than the typical thump-whap-thump-whap-thump-whap rock beat, and watching John Entwhistle's fingers on that bass guitar is just amazing. Again, so much more creative than the typical rock music basslines. I saw Entwhistle in a 300 seat IMAC theatre playing with a small local band, and every half hour when the lead guitarist would break all of his strings, Entwhistle would take over the lead parts... I've never seen fingers move so fast! :eek:

Sirius satellite radio had a Who channel for awhile, but they lost listeners because they played the same songs over and over... I just don't understand why, it's not like top 20 stations that need to play what's hot to keep ratings up. Acid Queen was on at least 3 times a day, every day... ugh! Now I'm back to the Blues station again...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVl39LBZGMw

Alex

I've watched that Entwistle video so many times that one time my 5 year old came in the room and said "You're watching THAT again?" :D

Here the other three are talking about Keith. I like the part where Roger has only his vocals and the drum track playing on the soundboard.




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLMc6J9h3mU

Nice one Alex and Rob.

I'd have The Who over the stones and the beatles any day.
My Mum was a Mod in the 60's, she saw them perform in a local swimming baths, very early in their career.
Baba O'Riely, one of my favs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCNeVHv3Mlg