Pet Peeves

[Pedrito]

All Pop wasn't always manufactured. There was huge leeway in terms of what artists could get away with and when the record company didn't like something, it was often eventually accepted or the artist was released to another company. Yes, there are horror stories and certainly there was skullduggery, but I think it's over emphasised too much.

The Byrds, for example, could never get away from the stigma of being 'manufactured' because they were brought together by elements within the record industry (can't remember the full story). That said, they were brought together because there was a recognition of the talent that was inherent in each of them and once the record company stepped back and let them at it the results were spectacular. I was listening to Genesis talking about one of their early Prog albums the other day. Despite limited success and the record company 'feeling' they might do better by taking another route, they still backed them through a bunch of albums, again, with the feeling that they were onto something special and any meddling could ruin things.

That's in stark contrast to marketing managers, image consultants, teams of songwriters, and all the other interfering jazz that goes on nowadays. I'm sure there are some standouts, but the majority of what we're getting is processed through a sieve before it reaches our ears.

[Black Shepherd Carnage]

I'm sure most of you have seen this Zappa clip before:

https://youtu.be/xP4wsURn3rw

That only counts up to the early 80s though. After that, pure pop started becoming manufactured almost scientifically, sounds and hooks and pronunciation anomalies designed to stick in your head independently of any musical merit. Stock Aitken Waterman (I Should Be So Lucky, You Spin Me Right Round, etc.) were the start of what we're dealing with today in terms of genuinely "manufactured" pop, manufactured to be as appealing as McDonald's, and in strikingly similar ways tbh.

[Ducky]

I think Berry Gordy/Motown is responsible for some of the most overtly manufactured pop records going. Phenomenal records, but manufactured to a T.

[Pedrito]

Well music by it's very nature is manufactured, it's created, produced, spit and polished applied, a stamp put on it etc. Everything from Black Metal all the way across the spectrum shares that. I would argue thogh that there was far more creativity to pop music, certainly in the 80's and in Motown too. Yes, there's a tonne of absolute shite, but they weren't all following the same template that is being followed nowadays, the same look, the same video, the same subjects, the same tone etc etc. Could be arguing this til the cows come home though.

What does the word manufactured mean I suppose is the question here.  The Stock Aiken Waterman template is what I suppose I'm referring to that has simply taken over Pop music as opposed to something like, say, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, that came out of the punk scene, something more geniunely unique and creative that had that manufactured touch added to it at the end, but wasn't created to be disposable and stick in your head, as Chris says, independent of any musical merit. That's where my tastes lie though and I'm sure I have my own prejudices when it comes to how I see it all.

[Eoin McLove]

I ate with that. While pop music always had that sinister,  greasy side to it,  it seems that in the past they tried to find bands or singers who had personality and character in the first place.  With the X Factor model I find it difficult to tell one singer from the other.  They look the same,  they sound the same,  the songs tend to go in one ear and out the other in a lot of cases too which to me is the biggest crime.  Sadly, the only ones that seem to stick in my head are the likes of 'Umbrella-ella-ella...'- shit that would make you wish you were born with no ears.

[Scáthach]

"So off they went to S. I. R. to learn some stupid riffs,
And practice all their poses!"

[astfgyl]

I love a lot of 80's pop as it seems so inventive and there was such an element of wild abandon to it all with so many of the artists trying things that probably shouldn't have worked at all but somehow did. And so many of them had a knack for a great tune and were able to present it in a seemingly simplistic fashion that seems to be missing from today's x factor stuff. Funnily enough this mystical "x Factor" they speak of seemed to be in abundance back in the 80s and is nowhere to be found on those conveyor belt shows

[Pedrito]

Seems to be a new pandemic taking hold...poetry.

I'm hooked up to some page on Facebook for news from my hometown Drogheda. I think it's the facebook page of a local newspaper. Anyway, I keep getting updates for poems sent in by readers. I mean the whole town has suddenly turned into Seamus Forking Heaney by the looks of things. Sweeping, literary genius like the following exerpt courtesy of Mary from down the town:

We miss our loved ones who we cannot see.
Looking forward to the day we can all meet for tea.
There is a lesson for us to behold,
people are more valuable than money or gold.

Any other parts of the country being hit by this?

[Nail_Bombed]

We miss our loved ones who we cannot see.
Looking forward to the day we can all meet for tea.
There is a lesson for us to behold,
people are more valuable than money or gold.

It's no 'They fuck you up, your Mum and Dad', is it?

[Eoin McLove]

It's like the literary equivalent of local 'artists' who display their genius on the walls of the local cafe.  On one hand you think, it's nice that they are supporting the community. On the other hand, if I owned a little local cafe I'd sooner decorate the walls in my own shit than have the local spastic moustache twiddler do it for me!

[Pedrito]

 

Ah stop, there's an artistic 'circle' in the town that congregate in certain bars. Often a lad roaring away with an accoustic while you're trying to sup your pint. A few Gaelgóirs and people with an arty look that belies the muck that they tend to produce.   Lads I used go to primary school with that never left the town. Yep the dirty protest option sounds far more appealing.

[astfgyl]

Here, there was talk of advertising songs in this thread and I came across the following. It would have been equally suited to the "Are We All Fucked?" discussion. Ok, copy/paste:

"Lots of HEARTFELT SONGS ABOUT GRATITUDE are needed for a TAXI COMPILATION going directly to several top Ad Agencies that will be cranking out "Post-Pandemic" TV Commercials in the near future.

This batch is for Commercials that we anticipate will feature the heroes of the pandemic and how grateful we are for what they've done. We've come up with some key concepts, keywords, ideas, and phrases to get your creative gears turning, but please don't limit yourself to just these! We encourage you to come up with some of your own!

Just some of the heroes we could think of: doctors, nurses, hospital workers, scientists, paramedics, police officers, postal workers, truck drivers, grocery store and pharmacy workers, firefighters, lab technicians, military personnel, farmers, restaurant and food bank workers, flight attendants and pilots, delivery personnel, caregivers, etc.

Concepts and keywords:

    Not all heroes wear capes!
    Thank you – yep, sometimes simple is best ;-)
    You were there when we needed you
    Your sacrifice hasn't gone unnoticed
    Courage
    Facing fear
    Helping others
    Working hard to beat the odds
    Working side-by-side
    Stepping up
    Saving lives
    Taking risks
    Giving hope
    Shoulder-to-shoulder
    Going the extra mile
    Long hours
    Heroism
    Gratitude
    Appreciation
    Giving it all
    Risking it all
    Asking for nothing in return
    Selflessness
    Caring
    Honor
    Pride

Lyric themes:
We think most of these TV Commercials will show very moving montages of everyday people doing extraordinary things. General concepts in your lyrics could work better than telling full stories. Universal lyrics that could work well in montages showing all types of heroes might be the best way to go, but that's just an educated guess on our part!

Whatever your concepts are, your chorus lyrics need to be simple, big, catchy, phrases that sum up the central message. Universal lyrics that avoid specific names, dates, times, places, brands, and profanity will likely be best. Phrases that mention time or place in a general way could possibly work. "The day this started" is an example of that!

Emotions:
Tug at the heartstrings, put a lump in the throats of the viewers and a tear in their eyes, make them well-up with pride and feel the universal feelings we all share about how grateful and proud we are of the heroes who have helped get us through this unprecedented time in human history.

Possible genres and styles:
You'd be wise to go with popular genres like: Singer/Songwriter, A/C, Indie Folk, Pop, Country, Anthemic Rock, Emotional Indie Pop, and Indie Rock, Soul, Gospel, etc. You'd be smart to avoid genres that aren't relatable to a wide audience: Death Metal, Prog Rock... well, you get the idea!

Tempo:
Ballads, down-tempo, and mid-tempo might work best, but we're not ruling out big, anthemic, uplifting, UP-tempo-ish Songs for some of the genres and lyric themes."

It's an obvious peeve but everything is for sale.

And yeah we are all fucked.

[Mower Liberation Front]

Crappy ads cashing in on Covid stuff copy/paste

Couldn't agree more. Sick of all these ads.

Why can't someone do a murder hornet related ad instead?

[astfgyl]

It's coming any day soon. Surely some Drone/Doom type stuff would be perfect for that one!

[ochoill]

Now more than ever, in these unprecedented times, it is important to thank our daily heroes by buying a big fuckin nest of murder hornets