curved air and Sonja Kristina

[moggiethouable]

Have just re- discovered among my old vinyl collection Cuved Airs "air conditioning" album.
Having played it again I wondered, Is it just nostalgia, or has music taken a very definite turn for the worse since the 70s?

[les]

Is yours the one made from multi coloured vinyl.?

[MarkyB]

It's taken a turn for the worse since the 60s !

[JOWETTJAVELIN]

I think the up to the very early 80s the music was good. Post 1980s there has been a steady proliferation of singers who can't sing, and everything is enhanced by computers to sound better. The difference today between commercial recordings and live performances is incredible.

Of course, there is still a lot of talent and good music about. Examples: Lana Del Ray, Nerina Pallot and others.

However the list is insignificant with the greats I could name from the 1930s, 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s.

[MoggyMatt]

Music was pretty good until those "expopfactoridle" type programs came on the scene a few years back. Now it's mainly wishy washy manufactured music created by combining a catchy but soulless tune and a 5 minute old good looking but forgettable one album wonder designed only to last long enough to fund Simon Cowel's next Rolls Royce complete with drug dealer wheels and gangster windows. The genuinely talented musicians are so few and far between I can barely remember the last one. Probably Sea Sick Steve. Now there's a man who can make a Morris Minor's hub cap sing!

[lambrettalad]

the talent going around the local pubs and, music venues,free n easy's and open mike nights is fantastic,but very rarely does this get any local radio or national media coverage

I go to see bands ,both original and covers ,every week and play a little my self,i'm amazed at the talent on show

I spend a lot of time in Ireland and the culture there supports live music .eg the skill of the buskers on Grafton Street,the amount of music shops(not record shops) in the city centre,eight that I know of ,I only know 2 in the whole of Brum

[moggiethouable]

No mines not the picture vinyl, sounds the same though
As for vinyl shops I tend to find all sorts in second hand stores,cheap too.

[POMMReg]

Bought 2 near mint Roxy Music albums from a charity shop - price 2quid!

[linearaudio]

Worth reading is Greg Milners book "perfecting sound forever" which charts sound recording/transmission from the first days, including Marconis' theory that sounds never disappeared, but just faded from our hearing range. He had a dream of being able to capture Jesus' original Sermon on the Mount by using sensitive enough equipment!

In essence the advent of digital mastering really screwed up quality, by readily allowing soundwaves to be compressed, so that within an overall maximum sound level, the whole spectrum can be made louder. This is acheived by clipping the tops off loud transients such as drum beats, rather like cutting the spiky growth from a conifer type hedge! An excellent example of this is the improbably loud attack of the drumburst in Phil Collins "coming in the air tonight". (The worst ever example of over-compression is claimed to be the original release of the Red Hot Chili Peppers Califonication CD).

The scary thing is that although music can be messed around with like this, the general public listening on an MP3 player will get a positive impression of the product. Studies suggest that such highly compressed recordings tend to subconsciously increase the stress levels of the listener, whereas less doctored recordings tend to make the listener more relaxed, regardless of the actual mood type of the music.
Maybe that accounts for the overall tension in our society nowadays!!

[POMMReg]

Whilst on a music theme...

Anyone on here know where a copy of Widor's 'Toccata in Fugue' (Westminster Abbey) can be sourced?

I'm reasonably confident I
can just about survive without the impressive vocal & songwriting talent of JLS!

[brucek]

Is this any good???

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

[ASL642]

Thanks for that! set me up for the day. Brings back very happy memories. It was used as our Wedding March after we got married.

[brucek]

Excellent!

Nice to be able to help your day start with a smile

[POMMReg]

Brilliant,thanks!

Played at my/our wedding also - albeit the not so good Liverpool Cathedral version!

Used during Charles & Diana's wedding too!

Mr.Whiteuno

[brucek]

A pleasure Chris

A great piece of music - glad it hit the spot!!

[POMMReg]

How about Minor enthusiast's posting their 'top 5' favourite songs?

[les]

Well I'll cross that one off the list straight away! How about The laughing policeman?

[POMMReg]

C'mon Les, go through your extensive collection of records & post your top five!

Anything by The Osmonds?

[StaffsMoggie]

Play this very loud.......

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

Pick the bones out of that!

[POMMReg]

Compare THIS to any composition by Gary Barlow!