Nostalgia. Ah, the good old days of... We were talking to a friend of ours recently about whether many famous things are well remembered because of nostalgia or because they're really that good? Specifically, we were discussing synthesizers like the Roland SH-101. There are synths like the SH-101 that are highly prized but don't seem to really be that great of an instrument. Sure, they have their good points but don't really live up to the hype. The gist of our conversation was about whether these well remembered pieces are really that great or do they just have a great(nostalgic) reputation. It's sort of like when an artist that you've been following for years comes out with something new and you say, "It's good, but not as good as their early stuff". Is the "early stuff" really better or do you just have nostalgia for it? It's really relevant nowadays with all these things from our childhood coming back.
As far as music gear goes, it's interesting to see people paying really inflated prices for certain famous pieces when there are often 'better'(cheaper) alternatives that just don't have the same name recognition. It's something to think about as things like The A-Team and GI-Joe continue to make comebacks. What do you think- are we living in the past too much or were things really that much better in '82?
I like this post, not only because I was chatting with you about this, but that while reading it something dawned on me.
ReplyDeleteI had a whole big "Soap Box" thing that I wrote out, spell checked, grammar checked, and the rest of it. As I was proofing it, I sort of thought to my self "who am I kidding, It doesn't matter what you use, as long as YOU like it." After that, if you are lucky enough to get your music out to the masses - - Be prepared for both sides of the artists coin. Because you're going to have people who hate what you do, and you're going to have people who love what you do.
The only thing from my 'soap box' rant that I'll add here is:
Gather your gear up, and if you have a load of pieces that everyone else has, and ONE that is considered to be the sound of an era -(pick a genre) - use THAT one a lot. Then when you get interviewed by a magazine or online publication. Keep it a secret until you get REALLY popular and people want to start emulating your sound.
Whether it be a Roland SH-101, an OB-8, or a Korg MonoPoly. You'll do well to read everything (good or bad) that everyone is saying- - -and then? - - - - - >>> Form your own opinion.
Nice post KT..
Hear any of the Tron Legacy Daft punk stuff in the video link below?? maybe.. I dig this demo of the Korg MonoPoly.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFknjSIMvOs