Is Emphasis on Vocals Ruining Modern Music?

[PanzerJaeger]

Well Ive been watching CBS's answer to American Idol, called Rock Star NXS or something. The show has different singers sing classic rock hits with the same band backing them and the winner gets money or something(first time ive watched it).

This got me thinking and Ive come to the conclusion that emphasis on vocals above music, or instrumentation, is ruining modern music.

It seems today that singers are much more important to record companies than the accompanying music they sing to. Whether its Jessica Simpson, or the various popular rap artists, instrumentation has become generic and devalued.

To me the great thing about the 60s and 70s rock was that the guitarists, drummers, and even many times bassists were just as important to the music as the vocalist. Things were more balanced, and in my opinion this resulted in awesome music.

And there is hope! Metal bands like Metallica and Nirvana were and are huge sellers. People still respond to music that is strong with or without vocals.

Why is it that the record companies only seem to support artists whose music is primarily generated on a computer? Is there anything left to be said for instrumental skill?

I guess im just mad I wasnt around when my favorite music was made, but there does seem to be an industry-shift towards vocals, imo.

[Gawain of Orkeny]

Yeah it seems the only exction is Santana . Yes hes old school but it seems many in the younger generation like to have him play with him. Where are the great muscians of today. When we do a poll on these things the guys from the 60s still rule.

[Steppe Merc]

Agree 100 percent, PJ. A charsmatic lead singer like Jim Morrison, Robert Plant or Mick Jagger is very important, but without the Doors, Led Zeppelin or the Stones they wouldn't be as great as they are.

[Gawain of Orkeny]

Are kids nowdays into music like we used to be in the Stone age? Or should I say Stoned age . I know me and mt friends knew the names of all the guys in the big bands and what they played and were always disscussing not only the lyrics and singing voices but who were the best muscians.

[Quietus]

Not just emphasis on vocals but also emphasis on just anything "melodic". ZZZzzzzz.....

[Navaros]

there is no emphasis on vocals anymore

the emphasis is 100% on the looks of a lead singer. vocal talent is 100% irrelevant

i saw Brian McKnight say in an interview that he can make the worst singer in the world sound amazing with a little bit of ProTools tweaking

funny original poster should mention Jessica Simpson. because she and her sister are both no-talent lipsyncing ProTools-using hacks who illustrate my point magnificently

in fact, at the time of this post 396 573 want Ashlee Simspon to die.

but despite the 396 573 people in this world who still have common sense, there is are still legions more who put up with that crap.

vocals means nothing. looks mean everything. although in the Ashlee Simpson case that is especially ironic because she looks like a ghastly ghoul from the abyss of a fungus-filled swamp.

if vocals did mean something, then music would be in a lot better shape than it is right now

in regards to INXS: it is pathetic that INXS is disgracing the legacy of Michael Hutchence by replacing him with someone that gets to be voted for by the average joe idiot

[Steppe Merc]

Well my friends and I am, but we all like guys who were in the Stoned Age, or still act like it.
But yeah, we'll talk about whether Clapton was better than Page, or if Derek Trucks is better than Warren Haynes (the current gutarists of the Allman Brothers). But we're a large exception.
But I can't imagine not having a band be the main part of music. Even solo artists have to rely on their bands, or it'll flop. Unless you're a solo aucostic guitar player, it's a team effort. Of course some of the team is more important than others, but that's life.
Even my little brothers get into it, thanks to my Dad's musical love, and the way he raised us around good music.
One band in particular we always debate about is the Drive By Truckers, a current Southern Rock band. They have 3 singer/songwriter/guitarists, and we always try and figure out which is best. To no avail.

[sharrukin]

I would agree with that. The background music sometimes (when we are lucky) drowns out the vocals, but they don't seem to have anything distinctive about them. I am not sure the singer is all that important though. They seem to have a similar sound and I get the impression it wouldn't be that hard to replace one singer with another from the same factory.

[Steppe Merc]

Hell how good a singer is isn't always that important. I mean, Bob Dylan isn't going to win any awards, and Neil Young's voice isn't amazing either. But they can pull it off because of their passion (and the fact they are primarily musicians first).

[Big King Sanctaphrax]

Yes, you're dead on here, Panzer. Bring back twenty minute instrumental wig-outs!

*Put's on ELP's Brain Salad Surgery*

[Azi Tohak]

Sorry, I live in a vacuum of Country and Oldies on my radio, with videogame soundtracks on the computer. Great music for the last two, and I just like some of the first's songs.

But if you want something pathetic, watch Jessica Simpson's "These boots are made for [street] walking" video. Talk about generic.

Azi

[IrishMike]

The music is always the first thing I look for in a band. Of course vocals do matter a tad bit, but I can stand music without vocals, but not vocals with crap music. I mean even if hendrix did make a crap vocal song I would still listen to the guitar instead. Now you can't do the same with a jessica simpson can you? Umm.....no to put it nicely.

And Gawain to answer your question, all that stuff is making a comeback. Mostly because the music now-a-days is crap and not worth anymoney, excpet for a few points of modern hope.

[PanzerJaeger]

Bring back twenty minute instrumental wig-outs!

Hell yea, riffs rock.

[LeftEyeNine]

Well, now here's music, then I can talk till midnight :D

Yeah, obviously music is the composition of sounds that your ear would like to hear. And basically musical instruments are already enough to make music.. That's absolutely true..

But if you want the human voice in it. Then vocals go high up in the rank of this composition. I personally believe that a good vocal can change the fate of a band. Audioslave with Chris Cornell is a good example. Take out super-flat vocals of Dexter from Offspring, then see if they can exist anymore.

A vocalist, especially for Rock bands, is the most important asset of a band. The style of the vocalist may influence all the band's progress from the musical compositions to the genre of the group. What's more a vocalist is the frontman, nearly perceived as the whole band solely by the listeners.

Without Jim Morrison, The Doors could never be legendary.

[Strike For The South]

yes too much is being put on vocals espacilly in the pop secene. Give country any day of the week

[JimBob]

It depends, take Woodie Guthrie, Leadbelly, or Dylan(pre-electric) often you just have a singer and an acoustic guitar. Lyrics can mean alot, Roger Clyne is great because the words resonate and mean something. But instruments are important to, a good guitar riff is just a good guitar riff alone but if backed by a singer screaming out his soul, drums giving a fondation and a bass driving it all then you have a damn good song.

Point of rant: Modern(main stream) music sucks. Underground music rules though because they do it for a crazy pasion, especially the Tempe scene, and the remerging nomadic folk music.

Here's cheers to Steepe for listening to DBT. The Day John Henry Died is one of their most kick ass songs

[Alrowan]

this is the reason why i listen to a lot of scandinavian metal, most are fabulous muscisians, and its just great hearing thier skill and uniqness, something about the viking blood i tihnk...


as for american music, i gave up on that the day good charlotte came out...

[scooter_the_shooter]

Country is the best!!!

[Roark]

People are getting stupider. The Crazy Frog is testament to that...

The great musicians are still around, you just have to look a little harder, because of the deluge of Top 40 garbage.

eg:

Mike Patton
Dillinger Escape Plan
Clutch
The Mars Volta
Diamanda Galas

All of these guys are doing incredibly original things with music, but most of the music consumers of today (19-25 year olds) just want to be lulled into idiocy by risque video clips and simple, repeatable choruses.

[PanzerJaeger]

A vocalist, especially for Rock bands, is the most important asset of a band. The style of the vocalist may influence all the band's progress from the musical compositions to the genre of the group. What's more a vocalist is the frontman, nearly perceived as the whole band solely by the listeners.

Thats not always true in my opinion. Look at Zeppelin.. Who was the most famous of that band? Its really up in the air... Same with the Beatles..

[Roark]

Yeah, a couple of good exceptions to the rule there, PJ.

Many rock bands, like the Doors and INXS, suffer the terrible affliction of frontman syndrome. Once their original singer (usually charismatic and good-looking) was gone, there was pretty much no hope of the band's resurrection in the charts.

INXS actually tried, with Noiseworks' Jon Stevens, but it went down like the proverbial lead balloon...

[ichi]

popular music hasn't been any good for a very long time. Hard to ruin what was ruined long ago.

ichi

[Gawain of Orkeny]

By far the best bands are those with no real lead singer. Again the Beatles come to mind first. Fleetwood Mac is another. Pink Floyd and the Moody Blues also. Another group were although the lead singer is great to me he is also their biggest liablity is Rush. I can take only so much of Neals high pitched voice but the music is incredible.

[Spetulhu]

Why is it that the record companies only seem to support artists whose music is primarily generated on a computer? Is there anything left to be said for instrumental skill?

Because that's just one person. As long as the "singer" is getting paid the act is complete! No worries about guitarists quitting in the middle of a tour, no drummers dying, no general band splitting up. And of course, you can collect the same money for one idiot as you get for a full band. Fewer people just means the record company can take a bigger cut of it!

[BDC]

Bring back psychodelic albums say I!

[LeftEyeNine]

SOAD is a racist band.. They are said to be a Rock band. However Rock culture rejects racism, and SOAD is an anti-Turk promoter band.. They can not be counted rockers, if we are talking about rockers..

Above all, of course music is for soul so that there is no equartion like 2 + 2 = 4.

But to my personal opininon, a charismatic vocalist can drive a band to where they can not imagine with a bit of luck as well..

By the way, I read that one of Mars Volta's members is schizophrenic. Is it true ?

(I bet they really hide a biiiiig brain under those gigantic Night-Elf-Tree-Like hairs..)

[master of the puppets]

POPULAR music sucks and is all about the singers, but you guys may be listening to the wrong bands, mettalica, slipknot, offspring (though you most likely disaprove of these bands) they each have some of the best muscisians in the world and all of them have at least one or two instrumental songs.

[LeftEyeNine]

Well they are Armenian, but I haven't heard any racist Lyrics in their songs. Then again, I don't listen to them for the Lyrics.

Say, if I am an anti-Dutch and promote this everywhere in an organized manner to grow hatred, then it is a way of racism. You are an atni-Dutch.

P.L.U.C.K. is one of their song that is based on the Armenian constitution that clarifies their purpose on Turkey somday (in bold) :

Elimination

Why, Die Walk Down

A whole race Genocide,
Taken away all of our pride,
A whole race Genocide,
Taken away, Watch Them all fall down.

Revolution, the only solution,
The armed response of an entire nation,
Revolution, the only solution,
We've taken all your xxxx, now it's time for restitution.

Recognition, Restoration, Reparation,
Recognition, Restoration, Reparation,
Watch them all fall down.

Revolution, the only solution,
The armed response of an entire nation,
Revolution, the only solution,
We've taken all your xxxx, now it's time for restitution.

The plan was mastered and called Genocide (Never want to see you around)
Took all the children and then we died, (Never want to see you around)
The few that remained were never found, (Never want to see you around)
All in a system of Down......Down.....Down.......Down........Walk Down...........

Watch them all fall down,
Revolution, the only solution,
The armed response of an entire nation,
Revolution, the only solution,
We've taken all your xxxx, now it's time for restitution.

The plan was mastered and called Genocide (Never want to see you around)
Took all the children and then we died, (Never want to see you around)
The few that remained were never found, (Never want to see you around)
All in a system , Down

[LeftEyeNine]

Can't say i've ever heard that song. But I'm not going to stop listening to good music just because the people are dicks. I still listen to Metallica, but they are just sell-out losers.

Then again, if I was Armenian I might be a little pissed at Turkey too. You know.. Armenian Genocide and all. But I won't take sides on an issue that I have no experience with.

I have opened a topic about Armenian Genocide in Monastery section. A lot you may find over there..

You may not be taking sides on an issue you have no experience with. However, that's quite impossible to say for SOAD fans. SOAD hypnotized them and provided a serious anti-Turk platform for Armenian issue.

If they were only politically-oriented rockers, I could take their music for some quality. However, if these racist guys are a Rock band. I don't believe in Rock culture anymore..

Sorry for disrupting the topic, we should get back on the track now..

[Steppe Merc]

I'm probably going to step on a lot of toes here, but country and other forms of "rock"is hardly helping things when it comes to music. Almost all popular country has that annyoing, fake Nashville style. I mean, I love Southern music like blues, bluegrass, rock, some forms of country (but not today's popular stuff), but sing normally, not like everyone else! Guys who could actually make some decent music and have some skill with the guitar lose all value in my eyes when they try and sound like Toby Keith or one of those guys.
So much rock is just about the looks of the people (Nav got it spot on in that respect ) and the style of music, without any thought of lyrics (which is key) and musical talent, or purpose. Many try and sound like Eddie Vedder, and it's quite annoying.