The New Soft Rock

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So I'm down at the laundromat this morning, and they have VH-1's "Fresh" on the TV (the laundromat is my only exposure to cable networks these days; usually they have the set tuned to TNT, the all-Law-and-Order network). The "new, fresh" videos I saw, in order, were: Blue Man Group/Dave Matthews, Foo Fighters (that horrible, horrible acoustic number), Shania Twain, and Uncle Kracker. And it struck me that we are in a new era of Soft Rock. Here were four acts from ostensibly different genres, and yet it was all smooth/mellow stuff, gentle beats, mostly acoustic guitars, etc. (The Uncle Kracker tune is even a Dobie Gray cover.)

There are some cultural parallels with the early '70s right now -- economic upset, Republicans in office, wars of one kind or another -- and also of course a generation of ex-rockers in their 30s with kids and SUVs who want something that doesn't rock too much to play on the way to daycare and soccer games. So I guess it shouldn't be a surprise that Dave Grohl's going all Fogelberg (although the American flag backdrop in that video really makes me want to smack him). Beards are apparently de rigeur for the new soft-rockers, too (except for Shania). Anyway, it just struck me. Mostly, I'm glad to have clean shirts.

― JesseFox (JesseFox), Wednesday, 21 May 2003 14:54 (twenty-two years ago)

But when *wasn't* there soft rock? I don't think it ever went away!

― chuck, Wednesday, 21 May 2003 15:23 (twenty-two years ago)

Neither did true Rock'n'Roll, but I'll be damned if that didn't stop the "Rock Is Back" gravy train.

― Charles McCain (Charles McCain), Wednesday, 21 May 2003 15:35 (twenty-two years ago)

oh man, though I'd have no part of it, I yearn to see a "Soft Rock is back" gravy train.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Wednesday, 21 May 2003 15:40 (twenty-two years ago)

You can always figure out where you stand in relation to the tidal cycle of revivals by imagining it is now 1972 (the North Star of pop culture) and looking at the sky accordingly: now Emo is soft rock to Nu Metal's boogie-rock; eg Dashboard Confessional is America to Godsmack's Black Oak Arkansas. Both are waning.

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Wednesday, 21 May 2003 15:52 (twenty-two years ago)

I thought it was 1977 again, what with all this "New Punk" stuff and the new releases by Fleetwood Mac, the Eagles, and Steely Dan.

― Charles McCain (Charles McCain), Wednesday, 21 May 2003 16:16 (twenty-two years ago)

maybe just maybe this has something to do with the fact that you were watching, uh, vh1.

also, i'm reasonably sure that shania twain and the foo fighters are in exactly the same genre, but that's probably another thread.

― fact checking cuz, Wednesday, 21 May 2003 16:21 (twenty-two years ago)

But when *wasn't* there soft rock? I don't think it ever went away!
Well, yeah...but at the beginning of the 90s, the closest we had to soft rock was Nirvana singing "No Apologies"; now everybody is starting to sound like Cat Stephens. (Except the Limp Bisquick soundin' bands, but they don't count as music, much less "rock".)
< /GROUCHY OLD GEEZER >

― Lord Custos Epsilon (Lord Custos Epsilon), Wednesday, 21 May 2003 16:22 (twenty-two years ago)

< TROLL MODE=="ON" INTENSITY="10%" >
also, i'm reasonably sure that shania twain and the foo fighters are in exactly the same genre, but that's probably another thread.
Well, sure. Foo Fighter actually MEAN IT, MAAAAAN when they wear their Ramones T-Shirt.
< TROLL MODE=="OFF" INTENSITY="0%" >

― Lord Custos Epsilon (Lord Custos Epsilon), Wednesday, 21 May 2003 16:24 (twenty-two years ago)

What do you mean Shania Twain doesn't have a beard? I bet that Mutt Lange would disagree with you.

I have noticed the disturbing trend back towards singer/songwriters (Pete Yorn, Jack Johnson, Bob Schneider, et. al.) But where's the Led Zeppelin then?

― Pleasant Plains (Pleasant Plains), Wednesday, 21 May 2003 16:40 (twenty-two years ago)

>>at the beginning of the 90s, the closest we had to soft rock was Nirvana singing "No Apologies"<<

What about Amy Grant, Celine Dion, Guns N Roses, Mr. Big, Extreme, Candelbox, Stone Temple Pilots, Hootie and the Blowfish, Ace of Base, Madonna, Bonnie Raitt, Vanessa Williams, Richard Marx, Bryan Adams, U2, Eric Clapton, the Divinyls, Black Crowes, R.E.M., Michael Bolton, Tom Petty, Whitney Houston, Firehouse, Cher, Roxette, Tom Cochrane, KD Lang, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Wilson Phillips, Genesis, Warren G, Garth Brooks, the Gin Blossoms, Arrested Development, Lisa Loeb, Live, Counting Crows, Blind Melon, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Billy Ray Cyrus, and Lenny Kravitz??? (Oh yeah, they don't count.)

― chuck, Wednesday, 21 May 2003 16:43 (twenty-two years ago)

>>>i'm reasonably sure that shania twain and the foo fighters are in exactly the same genre<<

Not possible -- Shania rocks; the Foo Fighters don't.

― chuck, Wednesday, 21 May 2003 16:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Led Zeppelin = Audio Slave of course!

― JasonD (JasonD), Wednesday, 21 May 2003 16:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Wow...mr Eddy. You have a verrrry broad definition of "Soft Rock"; It apparently includes except Slayer and the Geto Boyz.

― Lord Custos Epsilon (Lord Custos Epsilon), Wednesday, 21 May 2003 16:50 (twenty-two years ago)

Or maybe QOTSA?

― man, Wednesday, 21 May 2003 16:53 (twenty-two years ago)

pete yorn is very very 1972. he would have been like the 10th man on elektra's roster of snoozy boys back then.

― scott seward, Wednesday, 21 May 2003 17:12 (twenty-two years ago)

>>>Wow...mr Eddy. You have a verrrry broad definition of "Soft Rock"; It apparently includes except Slayer and the Geto Boyz.<<

Well, actually, "Mind Playing Tricks on Me" is basically a blues ballad, right? But anyway, you're the one who said "All Apologies"; it's not a stretch to call Amy Grant or Bryan Adams or Eric Clapton more soft-rock than *that,* right? (And besides, this thread is ABOUT broad definitions of soft rock. I mean, look at the first post!!)

― chuck, Wednesday, 21 May 2003 17:56 (twenty-two years ago)

Led Zeppelin = White Stripes of course

― James Blount (James Blount), Wednesday, 21 May 2003 18:01 (twenty-two years ago)

meaning people who hate blues purists will attack them for being blues purists, and people who are blues purists will attack them for not being blues purists

― James Blount (James Blount), Wednesday, 21 May 2003 18:02 (twenty-two years ago)

also, Conor Oberst to thread

― James Blount (James Blount), Wednesday, 21 May 2003 18:03 (twenty-two years ago)

Led Zeppelin = White Stripes of course
*coughs. gags. falls over*

― Lord Custos Epsilon (Lord Custos Epsilon), Wednesday, 21 May 2003 18:03 (twenty-two years ago)

is "Danger! High Voltage" Jack White's "Tall Cool One"?

― James Blount (James Blount), Wednesday, 21 May 2003 18:05 (twenty-two years ago)

Well...I mean, there was plenty of "soft" pop music before the stuff that officially got labeled Soft Rock too. I guess it just struck me that the current VH-1/adult contemporary roster has something thematically or generically in common with that specific 1970-75 era. Y'know, how Soft Rock had light (lite?) R&B grooves underneath acoustic guitars and "sensitive" stubbly singer-songwriters, we now have lite hip-hop grooves underlying acoustic, "sensitive" singer-songwriters. It's appealing to a demographic who were probably listening to much noisier, more aggressive stuff 10 years ago. And there's a self-satisfied, narcissistic vibe about it (which is what I hated about Sheryl Crow's big hit last year). The videos are shot like SUV commercials, fabric-of-our-lives stuff, aimed at Target shoppers. Maybe it should be called "Target Rock".

― JesseFox (JesseFox), Wednesday, 21 May 2003 18:15 (twenty-two years ago)

Does this mean there's going to be a new Carpenters?

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Wednesday, 21 May 2003 18:30 (twenty-two years ago)

I thought White Stripes were the new Carpenters.

― Neudonym, Wednesday, 21 May 2003 18:34 (twenty-two years ago)

That's really disappointing.

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Wednesday, 21 May 2003 18:35 (twenty-two years ago)

Hives/Vines == KC & Sunshine Band or Bay City Rollers?
Moby == Mike Oldfield!
Radiohead == Pink Floyd!

Okay, which one of the piano tickling chanteuses qualify as the new Carole King or Carly Simon?

― Lord Custos Epsilon (Lord Custos Epsilon), Wednesday, 21 May 2003 20:13 (twenty-two years ago)

Carly Simon=Fiona Apple (since her new LP is gonna be full of songs about PT Anderson and how he fucked her over just like Carly wrote all that stuff about James Taylor amongst others)

I don't know if there could be another Carole King. Her career trajectory is very idiosyncratic by todays standards.

By the way, is it just me or does Michelle Branch come off as kind of a combo Christine McVie and Stevie Nicks (with a little Carly thrown in for good measure)?

― Charles McCain (Charles McCain), Thursday, 22 May 2003 18:52 (twenty-two years ago)

there was going to be a new Carpenters...but then I KILLED THEM.

though I haven't heard Boomkat.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Thursday, 22 May 2003 20:47 (twenty-two years ago)

The gr8est new soft rock single EVER:

Black Eyed Peas & JT -- Where Is The Love?

good god this is fantastic.

― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Thursday, 22 May 2003 21:18 (twenty-two years ago)

I don't know if there could be another Carole King.
I suspect that Alanis Morrissette (sp?) is the new Carole King; 'cuz
It's Too Late == You Outta Know
(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman == Head Over Feet

― Lord Custos Epsilon (Lord Custos Epsilon), Friday, 23 May 2003 13:31 (twenty-two years ago)

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