Rock: dead or dying? Or not?

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"Though it gives me no joy whatsoever to say it, I've become certain that rock is in its last days. And I've started to believe that the subgenre that appears on the surface to offer rock its best hope for a full recovery is actually nothing more than a sign that death is nearer than anyone had thought. I've begun to believe that the far-reaching and seemingly endlessly expansive subgenre of rock-based experimental music is simply a function of the sickly old art form examining its life, noting the many things it might have been (in addition and, often, in opposition to the many things it actually has been), exploring each of them to the extent it's capable, sighing at the thought of some missed opportunities, perhaps even registering slight pangs of regret for what it did instead (prog-rock, perhaps, or death metal, and, of course, Steely Dan)."

There's more...

TMFTML

― TMFTML (TMFTML), Friday, 13 June 2003 13:45 (twenty-two years ago)

ROCK IS DEAD!!! LONG LIVE ROCK!!!

― kate (kate), Friday, 13 June 2003 13:47 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www.ringfury.com/photos/the-rock.jpg

Seems alive to me.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Friday, 13 June 2003 13:49 (twenty-two years ago)

its not dead, its living out in sydenham w. its mum

― duane, Friday, 13 June 2003 13:51 (twenty-two years ago)

rock's not dead but "rock's dead"'s dead.

― scott woods (s woods), Friday, 13 June 2003 13:53 (twenty-two years ago)

I still spend time with all of those acts, but I'm increasingly more apt to pay attention to the deconstructionist American roots music of Califone, the expansive Americana of Giant Sand, the absurdly overdone choral-symphonic rock of the Polyphonic Spree, and the instrumental unrock of outfits like the Dirty Three and Godspeed You! Black Emperor.

Oh please, the whole thing is just the usual muddling apologia for when somebody starts thinking they have to believe demographers and 'grow up' musically. And I say this as a fan of Giant Sand and Dirty Three too! I hate people who come up with arguments like this.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 13 June 2003 13:53 (twenty-two years ago)

Instrumental unrock. That made my day.

― kate (kate), Friday, 13 June 2003 13:54 (twenty-two years ago)

Wot Ned said.

― Alex K (Alex K), Friday, 13 June 2003 14:05 (twenty-two years ago)

Genres don't ever die. Baroque classical is still being recorded. There are SCA members playing and composing 14th century musics on 12th century instruments as we speak.
A genre is never "Dead", it's just not being covered in Spin or XXL, thats all.

― Lord Custos Epsilon (Lord Custos Epsilon), Friday, 13 June 2003 14:18 (twenty-two years ago)

This whole article just smacks of the Onion, doesn't it?

"I'm not getting older and calcifying and dead... ROCK is!"

― kate (kate), Friday, 13 June 2003 14:22 (twenty-two years ago)

That's not what he's saying at all. Not thinking rock is vital = calcifying? I think calcifying would be the opposite, hanging onto the last sloughing scales of a dead artform just because it's what you're most comfortable with.

But thank you, kate, for finally giving us a working definition of "rockist."

― Kenan Hebert (kenan), Friday, 13 June 2003 15:48 (twenty-two years ago)

Oooh.... this should be good.

― TMFTML (TMFTML), Friday, 13 June 2003 15:53 (twenty-two years ago)

This whole argument that it's dead has been made for years and years and years. As long as there are people out there making rock music, it will live on. There's room enough for the Waco Brothers, Dan Melchior, Holly Golightly AND Califone, Giant Sand, and Deltron 3030, etc.

Rock's as dead as country, hip hop, techno, etc. Not at all in other words...

― ham on rye, Friday, 13 June 2003 16:09 (twenty-two years ago)

I believe it was Chuck Eddy who asked, "You don't hear rock people whining in their songs about how modern rock music doesn't sound like Elvis and Chuck Berry, do you?”

― TMFTML (TMFTML), Friday, 13 June 2003 16:29 (twenty-two years ago)

or even why it doesn't sound like Buckcherry!

― dave q, Friday, 13 June 2003 16:32 (twenty-two years ago)

My god... Buckcherry... my god.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Friday, 13 June 2003 17:02 (twenty-two years ago)

"You don't hear rock people whining in their songs about how modern rock music doesn't sound like Elvis and Chuck Berry, do you?”

Bob Seger to thread!

Also: slight pangs of regret for Steely Dan? Guh?

― Nate Patrin (Nate Patrin), Friday, 13 June 2003 23:22 (twenty-two years ago)

Rock is always dying. Like Charlton Heston in that one really depressing movie where the woman gets cancer and all.

― Dan I., Friday, 13 June 2003 23:47 (twenty-two years ago)

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