Last night as I realized that the personal insults (such as that I'm really just an old man with outdated taste who is trying to mask his motives) might have put me in a position where this thread was pointless, perhaps even over the heads of some, I thought about the effort I've already invested in trying to guide it back toward the original intention and I wondered to myself if my time is simply better spent elsewhere. However, to simply give up because things aren't going as planned is not my style.
The bottom line is that the intent of my original post in the thread was not to ignite a debate on whether or not musical quality has been on the downturn over the years; I was giving the benefit of the doubt that this was already common knowledge. I've become aware that some might not only have not been around long enough to see how things have changed over time, but might also consider this idea an assault on their particular generation. Rest assured it is not -- it also was not an attempt to create a tiresome Internet forum pissing contest.
So, in an effort to get the thread back on track... for those who are unable to see the phenomenon I'm referring to, I will simply say your opposition is noted, but also know that if you can't fundamentally see the issue at hand, or don't believe it exists, it's going to be difficult (impossible actually) for you to gainfully participate in the discussion at hand which is the possible causes of the issue. Discussing possible causes of the issue doesn't make a great deal of sense if you don't see the issue. And if you don't see the issue, I would say I'm envious of you in a way; it means you're able to derive listening enjoyment from a much broader range of content than I am, and it means that being a musician since age 5 has put me in a position of liability overall, in that it has made my ear for music perhaps too discerning. In some ways I wish I could blissfully listen to a lot of the content that kids are buying today.
But as I've noted, it goes way beyond what I am able too force myself to listen to.
I'm interested in exploring the causality of the issue. For example, someone mentioned that producers these days prefer giving multiple artists their five seconds of fame rather than identifying artists that have the potential to stand the test of time and have an extremely successful ongoing career. I presented the alternate possibility that audiences may be demanding this type of entertainment, but let's say for a moment that my theory is wrong or off the table, and that it's a producer-driven decision. Why would this be? Could it be because some level of maturation of the music industry has resulted this being a more attractive business model? Perhaps changes in the legal system have made it advantageous for a given producer (or perhaps more likely record labels) to pump-and-dump artists, making as much money off of each one and moving on to the next, without getting involved in longer-term legal commitments?
One idea that came up before was the cost of high-end home stereo equipment. How many people really listen to music this way anymore? So many folks these days listen to music with tinny ear buds plugged into their phones or iPods, or they are streaming from their phone to an amplified blue tooth speaker. These devices have been optimized for things that do not necessarily facilitate proper sonic reproduction, such as portability, wireless use etc. As we all know, what sounds good on one set of listening hardware does not necessarily sound good on another set of listening hardware. Has this "technology advancement" given us one thing (portability, low cost of ownership etc.) at the expense of another? Are the generation of kids who are blissfully unaware of the decline of music quality comparing music that was mastered and optimized for an iPod to music that was mastered and optimized for much better hardware?
The decline of dynamic range could probably be a discussion in itself. The kiddies like it relentlessly loud, compressed, side chained, etc. Has the advent of portable listening devices reshaped the way we listen to music, and simultaneously crippled the listening ear of the newer generations to the point they are unable to even recognize the difference?
I'm not claiming to have the answers, I'm trying to explore the questions. I'm bringing these ideas up to show the type of discussion I was hoping for. The Interwebs don't need another e-penis flexing show or meaningless debate, that's not what this thread was meant to be about. And again, in order to intelligently discuss the issue you must be able to see the issue -- if you're one of those who don't see the issue, this is probably not the thread for you.
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