Discussion on when did image become more important than music? within the Disco Music of the 70s and 80s forums, part of the General Music Discussions at DiscoMusic.com category; when in your opinion did image become as important or more important than the actual music? for example in this ...
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#1
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| when in your opinion did image become as important or more important than the actual music? for example in this day and age the record label will go out of their way to let you know that destiny's child and beyonce look good (physically). destiny's child's music may suck, and most of their music and ideas are stolen but at least they look good right? going through disco 12" and disco album covers while record browsing i notice that many of the covers have nothing to do with the actual music. for example a lot of disco 12" covers will feature women on them. so obviously there was still a focus towards image back then but to a lesser extent, but not to the point where all of the disco artists (studio and live acts) would be forced to take actual pictures of themselves for the sole purpose of generating sales for their music. in popular music today it is almost a necessity and a requirement. many of today's house music 12" covers are plain non picture covers. but house music is underground and nowhere near as mainstream as disco in terms of popular music. what is your opinion on this? |
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#2
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| It's my most humble opinion that so much of today's music is void of talent. Thus, the promotions folks will do their best to take your mind off the music by opening the sex floodgates. Heck, look at Usher. The boy can't sing and the songs have no melody whatsoever (have you ever tried humming an Usher song?...you can't, there's no melody!). True, he can hit a note whereas I can't, but he's not really singing and there are truckloads of unquestionably talented people out there who truly deserve to be in the spotlight. But, hey, he's kinda cute, the girls are gaga over him and when he takes his shirt off, even some boys go crazy. So you're not really buying an Usher album for the music, but for the idea that Usher is one hot piece of meat and that, if he were in his right mind, you just KNOW he'd fall for you in a big way. Style over substance has always been. And it always will be. Is it more so today? Probably not, just seems that way because the record labels are so blatant about pushing sex as opposed to "just" weird outfits (remember the 80's New Wave fashions). Even current talented artists (Whitney, Jessica Simpson, Celine) have great voices but perform absolutely rotten material because the record companies focus on the look to bring in the money. It's a shame really. We, as a music buying public, deserve so much better. |
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#3
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| Disco was possibly the start of it all, as a lot of the product was producer driven and hence viewed as a commodity to be marketed. Not so sure that image was everything back then, but as you've mooted, why use image so heavily to enhance the products chances? The real sea change happened when videos started to happen in the early '80s, and the MTV generation was born. |
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#4
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| Spellbound wrote: Quote:
Whatever happened to live bands????? __________________________________________________ ___ AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE!!! OI OI OI!!! :D :D :D
__________________ Australia mate! The land of many great funkateers! |
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#5
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| Absolutely, whatever happened to live bands??? That's the painfull question. Groups like the Ohio Players or The Bar-Kays also put hot girls on their covers but they had talent. They wrote SONGS and they were REAL on stage. Image was always important but nowadays I get the impression that image is all there is. People dragged me to a Spears-concert (concert???) last year and I was really disgusted by it. Everything was fake and I don't pay that amount of money for something I can listen to at home! I saw Mr. James Brown a few weeks ago and in december I'm going to Maceo's concert and probably next year Prince will be touring in Belgium. That's the real thing. |
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#6
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over here every day it is the exact same shit as well |
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#7
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| Has radio ever been much different? It's always played the hits in some sort of rotation. Hence POP was born and charts came into existence to reflect the power that radio plays had in converting a much heard record on the radio into record sales. You younger guys crack me up!!! You'd all live on a remote island with a population of 1, if you had your way with things. That way you could be assured that nothing else would detract you from what you like. HITS........can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em. |
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#8
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| Id say it all went down hill in the very begining of the 90s...and today..we're screwed :o
__________________ Fly By Night, Sleep In The Daytime |
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#9
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| Spellboun wrote: Quote:
Furthermore I just can't see house music as undeground thing, it seems to be everywhere (maybe not to the extent of disco BITD, but still)... but that's another topic. :roll: |
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#10
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| I'd say the obssesion with image over musical quality was probably started by the invention of the music video. Looking like the great mr. Watson is sadly not suitable for today's audiences :lol: |
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#11
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| I'd agree that it really imagery began in earnest with the advent of MTV From Allmusic, "One of new wave's most charming singles, the Buggles' prescient 1979 hit "Video Killed the Radio Star" is also one of the most knowing and ironic: A pop song about pop itself, it celebrates the golden days of radio with shiny, futuristic synths and then-contemporary studio techniques. The irony was complete when the song's video became the first clip aired on MTV. Fortunately, "Video Killed the Radio Star"'s ironies -- intentional or otherwise -- work in the song's favor. With its broadcast-quality vocals and bouncy rhythm, the song plays like an extended jingle, delivering hooks and sonic flourishes at every turn, appropriately enough for the story of a singer made obsolete by TV. The breathy, girlish backup singers, twinkly synths, and other intricate layers in "Video Killed the Radio Star"'s arrangement and production also foreshadow Trevor Horn's evolution into a first-rate producer. Subsequent covers, most notably by the Presidents of the United States of America, removed the song's poignancy and focused on its novelty appeal. But just as the song looks back on the radio songs of the '50s and '60s, now "Video Killed the Radio Star" can be looked on as a perfectly preserved new wave gem. It still sounds as immediate as it did when it was released, however, and that may be the song's greatest irony.
__________________ Different eyes see different things. Different hearts beat on different strings. But there are times for you and me when all such things agree...Rush |
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