When did things go bad...

When did things go bad. When did what go bad you ask? The state of music today is what has gone bad. Now dont get me wrong there is good stuff out there that has come out in the last say 10 years Im a fan of The Dave Matthews Band, The Tragically Hip,The White Stripes and The Kings of Leon(great new band) and thats just the tip of the iceberg, don't even get me started on bands like Phish(love the Phish) moe.,The String Cheese Incident,that people just ignore my problem is with Top forty radio and the "popular" music. Back in the day bands seem to say something with there music ,it was new and exciting. You had bands like Led Zepplin singing about the Lord of the Rings(Listen to "Ramble On") and the mystisim of the world or bands like the Stones that in a way invented the sound most identifiable as rock... .big drums, guitar solos, drugs..and of course the Beatles, with out whom we wouldnt even have music the way we have it today!!
But now adays its like a cookie cutter assembly line of bands like Nickelback(Hey Chad Kroeger..Eddie Vedder did it first and better!) and Sum 41 , Good Charlotte aaarrrgghhh..the list could go on and on....Everyone just listens to this stuff because thats what they hear all the time. Do I hate the people that like these bands and think less of them because they just listen to all this new and unoriginal mainstream stuff?..not really..ok maybe a little! hahaha(just kidding) but i think its a sign of the times! OK...so now your asking yourself how can I say that poeple NOT listening to the Beatles and Led Zepplin, music that is in some cases 35 years old, is a sign of the times ,only a musical elitist snob could say something so stupid right? Well hold on a second and hear me out...
I think it almost comes down to lack of imagination and laziness, for lack of a better choice of words, brought on by the state of the world in which we live. You have a channel like MuchMusic and some mainstream Radio Stations telling you what to like and not to like..they tell you things like U2 are the greatest band alive(I shake my fist at you in anger and disgust BONO!...god i loath them...) so people take their word for it!. They don't seek out anything new and take chances..(i am speaking in generalities because I go to record stores and do know that there are those out there that still take chances on something new..and for this i salute you...)..so they wont listen to older bands or even some of the newer bands that may not get the press that some of these other mainstream bands do. I say fight the man and seek out something new..if youve never heard a beach boys album go out and get one(pet sounds perferably) or Kings of Leon anything that you have not heard before. Do you have a used record store in town..these places are ususally run and staffed by people that are knowlegable about these things...say to them I listen to this what else would I like?. If you like Punk..go get The Clash or the Ramones or even The Sex Pistols...just realize that it didnt start with Green Day and Blink-182. Take A chance People!!! Learn where your music came from learn the history....
If some one reads this and goes out and buys just one old album..or discovers something like the blues(aahhhMuddy Waters..Robert Johnson..John Lee hooker) or Miles Davis( kind of blue..do your self a favour and discover Jazz...start here) then i say good for you. Do I take this stuff too seriuously? Maybe.... but music is like a look into the past ,its an art form that can tell us alot about a time and generation...and besides isnt Listening to ABBEY ROAD better than reading some history book.... still waiting for the 12 step program so....