Across the pond, the music landscape in Britain changed radically. From the ‘60s onwards, we were graced with the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, then Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Who, Queen, The Smiths, and eventually Oasis in the ‘90s. Manchester and London were bouncing.
The music had a gritty emotional resonance that elevated people from humdrum life, glorifying the struggle against unemployment and rising inequality with reactionary lyrics and illuminating rhythms.
Noel Gallagher claimed that Oasis was the last true rock ’n roll band. They were pre YouTube, he said. He meant that the actual experience is now lost, because everything is available at the touch of a screen. No need to make the effort to be somewhere anymore.
Well, the leading genre in Britain today is processed pop. Maybe that’s because there’s less need for profound lyrics and original musicians, people just want to hear catchy songs. One view is that music plays a supportive role to teenagers now, rather than a liberating one. Everyone has access to everything on their phones, so there’s less need to make the effort.
Some might say technology has made us passive. And music now is less about the art and more about the money making... many recent pop songs have been written behind the scenes, not by the artists themselves, but by talented writer producers.
The Waterboys - Saints & Angels
- Released in: 2009
- Genre: Folk, World, & Country
- Released on: Saints & Scoundrels album
"The Waterboys and its members' solo careers have received much praise from both rock and folk music critics, but The Waterboys as a band has never received the commercial success that some of its members have had independently."
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