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Take it backBob, Baez & Britney: The Death of An Era
Yesterday, out of the blue, I popped a CD that had a collection of songs by Joan Baez and Bob Dylan.
Simply listening to their voices and their lyrics drove a shiver down my spine. I could literally feel myself standing there and it was beautiful, and quite moving.
In a way, they defined an era when artists actually cared for the world around them, and a culture where they stood for what they believed in. Baez’s voice is gorgeous, deep and her lyrics are from a time when people like her were willing to drive home their point at whatever cost. Dylan was no different, and he was a poet first, a poet who sang for the soul of the world.
When the CD got done, I turned on radio, where songs ranged from some meaningless rap (on women, booze and assorted nonsense) to unadulterated junk. I turned to some news channel that talked about the importance of Christians to be aggressive, while another one was saying how poor Britney Spears needed help for her idiocy.
In a way, it is an unfortunate turn of events. We’ve moved away from artists who cared about the world, such as Baez, Dylan and Lennon, to people like Spears who don’t give a damn about anything other than their own tantrums and fame.
I cannot see Britney Spears protesting against the War in Iraq, or joining the Olympic protests against China. Instead, I see her doing unbelievably immature things for the sake of attention. I see the death of an era of responsible global citizens and the emergence of immature, childish fame-hogs who care for nothing other than themselves, and sometimes, not even that.
But for the moment, listen to the song that beautifully captured a time that I’d have been proud to have been a part of.
Milorad Said,
April 14, 2008 @ 9:04 am
I can’t say I’m a fan of the folky style, but I certainly mourn the loss of a point or a story in music.
Music used to be synonymous with story-telling, but now it’s become much less that way…. Often it’s a collection of disjointed and misarticulated noises or meaningless words which just sound good with the melody.
… if there’s even a melody.
Good music still exists, it’s just that there’s so much more crap to wade through in order to find it.
Karthik Narayanaswami Said,
April 15, 2008 @ 12:54 am
I don’t think it’s necessarily about the music, but as you said, about the lyrics and the meaning.
Sadly, it seems to be getting worse – I know this sounds cliched, but when you stop coming across the stuff when you turn on the radio, the chances of the next generations growing up on the good stuff is drastically reduced.
God, I feel old.
Milorad Said,
April 15, 2008 @ 12:57 pm
Tell you what makes me feel insta-old… Hearing remakes of songs from the 90s. The freakin’ 90s.
Then realising that the hot girls over there — the ones who look fantastic in their jeans — believe it’s an original and would think it’s better.
That makes me die a little inside, every time.
Alamandrax Said,
April 20, 2008 @ 3:04 am
If by your post, you mean to say that there’s hope for the world after all because people like you and me listen to old music, I’m all for it.
I’ve always said that listening to my iPod all the time at work, or on the way to work, or back on the way from work, or in the bathroom and or when I’m hiking causes a great of deal of impact on the people around me.