Why Mainstream Rock Sucked in 2018

[westen44]

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/mainstream-rock-sucked-2018-770721/

[Granny Gremlin]

Didnt read the article yet, but mainstream rock has sucked a lot more in the previous 2 decades than it has in the last year or two. Theres actually been some good stuff on the radio; its starting to suck less. .... so to answer the titular question, because its still coming out da slump.

[westen44]

Didnt read the article yet, but mainstream rock has sucked a lot more in the previous 2 decades than it has in the last year or two. Theres actually been some good stuff on the radio; its starting to suck less. .... so to answer the titular question, because its still coming out da slump.

He actually ends up on a more positive note than the title would indicate, but that doesn't come across until the last paragraph.  I thought it was a well-written article--better than most of this kind, IMO. 

[Dave W]

Not a bad article, but a similar article could have been written years ago, with different names substituted.

The success of Greta Van Fleet    baffles me.  If you're a Zep fan and disliked Kingdom Come, well, Great Van Fleet is a tenth-rate Kingdom Come imitation.

[westen44]

All I can add is that Weird Al's bizarre appearance in the Weezer cover of "Africa" is enough to make you never want to watch any video ever again.  That is said more in sincerity than jest.   

[Basvarken]

The success of Greta Van Fleet    baffles me.  If you're a Zep fan and disliked Kingdom Come, well, Great Van Fleet is a tenth-rate Kingdom Come imitation.

I saw them live about a month ago. It was by far one of the most boring concerts I have ever seen. Really a very limited band. Calling their singer a one trick pony would be an insult for the pony ;-). They were awful.

[westen44]

Here is an article objecting to the "Rolling Stone" article. 

http://loudwire.com/rolling-stone-rock-music-2018-op-ed/

[Granny Gremlin]

Not a bad article, but a similar article could have been written years ago, with different names substituted.

Exactly.

The success of Greta Van Fleet    baffles me.  If you're a Zep fan and disliked Kingdom Come, well, Great Van Fleet is a tenth-rate Kingdom Come imitation.

I thought they were more of a Zep/Sabbath hybrid.  They are all very skilled musicians, and it's the blues dad's my age that are their biggest fans (along with their wives) due to that and the throwback style.  I am not a fan, but I totally get the success (and give them 1.5 more records before they fade away from the limelight).  Same with that Aussie band that had a similar schtick a few years back (except IIRC, the consensus around here, or a previous incarnation of this community anyway, was more positive).  .... Wolf Mother.  To be fair their vocalist wasn't as shreiky (both Plant and Ozzy sometimes went there, but not as much as the GvF guy).

[Dave W]

Here is an article objecting to the "Rolling Stone" article. 

http://loudwire.com/rolling-stone-rock-music-2018-op-ed/

Mostly metal bands there. Not the same territory covered by Rolling Stone. Mostly not what I'd call mainstream rock, which was the subject of the RS article.

There are plenty of good bands with small but dedicated followings. You have to look a bit to find what you like.

[westen44]

Mostly metal bands there. Not the same territory covered by Rolling Stone. Mostly not what I'd call mainstream rock, which was the subject of the RS article.

There are plenty of good bands with small but dedicated followings. You have to look a bit to find what you like.

I was noticing that, especially as I kept scrolling down looking at those bands.  However, I wasn't able to see everything because of computer issues.  I was getting the point, though, that those were metal bands--many of which I wasn't very familiar with. 

[uwe]

Greta van Fleet's success doesn't baffle me one bit, there is just no accounting for (bad) taste in a country that put Led Zep on a pedestal in the first place. Sins of the fathers ... but the songs remain the same.

I've never seen them live (but would go just out of interest although now warned by Rob), they have a certain boyish charm (I prefer little girls fawning over them than to what they usually fawn over). Compared to the one before, their new album is really labored though - that first track sounds like a young Geddy Lee on helium singing outside of his range and that is screaming something, I cracked up laughing when I first heard it ...



And who gave them a mellotron without adult supervision?! I've always held that Moody Blues records are dangerous for children, so here we have parental failure yet again.

Of course, this post wouldn't be complete without a little mean jab against you know who. Last I heard, Greta van Fleet at least didn't steal their recharged blues licks from a subjugated ethnicity and then not even give them credit and royalties unless sued. Let's not even speak of one-of-a-kind chord progressions ... obviously, sometimes deeds have two meanings. I have yet to hear a Greta van Fleet track as apishly close to a Zep chord progression as the STH intro was/is to Spirit's Taurus. But I forgot, Jimmy Page is an honest artist - so honest he toured Led Zep initiallly as The New Yardbirds - endowed with divine inspiration while the Fleet guys are just copy-cats.

Finally, why is it always dreary Led Zep that gets ripped? Why don't get five fresh youngsters together and sound exactly like Blackmore-Gillan-Glover-Lord-Paice or, for that matter, Blackmore-Coverdale-Hughes-Lord-Paice? Whenever I read about a new band sounding like DP, I slavishly buy their product and come away disappointed, they sound nothing like Purple if you know Purple as well as I do. Is it easier to rip off Plant's banshee wails, Page's sloppy strumming and studdering soloing and Bonham's behind-the-beat lumbering (plus a bass relegated to the background of the mix) than to copy and paste Gillan, Blackmore & Paice plus add an overly loud Hammond organ with some classical flourishes (and a bass you can actually hear)? I really wonder.

With the defense I just delivered for the Fleetsters, I'm hoping for a free greet-and-flee(t) next time they are in town! Who knows, maybe they'll let me have one of their unused teenage groupies?

[gearHed289]

The singer annoys...

[Basvarken]

Why don't get five fresh youngsters together and sound exactly like Blackmore-Gillan-Glover-Lord-Paice or, for that matter, Blackmore-Coverdale-Hughes-Lord-Paice? Whenever I read about a new band sounding like DP, I slavishly buy their product and come away disappointed, they sound nothing like Purple if you know Purple as well as I do. Is it easier to rip off Plant's banshee wails, Page's sloppy strumming and studdering soloing and Bonham's behind-the-beat lumbering (plus a bass relegated to the background of the mix) than to copy and paste Gillan, Blackmore & Paice plus add an overly loud Hammond organ with some classical flourishes (and a bass you can actually hear)? I really wonder.

Maybe this Dutch youngster band of some ten years ago qualifies? 

[TBird1958]

 What little I've seen of G.V.F. live is better than LZ was when I saw them for "Houses of the Holy" tour, they were utter shite, stoned and beyond boring. Saw Jethro Tull about two months later dong "Passion Play", they blew LZ away, as did Alice Cooper.       

[Bargeon]

Rock isn't dead, it just smells funny.
(No apologies to FZ)