Is Rock Music Dead?

Angus Young of AC/DC, courtesy of Zumic,com

When my parents used to take us on road trips back in the 1970's, we would most likely listen to Chicago's WLS radio because it seemed like their signal went on forever. They played Styx, Steve Miller, Kansas and on and on. To this day, the Doobie Brothers' 'Black Water' still reminds me of driving from our home near Milwaukee down to my grandma's in Janesville, about a 2-hour drive past endless farmland and lots of barns.  

The funny thing is, when I turn on rock radio today, I still hear the exact same songs. The difference between today's rock radio and "classic" rock radio is minimal at best. Just insert the Foo Fighters, Soundgarden and Nirvana and there you have it. Outside of Van Halen and Motley Crue, the decade of the 80's doesn't seem well represented at all.  

Today's concert tours are chock full of bands from the 70's and 80's who are unbelievably still on the road.  Don't get me wrong, I love that music, and the nostalgia it brings to mind sometimes gets me all misty-eyed.  

I guess my point is, is there any "real" rock music being produced today?  You know the kind, not just heavy guitar, but with great arrangements and long intros and outros. Melodic, not pounding. Never-ending dual guitar solos. Songs that stand the test of time.  

I realize that I am middle-aged and rarely do different generations agree on what great rock music is. I also realize that music evolves over time. But, if the music of my childhood and young adulthood is still good enough to play on radio now, why isn't it good enough to make more of it?  

Music from generations past still moves me.  The Beatles and the Stones sound as great as ever. Motown gets my hips moving, and stuff from the Woodstock era evokes a feeling like I was there at Max Yasgur's farm, even though I was born just ten days earlier.  But, today's music to me feels like "throw-away" music, like I doubt anyone will be listening to Mastodon or Kanye or whoever else many years from now.  

Perhaps I'm not looking in the right places. Musicians are just as much, or more talented, today as they ever were. The technology to produce great music is better than ever. Maybe I'm just missing it.  

Mr. Know-It-All

Back when I was in my 20's and 30's, I was feeling pretty good about myself. I was making pretty decent money. I was a husband and a dad with a nice home and perfect credit. I was very proud of my lawn, and even more proud of myself. I thought because I had success, that meant I knew everything about everything. I was always right, no matter what and smug about it too.

Then, as happens with most people who know everything, I got punched in the face. Hard. And I reeled, like few have reeled before. I won't go into the details because I've laid them pretty bare in the past. Suffice it to say that I went from having everything to having nothing at all.

Now that I have finally gotten back up and dusted myself off a bit, and as time and distance have unclouded my memory and judgement, I can reflect on what I've learned. Chief among those is that I DON'T KNOW A GOD DAMN THING ABOUT ANYTHING.

There is a certain freedom to be gained from screwing up royally (although I don't recommend this methodology). You lose the burden of having to worry about how everyone else lives their lives. How can you judge someone else when you have to look in the mirror every morning? It is extremely liberating.

It has definitely changed my relationships with my kids. They are well aware of their father's past and I don't want to hide it from them. I was pretty hard on them when they were younger, maybe because that's what I thought I was supposed to do. Now, when they make a mistake, as all kids do, I (hope) I approach the issue more from a place of compassion and understanding, rather than a place of anger. Also, I hope they can tell the difference.

If I could go back and change the past and do things differently, I definitely would. But, however circuitous the path, I've gained a perspective that I probably never would have had and I'm grateful for that.