I was going to bring this kind of disscussion in the 2010's, on why some of us have the feeling that music has gone (generally speaking, of course) worse in the 2010's or why, and I think there is more consensus here, albums have lost importance in a society characterized by immediateness.
Immediateness in many ways, not only music. TV series have already been mentioned. It is something similar in that sense (but opposite in another, see next paragraph); now people prefer to watch the TV for 20 or 40 minutes instead of watching a long two hour film. But there, unlike AAL2014, I think that we are having lots of high quality art made. Many TV series like Fargo, Black Mirror or True Detective and so many others are better than the average film now or 20 years ago, nowadays and many screenwriters and directors feel that they have more creative freedom on a TV series than on a film.
So we are given in short doses well crafted and complicated stories in many TV series, but, I agree on PurpleHazel on this one, it is a different process than the music. Why? Well, we watch an episode today, the next one tomorrow and the next one a week later while it would be absurd to do this on a concept album. As someone said before, we can listen to music while we go to work or while we go running but we can't do this with TV series.
I form part of a generation in which we want to do so much stuff a day (not only at work but with social media, internet games, sports and gym, again TV series...) that we can't stay just listening to a one hour album and finding all the art in it. We find it more immediately satisfying to go on youtube or spotify and watch and listen to the latest Fonsi (Despacito) or Bieber hit (I agree with sethmadsen on the attractive power of the images there), or listen to a mashup of the top hits of 2017 or of the history of music (immediateness!). Of course all of this is speaking generally, and this last part doesn't apply in my case But I do find it harder to sit down and concentrate on an album without checking my facebook or whatsapp or reading some blog (or this forum!), for example. 5-10 years ago this was easier for me.
Sorry to have gone a little offtopic and for such a long post but I wanted to express somewhere these thoughts I have . Back to topic, as I said before, the 2000's were a fantastic decade for music in my opinon, but it's true that 2008 and 2009 started hinting what the 2010's would be.
You make a lot of great points, however I don't deny that there is a massive amount of great art in the realm of television. I adore Breaking Bad, masterpiece writing, directing, cinematography, etc. I just never sit down to watch traditional television much anymore. If I'm sitting down to watch much of anything it's normally content creators on Youtube.
How about that idea though, a concept album with each song being released independently like a television series. Has that ever happened before?
Breaking bad is also great. As for the concept album released like a TV series, well, if songs flow into eachother it would be like cutting a symphony in pieces, I don't think that would work. But an album with separate songs all treating the same concept with a song released once a week... maybe! Could be interesting.
Side note - why is it that consumers have a shorter attention span for music these days, but have developed a longer attention span for binge watching a TV series on Netflix?
I have an article that suggests a reason, but maybe I should share it on the 2010s thread?
I have an article that suggests a reason, but maybe I should share it on the 2010s thread?
Either way, I'm interested in seeing it. Probably do the 2010's poll tomorrow. _________________ Attention all planets of the solar federation: We have assumed control.
I voted for 2001, but because of jazz more than rock. In addition to having more albums from 2001 on my decade list than any other, Henry Threadgill, the best jazz composer/bandleader of the last 35 years, released two terrific albums that year, Everybodys Mouth's a Book (the closest he's come to jazz-rock) and Up Popped the Two Lips, then didn't put out another widely-available album for eight years.
Fischman wrote:
3. Out Louder - Medeski/Martin/Scofield/Wod: Another stellar collaboration of modern jazz giants.
Excellent album. Really like their live collaboration, In Case the World Changes Its Mind, as well.
2000, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009. Somehow I eliminated other years.
2000 gets my vote after all because it has the most albums I love. So, quantity. (Quality too of course)
Alice In Chains - Live, The Cure - Bloodflowers, Deftones - White Pony, Flogging Molly - Swagger, Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Lift Yr. Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven and Slow Riot For New Zero Canada, Johnny Cash - American III, King Crimson - The ConstruKction of Light, Morphine - The Night, Motorhead - We Are Motorhead, Pantera - Reinventing The Steel, Pearl Jam - Binaural, A Perfect Circle - Mer De Noms, P.J. Harvey - Stories From the City Stories From the Sea, Placebo - Black Market Music, Porcupine Tree - Lightbulb Sun (best album of 2000), Queens of the Stone Age - Rated R, Radiohead - Kid A, Rage Against The Machine - Renegades, Ryan Adams - Heartbreaker, The Smashing Pumpkins - Machina / The Machines of God, U2 - All That You Can't Leave Behind, The White Stripes - De Stijl, Willard Grant Conspiracy - The Green, Green Grass Of Slovenia _________________ Finally updated the overall chart
Side note - why is it that consumers have a shorter attention span for music these days, but have developed a longer attention span for binge watching a TV series on Netflix?
I find I have a longer attention span when watching TV than films, which is odd. I'll often dive into an 8-episode series without question, but I'll hesitate with a 2.5-3 hour movie. I put of watching Apocalypse Now for nearly 3 years
Never really felt that was with music though. If something's bad, something's bad. If something's good, something's good. Doesn't matter the medium.
I find I have a longer attention span when watching TV than films, which is odd. I'll often dive into an 8-episode series without question, but I'll hesitate with a 2.5-3 hour movie. I put of watching Apocalypse Now for nearly 3 years
Never really felt that was with music though. If something's bad, something's bad. If something's good, something's good. Doesn't matter the medium.
Tis true.
I think on the TV series thing... to be honest, I think movies are often more dense than a TV series. TV series knows they can take the time and slowly build something. A movie often tells the story of a 10 episode TV series in 2 hours instead of 10. You gotta be quick on your toes to tie the dots that a TV series often will lay out for you nice and slow.
BUT having said that, your real point (no problem diving into an 8 part series but 3 hour movie seems daunting) is totally true and I'm only making a stab in the dark why. Probably only 70-80% applicable.
Watching a 3 hour "classic" seems really hard to do, yet we'll binge watch something for 8 hours and not think twice (I can't do this anymore now that I have a kid and it's actually kind of liberating).
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But I do find it harder to sit down and concentrate on an album without checking my facebook or whatsapp or reading some blog (or this forum!), for example. 5-10 years ago this was easier for me.
. Back to topic, as I said before, the 2000's were a fantastic decade for music in my opinon, but it's true that 2008 and 2009 started hinting what the 2010's would be.
