07
What Goes Around
Posted by Robbie | Posted in Music | Posted on 07-10-2008
This article was first published in Beachcomber Magazine in September 2008
Music is cyclical. Always has been. Usually by a span of 20 years. The explosion of pop in the 60s started a trend which continues today. One of the most intriguing subjects of today’s pop scene is the plethora of fabulous talent coming from the UK…especially the ladies. Amy Winehouse was at the forefront of this revolution with her album ‘Frank’ garnering awards and critical acclaim alike in 2004, before reaching even giddier heights with ‘Back To Black’ 2 years later.
Egged on by her success, we saw the likes of Amy McDonald, Adele, Duffy, Katie Melua, Kate Nash and to a lesser extent Estelle break through sometimes on both sides of the pond. Real singers. Real music. Real talent. Although there’s the obligatory nod to their 60s counterparts such as Dusty Springfield and Joni Mitchell as far as influences go, there’s also another reason. Money.
Duffy withstanding, all the major players on the UK scene now were alumni of the BRIT School in Selhurst London. Formed in 1991 to encourage excellence in the arts, it has been a monolithic success. As we reflect on the correlation between massive influx of funds into Team GB at the Beijing olympics, so we can see the exact parallel between The BRIT School and international success of the aforementioned ladies.
Plus there’s a tangible return to recording real music, without having to rely on computer wizardry to enhance a mediocre talent. This is where the legacy of the 60s & 80s comes in to play. 60s was full of top musicians, working at the top of their game. 70s went a bit limp. Punk exploded. A genre of music in which if you knew more than a handful of chords you were considered a maestro. Then came the 80s. If you were a successful musician in that era, you played to the maximum of what was humanly possible. A heady mix of commercialism and craft. I see that now.
It’s taken some time, but what a great bunch of years we have ahead as far as listening to fabulous performers singing good old fashioned great songs. It’s about time…litarally! See you next month.
Love,
Robbie France