Reviving Rock, Part Two...

OK, so the current music scene kinda sucks. Now, I admit, back in the day we had our own versions of the Jonas Brothers that we'd all rather forget, but certainly there are some good creative musicians out there who might benefit from a little nudge in the right direction.

In my previous blog entry, I talked about reviving Rock by getting the greats of days past to set aside their egos and form new bands. I see no reason that these seasoned, talented people can't take the best of the new crop of musicians under their wing for a little on-the-job training. I mean, what twenty-something dude wouldn't want to jam with, oh, say, legends Ray Manzarek, John Densmore, and Robby Krieger of the Doors? I bet he'd be bragging about it, and using what he learned, 40 years from now.

Isn't this how most skilled trades are passed down from generation to generation? Note too, that this is how it's done in the classical and jazz fields.

It seems like the first skill to go bad in Rock is the ability to vocalize; bringing in fresh young pipes helps keep Rock fresh and young as well. Look for no better evidence of this than Brian Wilson's recent work. The harmonies will just kill you -- but you're not listening to the Beach Boys. Wilson's found some incredible young people to put their own spin on Brian's lyrics, and I guarantee you won't care who is singing.

Let his former band mates waste their breath fighting each other in court; Brian Wilson still knows how to write and arrange, and his recruitment of skilled young people helps lay the groundwork for the decades ahead. My bet is that it's helping keep Brian fresh creatively as well -- so there's benefit for both the young and old; the master and the apprentice.