When is Music Progression Good? Is evolution essential to music?

[mogul]

Personally, I find rap to be repetitive and far from genius. But, it is a progresstion, which is essential for music.

So my question is: do you wish music was still sounding like it did in the 70's, or are you thankfull for progression?

I sure as hell can't decide.

[skoljic]

Music was most creative and progressive in 70's.
I like further progression, but I don't think rap is progressive in any way.

[scrutinizer]

Of course, progression in music is essential. The fact that I don't like a lot of it doesn't matter.
As for rap, if you think someone talking over a loop from some dodgy 80s pop record is progression then I can't agree.

[mogul]

yes, i agree that rap is not progressive- i probably could have found a better way to describe it.  rythmicly, it is extremely basic, the lyrics are virtually meaningless, and it's not about the music- it's about the mtv promotions and the money- complete sell out.

but twenty years ago, there was no such thing as rap. RAP IS AN EVOLUTION, NOT A PROGRESSION.

so let me rephrase the question- is evolution essential to music?
by the way, please don't get me wrong, i think rap sucks also.

[kookie]

Well for me in the early/mid seventies rap was Isaac Hayes talking over a groove, or Millie Jackson having some fun.....

Come the early 80's I stood agog at how the limitations of their musicship  hindered the early rap of Afrika Bambaataa and The Soul Sonic Force as they played Kingston Polytechnic refectory.
Much more hindered than any punk band

Since I have not seen anything from 90's or today of rap music apart from the unfortuanate snatches (!) on MTV during a mis change of channel, I cannot comment much more.

Isn't it about jewelry and fashion more?

If you want evolution in music then you have to step outside the mainstream rubbish and look deeper into less commercial forms of music and support those

[mogul]

i agree that the best modern music is the music that is hard to find. does anyone know of any bands (with record labels) that are truley revolutionary. honestly, it seems that these bands can't get labels because, obviously, the record companies arn't willing to take a chance.

in other words, the world is stuck in a slump forever. it always has been, and it probably always will be.

let me add that even though frank zappa's music was some of the best ever made, it wasn't really THAT strange. a probable reason: it would be hard to find support for music that revolutionary.

kookie- for some people, music has always been about "jewelry and fashon!" right?

[kookie]

Yes I guess so....fashion and jewelry.....glam rock onwards

I have always maintained that there was more experimental type of music back when I was young ...maybe it was because I was young...However the early seventies had a definate wider choice, with artists free'er to try different types of music. There wasn't the corporate drive and accountability for an artist's creativity to make money at all costs....the punk thing was fun...but not about music to me

I think music has to evolve now thru the constant pressure for the new thing.....but it doesn't always get better......for me it gets worse

Therefore as someone who cannot stand even this new sorta (what i term as) 'drone' music..(Coldplay, Keane and whoever), I find myself deeper into unknown terriority of music which can loosely be termed as jazz but has the wider drawn influences and more experimentation.....which maintains my interest.....

No answers here I'm afraid but I do find it interesting that a group like Raidohead has a wide appeal across all music genres.

[Barry]

Good music does not necessarily equal progression, just as musical "novelty"/progression does not necessarily equal good music. The musical spectrum in which all of us seek out what we like is infinitely more subtle. Does music need to be experimental in order for me to like it? No. The main factor, I think, is that the music needs to have a heart, a soul, or maybe a unique idiom; it needs to come from someone who needed to create it regardless of the commercial benifits. Any music that comes straight from an artist's heart and/or brain with no commercial middle-man, will get my approval - even if I myself happen to not particularly like it. At least, in that case, there will have been a passion behind it...

[mogul]

After some thought, I agree with Barry. I suppose that not all great music has to be experimental. But when dealing with Progression, I think it usually is.

Concerning most rap and "MTV" music, the music played is not centeralized around musical emotion, but rather musical promotion (and jewelry/fashon). That's why it sucks.