Of course, I’m considering a vocalist a musician just to be clear.
I think a few greats from the 60s/70s will always throw in a few current names, but I think its because they don’t wanna sound “old” (“get off my lawn” is such an annoying comment), or someone with sour grapes, or musicians who must not be “open-minded”… Maybe, they are waiting for a possible duo with someone young to make money. Maybe they think criticism will cost them cash?
But better than just saying how they don’t like anyone, the various reasons why would be neat to read.
I do remember a Dionne Warwick thread, and she mentioned all the bad singers out there. She might have mentioned the auto-tune stuff… I also wonder about those great drummers who are furious with drum machines. Has Ginger Baker said anything about them? He’s someone who wouldn’t be afraid of speaking his mind. There’s a great interview with John Bonham, and he criticizes them, but says something like “If used properly, they might work good in movies”.
ISTM that the more common scenario is kind of the opposite. Paul Simon comes to mind as being most prominent for this type of thinking. ISTM that many musicians who have been around for a long time seem like they get annoyed when people want to hear their old but popular music rather than their most recent music.
People get old, and some people maintain more of their openness than others.
If you spend a lot of time with friends, family, etc. who listen to new music (or play/sing/write), you will get exposed to it in a less annoying manner than if only you hear it in bars and gyms.
Paul Simon was mentioned upthread as remaining very open to new genres. In contrast, Louis Armstrong (at least as accomplished and innovative as Simon) hated modern jazz. Neither one of them needed gigs.
I don’t know if it was in reference to “new music”, but one of the Ginger Baker obits/reminiscence articles referred to his extreme dislike of being mentioned in the same breath as other contemporary drummers like Keith Moon (Baker considered himself not a rock musician, but a Jazz Artiste).
I had the thought that if Ginger Baker wound up in Hell, his fate might be playing drums in an endless Partridge Family concert.
I remember Keith Richards’ indignity at having his guitar licks sampled back in the 90s. After decades of other guitarists copying his style, he now had to contend with having his own actual work put in the service of his lazier commercial rivals.
Some musicians chide their successors with some good humor, though. BB King once ribbed Billy Gibbons for holding his guitar wrong: “I just hate to see you work that hard!”
“Years ago, John [Bonham] said, ‘There are two drummers in rock and roll, Ginger Baker and me.’ There’s no way John was anywhere near what I am. He wasn’t a musician.”
“I’ve seen where Cream is sort of held responsible for the birth of heavy metal. Well, I would definitely go for aborting. I loathe and detest heavy metal. I think it is an abortion.”
“That whole Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame thing — at least half the people in there don’t have a place in any kind of hall of fame anywhere, in my opinion.”
I play various instruments and used to survive as a busker so do I qualify as a musician? I prefer pop and folk songs from before electrical recording nine decades ago but I don’t HATE newer stuff. I can always reduce the volume.
