Chapter 529： Times change

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Revival of the 529 era

"What is independence, what is alternative, what is business, and what is mainstream... In fact, there is no correct answer. Everything is relative, as if there is no evil, there can be no justice and no black." Color will not be the same as white.

What is the boundary between independent films and commercial films? The size of investment is still the priority of ideas; what is the boundary between independent and commercial music? The amount of sales is still the level of professionalism.

When rock was just born in the 1940s, this type of music itself was independent and alternative, but with the'wave' of thought led by rock and roll, after the hippies, rock has officially become the mainstream, and commercial success has made Rock has become a genre of music that millions of people love.

In the early 1990s, Nirvana and Pearl Paste were both typical representatives of alternative rock before their rise. Pearl Paste’s first album'ten (ten) was not followed by anyone at the beginning of its release. Nirvana was also After four years of dormancy, their music has been rejected by the public. Simply put, it is not accepted by the mainstream commercial market, but with the rapid rise of the album "Don't Mind", the so-called "alternative rock" has A more accurate name, grunge! And grunge is no longer "alternative" and has become the mainstream. Even though their style is not in line with mainstream music on the market, the commercial brilliance has also made "junk rock" the so-called Mainstream.

Now, what is alternative rock? Different from the widely accepted rock genres such as metal rock, grunge rock, gorgeous rock, and punk, it can be called alternative and independent. The radio commander is an alternative rock, the goatskin band is an alternative rock, and the glory to death is also an alternative rock.

The so-called independence and commerce, alternative and mainstream... This distinction itself already carries a market-oriented ‘color’.

But the question is, will people treat Nirvana differently because they are alternative rock or junk rock? No, because the music of Nirvana is always so'fine' colorful, so that people like it from the heart, this is the best important. People should not wear ‘color’ glasses because of whether the music is independent or commercial, alternative or mainstream, but should focus on the music itself and discuss the value of the music itself!

What really distinguishes independence from business, alternative and mainstream should be the mind and soul of music itself. It is like a hippie who is incompatible with the entire society, becoming the cultural ‘spirit’ supported and advocated by the niche groups of the entire society. This is truly independent and alternative. From this perspective, in fact, Nirvana and Pearl Sauce, even though their albums can sell millions or even tens of millions of copies, their music is still independent and alternative. They convey the ideas through their own music. , This is the most profound existence.

This is the case with the glorious "Almost Fame" album. This band has the courage to break the mainstream orientation of the current market and unswervingly implement its own band style. This behavior itself is the essence of rock and roll. "One of the gods: resisting society, persisting in self, embracing freedom, and dare to change! If the band is considered to be a "betrayal of rock" because of this "spirit" god, then this is the poison of rock's true death.

When rock and roll discards freedom and resistance, it is like a warrior abandoning spears and beliefs, leaving only the shield in his hand, waiting for the surging army. Maybe rock can still defend the position with its own shield like a warrior, and it can also keep its city glorious, but without spears and beliefs, why are the warriors fighting, and what motivation do they have to continue? Thoughts have been If it rots, there will be no future. The end of rock and roll, this has just arrived.

Therefore, not only should they not be condemned to death, but they should also be listened carefully. Even if their music is unbearable, even if their thoughts are not worth mentioning, we should open our minds. Because rock is always rock and roll, even if it is dying, the ‘essence’ in the bones will still exist forever!"

This review report comes from the "q Magazine" on the other side of the Atlantic. This British magazine was founded in 1986. Although its publication year is not long, it quickly became the most influential professional music magazine in the British Isles. They A professional and dedicated reporting attitude can always win the resonance of the audience.

Regarding the discussion triggered by the birth of Glory to Death, "q Magazine" wrote a special article for discussion. From the perspective of "q Magazine", this is not just a problem of glory to death, but also the progress of the entire era. The problem.

After more than ten years of silence, rock and roll did not rise again until the end of the eighties, and it reached its first climax in 1991. A large number of outstanding rock bands brought rock and roll into people’s attention again. The rapid rise of bands such as Nirvana, Pearl Sauce, Stone Rose, Happy Monday, etc. pushed this “wave” of rock’s revival to its peak in just two years.

However, the success of this group of bands has also pushed rock’s technical requirements to new heights. Musicians are obsessed with beating and'refining' performance techniques, and the trend of arrangement is becoming more and more complicated and more gorgeous. , The status of the guitarist has reached an unparalleled height, in the history of music, a large part of the great guitarists come from this period.

This not only directly leads to the fact that many fans can’t even distinguish the difference between guitar and bass. They think that guitar is the soul of the band, but they don’t know that the important **** of bass is the key position of the band; it also leads to a lot of The following bands are not in the 60s and 70s of the golden age of rock and roll. The years when hundreds of flowers bloomed and competed for beauty are gone, and the mentality of the whole society has become impetuous, uneasy, and uneasy. Under the circumstances, there are many bands who just want to rely on imitating Nirvana to achieve success and gain attention, which makes the entire rock music lack of renewal motivation, and only the accumulation of crude and shoddy.

In fact, from this perspective, rock music must have a power to break this blockade, otherwise rock music will only gradually decline. All new-generation bands are rushing towards the position of guitarist, no one pays attention to the critical degree of bass; all later bands are just simple and inferior imitating predecessors, and they cannot create their own rock'spirit'-you must know that rock is the best The core meaning is its spirit. Soon after, rock and roll will truly die, and then gradually be wiped out by time. This is the real scary place.

Just like the insistence of "q Magazine", rock itself represents not being bound, yearning for freedom, and longing for independence. This is a trend of the times and an inevitable requirement for the development of rock and roll. Therefore, from the second half of 1992, In fact, this kind of bands that broke the fixed thinking of garbage rock began to slowly emerge. This trend can be felt personally in underground bands in the United States and the United Kingdom, and it has become more and more intense.

The emergence of Glory to Death is under this background. "q Magazine" believes that Glory to Death is actually a member of the change makers, but their actions are bolder, their confidence is firmer, and their execution is more thorough and long. The five-month road tour is a huge project. Even after deducting the more than a month of staying in New York in the middle, Glory to Death also experienced a grand goal that an underground band and a rookie band could not accomplish.

The album "Almost Fame" sparked such ‘aggressive’ discussions, and even triggered a war of words on radio programs between the supporters and the opposition. This is also the result of the right time and place. In addition to the above background, the band's ability to attract focus, especially when it was placed on the "Schindler's List" during the period of energy accumulation, has exaggerated this change infinitely. This also directly caused various extreme reactions to explode immediately.

However, in the view of "q Magazine", the move of glory to death itself is in line with the development of the times. Not only should it not be suppressed, but on the contrary, it should be promoted. This will make rock and roll rejuvenate. But on the other hand, "q Magazine" also believes that they shouldn't continue to praise the glorious rock ‘spirit’, but should focus on the band’s music itself. Strength and talent are always the focus.

This review of "q Magazine" was officially released one week after the battlefields of "Alternative Choice" and "Rotation" The Song of Ice and Fire broke out. This view has also become a masterpiece of the neutrals during this period and served as the first The three viewpoints have risen strongly, and their momentum is not inferior to "alternative choice" and "rotation."

Although "q Magazine" is a British magazine, its influence in the UK is unparalleled, and it is slightly inferior in the United States, but in the professional field, the professional image of "q Magazine" for rock and roll is also recognized in the North American continent. Therefore, at this time, "q magazine" was like a third person on the sidelines to express their opinions, and quickly received an "aggressive" response from the United States, which is like a ton of gasoline directly hitting a volcano, causing clouds. The shocking explosion of the sun has completely pushed the controversy brought about by the album "Almost Fame" to the extreme The controversy that is different from the "Schindler's List" is political. Interests, so things seem very lively and tricky, but the solution is the problem of division of interests. From the protests of Jewish extremist groups to the end of the whole thing, it only took two weeks; but it was caused by glory to death. The'inspiring' discussion is not that complicated, it's just the pure support of loyal fans' fans of Yi Music. This kind of dispute can even rise to the level of faith, so the discussion will only get more and more intense, and it will not end in a short time. .

Professional music critics are divided into supporters, opponents, and neutrals. They have been arguing, but they all overlooked one point. No matter what the music is, they will eventually be'handed over' to the audience for judgment. Whether the music is good or bad, it is up to the music. The critics will evaluate; but whether the music can survive, it is up to the audience to evaluate it.

The reason why rock needs change is because it is losing its vitality and will sooner or later be eliminated by the audience; then, how did the audience react to the album "Almost Fame" that represents the change?

(Unfinished to be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to read it and vote for a monthly pass. Your support is the biggest motivation for me to continue to create.

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