Smoke and Mirrors Music: Can you Perform it Live?
Smoke and Mirrors Music: Can you Perform it Live?
Or Conversations while Driving, about Rock Music and the State of the Industry!
Week 23 | May 9, 2018
By the Forgotten Woman, JoOnna Silberman
Nathan from Golden:
On this night I was called to the Fox Theater in Boulder for a pick-up to Golden, CO. I had the pleasure of meeting Nathan who was tired and just wanted to get home…I hadn’t looked at the Marquee which I usually do, except for the fact that there was a good amount of traffic. I asked him how the show was, and his response was “Disappointing!” Then I asked the obvious question of who was performing. The response with little enthusiasm was Ghostface Killah. Admittedly I am not up on my rap names as I probably should be, so the next to questions were “who is that?” and “Why?”
I come to find out that Ghostface Killah is part of the Wu-Tang Clan, who I am familiar with, albeit, not its members. And the “Why?”; “Because he did not sound the same or at all like on his recorded tracks!” To which I responded because it’s all smoke and mirrors! His next statement somewhat shocked me, not because I was surprised by the answer, but because all of the sudden he was enthusiastic about it; “yeah, that’s what other people said!” and this is where the conversation began.
He seemed to want to talk about it, so I did. He asked me why I thought so. My answer simply was because the sound you hear on the tracks is all done in the Studio and most often cannot be recreated live no matter what the circumstances. I also relayed that this is the problem with Hip Hop. Much of what you hear on the tracks cannot be or is mindfully not recreated live. Either they can’t or they just won’t. While the cannot, is obvious, he wanted to know the “Won’t” …because it is too much work, too expensive and in some cases, the art of recreating it would show that they are not truly the talent behind the track, that is if they can recreate it.
I then opened the Kimono a little bit and divulged that I am really a Rock lover, and not a rap love, although there are artists that I do enjoy from time to time. At this point he let it be known he loved rock music and listened to it all the time. The conversation turned into a whose who of rock and of course most of the usual suspects were names. My search for new innovative artists. What we do at Forgotten Man and the purpose of One Nation Under Rock.
He then asked me what my misgivings were about the Hip Hop Industry at large (Again, there are some artists that I do respect and enjoy) and I explained.
The problem for me is multifaceted. First, the topic of the evening, that the music cannot or is not recreated live. For me, music of any kind must have 4 components. It must be composed, it must have counterpoints, it must have melody and harmony and it must be unique. In other words, it must have a structure that can be performed in the Studio and out of the Studio. Some might say that not every rock song could be performed live, this is true, and I most likely have a problem with those particular songs in the rock industry as well. But the fact is that it is not commonplace that Rock Music cannot be reproduced live, while it is commonplace that Hip Hop cannot. Also, while topics are common throughout both genres, it is the expression of the topic that must be unique. The lyric must be fresh and poetic, and the sound must be unique from band to band. When I listen to rap music, it seems to me that the lyrics are almost virtually the same and dependent upon how many expletives can be uttered in a single sentence and/or how many times the “N” word can be thrusted into the piece. Many of the tracks sound the same to me and do not portray the subject matter any differently.
Rock Musicians always spent a tremendous amount of time trying to figure out how they could reproduce a track live. I wrote about an example of this when I wrote the blog about the Wal Bass. Rick Wakeman was obsessed with having the same sound that was created in the studio, and thus the Wal was born. The quest for reproducing sound live in rock was always of the most importance to the musicians and the genre. The fact that it cannot be reproduced much of the time (not always) in Hip Hop is telling and leads me back to my original statement “Smoke and Mirrors”; while magic is great, it is a trick, nothing more. And we can ewww and ahhhh…all we want. A trick is a trick, nothing more.
Music is something that should be performed. The art of the musician, with other musicians; becoming one with their instruments and emanating a sound so individual and infectious that it permeates every one of our senses. Mastering an instrument, whether it be one’s voice, a guitar, keyboards, drums, percussion, bass, brass, strings, woodwind etc. takes a lifetime. Being able to manipulate that instrument to produce a sound through you is an art and being able to convey the sentiment through a song regardless of and complimenting the lyric is a triumph. It is the combination of all of these things that make it music. No matter what the genre or sub genres are. Hip Hop is primarily done by the engineer and kudos to them. But when it cannot be performed live and convey the same feeling as the recording, therein lies the problem. And when the conveyance of topics and sentiments are not fresh and/or unique, as well as the sound, to me that is a travesty. We can all sing about love and hate, but it is how we do it and the differences in perception that matter.
It was suggested to me by a seasoned musician, now producer, that it is because I am not used to it. And no, that’s not it, because how could I like Missy, Busta, Eminem, Kendrick, Wiz Khalifa and others if I that were the case? I am not limited in my tastes and try desperately to embrace all music. I just prefer Rock and Blues to most. But there is a reason for that and it is in all that I have said above. Get raw, get real and get seasoned and most importantly get music. Oh, and on a personal note, if you need Autotune to produce, you have lost me right there. Learn how to sing!
I am sure that many of you will take umbrage with my analysis, especially those who love Hip Hop genres. That’s okay, and frankly, I am not dissing Hip Hop, just saying that there are a limited number of artists today in that culture that I feel could and should be considered musicians and/or accomplished or actually unique with their own sound. When you cannot perform a track and evoke the same feeling or convey the same message live that you have done in the studio, it is not successful. This is why I love rock music so much, it embraces and respects the music that came before it while creating a unique sound and being able to share it live as well as recorded in a way that is exciting to all almost all the senses, except for smell, however, if you have ever been to a rock concert, the smells are unique as well and bring back fond memories. It seems to me, that many Hip Hop artists (again, not all) shun all but one genre, perhaps purposefully and in protest. Nothing was every gained by limiting one’s self. Respect the roots and the individuality of music. Don’t box yourself in to a stereotype. Start to expand. There are several who do, but unfortunately not enough.
Thanks Nathan for riding with me and sharing your thoughts. I am so happy to know that you still listen to and are excited by rock music, and truly appreciate the exchange.
Stay tuned for more conversations and blogs. In the coming weeks I will be discussing EDM as well as Hip Hop Rock the next big thing. In addition, the ProGject and our ONUR Initiative.
Cheers and thanks for reading,
JoOnna Silberman, The Forgotten Woman at Forgotten Man
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