A Moment Of Silence For the Sony Walkman

It has happened. After some thirty years, Sony has discontinued production of the cassette Walkman. For those old enough to remember, the Walkman was the first portable music device. It is the forefather of the iPod. It allowed us for the first time to carry our music with us. It created a personal, isolated world, a soundtrack for life. It changed the way we listen to music.

Previous to the Walkman, listening to music was a static activity. Record players are not that portable, and while portable record players that played 45s did exist, it was a huge hassle to gather up the records and pack up the turntable just so you could listen to records at your friend's house. Plus, you needed headphones if you wanted to listen in private and headphones were a luxury that few had or could afford.

The first Walkman appeared in 1979. It came equipped with a faux leather carrying case and headphones. The buttons were big and chunky and it had second headphone jack so two people could listen. Battery life was about three hours. It was originally marketed in the US as the Soundabout, but trademark difficulties necessitated Sony use the name Walkman worldwide, thereby creating a popular culture icon. Incredibly Sony has sold over 200 million units since the device was introduced.

In the early 1980s, the Walkman turned the cassette into the dominant format, outselling LPs. With the ubiquity of home cassette recorders, consumers could create their own so-called mix tapes by cherry picking favourite songs off albums. Blank cassette sales soared and the record companies countered by releasing new albums on high-quality tape complete with liner notes printed so small you needed a magnifying glass to read the lyrics and production credits.

The Walkman morphed into other models like the Sport Walkman that was designed for joggers and outdoor use. It was even waterproof. Scuba divers listened to music. Just kidding. There was a version that had an AM/FM radio and one that could record as well as play back. It was a Walkman with a radio that provided my contact with the outside world during the Great Blackout of 2003, when the northeastern corner of the US and southern Ontario suffered a huge power failure.

While Sony has stopped manufacturing the cassette Walkman, the CD version will still be available along with third-party knockoffs. But for many, the Walkman will fondly live on, if only vicariously through an iPod. 

Fun Has Six Strings

Guitar instruction has become big business. There's a proliferation of "how-to" methods that all, obviously, teach essentially the same thing. From printed tablature anthologies of the latest and greatest songs to Internet tab sites and YouTube videos, from guitar magazines and instructional DVDs to Estoban and iPhone apps, guitar instruction is readily available. And much of it is free.

This plethora of guitar instruction materials and methods got me thinking what effect this field of fretted pedagogy will have. I'm all in favour of someone learning to play a musical instrument. It's good for you. And now with all these ways to learn how to play the guitar, anyone with a modicum of talent can manage to bang out a few chords and amaze and astound their friends.

I am a self-taught guitarist. Compared to what is available today, in 1969 when I started it was a wasteland. There were printed guitar instruction methods like the venerable Alfred's series and the odd guitar teacher here and there, but that was it. I had a book and a guitar and a burning desire to be a musician. So, I taught myself how to read music notation and how to play a few chords and rapidly chewed through the meagre amount of materials I had. In order to go any further, I realized that I would have to resort to figuring out songs off records and the radio. In the beginning, a hugely daunting task that I was not looking forward to. It seemed impossible. How was I supposed to listen to a record and then magically play what I heard?

I discovered the technique of playing and re-playing the song over and over painstakingly trying different chords until I found the ones that fit. When it came time to learn how to play lead guitar, this skill was even more necessary. Eventually it became easier to do and, during my tenure as a road musician, it continued to be the way I learned songs. I was not the only one either. Every band and musician used the same method. The recording had gained supremacy as the primary text.

Fast forward to the present. Today's novice guitarist has, as I said, a vast amount of resources available. Whereas once upon a time I would have had to play a song like "Magic Carpet Ride" over and over to figure out what the guitar is doing, the new guitarist today can Google how to play it. Technology even makes it possible to slow down audio tracks without pitch loss to help decipher a rapid-fire guitar solo like Randy Rhodes' masterpiece in "Crazy Train." A far cry from hearing the solo and trying to reproduce it in real time, something that takes a lot of practice and is not easy to do. Moreover, the difficulty of this can be seen as a contributing factor to the rise of the fore-mentioned Internet tab sites and anthologies.

The "play it again" method helps develop the musical ear among other things. Popular music is formulaic and familiar patterns emerge after repeated listening. Something heard in one song can many times be found in others. Some songs cross genres and styles, so inadvertently by learning a rock song, for example, it's possible to learn the blues or country at the same time. As a result, listening to music takes on a whole new meaning. Songs become aurally deconstructed to reveal their musical secrets. There is much to be said for doing it this way.

You would think with the materials available there would be more people playing the guitar. But regardless of the amount or quality of guitar instruction, the simple fact remains that in order to play any instrument, one truism rises above the rest. You have to practice and unless you're a musical prodigy, the pay-off takes time. While today's guitar instruction methods have not resulted in measurably more people seriously playing the guitar, they have fostered a new sort of "hobby" guitarist. This guitarist can play a few chords, wank out a passable version of the "Sunshine Of Your Love" riff, and almost knows at least five songs. Almost. The hobby guitarist picks up his or her guitar now and then, using it more for relaxation or something to do to kill some time.

So, the hobby guitarist is what's driving the guitar as big business. And having more people interested in music education can only be beneficial, not only to the students but to the teachers and other musicians as well. Learning to play the guitar can create opportunities to hear a diverse amount of new music and, at the same time, generate an appreciation for styles that may otherwise be ignored. Whether it's learning by ear or by some other method, playing the guitar or any instrument can be immensely rewarding as a means of relaxation, a way of creative expression, or just plain enjoyment.

"I don't want you to play me a riff that will impress Joe Satriani; give me a riff that makes a kid want to go out and buy a guitar and learn to play." -Ozzy Osbourne

In Praise Of The Yellow Pages

This post is slightly off topic. "Talking About Music and Stuff" is the subtitle of this blog, so file this post under "Stuff."

The other day something showed up on my doorstep. I was quite excited to see it and I always enjoy its arrival. I'm talking about the new phone book. More specifically, the new Yellow Pages. Imagine, every business in the city listed categorically and alphabetically. Need a starter for your car? The "Used Auto Parts" section is the place to check.

Now, some of the younger generation, who shall remain anonymous for the purposes of this post, think the Yellow Pages and the white pages are out of date. Why bother with the bulkiness of these books when you can find the same information on the Internets?

You know, it is a good point. Why bother? Well, despite the fact the Yellow Pages website may purport to have the same information as the printed version, I don't think that's true. My results, when I search yellowpages.ca, seem fewer than the listings in the printed version. I haven't counted them, but it seems the local listings are lacking on the website. There are, however, a lot of national ads. No help there.

And then there's the time it takes to boot up what ever device you use to do your stuff on the Internets, whether it's a computer, an iPad, or a smartphone; it takes time to wake the thing up, start the browser, type in the address, search, look through the results, and not find what you're looking for. And if you're spelling challenged it can take even longer. On the other hand, I can find what I need from the printed Yellow Pages in less time than it takes on an electronic device.

I also realize that getting rid of the printed Yellow Pages makes environmental sense. It's got to take a lot of paper to print all those copies. And I realize that eventually the printed Yellow Pages will end up in the same place as the drive-in movie theatre, rotary dial telephone, VCR, and other technology past its Best Before date.

But, until the Yellow Pages appears on my doorstep no more - long live the Yellow Pages! (the book not the website that is)

Just sayin'.

Has The Internet Really Destroyed Rock Music?

The Internet has taken a bashing lately from old rockers John Mellencamp (nee: John Cougar Mellencamp, nee: John Cougar) and Stevie Nicks (ex-Fleetwood Mac). Both assert the Internet is destroying rock music. Mellencamp thinks the Internet is more dangerous than an atomic bomb and Nicks thinks the online music industry stifles talent.

Neither of these artists really have to use the Internet. Mellencamp and Nicks have already had successful careers that were established under the old music industry regime. The A&R (Artist & Repertoire) person finds the new act either by solicited demo tapes or the chance meeting in a nightclub. The new act is signed to a major label, the promotion machine kicks in, the Great Unwashed gobbles up the product, and voila, a star is born.

While that may have worked twenty years ago, in today's world that does not hold true. It is not necessary to be signed to a major label or to avail oneself of the promotion and distribution that a major label offers. It is possible to build a successful music career from a grassroots or cottage industry base that is entirely online. Independent artists and labels can now have global distribution simply by offering the music for sale at a website such as eMusic or AmieStreet. Perhaps the poster child for a successful music career that is entirely Internet-driven is Jonathan Coulton. Coulton writes geek rock, which is, I think, the best description of his music. He regularly draws a substantial audience to his shows, has a considerable online catalogue for sale, and produces his own DVDs. In addition to the online sales, he sells product at his concerts and has managed to garner considerable interest from online press such as Wired and ArsTechnica.

Mellencamp and Nicks are acting like curmudgeons. All that is missing is for them to yell "Get off my lawn you rotten kids!" As well, their comments are based more on aesthetics, or what they consider "good" rock music, than anything else. Maybe they don't like the new rock acts or the new rock music, but that doesn't mean the Internet is at fault. The Internet is a tool for musicians, plain and simple. No, you don't have to slog it out in the clubs or on the road anymore. Paying your musical dues means something different today. No longer is it the months and years of playing before the awesomeness of signing to a major label, in fact the opposite is true. Bands can be signed with no live experience at all (I'm looking at you Everclear). That doesn't mean they perform well live though, there is something to be said for years in the clubs. But it does mean that the Great Unwashed potentially has access to the music in a manner that dwarfs what the traditional major label paradigm can offer.

There's a whiff of Luddite in what Mellencamp and Nicks have to say too. Plenty of folks over 50 can only and barely check their email, let alone figure out how to upload songs to a website or create a website of their own. Perhaps if Mellencamp and Nicks were starting their careers they might have a different attitude toward the Internet. Given the questionable accounting practices of the major labels, one would think they would welcome a new way to sell and promote their music that is driven by them and not some multinational entertainment conglomerate. I guess it's the "old dog new tricks" adage come to life.

I wish we had the Internet when I was on the road. It used to cost around $4000.00 to record and manufacture a 45. But just because you had a 45 didn't mean you got airplay either. When Killer Tumbleweeds released "When The Rain Comes" as a single, we managed to get airplay in the US, but here in Canada, all we got was criticism about the production values. As if a radio DJ in Peace River would know how much reverb is needed on the voices. Most radio DJs I have met are a "good voice" and that's it. Suffice to say, Killer Tumbleweeds received no airplay in Canada. Thanks for the support.

So, has the Internet destroyed rock music? Hardly. If anything the Internet has diversified rock music. The traditional gatekeepers no longer have control and there is plenty of new and exciting music available. Music hybrids are cropping up, musicians that otherwise would remain in obscurity now have a place to be seen and heard, and global distribution is all but guaranteed. All that is required is an Internet connection and a MySpace account. 

It is harder, however, to separate the wheat from the chaff, but more choices are better than fewer choices. The "old" music industry offered fewer choices, the "new" music industry offers more, and that's a good thing. Mellencamp and Nicks are off-base and showing their age. I mean really. "Pink Houses" and "Don't Stop" only go so far.

While you're at it, check out my MySpace page. Got some tunes posted there.

It Takes A Lot Of Years To Play Classic Rock, Or Does It?

Back from my self-imposed summer hiatus, I have some not earthshaking news. Randy Bachman and Fred Turner have reunited to form Bachman & Turner, a kind of twenty-first century BTO revival. They have released a new album Bachman & Turner with the first single "Rock And Roll Is The Only Way Out" being an anthemic, Kiss-style rocker complete with chantable chorus, "Whoa oh, rock and roll is the only way out." [pump fist appropriately here]

I'm not trying to promote the album but rather it serves as a segue to the real point of this post. Mike Ragogna of the Huffington Post interviewed Randy and Fred. Randy is asked about the retro BTO sound of the songs on Bachman & Turner, to which he replies, "I wanted to give them a taste of new classic rock, as if it was '77. You can't do that with guys in their twenties. It's almost like blues, where if you want really great blues, you've got to get a Buddy Guy or somebody who is of a certain age and has lived it. It's hard to get somebody twenty-two and really get an authentic evening or a whole album of blues because they're only touching on it, they've only just started the journey."

This got me thinking. Is Randy right? Does it take similar life experiences as playing blues to authentically play classic rock? This would mean classic rock has become a unique genre, like blues or country music. Never mind that classic rock encompasses several genres ranging from singer/songwriters like Elton John, Billy Joel, and James Taylor to bands like Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, and Grand Funk Railroad. With all the genres and sub-genres, classic rock is a massive style of music. If you think of it that way.

But, Randy is not thinking of classic rock as this monolithic genre, rather he is suggesting that, like blues, in order to play which ever genre of classic rock you choose, there must be a degree of authenticity that can only come from individual life experience and years of practice and performance. That ephemeral degree of authenticity is what makes a performance "real." In the words of Jerry Doucette, "He's too young for the blues, he's still inside his first pair of shoes."*

Now, Randy is not entirely off-base with his statement. Anyone can play the blues. How many times have you seen a new or amateur band play a questionable cover of Cream's "Crossroads" or any other blues song for that matter? The parts are there but something is missing. That missing "something" is the small degree of authenticity that seasoned musicians have. And this is what Randy is alluding to. Being a seasoned musician means playing countless hours and umpteen songs. Practicing. Practicing. Practicing. Paying dues in crummy clubs. Being shafted by club owners, managers, record companies, and other musicians. Living the life. Dreaming the dream. Not everyone can pull that off nor does everyone have the desire to.

It does take particular performance practice techniques to ensure that the music being played conforms to what is expected for that genre. In other words, you have to play the guitar or any other instrument a certain way for blues and a different way for country. Each genre has its own rhythms, song structures, riffs, and melodic characteristics. In fact, this applies to every genre and style of music.

Certainly new styles can be created by amalgamation or cross-pollenization, but this is not what Randy is talking about. He means experience. And again, this applies to all music. Seasoned musicians are a pleasure to hear. They impart emotion and give the illusion that their musicianship is effortless. They know the value of playing "in the pocket" and their playing makes people dance, or at least want to. Seasoned playing is what people expect.

For much of the Great Unwashed, classic rock is musical comfort food. It's what they grew up with and what they still enjoy. And while there are numerous bar bands, wedding bands, party bands, weekend bands, basement bands, garage bands, and jam bands playing classic rock songs, it takes that certain type of musician to authentically recreate, or even create, the classic rock music experience - at least in the way some people remember it. 

You'll know it when you hear it. 
 
*"Mama Let Him Play" by Jerry Doucette (1977)