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From: wmartin@brl-tgr.ARPA (Will Martin )
Newsgroups: net.music
Subject: Instrumental vs. vocal popular music
Message-ID: <1477@brl-tgr.ARPA>
Date: Fri, 13-Sep-85 13:19:47 EDT
Article-I.D.: brl-tgr.1477
Posted: Fri Sep 13 13:19:47 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 15-Sep-85 05:41:19 EDT
Distribution: net
Organization: USAMC ALMSA, St. Louis, MO
Lines: 48

I have been meaning to post something on this subject for a while, and
just saw a news story on McNeil/Lehrer that inspires me to actually do
so, and which provided more data on the subject.

I contend that most vocal popular music, especially rock, would be
better music, and more enjoyable, if it was instrumental only. True,
there are some pop genres, like romantic ballads, where the words are
the main raison d'etre for the songs. On these, I have no quarrel with
the vocals, as long as they are well-sung. And on *some* rock, the lyrics
ARE worthwhile, being clever, inventive, funny, and/or properly enunciated.

On *most* rock, however, the vocals are:
1) sung by people who can't sing (often shouted, not even sung)
2) often not understandable, no matter who sings them, due to the mix
3) of little import or originality
4) often offensive to some people (see later)

I don't listen much to rock any more; I never did to any great extent in
any case, but I did for some years. I think I have determined that this
is mainly due to disliking what I hear in the vocals, because I still
enjoy listening to instrumental rock of various vintages.

The referenced McNeil/Lehrer report was on a Washington women's group
(including a senator's wife and a cabinet member's wife), who seem to
have received much publicity over the past few months with a campaign to
force record companies to tag albums with a rating system about sexually
explicit lyrics, and to print such lyrics on the outside of record
jackets for pre-buying review (I suppose by parents). This was countered
by various interviews with recording-industry people (including a brief
appearance by Frank Zappa) and with teenaged record buyers. These
latter, most importantly, generally voiced the opinion that "no one
listens to the lyrics, they just listen to the music". In effect, they
endure the lyrics to get the benefit of the music.

In this case, then, would not it be better for practically all
concerned, except the few rock "singers" who do not play an instrument
and who would be out of a job, for most rock to become intrumental
music? What is gained by having lyrics anyway? The audience has stated
they do not want words. Some parents or others object to the words that
have been being used. The words do not add to, but actually detract from
the sound. So let's drop the damn words and get back to pure music!

OK, let's have the flames...

Regards,
Will Martin

UUCP/USENET: seismo!brl-bmd!wmartin   or   ARPA/MILNET: wmartin@almsa-1.ARPA


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