BLAME THE JAM??
Rocksteady69
newsgroup. What are your thoughts??
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Oasis just put out a new record and it's already fallen off the US album
charts. BJ swears that it's a good album, but the stuff I heard off it
doesn't
interest me.
Oasis are superstars in Britain and can't even chart here. Something is
dreadfully wrong and I blame the Jam.
Most of the so-called "Britpop" of the past decade has drawn exclusively
on UK
ethnic idioms, popularised by the Jam, but developed by other acts like
XTC,
the Kinks and other tea and biscuits songsters. There is a large segment
of
folks in the UK that resent the US' cultural dominance and have sought
to
develop a home-grown counterweight. The only problem is that very little
of it
has translated outside of Britain. The Jam couldn't get arrested here,
outside
of various Anglophile pockets on the coasts, and Paul Weller has
expressed
constant scorn for America and American audiences. He waited until
leaving the
Jam and forming the wretched Style Council before shamelssly aping
American
musical forms. He failed at that as well, as has his subsequent solo
career,
since most of his songwriting has consisted of what Joe has termed
"lock, stock
and barrell lifts".
The Jam were a decent band in their later days, but their tendency to
whip up
jingoistic chauvinism had a corrosive effect on an entire generation of
British, and to some extent Irish, performers. The British Invasion's
incredible success sprang from what amounted to a conversation between
America
and England. Musical giants like the Beatles, Stones, Led Zeppelin and
the
Clash immersed themselves in American music and send it back adding a
uniquely
English perspective to the music. This formula revolutionized the
culture of
the World and established a cross-cultural pipeline that flourished for
more
than 20 years.
There were dissenters of course- the early Who, the Kinks and the early
Move
and David Bowie records were also largely ethnic navel gazing. But the
cross-oceanic exchange kept music fresh and the culture alive.
The Jam openly scorned this exchange and thus were unheard by most
except the
usual Anglophiliac fetish crowd. But they planted poisonous seed that
took root
in the bitter soil of Thatcher's England. The Smiths took up the
gauntlet once
the Jam imploded, which was ironic for a band composed entirely of first
and
second generation Irish immigrants. As pre-fab bands dominated the UK
charts in
the Thatcher years and the underground was largely arty Goth-type bands,
a
growing anti-British sentiment took hold in the US alt-rock community,
and the
infection was worsened by the provincial and willfully ignorant mindset
of
Hardcore and Indy.
However, inspired by BAD's attempts at fusing American dance music and
Rock,
there was a brief renaissance signified by the success of BAD imitators
like
Jesus Jones and EMF, as well as the growing popularity of veteran acts
like the
Cult, the Cure and Depeche Mode. There was a "Prague Spring" of
cross-Atlantic
rock in the early 90's. But the sour mood of the Bush years and the
growing
backlash against Black musics like Hip Hop and House fueled the Seattle
Grunge
phenomenon, a racist and sexist backlash disguised as a progressive
movement.
Grunge for all its "Punk" pretensions, was a movement based on early
70's Rock
like Grand Funk and Black Sabbath, only dumber, uglier and whiter.
UK acts were flushed off the charts in the tidal wave, and the record
companies scoured the American bar scene for Nirvana imitators. The UK
response
to this nativist explosion was surprise-more nativism. Overnight,
inconsequential, monosyllabically named bands like Suede, Blur, Ash, and
Pulp
burst onto the scene and played to the hometown crowd. Just like the Jam
did.
Paul Weller re-emerged from the deserved expulsion he earned from the
last few
Style Council records and doubtlessly whispered anti-American rhetoric
into the
ears of young British musicians. Blur, whose music is unlistenable,
raised the
Union Jack and attacked bands like Bush for appeasing the Americans.
After a
string of abysmal failures on the US charts, Blur aped the Grunge sound
and
achieved permanent one-hit wonder status in the US.
The problem is that Rock died in the UK sometime in the late 80's.
Britpop was
just the twitching of the corpse. Raves and psychotropic chemicals
forever
changed the cultural landscape in the UK. Britons, in large numbers,
came not
to be interested in music for its own inherent value but as a backdrop
for
nightlife. Hence, there's a lot of British music (like BAD spinoff
Dreadzone)
that sounds great but wilts under anything more than casual attention.
Now, UK acts don't really have a prayer here anymore. British culture is
now as
foreign to American kids as Swedish or German culture. You may see some
novelty
crossover now and again, but British music has blown it, badly. It
probably
doesn't matter anymore, though. Rock is finally dead now, and no amount
of
self-interested protestation by critics or musicians can change that.
Most
modern bands are becoming like professional wrestlers, selling a toxic
brew of
stupidity, costumery and violence that makes Kiss look like the Beatles
by
comparison. British kids who once would be learning their Chuck Berry
licks are
probably learning how to write code, or planning their move to the
sizable
English film colony in LA. But when I hear unbridled dogshit like Gay
Dad it
makes me pine for happier days when London was calling and actually had
something to say.
**********************************************
Rocksteady69
>
> What's Strummer Strummer done since '82 ?.......I rest my case.
>
> GP
Relied on nothing but nostalgia from the "glory days"
to promote his lackluster solo career. Paul Weller,
on the other hand, has put out quality material
ever since forming The Jam. To lay blame solely at
the feet of Weller and the Jam smacks only of
jealousy and stupidity, to say the least.
This person seems to think that the only way for British
bands to be successful is to sound "American", sell
themselves to the lunatics at MTV and assorted US record
labels. The failure of Oasis to chart in the USA
may have more to do with the quality of their material
than anything else. Who gives a fuck about the
charts anyway?? "I don't give two fucks about your
review!"
Billy
peter p
GP© wrote in message <8d6njp$l9i$1...@fraggle.esatclear.ie>...
>x-no-archive: yes
>
>Rocksteady69 wrote
>
>> Relied on nothing but nostalgia from the "glory days"
>> to promote his lackluster solo career. Paul Weller,
>> on the other hand, has put out quality material
>> ever since forming The Jam. To lay blame solely at
>> the feet of Weller and the Jam smacks only of
>> jealousy and stupidity, to say the least.
>>
>> This person seems to think that the only way for British
>> bands to be successful is to sound "American", sell
>> themselves to the lunatics at MTV and assorted US record
>> labels. The failure of Oasis to chart in the USA
>> may have more to do with the quality of their material
>> than anything else. Who gives a fuck about the
>> charts anyway?? "I don't give two fucks about your
>> review!"
>
>
>GP
>
>THE USA GOT THE SEA
BUT THE BRITISH KIDS GOT THE STREET
>
>
John Raffel
and probably not enough time to listen to the music.
Crap music comes from both sides of the water. Who decides what is good and
what is bad anyway?
Being unable to chart is not a crime. So what if British / Irish tastes are
different from those in the US? I have enjoyed PW's ever changing styles
over the years since the end of The Jam. Even those years with The Style
Council that many listeners prefer to condemn as being a poor period in PW's
creativity. I would say that churning out the same old crap year in year out
would be worse. That happens on both sides of the Atlantic too.
But I've gotta go now - I can't sit here and write all day....
"Rise up now and declare yourself an Internationalist"
Long live PW.
Rocksteady69 <soul_s...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:38F68E...@yahoo.com...
Chas
As a big fan of both The Clash and Paul Weller (plus loads of Britpop acts),
I am amused by all this. To me, one of the things I like most about Weller
and bands like OCS is that they are very British in sound and image. When
the writer of the original post says that very little of the British
sounding music has translated outside of Britain, I can't help thinking
'Give a shit!' I couldn't care and I doubt Weller particularly cares what a
few American cultural colonialists think of him.
Yes, the Clash absorbed a lot of US styles later in their career and reaped
the rewards but what the f*ck has that got to do with the Modfather? I love
Joe Strummer to bits and cannot wait to see him at Brixton next month but he
will only be covering old ground on the night. Meanwhile the Wellermeister
will be showing he is a man of many talents who has moved on time after
time.
Oh look, f*ck it. I've tried to be all deep and meaningful but I think in
essence, what I am saying, is that if the writer of the original post
doesn't like Weller et al, he can go and frig himself off with a
cheeseburger for all I care.
The Collector
too much. Just one question. Where's this US place? Is it somewhere off the
Kent coast or something? (That's two questions I know).
ParishMod
Blink 182 and the other Septic rubbish infesting our charts. America the land
of no musical taste.
Chas
The Collector wrote in message <8da9tm$mq2$1...@supernews.com>...
Glenn Rowe
Glenn.......who does have a Rover car with lots of Jam cd's in the
autochanger!!!..and no american music........but that is The Jam's
fault.......they're too good to take out and replace with a Toto album!!!
thedeviant1
them.
basically, what a load of drivel.,
the jam, style council and weller's solo career have fitted an era for
each respective decade, weller has remained true to his abilities, as
a songwriter and musician (ok the slightly homoerotic aspects of some
of the style council releases were interesting, but still fitted the
mood of the era)
let it not be said that the UK is perhaps the world leader in the
music industry. mybe not in terms of sales, but in terms of
progressiveness and its abilities to remain as true to its soul (heavy
soul) without being sell outs to corporate bullshit that is only
interested in "Sales"
weller has truely proved this, having had a career that has spanned
nearly three fucking decades. and has not only remained but evolved
during that period.
let me quote from a bloke standing next to me at a weller gig at
finsbury park in london a couple of years ago.
when the crowd were chanting "weller, weller, weller" the bloke next
to me said "you know, i was shouting the same thing at a jam concert
years ago"
sorta proves the point doesnt it. ok if america is so fucking
progressive and inventive in music, what will become of the "Boil in
the Bag Anarchy" music of fucking morons like marilyn manson, oh yes
and like Limp Bizkit are so new and original !!!!!!
corporate bollocks, just manufactured crap to appease suicidal
teenagers and wanna be's. YAWN !!
So, weller has never made big inroads into the US, big fuckin deal, i
am sure the modfather is losing sleep over that one. ( remember the US
still thinks that Benny Hill is "really funny" )
what was the us doing when we were wearing trenchcoats with targets on
the back and riding around on vespa's. yup. they were probably eating
a TV dinner on a fold up table in front of the brady bunch !
WELLER, THE JAM, THE WHO it was and still is a way of life, its whats
in the heart, not what sounds cool on the car stereo when your
cruising around.
As a note. the smiths are shit, always have been, dont EVER put the
modfather in the same sentance as anything remotely associating
morrisey - the smiths - listened to by students who were depressed and
didnt know why !
Weller never fucking aped american styles. <slap>
EMF was a "typical" manufactured band - and a fucking one hit wonder
to prove the point.
the kinks.. oh really tea and biscuits !! TWAT <slap>
the cure were hardly a veteran act <slap><slap>
culturally english music has definate geographic links.
the bristol sound - portishead, massive attack, tricky.
manchester - 'eh 'eh - ocean colour scene, etc.
the jam/weller/Sham69 - south west london
i would dearly suggest that you do your homework and learn a bit more
about a subject before you go prattling on with your stereo, in the
background, no doubtly screeching the hideous monotony of britany
spears.
<slap><slap><slap>
thedeviant1
"save me from the horrors of normality....."
The deviant1
- on a mission from God (I think!)