What Will Save Rock and Roll

I came across a great article on cnn.com titled "What Will Save Rock And Roll". Its a great read with an in depth perspective from none other than one of Rock's biggest supporters Little Steven Van Zandt.

Here is the link.

I would add one of my own reasons that Rock doesn't get the attention that it used to...why labels don't spend as much on artist development, etc. I believe that because of the onslaught of speedy technology over the last decade..high speed internet,texting,cell phones, music videos/video games with quick edits and iTunes...the attention span of the average 12-25 year old has dwindled down to a fraction of what it was years ago.

The near instant gratification that comes with these technologies puts EASE at the front of the creating/listening experience and APPRECIATION at the rear.

We collect songs/files...we rarely set time aside or don't want to listen to entire albums, we expect speed, we become lazy. We no longer have to leave the house to get what we want, therefore the root of discovery is lost. This is why record stores are shutting down, this is why anyone with a laptop, and software with samples thinks they are a musician, this is why such a lower percentage of people seek out or care about those artists who "take pride in their craft." This is why live music is not as important to the average young fan as it once was.

I would like to say I have an answer to the question, but I don't.

Rock and Roll is "on the rise" or "returning to the charts" every other year. ,The predictions have been endless and the buzz bands whom the press label at its savior usually end up plateauing after their sophomore slump. Rock is still around..kids are buying drum sets and learning about our musical gods and influences from video games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band. But I don't think it will ever be the driving influential musical force again as it was from '67-'93...Too much pressure to watch Reality TV while gaming and texting simultaneously. Kids won't ever know how to slow down and read the liner notes...or pull out the ear buds and hit the garage with their Epiphones like they used to. In truth it will never die..It has gone underground or lost some of its luster or sold exclusively at Best Buy, but it will never die.

And all of those kids who stumble across my blog while surfing the net and stopping at a new website every five minutes...will most likely fail to read the whole post...fail to click the link and read the whole article and fail to learn anything OLD about rock and roll. Oh well....we'll keep trying. If we reach one new tween and turn him on to Never Mind The Bollocks or Blonde on Blonde or Let There Be Rock or London Calling or Kid A or Paranoid...it will all be worth it.