Comments on: The creative problem of longevity in popular music http://workingthrough.com/blog/319-the-creative-problem-of-longevity-in-popular-music Consulting to Creative People Fri, 30 Jul 2010 04:09:55 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 By: Leisl http://workingthrough.com/blog/319-the-creative-problem-of-longevity-in-popular-music/comment-page-1#comment-164 Leisl Sun, 08 Mar 2009 15:48:49 +0000 http://workingthrough.com/blog/319-the-creative-problem-of-longevity-in-popular-music#comment-164 I think you sum it all up when you say, "This is how fame and money unleash powerful forces to destroy what made the band want to play in the first place." The early work of so many is so bright and brilliant because they have no fame or fortune to lose. It IS all about the music, the art, the creativity at that point. So many things happen after that, if they become commercially successful, that can stunt that creativity. It's exciting for a new band to suddenly find they're creations attracting notice. It's every musician's dream (whether they admit openly or not) to be signed to the big record deal and fill arenas and win more awards than they have wall and mantel space. So when the opportunity comes along, it's easy to fall under the fame and fortune spell and churn out what the label says the fans want to hear. That's when you start listening to outside voices instead of to your own inner muse. And that's when the creative magic begins to fade and the music begins to sound like everybody else. There's a line in the book "The Eagle and the Raven" by Pauline Gedge that reads, "the artists forgot that their calling was noble and became imitators instead of creators, charging exorbitant sums for the rubbish they churned out with one eye closed." I think that just about sums it up for so many. On the good hand, however, there are some bands who have managed to survive longevity and commercial success and still maintain their identity while pursuing fresh new approaches to their art. The Cure have been doing so for a good 30 years, Bjork for 20, Beck also for 20. And then there's Tom Waits. I think you sum it all up when you say, “This is how fame and money unleash powerful forces to destroy what made the band want to play in the first place.” The early work of so many is so bright and brilliant because they have no fame or fortune to lose. It IS all about the music, the art, the creativity at that point. So many things happen after that, if they become commercially successful, that can stunt that creativity. It’s exciting for a new band to suddenly find they’re creations attracting notice. It’s every musician’s dream (whether they admit openly or not) to be signed to the big record deal and fill arenas and win more awards than they have wall and mantel space. So when the opportunity comes along, it’s easy to fall under the fame and fortune spell and churn out what the label says the fans want to hear. That’s when you start listening to outside voices instead of to your own inner muse. And that’s when the creative magic begins to fade and the music begins to sound like everybody else. There’s a line in the book “The Eagle and the Raven” by Pauline Gedge that reads, “the artists forgot that their calling was noble and became imitators instead of creators, charging exorbitant sums for the rubbish they churned out with one eye closed.” I think that just about sums it up for so many.

On the good hand, however, there are some bands who have managed to survive longevity and commercial success and still maintain their identity while pursuing fresh new approaches to their art. The Cure have been doing so for a good 30 years, Bjork for 20, Beck also for 20. And then there’s Tom Waits.

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