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| Ten Thousand Motels |
'Generation Stones' rolls on
Posted: May 16, 2005
Doug Powers
© 2005 WorldNetDaily.com
The Rolling Stones have announced yet another album and stadium tour. As expected, the usual "old age" jokes are flying like shuffleboard sticks at a Naples retirement community.
No, the new CD won't be titled "Sticky Arthritic Fingers" and contain the hit single "It's only Dulcolax (but I like it)" but the tour does highlight the resiliency of the band and makes me look at today's music scene and wonder where all the stadium rock has gone. Perhaps the answer lies in those who help comprise the era – "Generation Stones" we'll call them.
Some may argue that, in the rock scene, the Beatles ruled the '60s, Led Zeppelin ruled the '70s, and Metallica ruled the '80s, so why are the people who spanned this time period a part of Generation Stones? Because the Stones have stayed together and thrived for over 40 years, through all those decades. The aforementioned bands all mark some point on the rock-and-roll timeline, but the Stones are the timeline.
The Rolling Stones have been selling out stadiums for decades, as did many of their contemporaries, and a few bands that followed in their wake. Bands formed in the late '70s and early '80s – such as U2 and Metallica – still sell out massive venues, but it doesn't seem as if any band born after that has inherited the ability to singlehandedly do the same.
There is certainly some good new music out there once you sift through the stuff that sounds like a truckload of Tiffany lampshades colliding with the ghost of Sam Kinison, but none of them seem to be picking up the torch of the ability to sell out a stadium now, not to mention when they're in their 60s.
There are a few good reasons why some of the greats of classic rock did, and still do, in some cases, sell out stadiums. One reason is that baby boomer affection for music that brings back memories from days gone by is a precious commodity that can be afforded by collectors of same. Economic conditions have left Generation Stones with the ability to afford enormous ticket prices. All this can add up to a sold-out stadium for the right band.
Madison Avenue knows that there's gold in Generation Stones, too. For example, who would have thought in the early '70s that someday Led Zeppelin music would be used to sell Cadillacs, or for that matter that Jimmy Page would ring the opening bell on Wall Street to the tune of "Whole Lotta Love"? I can't help but look at my kids and wonder if, 30 years from now, they'll be seeing ads pitching the expensive car of the day, highlighted by audio from "Linkin Park" or "Garbage." Doubtful. The future may never again see a generation so in tune with their tunes.
Members of Generation Stones are familiar with the phrase "Sex, drugs, and rock and roll," and have seen the first two claim many lives, not to mention leaving Keith Richards looking so bad that even the Cryptkeeper would say to him, "You feeling OK, man?" Somewhere along the line, "Sex, drugs, and rock and roll" has become "A little music and a bunch of politics to distract them from the fact that we can't play our instruments very well."
This leads us to another reason, which is perhaps subconscious on the fans' part, for the massive success of some of the old stadium bands: To my knowledge, shows by the Rolling Stones, Zeppelin, The Who, Pink Floyd, etc., weren't fraught with political activism. Read what you like into the songs, but there were few on-stage diatribes that weren't music related. Now, it's virtually impossible to go to a concert and not be preached to in some form or another.
As a minor example, go see Don Henley now and you'll be re-education camped on saving Waldon Woods to the point where you may be tempted to break federal law by wringing the neck of an Eagle. The classic supergroups didn't deem it prudent to risk annoying roughly half of their audience with opinions for which they didn't pay, and it was good business.
The decline in quality and quantity of live music, availability on DVD, and the expense of tickets may soon spell the extinction of stadium concerts. Will people who are now 18-years old be going to a rock show at a stadium in 30 or 40 years? If they are, it'll probably be to see the Stones.
Staying power helps define a generation, and Mick, Keith and the guys are proving that it is indeed only rock 'n' roll. Generation Stones still likes it.
[Edited by Ten Thousand Motels] |
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| corgi37 |
I have a tear in my eye. |
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| J.J.Flash |
Not sure whether I hate who wrote this stuff. |
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| Ten Thousand Motels |
quote:
J.J.Flash wrote:
Not sure whether I hate who wrote this stuff.
The guys name is Doug Powers. Sorry I posted that without crediting him. Well it's up there now. Anyway never heard of him before in my life. Hate away J.J.!!!! 
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| J.J.Flash |
I mean.....have you ever had the feeling that you don't know if you prefer the bad guy or the cops when watching a movie? |
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| Ten Thousand Motels |
quote:
J.J.Flash wrote:
I mean.....have you ever had the feeling that you don't know if you prefer the bad guy or the cops when watching a movie?
No, never had that feeling. I hate cops.
Just kidding. My uncle's a cop. He's fixed several "tickets" for me...."disappearing" paperwork and all that. Really...I get a warm, fuzzy feeling inside when Walker beats the shit out of bad guys. |
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| Jair |
I think it's a very good article.
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