The wonderful song "The Way You Look Tonight" from "Swing Time" deservedly wins the Oscar for Best Song, fast reverse to when "The Continental" from "The Gay Divorcee" wins the Oscar, as it should have, now fast forward to the 2000's when M and M 's song wins for best song, then later Bob Dylan's song wins for best song. Wow, "Times Unfortunately, They are a Changing", Wow!
shareI completely concur with what you said. In my opinion, music has hit an all-time low.
shareFunny, that. As much as I loved Swing Time, I still like all of the stuff you mentioned. Guess it's just a matter of respecting what's important to others. Or it would be, if you'd gone off on Britney Spears, New Kids On The Block, and Menudo.
But you didn't. You chose to mock two voices of their generation--two guys with loads of critical respect and legions of fans that have lasted (Dylan) or will last (Eminem) for generations to come. Even if I think Dylan's a bit hard to listen to sometimes, I certainly respect what he created. If you can't say at least the same, perhaps it more than a problem of respect. Maybe it's just a lack of taste.
Hose b: I think your last sentence in your post sums up my conclusions to your comments. However, you're welcome to them. You can respect whom ever you want, that's your priviledge. You can even believe that you're correct, as is your right to believe, but you can't speak for anyone else. Your thoughts are simply that, "your thoughts", and have no bearing on what anyone else may think, especially those who might not agree with you or ask for your opinion, nor care about your opinions. Haven't you learned that yet? Anyways, keep singing, it keeps you happy.
shareYes, Bob Dylan is horrible. Why can't he have written a song as good as 50 Cent or Sheryl Crow! You can't really say that Bob Dylan winning for best song in the 2000s represents the downfall of music, as he has been releasing albums since the early 60s.
Eclipses both the sun and moon
To understand you know too soon
There is no sense in trying.
My goodness, do you think Sheryl Crow or 50 Cent would be anywhere today if Bob Dylan hadn't paved the way for them?
Those of you who think you know everything should politely defer to those of us who actually do!
I was being sarcastic. My signature is a quote from It's Alright Ma, I'm Only Bleeding. I love me some Bob Dylan.
Eclipses both the sun and moon
To understand you know too soon
There is no sense in trying.
Yes, the times are changing. Why are you quoting a Dylan song when you seem to be implying that Dylan didn't deserve an Oscar for a well-written song? Should only songs from 30's musicals be Oscar worthy? Sorry if I don't understand your point.
sharehej zeus..............My point is that only "good songs" (my choice) should win the Oscar The implication is that I beleive that "now-a-day" songs don't measure up to the music of the great song writers of the past and also a couple of current writers, like Maury Yeston, Kantor and Ebb, etc.
I cite these two 30's songs because we're in the "Swing Time" message board. My initial post is simply, just for the people that have a like mind as I, so we can comisserate with each other because we miss Cole Porter, Rodgers and Hart, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Frank Loesser, Irvin Berlin and the Gerhwins, etc..
And please don't tell me I'm incorrect, as I stated before, we're all entitled to our own opinions, so don't try to convince me that you have the only answer.
Lastly, a couple of years ago, an Oscar nominated song from the film, "Frida", a brilliant and gorgeous song, didn't win, but my point is that "hope springs eternal" and maybe all is yet not lost. Keep singing!
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I CAN'T COMMENT ON THE SONG THAT YOU ALLUDE TO, I'VE NEVER HEARD IT. I NEVER SAID DYLAN WASN'T A GOOD SONGWRITER FOR HIS GENRE. (HIS RECORDS AT COLUMBIA LEAD IN SALES FOR THIS COMPANY OR PRETTY FAR UP THERE) I SAID HIS SONG THAT WON THE OSCAR WASN'T IN THE SAME CLASS AS THE GERSHWINS OR RICHARD RODGERS OR BERLIN, LOESSER, WHOM IN MY OPINION (WHICH IS MY PRIVIALEDGE TO HAVE)IS FAR BETTER THAN SOME VAPID, MUNDANE, TRIVIALITY THAT PASSES FOR MUSIC. DYLAN ONLY WON THAT OSCAR BECAUSE HE WAS "DYLAN", NOT BECAUSE OF ANY BRILLIANCE OF THE SONG. THE SAME WAY MICK JAEGER WON THE GOLDEN GLOBE AWARD, NOT BECAUSE THE SONG HAD ANY OUTSTANDING MERIT, BUT JUST BECAUSE HE IS MICK jAEGER, (DON'T ASK ME THE NAME OF THE SONG OR TO HUM IT, IT'S LOST TO THE AGES).
UNFORTUNATELY "BIG" BUSINESS RUNS THE WORLD, INCLUDING THE MUSIC WORLD AND THEREFORE DETERMINES WHAT MUSIC IS CURRENT. THEY ALSO KNOW WHO AND WHERE THEIR GOING TO GET THE MOST MONEY FOR WHATEVER JUNK (CHEAPEST) MUSIC THAT THEY PUT OUT.
AS I KEEP SAYING: YOU CAN HAVE ANY OPINION THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE AND YOU'RE WELCOME TO IT, BUT STOP TRYING TO FOIST YOUR OPINIONS ON ME.
AS I KEEP SAYING: THIS POST IS ONLY FOR ME AND THE PEOPLE WHO MISS THE GREAT SONGWRITERS OF THE PAST LIKE THE GERSHWINS, BERLIN, RICHARD RODGERS, LERNER AND LOWE, COLE PORTER, ETC., AND I VERY POLITELY STATE THAT WE DON'T NEED ANYONE ELSE'S OPPOSITE OPINION.
GOOD LUCK AND KEEP SINGING
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It's good to know that I'm not alone in missing the great songwriters. Thankfully we have CD's and records to get us by.
shareFirst off, the caps thing is beyond annoying...but to the point, no one is "foisting" an opinion on you oldsenior, only expressing their own, as you so clearly state they are entitled to do. Saying “AND I VERY POLITELY STATE THAT WE DON'T NEED ANYONE ELSE'S OPPOSITE OPINION” is asking for someone to give you there’s… “Haven't you learned that yet?” Except you refuse to acknowledge anyone's but your own. Anyway...I love songwriters of the past like Gershwin and Porter, but I also love I love Steven Shwartz and Andrew Lloyd Webber. I don't think anyone can deny that writers like Gershwin and Porter were great writers, but I don't think anyone can say that no one in the present day can measure up. That's a pretty ridiculous statement to make, that no one could ever equal or surpass them. Perhaps the songs from the past don’t measure up to “now-a-days” songs…it’s all a matter of what you listen to growing up. Way back when I’m sure there was just as much crap as there is now, that doesn’t mean that there isn’t just as much good music now as there was back then. I get that you are set on this issue, but one should always try to have an open mind and try new things, otherwise this world (including it's music) would be pretty boring.
sharePLEASE. ENOUGH WITH THE "CAPS"
Isn't it irritating. Do you SPEAK like this? Jeesh. It's not HOW you write what you write, it's WHAT you write that matters.
To rule music dead like you've done seems awfully reactionary. The argument of "things aren't what they used to be" to claim this age is inferior is tired. True, things definitely aren't what they used to be, but that doesn't mean they're worse, it means they're different. Eminem's "Lose Yourself" was one of the best movie songs this decade, and I would say the same for Three Six Mafia's "Hard Out Here for a Pimp." I'm not even a big fan of rap, but not only were those songs instrumental parts of great scenes in their respective films, but they're great songs in their own right. It's one thing if you don't like rap, and one thing if you're not particularly fond of the songs, but I think they have just as much artistic merit as Swing Time.
Also, I would say that "Falling Slowly" from Once is better that every song in Swing Time, with the exception of "The Way You Look Tonight."
There is no way to "politely state" that you don't need anyone's differing opinion on a public message board. Especially when you're SHOUTING in Caps! I will agree with you that the Gershwin's, Rogers (whether with Hart or Hammerstein), Lerner and Lowe, Kern, etc. were great songwriters. It just happens that Bob Dylan is an even greater songwriter than any of them, as he has consistently raised the craft of writing lyrics to the level of art, and he has also explored just about every American popular musical tradition, including that of the writers you admire, as well as blues, country, folk, and rock. The fact that you don't enjoy listening to his songs, or (more likely) have never tried listening to them, doesn't negate his achievements. By the way, the title of the song he won the Oscar for is "Things Have Changed," a sentiment you could apparently agree with! You might try opening your mind just far enough to listen to that song sometime. It really is quite wonderful. I will also presume to point out that a songwriter who has been working, and receiving acclaim, for 45 years, and has appealed to several generations of devoted fans, very probably has a lot more going for him than you're willing to recognize. It's also worth pointing out that Dylan is the only songwriter to have received a special Pulitzer Prize in recognition of his work. They don't give that one out to someone who's just a creation of commercial interests, or limited to one narrow genre, or is vapid, mundane, or trivial. Your frantic rejection of everyone else's opinion just highlights how uninformed your own is.
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