The Official "Music Was So Much Better in the Glorious Days of Yore" Thread

[Mucha na Dziko]

Originally Posted by jadis

I love the idea that Beach Boys and the Beatles are somebody's avatars of "complexity"

I don’t really see a problem with such a statement.
I can see why you would frown upon the Beatles in terms of „musical complexity” (but then they actually make up for that in other things).

But the Beach Boys? Come on. Brian Wilson was writing truly complex music for his time and even for any other really for that matter. It’s just that his songs are made in such a manner that at first, second, third listen you don’t hear what’s actually happening, because the melodies/harmonies are so captivating.


Also, I believe we’re not Talking about classical music, so comparisons to Bach or Mahler do not apply. It’s a discussion about popular music, right?

And in popular music I often feel like the „complex” bands are doing it usualy for complexity’s sake, and not to actually enhance the experience. The Beach Boys or the Beatles are the oposite of that. The song/melody comes first, complexity later.