If I had wanted to listen to an instrumental solo, I would've gone to a Yanni concert
Well, the summer concert season has finally started (for me, at least), as I went to see Huey Lewis and the News and Chicago (yes, I am an old man: now shut up and get off my lawn, young whipper-snapper!).
Anyway, attending this concert reminded me of two of my concert pet peeves: the first one is that the band inevitably never plays the one song I want them to play (regardless of how famous said song is). For instance, Huey Lewis didn't play "If This Is It" and Chicago didn't play "Glory of Love." I swear to God, I could go to a Right Said Fred concert and they still wouldn't play "I'm Too Sexy" (not that I'd go to a Right Said Fred concert, even if they weren't currently employed, sadly, as Right Said Fred impersonators in the Hollywood Walk of Fame).
But on to my second concert pet peeve (and what prompted me to break my months-long absence from the blogosphere): long-winded instrumental solos in rock concerts. I mean, really: we get that you're all awesome musicians, and that only the vocalist gets all the glory and all the chicks (although my favorite bands are getting so long in the tooth that nowadays the vocalist probably just gets the juicier incontinence medicine endorsements). However, do we really need to hear a 10-minute drum solo? If you've heard one drum solo, you've pretty much heard them all (actually, after hearing one minute of a drum solo, you've heard them all!).
How about if the audience, when purchasing the concert tickets, signs an affidavit stating that every band member is as important as the next, and that each one rocks in his own right? If we do that, could we do without the boring, lengthy and unnecessary solos? For instance, in the Chicago concert we were "treated" to a flute solo. A f-l-u-t-e solo. In a r-o-c-k concert. I'd understand that if I had gone see a concert for Yzman, Master of the Ocarina... but a rock concert?
So, where do you, ficticious reader, stand on this whole concert solo business? Is it a part of the concert experience, or is it an evil that must be eradicated with bloodshed, if necessary?
Anyway, attending this concert reminded me of two of my concert pet peeves: the first one is that the band inevitably never plays the one song I want them to play (regardless of how famous said song is). For instance, Huey Lewis didn't play "If This Is It" and Chicago didn't play "Glory of Love." I swear to God, I could go to a Right Said Fred concert and they still wouldn't play "I'm Too Sexy" (not that I'd go to a Right Said Fred concert, even if they weren't currently employed, sadly, as Right Said Fred impersonators in the Hollywood Walk of Fame).
But on to my second concert pet peeve (and what prompted me to break my months-long absence from the blogosphere): long-winded instrumental solos in rock concerts. I mean, really: we get that you're all awesome musicians, and that only the vocalist gets all the glory and all the chicks (although my favorite bands are getting so long in the tooth that nowadays the vocalist probably just gets the juicier incontinence medicine endorsements). However, do we really need to hear a 10-minute drum solo? If you've heard one drum solo, you've pretty much heard them all (actually, after hearing one minute of a drum solo, you've heard them all!).
How about if the audience, when purchasing the concert tickets, signs an affidavit stating that every band member is as important as the next, and that each one rocks in his own right? If we do that, could we do without the boring, lengthy and unnecessary solos? For instance, in the Chicago concert we were "treated" to a flute solo. A f-l-u-t-e solo. In a r-o-c-k concert. I'd understand that if I had gone see a concert for Yzman, Master of the Ocarina... but a rock concert?
So, where do you, ficticious reader, stand on this whole concert solo business? Is it a part of the concert experience, or is it an evil that must be eradicated with bloodshed, if necessary?
posted by El Rata | 5:42 PM
8 Comments:
Hi, its eli (I forgot my logging, sorry). I'm glad you wrote a new blog. :-D
Chicago is a Rock Band?!? Thank you for the clarification. ;-)
I don't mind the occasional instrumental music between costume change or while presenting the other band members, but what you described in your blog really sucks. A 10-minute flute solo sounds very painful. Were they taking a break or did they stay on the stage? If it was their break its understandable why it was so long, I mean they are pretty old, lol (joke). But still, why make it an excruciating wait for the audience? You should have stood up, left and demanded your money back. You should boycott them next time they tour (but I know you won't, lol). Sorry to hear they didn't play your fave songs again.
I normally do not condone wanton violence, but for a flute solo bloodshed is justified.
Well, Eli, "soft rock" still has the word "rock" in it, so there. :-D
I think next time I'll just bring a book... maybe something about nature: that must be fun to read over a nice flute solo.
Omar, I am glad you are on my side: next time we go to a concert together, we'll unleash "Operation Kill Uppity Musicians" on the unsuspecting band members! ;-)
It would help if the song was actually from the band.:-P "Glory Of Love" is from Peter Cetera's *glorious* solo career. It was composed by David Foster, who did a shitload of songs for Chicago, so it is understandable that it does sound like them. Plus it wasn't a duet song with some randomly chosen and marginally influential female singer. I'm sure that just added to the confusion. :-P
Anyway, I don't mind drum solos, although I agree that a rock concert should not have a flute solo at all. And for the record, I also came out dissapointed from the concert. Huey Lewis was fine, but Chicago didn't play most of the stuff I wanted to hear, which interestingly enough, were songs from the golden era with Cetera (I think the band went downhill from there). Hmm.. sounds like a new theme for another blog: Cetera->Chicago, Perry->Journey, what other individuals/bands really needed each other?
Flutes Rock! Did you not listen to Jethro Tull?
Well, César, sadly, for me Peter Cetera is Chicago. I'm sorry if this kind of thinking gives heart attacks to people like your father, but it's true. :-D
Drum solos shouldn't last more than one or two minutes: anything longer than that reveals just how boring an "instrument" drums are. Let's face it: drums aren't an instrument, they're noise makers people play to annoy their parents in a passive-aggressive manner.
And flute solos are just the handiwork of the devil.
Regarding Jethro Tull: there isn't enough weed in the world, man. :-D
Post a Comment
<< Home