Woebot
Well-known member
Quoting blissblogger from the Dylan thread:
"The mystery, which warrants its own thread, is what went wrong - why did this two decade period when Britain was co-regent with America in terms of the global Anglophone pop-rock hegemony come to an end? Did UK music just turn crap, or did America get isolationist, or what? "
If I'd venture to make a guess it must have had to do with something as abtract as a waning of British confidence, because I do think it can be traced back to British music itself which at some point, maybe Bruce Springsteen's "Born In the USA" took its eyes off the "prize" (if indeed it was actually fixing them on something more worthwhile- vis a vis Acid House).
Perhaps Dire Straits "Brothers In Arms" and U2's "Joshua Tree" conceding defeat to American imagery in such a flaccid manner, perhaps highlighting to the pointlessness of a UK version of US music (when The Stones were never quite that) are signposts.
Also there's something about the UK music industry becoming enfeebled or maybe entrenched just before Acid House. The bottom line is that the majors (or at least the ambitious Independents), who were essentially quite fluid with Hippie Rock and Punk just didnt know how to convert Acid House into proper sales. The Sex Pistols and The Clash both had big deals, but who do we get from Acid House? Er Adamski? I dont think the claims that the music were totally uncommercial holds water, I mean, how much more listenable is "Never Mind The Bollocks" than LFO's "LFO" or The Ragga Twins "Reggae Owes Me Money"?
I'd also heap blame on the major label's "Remix Culture" which deals with the burgeoning underground by inviting it to remix Kylie and Madonne. Sheer cowardice.
"The mystery, which warrants its own thread, is what went wrong - why did this two decade period when Britain was co-regent with America in terms of the global Anglophone pop-rock hegemony come to an end? Did UK music just turn crap, or did America get isolationist, or what? "
If I'd venture to make a guess it must have had to do with something as abtract as a waning of British confidence, because I do think it can be traced back to British music itself which at some point, maybe Bruce Springsteen's "Born In the USA" took its eyes off the "prize" (if indeed it was actually fixing them on something more worthwhile- vis a vis Acid House).
Perhaps Dire Straits "Brothers In Arms" and U2's "Joshua Tree" conceding defeat to American imagery in such a flaccid manner, perhaps highlighting to the pointlessness of a UK version of US music (when The Stones were never quite that) are signposts.
Also there's something about the UK music industry becoming enfeebled or maybe entrenched just before Acid House. The bottom line is that the majors (or at least the ambitious Independents), who were essentially quite fluid with Hippie Rock and Punk just didnt know how to convert Acid House into proper sales. The Sex Pistols and The Clash both had big deals, but who do we get from Acid House? Er Adamski? I dont think the claims that the music were totally uncommercial holds water, I mean, how much more listenable is "Never Mind The Bollocks" than LFO's "LFO" or The Ragga Twins "Reggae Owes Me Money"?
I'd also heap blame on the major label's "Remix Culture" which deals with the burgeoning underground by inviting it to remix Kylie and Madonne. Sheer cowardice.