From Which Rock Artist Will We Eventually See A Masterpiece This Decade?
Submitted by AfterHours on Tue, 12/19/2006 - 13:07
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This is just the beginning for inclusions. Though I don't think that many more will be added, I know there's a handful I should, so feel free to help by making suggestions. A warning: I am somewhat picky with who makes it on. I've only included artists who:
1) In the past have created at least one masterpiece or come close
OR
2) Have a legitimate shot at making one, given their talent level
Of course, the artist must still be producing albums.
Note: Bob Dylan and The Rolling Stones will not be included. I think a realistic chance of creating another masterwork is far behind both of them.
Re: Bob Dylan..."Love and Theft" and Modern Times don't count?
Nah... While solid albums, I think they're very clearly well below his best albums (Blonde On Blonde, Hwy 61, etc).
I agree, but I still love them.
On a related note: For some reason, and I have not been able to figure it out, Blonde on Blonde is one of my least favorite of his (keep in mind I've yet to hear any of his albums known for being subpar). I still love it, but for some reason it doesn't pack the same punch for me as a lot of his other stuff.
Interesting. For me it is easily his most profound and overwhelming work.
For me it's gotta be Radiohead or Sigur Ros, both amazingly talented bands and have shown they can produce masterpieces before.
Thanks. While I don't agree with you on them having created masterpieces, I do agree with you that some of their albums have been great!
With some wishful thinking i voted for "Some artist we haven't yet heard of"
It's also possible that some current masterpieces will go largely unnoticed for a decade or more. There's too much music being released ...
I casted the same vote. And I agree that there will probably be some great albums, possibly a masterpiece, that will pop up from the last year or two that have yet to be noticed.
I asked Scaruffi which artist he felt had the best chance at creating a masterpiece this decade, and he said that he knew better than to answer that question. Cop out! (:
No, that's the right answer from Scaruffi. And yeah, Lorem Ipsum, there is way, way, way too much music being produced to keep track of it all. It might take a long time before the real gems rise to the top of a certain critical heap.
I voted "none of the above." All these artists have probably produced their best work already. I expect the next great masterpiece to come out of nowhere, if there is ever is another one. And Spring Heel Jack are no longer making something related to "rock" music.
I don't think any of them will either. But I think the best shot goes to the following:
1) Spring Heel Jack (included because they are listed as a rock act by Scaruffi, and have so far been a runaway winner for artist of the decade judging by his rankings so far. Personally I've never heard any of their albums [except excerpts] YET)
2) Radiohead (they're so f-ing talented. The mind teases at what they could do if the really joined the avant-garde)
3) Arcade Fire (they've only made one album and it's fraught with untapped potential--I really doubt they've peaked already...Funeral is very good, but still feels like an introduction, exhibiting a band with much more to offer than the cards their playing.)
I think there will definitely be another one. There are so many artists (and so many very good ones), it would be a tragedy if it never happened again. In this day and age, with more people listening to a wider-range of music styles than ever before, it is bound to happen that some artist will concoct a devastating combination that will be something brilliant and unprecedented.
Do I think we'll see a rock masterpiece the likes of Trout Mask Replica, Rock Bottom or Faust again? It's difficult to imagine, but who could've imagined those albums before they were made?
Spring Heel Jack. I can't think of a better artist for the decade so far. But then, I've heard very little classical music from the decade, since so very little of it gets recorded or reviewed within a few years of its composition.
Spring Heel Jack are so great, and you should try them out. Their earlier stuff is really creative jungle music, like Amon Tobin but not quite as good. Then they invented (as far as I can tell) a whole new language of jazz music on Masses, which is dead shocking because there is nothing left of rock or jungle music on the whole album. It is 100% an avant-jazz album. And Amassed and Live are just as impressive.
I think Radiohead is done (artistically). I hope they prove me wrong. And I suppose TV on the Radio could top themselves again, but I doubt it.
The Arcade Fire are a wild card - who knows where they'll go next? But I'm betting hard that they will only become more poppy and trivial as time passes.
I think Orthrelm may actually be the best bet. I've just recently been listening to some of their stuff, and the potential is there for something truly remarkable. Their combination of speed metal ferocity, stop and start rhythms as in Trout Mask Replica, and a combination of Neu! and Terry Riley for repetitive patterns, is truly unprecedented. Their work is very challenging, and I haven't listened to it much at all, so maybe one day I'll think of OV or one of their earlier EPs as masterpieces. Who knows?
Actually, you may be right. I need to spend more time with Orthrelm. Thanks for the reminder.
If you're interested in the sort of stuff Orthrelm's doing, you may wanna also give a look-see to Mick Barr's side project Ocrilim. I thought his album "Anoint" was pretty good stuff.
I think OV is overrated, especially by Scaruffi. It's just an electric guitar cover of 1970s Philip Glass. I'm betting Asristir Vieldriox is Barr's best work, and it's the only one I haven't heard yet.
OV is the kind of thing you can hear exactly once and never need to hear it again.
I've got Asristir on order with my local indie record store, which means I should get it next June... :-)
Yea, I've only been able to hear Asristir once. Its pretty much the opposite of OV in that nothing is ever repeated, and instead of one long track it's got and endless number of short bursts. I think that Orthrelm's work may best be used as a jumping off point for other artists, artists that would explore their innovations in a more emotional way.
Yeah, emotion ain't Technical Metal's strength. :)
I've heard Asristir Vieldriox and it's my favorite Orthrelm release - a bit like Tokyo Anal Dynamite by The Gerogerigegege but with even smaller vignettes of sound and, of course, only two instruments.
Now having heard most of Mike Barr's output, I highly doubt he's got a masterpiece in him.