Soul: Where's The Music Gone?

This is not a post to promote Leela James, but sometimes there's a song that really touches you and is in total harmony with your sensibilities. And it's so nice to see that there's someone of the current crop of performers [of the current generation] who shares my musical sentiments.

I can't truly speak for all of her music, since I've not auditioned anything [on her current CD, "A Change Is Gonna Come"] except the song "Music". I just happened upon the video while surfing the channels and was so taken, I immediately downloaded the track from Apple's iTunes. The message in her music is simply this, "It's all about the music!" As she articulates "...today, it's all about the video ... can't we just put the thongs away. ... where's the music gone .... all the soul is gone ... take it back to yesterday...", I'm reassured that there are people who are aware that musically, we've gotten away from "the music". I am encouraged to check out the rest of [her] CD and also the other music she's been making.

Now I know that R&B / Soul is only one type of music, (and I do appreciate most all kinds of music), but anyone who's ever truly been into the genre can attest that there's nothing like the soul of the 60's and 70's. And it's gone. Most stuff today is all about tits, ass and pelvic thrusts ...with a clever hook, and an occasional clever lyric ...oh, and of course, the video.

In the past, R&B / Soul was considered Black music, but now rap is the new Black, and so much of what is labeled "R&B" or "Soul" is counterfeit ...although I will concede that there's been such a blending of the genres, that it's almost impossible to categorized music in this manner anymore. I won't comment on rap, since it's really not my thing and any evaluation of it would be totally skewed to the negative. As a music genre, I'm sure it has it's value, once you get beyond the anger, the vulgarity, and all the misogynistic references to bitches and 'hos.

Listening to 60s /70s soul is not just listening to "old" music. Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" is probably one of the greatest albums of all time, and the message is as relevant today as it was then. There are, however, some artists like Al Jarreau and Anita Baker who [in a lot of their music] still hold true to the nature of "soul". There would probably be more artists if they could only get the airtime ...but the music "business" is all about just that.

It seems that today's soul sound also comes from some unlikely sources, those who seems to appreciate what we've so carelessly dismissed in favor of the latest fads and trends. I dedicated a previous post to "Louise Perryman", an Australian singer / songwriter who's very much in touch with "the music" ....and [about a year ago] I made the acquaintance of a phenomenal R&B / Soul artist, "Solprins", from Sweden.

Quote of the Week: "After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music."