Post by Dave on Dec 16, 2005 19:46:12 GMT -5
Waxing philosophical here...
I've been thinking about this since someone mentioned the Carpenters sound being "dated". What exactly does that mean?
To me, "dated" and "timeless" are mirror images of the same coin. It's all in the viewer's perspective.
A car buff would agree that a '57 T-Bird has a certain timeless style. But, it's also dated, in the respect that time and technology march on. There were no seat belts, antilock disc brakes, or any of the modern safety devices we take for granted. You even have to special order its tires!
But that's technology at work. In the land of music, certainly the works of the Masters like Beethoven and Chopin would be considered timeless. But they are also dated, as dated as the year they were first composed and performed. It's unavoidable. Any work of art is dated as soon as it's released to the public.
And so we come full circle. If you listen to your local adult-contemporary (AC) station, it's not a stretch to find several dozen Carpenters songs, non-Christmas, that should be finding more airplay. They've lost nothing with time, as the many Christmas selections have become timeless in their own right, but they are dated by when they were recorded as well.
It was quite a shock to hear "I Believe You" on a Tampa area station last December, but it certainly wasn't dated. It was timeless.
And when it was played was priceless!
I've been thinking about this since someone mentioned the Carpenters sound being "dated". What exactly does that mean?
To me, "dated" and "timeless" are mirror images of the same coin. It's all in the viewer's perspective.
A car buff would agree that a '57 T-Bird has a certain timeless style. But, it's also dated, in the respect that time and technology march on. There were no seat belts, antilock disc brakes, or any of the modern safety devices we take for granted. You even have to special order its tires!
But that's technology at work. In the land of music, certainly the works of the Masters like Beethoven and Chopin would be considered timeless. But they are also dated, as dated as the year they were first composed and performed. It's unavoidable. Any work of art is dated as soon as it's released to the public.
And so we come full circle. If you listen to your local adult-contemporary (AC) station, it's not a stretch to find several dozen Carpenters songs, non-Christmas, that should be finding more airplay. They've lost nothing with time, as the many Christmas selections have become timeless in their own right, but they are dated by when they were recorded as well.
It was quite a shock to hear "I Believe You" on a Tampa area station last December, but it certainly wasn't dated. It was timeless.
And when it was played was priceless!
Dave that is one great analogy! Just as the Hope Diamond was crafted into a priceless jewel, when it was cut can never diminish its beauty and perfection.
