Whatever Happened to Pipe Organ Solos?

     Ever heard The House of the Rising Sun by The Animals? Damn right you have. The organ solo in that song is some of the finest ivory improv I've ever seen. Or heard. Anyway, I haven't a reasonable segue but today's topic is diminishing musical meaning.
     While I do admit that any old fart can say they miss the good old days, and white girls will continue to tweet that they were born in the wrong generation, I do admit that there is considerable musical talent to be seen in today's music, even--dare I say it--on the top 40 radio stations. But, I maintain that there is a difference between a talented person writing a catchy song that'll sell and someone writing a song that actually means something.
     Today, people have gotten so good at doing things that everyone's looking for the next high score. They're so intent on beating the old record that nobody wants to set a new one. The musical talent of today focuses way too much on the performance. It's about the singer's mind-boggling belt, or the rapper's swag rhythm, rather than the songwriting talent, or the band's journey through the Himalayas looking for enlightenment while they write their album.
     The songs we're listening are all about the same thing, directed at the same people because it results in the same thing: revenue. Every song is a love song where the love is sex and so is the singer and everything is sex and drugs. I think we're beginning to give sex and drugs a bad name...
     Elton John wrote a song once titled "Someone Saved my Life Tonight". The story behind the song damn near brought me to tears when I heard it, too.

Long John Baldry

     The year was 1975, and Elton John was engaged to be married to a Linda Woodrow. Now, it's pretty common knowledge that Elton John is a gay man, and his imminent marriage was getting him down. A lot. He was contemplating suicide and found refuge in his friends, namely one "Long" John Baldry, a successful musician himself. John convinced him to call off his marriage and salvage his career. The course of history was undoubtedly changed that day, and to thank his friend, Elton, along with Bernie Taupin wrote a song for John, referring to him as the "somebody" in the title and even "Sugar Bear" at one point.
     Now I don't know about you, but after having heard that story, I can't convince myself that there's really that kind of depth in today's music. There's a reason it's referred to as the music industry.