Cervantes Magazine Number 25: Music
This week we will focus on the "what ifs." Sometimes thinking a lot about what ... "could be have been" may hurt us, or lead us to infinite tunnels of sadness for things that don’t exist, a bad habit without a doubt. But it can also be fun, like imagining what would happen to music if John Lennon were still alive.
A personal game that I always enjoy is asking hypothetical questions to my musician friends, such as "who is the best drummer in the world, alive or dead?", Or "if you could put together a super band, what would its members be?", i don’t know, it just amuses me. (My ideal band would have: Colin Greenwood, John Bonham, Cody Votolato and Keith Emerson).
Another thing that surely we all do, is to think of bands that might have changed the current musical paradigm, having continued to play. Either for ego, or for the death of some member, we know that there are many groups that we would like to continue touring, and releasing records. Maybe everything would be different or, at least, we like to think it would.
For this post I will mention some bands that "left us too soon", and that could have changed everything - in my opinion -.
Joy Division
It is impossible not to include Joy Division on this list, there are innumerable bands that have been influenced by them. Ian Curtis was the living embodiment of post-punk, obsessed with death and despair - his life was not easy - which unfortunately took a toll when he ended up committing suicide in 1980.
However, jewels like their album Unkown Pleasures were left for posterity, creating a sound that has been much emulated. Many times I think about what Ian Curtis would be doing today, probably something revolutionary. Regarding the other members, we already have the answer to that with New Order.
Nick Drake
The definition of "misunderstood artist", Nick Drake was as impressive as ephemeral. The British singer-songwriter left very advanced records for his time, such as Five Leaves Left (1969) and Pink Moon (1972) before dying due to an overdose of antidepressants, he was only 26 years old.
After his death, it took the world a decade to appreciate the beauty behind Drake's compositions. His intricate but heartfelt ballads in unconventional tunings, together with his soft voice, have given him a posthumous position within the musical Olympus. I'm sure that nowadays, when people said "Drake", they wouldn’t think of a hip hop singer.
The Stone Roses
A classic case of when temperaments end something very good. The Stone Roses quickly became a cult band in the early 90s. Leading what would be the new wave of Britpop along with Oasis and Blur. Their two albums, The Stone Roses (1989) and Second Coming (1994) are great works that everyone should listen to.
Unfortunately, and due to many internal fights - especially with its leader, Ian Brown -, the band decided to separate for a long time. And although they have returned to go on some nostalgia tours, an appropriate comeback has not yet occurred. It would be great to be able to listen to what The Stone Roses could offer these days, where it seems that the love for making good songs has been overshadowed by sales and the number of followers on social networks.
Slint
Some bands are mysterious in every way, and certainly Slint was one of those. Taking into account that at the time of the release of such an iconic album as Spiderland (1989), the band's members were just beginning their 20's, which only adds to the impressiveness of their compositions.
After their breakup in 1991, Slint became a vital reference to define the basis of what is now known as post-rock and that other luminary bands such as Sigur Ros and Mogwai have continued to represent. But, I always dream of a Slint reunion, being so ahead of their time, I think the indie scene would have been different.
Nirvana
Yes, I must include Nirvana on the list, it may be cliché, but it is no secret that the legendary Seattle group was revolutionizing the industry before its abrupt and unfortunate end. During their presentation on MTV Unplugged (1994) you could already see a more matured band, with a Kurt Cobain starting a transition to something new, maybe.
I've always thought that Kurt would probably have rebelled against himself and do something totally opposed to Grunge, like electronic music, hindu music, something like that.
What other bands or artists you consider that could have changed the music scene these days ?, please leave your opinions in the comments. Thank you for reading
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