Being a child of the 80s through to the 90s, I can honestly say, hand on heart, that I wouldn't change a thing. Those two magical decades brought with it an explosion of creativity and undiluted talent and genius. Musicians cared about their works like they were their own children. Time, passion and heart went into producing songs, albums and even music videos. How I miss those times. I truly believe I witnessed a revolutionary time period in terms of all-out innovation and progression in the entertainment industry. However, just because these are my own personal experiences, would they translate the same way for others?
That's an interesting question. I believe age and memory plays a huge play in that. Many a time have I scoffed at the latest musical trends to hit the airwaves, dismissing anything "new" as being a repackaged cheap knock-off of something that was produced years past but so much better. Although I must also be aware that the younger generation are living through a time in their lives where their "own" life's soundtrack in being created on-the-fly, without the same referential points I have documented down for myself. I can have my uniquely formulated and distinctive comparative stance on things such as pop culture, movies and television that someones two decades my junior would not.
Therefore, I realise are seeing the world through a set of fresh, young and innocent eyes. How can I possibly explain the insane rush I felt hearing Guns 'n' Roses for the first time or watching the world premiere of Micheal Jackson's Thriller? It would seem an impossible and fruitless task, given the masses of aural and visual content the new generation are exposed to on a daily basis. Media in general has become so disposable, that even proper raw talent will most likely go down the drain with it. It's a sad state of affairs for me as this "overload of information" has, in turn, also decreased attentions spans. To the point where any newly birthed content already has an affixed expiration date stamped onto it. No artist or track is "timeless" anymore.
I remember the pure adrenaline rush of going to a record store, in anticipation of the latest release from one of my favourite artists. The journey to the shop, posters in the windows, holding a physical copy of said album, reading through the cover sleeve (front and back), marvelling at the hypnotic effects of that almost psychedelic shiny new CD disc. These are incredible experiences that will be all but lost to our new generation of teens and 20 somethings. However, I do consider myself extremely lucky to have been part of a society and culture, that offered up such memorable treasures for me. These fond reflections of the past hold such great importance to me.
What is the point I'm trying to get across here? I suppose a humbling "respect" I'll always have for one of the most precious time periods of my life. I mean, those epic moments of bliss caused by the dizzying quality of artists back in the day, as well as the medium they were presented on. Can the young of today replicate those same feelings of elation that myself and my peers felt? Or is the music entertainment sector as a whole really just considered one mass passing fad in today fast-paced lifestyle and culture?
