Saturday, January 10, 2009

Open Question: Do young people like myself like Classic R&B?

I was just wondering if other young people are into classical R&B. For one, I am 27 years old, so I guess you could say I'm fairly young. I listen to all the smooth hits from late 60's and 70's. I especially love Motown. I've even read on up on classic R&B styles. I read that R&B from back in the day was divided into various soul styles. In the late 1960's in the United Sates, there was Chicago soul (e.g. heavy use of drums, minimal use on horns, and a moderate use of strings), Philly soul (e.g. heavy horn sections, an array of string arrangements, minimal drums), Motown (e.g. tambourines, heavy horn sections, moderate strings, bass), and Memphis soul (e.g. heavy horn sections, heavy string arrangements, organ, and blues guitar). I could go on and on. Anyways, I was just wondering if any other young folks like this style of R&B. I'm also a big fan of Philly soul (I'm from there) and Chicago soul. I don't know what it is but ever since I was 16 I really got into old school R&B. What I admire most about it is it's originality, style(s), and approach. It seems that a lot of the classics have the "black is beautiful" and pure soulful delivery in the music. By the way, I like the O'Jays, Harold Melvin and the Blue notes, the Spinners, Jerry Butler, New Birth, Patti Labelle, Blue Magic, the Delfonics, the Intruders, the Stylistics, Marvin Gaye,. James Brown, Curtis Mayfield, the Dells, the Dramatics, Lou Rawls, and on and on. I like some new school (neo soul) too but the only artists that seem to have original potential in my opinion are Alicia Keys (pop influenced though), Rafael Saadiq of Tony Tone Toni, Kindred Family Soul, and Erykah Badu. I could care less for Beyonce (though she's hot), Rihanna (hot too), Chris Brown, Ne-yo, and all the other R&B artists of pop persuasion. I really dig the old school. I sometimes wish I was around in the late 60's and seventies.

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