Episode 15 of season 6 of Sopranos features A scene Where Tony and Paulie went out for dinner with friends. After the endless stories of Paulie on old days, Tony becomes irritated and declares that “remember when” is the lowest form of conversation. He then rises and goes to a low level breath.
It is understandable that some people find certain types of memories boring. They believe they are living in the moment and waiting for the future, not to rebuild the past. Nostalgia was, in fact, a medical condition which described a particular type of melancholy merged with sentimentality.
Things have become fairly melancholy and nostalgic for me on Friday evening when I attended a meeting of dozens of people who worked on Winnipeg radio over the decades. They were mentors, peers and followers of a time when Am Radio was still playing music and FM had time to play 20 -minute album songs. There was even a special session entitled “War Stories” where it was all “Remember when.” A lot of time has been devoted to those who are no longer with us.
It is so easy to get lost by thinking about “the good old days” when life was simpler and that so many possibilities were ahead. The more we age, the more conversations that include the expression “remember when”.
Music fans are not immune to this, of course, in particular those that have been going on for years, increasing each time a rock star dies. In the past 10 days, we have lost funk / rock master Sly stoneBeach Boy Brian Wilson And the pioneer of industrial dance Douglas McCarthy of Nitzer EBB.
“Remember when Hot fun in summer Bleed AM radios during the hottest days of the year? »»
“Remember when you heard Good vibrations For the first time and your music concept changed? »»
Get national news
For news that has an impact on Canada and worldwide, register for the safeguarding of news alerts that are delivered to you directly when they occur.
“Remember when we all danced Join the song In dark clubs where everyone wore the blackest clothes they could afford? »»
I admit I said all these things during last week. These conversations were satisfied with other related subjects. It was a kind of time “remember when”.
Rock stars are supposed to be immortal. After all, the things they seem superhuman, so why should they be subject to the fragiles of human existence? How many millions (billions?) Of people have lived all their lives knowing that Brian Wilson walked on earth? We have constantly said that the world has been down since the death of David Bowie and Prince in 2016.
But death, they say, is undefeated. It will come for all of us one day. In the not too far future, there will be no more life Beatles. We will never see an appropriate version of Fleetwood Mac again on stage again. Bob Dylan will be going to become an ex-Dylan. Jimmy Page will no longer collect a guitar. And the Rolling Stones will stop shooting, Keith and Mick will manage. These are things that give thought, this slow mass extinction event.
Music fans will have no choice but to face the loss of so many of their heroes. All we will find is our records and CDs, band t-shirts and memories “remember when”.
There will be new opportunities “Remember when”. Abba Journey Avatar continues to agree with hundreds of millions of millions of millions in its theater specially designed in London. Kiss should join the singularity with a simulation in Las Vegas. Virtual Reality Tech will also continue to improve, also allowing the areas of deceased artists (Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Buddy Holly, Ronnie James Dio, Roy Orbison et al.) To continue with productions featuring holograms that front a live group.
There are other reasons why this music will live much longer than that of previous generations. Normally, the popularity of an artist will culminate, decline and be forgotten because they are supplanted by the next generation of artists. Today, streaming maintains older music alive far beyond its best expected date. Unlike their ancestors, today’s music fans are extremely ecumenical in their tastes with regard to the era and the genre. Is it a good song? Does that make them feel something? Then they will listen.
And then there is this: in the last decade, companies with names like Primary Wave, Sony Music Entertainment and Concord Music bought the publication rights on the greatest music ever produced. Billions of dollars have been spent acquiring these catalogs, which has led to incredible payments (I kept them here).
With the way copyright operates, these companies are up to a hundred years (or more!) To recover their investments. How? By ensuring that these songs never slip from the consciousness of the public and continue to generate income. Old songs that would have been rejected by something new will now be heard for many decades to come. This means recordings, covers, samples, original interpolations, etc. They will survive their creators and fans who will remember when they were released for the first time.
Here is the brutal truth. If you have the opportunity to see an older artist favorite once again, do it. You will participate in a mass experience “Remember when”, and you can say that you have seen them the last time.
& Copy 2025 Global News, A Division of Corus Entertainment Inc.