英文杂志-Magazine：Rock and roll grandads

Rock'n'roll grandadsby Chris RoseIn 2005 The Rolling Stones released an album called “A Bigger Bang”.  Many critics, as usual, chose it as their favourite of the year.  This isn’t very surprising, but if you think that “A Bigger Bang” was their 25th album now the Rolling Stones have been around for more than 40 years, and that singer Mick Jagger, guitarist Keith Richards and the other musicians are all well into their 60s, and are all grandfathers, it starts to look a bit strange. The idea of my grandfather standing¹ on a stage in front of thousands of people singing “I Can’t Get No Satisfaction” is just embarrassing. Can you imagine your grandfather doing it?

But the Rolling Stones are not an exception.  Last year, ex-Beatle Paul McCartney also released a new record.  He worked with the producer of the band Radiohead to give himself a more modern sound.  His record only had limited success, but again thousands of people came out to see the man when he played live concerts.   Many young people still listen to Madonna, as well.  She is regarded as being an exciting contemporary artist, even though she has now been making records for more than 20 years and is in her late 40s.  Even a former terror like John Lydon (who used to be called “Johnny Rotten” when he was the leader of infamous² punk band the Sex Pistols) still makes records.  He now appears regularly on TV chat shows in Britain, and was even a contestant³ on the reality show “I’m a Celebrity⁴ Get Me Out Of Here!”

It used to be said that pop music was an art form created by and for young people.  Many groups or singers make one or two good records when they are in their early 20s, then disappear, or carry on making less interesting records.  It was difficult to find artists who could continue making great records, year after year, for a long time.  In some ways, this is still the case.  The Rolling Stones, for example, are still much more famous for the songs they made in the 1960s and 70s than for their more recent recordings⁵, and even though many people go and see Paul McCartney in concert, they are really hoping he will sing some old Beatles songs, rather than his new ones.   People like to watch John Lydon on TV because they hope he will do something outrageous⁶, like he used to do.  Many of these rock’n’roll grandads are really still living off the past.

This phenomenon is not limited to the West.  In other parts of the world where there is more respect for older people and less of an emphasis on youth, perhaps it is to be expected.  Last year, veteran Indian singer Asha Bhosle, now in her 70s, released a new record.  She is a musician who has continued to develop, changing her style and working with other interesting western musicians such as Michael Stipe from the American rock band REM and classical musicians, the Kronos Quartet.  However, it seems that at her concerts people still hope that she will sing the old Bollywood film songs such as “Dum Maaro Dum” that originally made her famous.

Pop only used to be for young people, now it has grown up.  Now pop and rock music have been around for 50 years, people who started listening to it when they were young are now old.  Why should their tastes change?

Of course, boy bands – groups of singing and dancing young people who are often not much older than the people who buy or download their songs - still continue to be hugely popular all over the world.  However, it is very difficult to imagine a group like Blue still going in forty years time.  And while older readers might remember the Backstreet Boys, or even Take That – how significant has their contribution to popular music really been?  And can anyone already even remember McFly?  Will anybody still be listening to Blue or Britney Spears when they’re in their sixties?

 

1 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

2 infamous   

adj.声名狼藉的，臭名昭著的，邪恶的

参考例句：

• He was infamous for his anti-feminist attitudes.他因反对女性主义而声名狼藉。
• I was shocked by her infamous behaviour.她的无耻行径令我震惊。

3 contestant   

n.竞争者，参加竞赛者

参考例句：

• The company will furnish each contestant with a free ticket.公司将为每个参赛者免费提供一张票。
• The personal appearance and interview of the contestant is another count.参加比赛者的个人仪表和谈话也是一项。

4 celebrity   

n.名人，名流；著名，名声，名望

参考例句：

• Tom found himself something of a celebrity. 汤姆意识到自己已小有名气了。
• He haunted famous men, hoping to get celebrity for himself. 他常和名人在一起, 希望借此使自己获得名气。

5 recordings   

n.记录( recording的名词复数 )；录音；录像；唱片

参考例句：

• a boxed set of original recordings 一套盒装原声录音带
• old jazz recordings reissued on CD 以激光唱片重新发行的老爵士乐

6 outrageous   

adj.无理的，令人不能容忍的

参考例句：

• Her outrageous behaviour at the party offended everyone.她在聚会上的无礼行为触怒了每一个人。
• Charges for local telephone calls are particularly outrageous.本地电话资费贵得出奇。