Retro not tacky
Posted by Francis | Posted in Music | Posted on 07-07-2009
Tags: 70s, Disco, Music, Raphae Saadiq, soul
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Anyone who has had the pleasure of speaking to me about music while drunk has most probably heard my rant about disco. The short story: disco has gone from the classy days (to sordid days) in the 70s to (a lot of the time) just pure tack. Of course every music form has its tack, but people sometimes hear me say “I play disco at my night” and they immediately think “IT’S FUN TO STAY AT THE YYYYMCA”, and not much else. That’s a big reason why we started our night Better Days almost 6 years ago, to start the classy side of disco, and other forms of old music again. The disco that is good music, associated with class and good times. But that is a whole other story. My point is, while music becomes classic, it can lose the class, and also the meaning it had in those times.
Retro has a tendency to become tacky. A lot of things from the 70s or any other decade are difficult to re-create without seeming out of place or out of time. Some get it right though. I recently went to see Raphael Saadiq at the Jazz Cafe who laid on a great performance from his new album “The way I see it” where he has taken an influence from the Motown days of old and very very slightly updated it. To the point where it looks great again. See what you think below.