"There have always been throwbacks."
Yeah but it's especially out of control now. What, in 1968, for example, was Black Sabbath a throwback to? What was Led Zeppelin a throwback to? They definitely had their influences, as does anyone -- early Black Sabbath had a heavy bluesy component -- but nowadays there's just a ton of "Let's see what cult band from 1977 - 1983 we can emulate and remind people of"-type stuff going on, very consciously. Also, Wolfmother = "like Led Zeppelin"; The Datsuns = "like Detroit circa 1970," etc. And apparently Arctic Monkeys "are a throwback to The Undertones or The Jam" (don't really care for AM myself). In other words, there've always been throwbacks (Sha-Na-Na in the 70s) but now it's just insane.
Wendy wrote:
"[Simon Reynolds] was always one of those who looked too deeply for an underlying psychological explanation for every NOTE, when the musicians he was analysing would laugh and tell you themselves that most of what they did came as an accidental consequence just of farting about in the studio, probably stoned."
I don't know that much about him, but I'll take your word for it. I don't read much music criticism -- or at least try not to. Though I guess I am a "rock-ist," I found out a few years back, heh. I do like Greil Marcus, and I guess he could be accused of over-analysis.
-B.