| The history of music repeats itself at the micro level as well. A pioneer discovers a new style, people settle it, it gets overloaded and so a new pioneer sets out. This is why horn bands start showing up in the later stages of a style. Rock had gotten good and established before it started getting filled up. Compare the simplicity of the early Beatles to Abbey Road, look at bands like the Moody Blues,Yes, and the Grateful Dead that started filling sound into every available space. By adding horns a band adds a powerful instrumental voice that adds percusive punch and sustaining power. By this time the style gets pretty crowded, and people move on. New Wave (polite Punk) didn't last very long after Oingo Boingo hit the scene, disco strings and horns got pretty boring pretty fast.
Of course your friends think you're crazy -- add horns, and you have to split the take eight ways instead of four!
__________________ "A tool good enough to be so used and not too good" C.S. Lewis That Hideous Strength www.letsbuildhope.org |