Once A Motown Fan, Always A Motown Fan?

**Motown4Ever518** · 02-04-2012, 01:37 PM

I was skimming through another thread on this site and was thinking about a comment made by one the posters that her friends her age, growing up were not into Motown, but possibly into Stax, Chi-Town area, or later, my hometown Philly, as well other regional sounds. My question is, while listening to the hits of the day, back in the day. Did you say to yourself, "Oh that's too Pop-sounding", "I prefer a different earthier sound", or did you groove with the songs depending on if it was good or bad.

The reason for the question is, I am weary of the right intentioned music historians who state with authority that what was produced on West Grand Blvd was not "authentic". Conversely, while doing chores around the house today, I popped in the CD player what I thought was lost but happily found, a disc of TCMS 1965, and had confirmed what I always felt, that the Motown Sound, is/was many different sounds.

My point is that when I was listening to it, it did not matter who, what, where, when, or why, it was either good or bad, or baaaaadddddd.

**Zantellor** · 02-04-2012, 01:50 PM

Motown music is the music that really held up from the 60's. it still sounds fresh. What was it pop r and b rock and roll, soul who cares it was and is still the greatest music ever made .don't disect it just enjoy it

**jboy88** · 02-04-2012, 02:22 PM

This was discussed in my Pop music class the other day! My professor compared the operation of Motown to the way pop music is done today, manufactured,produced to please mass media! Needless to say, it blew my mind! At the same time, Motown had alot of unique qualities within itself with different writers and producers making different styles of music. So it was and still is something special.

**robb_k** · 02-04-2012, 02:59 PM

I grew up first hearing my father's 1930s & '40s Blues[[Delta and Big City), Jazz, R&B and Boogie Woogie music. I added Group Harmony R&B, and R&B/Soul transition to that repertoire. I LOVED Motown from the start. I didn't "classify" the music, I just liked what I liked, and didn't like what I didn't like. I can't imagine thinking that Motown music was "too pop oriented". It was music I liked. It sounded good. It certainly isn't any less inspired than Blues or Stax music or any other. It just has different instrumentation and some difference in melody and song structure [[as do all differing types of music).

**Motown4Ever518** · 02-04-2012, 04:46 PM

jboy88, I would say that he nailed it! Because after all we are talking about what is popular at a time and place, and lets not forget that the first three letters in popular are pop. So when I hear that the music was deemed "too pop" as a negative, I smile and always go back to my previous statement. By the way, jboy88, I hope you gain an "A" in that class.