Genuine or contrived?

I had an interesting conversation last night, the other side of which may yet make it onto one of the class members' board. In broad terms, it was about the seminal moments that affect entire generations. What made it interesting was that it was more specifically about events in the world of music that affected entire generations. Without going into the specifics of that particular conversation, the interesting element that came out of it was that it quickly turned into a questioning into what actually makes a watershed event. Why is it that certain events manage to surpass the ephemeral and have repercussions that resonate beyond the boundaries of the event's purview?

To a large extent, my contention is that there is a not-too-subtle difference between the genuine and the contrived, especially in music. We are awash in commercial jingles where sugary lyrics rhapsodize on the virtues of floor wax. We have come to expect the expectable, trained as we are in the absurd plasticity of commercial messaging. But when an artist surfaces with a message that is born of something true, resonant and, well, genuine, we have retained the ability to detect it. The best example of this came in September 1991, with the release of Nirvana's "Nevermind". Amid a placid scene of increasingly polished rock albums came this bolt from the blue, and music in the 90s was irrevocably changed.

Whether one is a fan of this music or not is beside the point. In point of fact, I was not a fan from the onset. But it is undeniable that this album formed the basis for a cathartic sea change in music, one whose effects are still felt today.

I suppose the point of this story is that the end point of this reflection comes in the realization that, as with much human understanding, a bottom up approach is far more compelling and natural than a top down. "Nevermind" hit a nerve that took root in a sort of public non-consciousness; it played to a latent need that had not yet been articulated. In contrast, many manufactured artists are handed down to the masses from on high: polished, concocted and pre-packaged, ready for consumption. And while some work just by virtue of good market research, they nevertheless have a plastic, contrived feel. And their legacy is short-lived, if there is any at all.

There is more to this, but I'll get to it at a later time.