Legendary guitarist Joe Satriani says not all current pop music is bad, but too much of it suffers from the same problem: lyrics.
Satch is generally complimentary of the instrumental side of the music he hears on Top 40 radio today, but he says pop lyrics seem so forced and so 'on trend' that they keep him from enjoying the songs.
The guitarist, who's currently on the European leg of his G3 tour with Uli Jon Roth and Dream Theater guitarist John Petrucci, told Premier Guitar that most pop music is bulletproof from an instrumental standpoint, but vocally there's probably too much pressure.
"You hear a really cool groove, you hear sounds you never heard before, and then, for me, you get let down when the person starts singing, because it's some sort of trendy message that the artist feels they have to talk about," he said.
Modern pop records often have a dozen or more producers and hundreds of thousands—or even millions of dollars—poured into them by their record labels. It's a big investment, Satriani said, so a lot of people work a lot of hours trying to make the best songs possible.
But they also have to make sure the record sells.
It's got to be fun or sexy or political—but not so much in any one direction so as to offend someone.
"That's sad," Satriani continued. "There were periods of music, if you go back 50, 60, 70 years, where pop seemed to deliver messages that you could live with."
Satch, who's made a career for himself with a luminous catalogue of instrumental guitar albums, said the music is crucial, but what an artist is about comes across in the lyrics, if there are any.
As a solo artist, Satch uses song titles to help lead the listener in a particular direction if they're looking for meaning in the songs.
Satriani related his experience with Chickenfoot (a band featuring Sammy Hagar, Michael Anthony, Chad Smith and himself) as an example of how a rock band should work.
"I think every band that's got a singer and a lyricist has to come to grips with that," he said. "Are they gonna write a song where it's all about, 'I love you, let's have a good time tonight,' or is it gonna be [Chickenfoot's song] 'Avenida Revolucion,' where Sammy is screaming about the injustice of life down at the border? You make that choice, and you plant your feet firmly on the ground."
So many pop artists are out to many everyone happy, but so many of them aren't saying anything.
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