A Chorus of Disapproval
I've always liked music. Even when I was going through a phase where I listened exclusively to bands that didn't technically technically play "music" per se (check out Cannibal Corpse's "Vile" or even their early stuff like "Tomb of the Mutilated" & you'll know what I mean), I still loved to listen to the albums in my room, reading along with the lyrics. Some of the bands I would listen to actually knew how to play their instruments & write songs, & some were just interested in making a statement. I was never that good at playing music myself, despite countless hours practicing the guitar when I should have been doing my homework. So I had to settle for vicariously experiencing the thrill of music through listening.
It's funny how some music can profoundly affect the way you feel. And it doesn't have to be Beethoven's 7th. Or 9th. Or anything by Beethoven, really. As stupid as it sounds, I've felt the same overwhelming sensation while listening to Misfits, where you're taken away to another place that words alone cannot adequately explain. I've listened to early Rancid & known that the people making that music, raucous & abrasive as it was, had felt exactly what I was feeling at that moment, & were able to canvey the emotion in their music. These sounds helped me through some hard times, aka the foodstamp days.
Nowadays I listen to stuff that would revolt me back when I had Cannibal Corpse in the CD player. And even though I've sold just about all of my Emperor & Burzum CDs to Amoeba, I've held on to the ones that still give me that tingling feeling when I hear them. Unfortunately, it seems that when it comes to this reverence of the power of music, I'm in the minority. I can't condemn other people for their taste in music, but I can say this: it seems like these days everyone wants their music to be as loud as humanly possible. I could relate to this when I was 15, but now it seems crazy to be sitting in your car at a red light, by yourself, blasting Tupac, or Los Tigres de los Norte, or Yellowcard, or ANYTHING, for chrissakes. You can't tell me you're really enjoying the music. When my friend Erin & are hanging out we would blast the radio during blocks of Social Distortion & pound beers. Well, we did until he went under house arrest. That was what I consider a social setting; but even then we would sing along with the chorus & appreciate the music.
My girlfriend's neighbor plays the blandest music so loud you can feel your teeth rattle. Dave Matthews Band, loud as an airplane jet, late at night or early in the morning. Linkin Park, Staind...Gwen Stefani?! As you can easily surmise, he has the personality of a dead moth. And NO appreciation for music. I suppose the part that pisses me off is that he isn't really LISTENING to the music. He's talking on the phone & watching tv or jacking off or taking a shit, NOT experiencing the interplay of words & music. My girlfriends other neighbor plays loud music at inopportune times, but, since he actually loves music & wants to enjoy what he's listening to, it's loud but not counterproductively loud, & it's decent fucking music. I may not be King Crimson's #1 fan, but it's more engaging than Green Day's new concept album. Why not just turn The Price is Right up full blast? Why not just start screaming at the top of your lungs? Why not just go outside & be deafened by the construction & gardeners & traffic?
Next time you're listening to music, ask yourself: am I really listening to music?
It's funny how some music can profoundly affect the way you feel. And it doesn't have to be Beethoven's 7th. Or 9th. Or anything by Beethoven, really. As stupid as it sounds, I've felt the same overwhelming sensation while listening to Misfits, where you're taken away to another place that words alone cannot adequately explain. I've listened to early Rancid & known that the people making that music, raucous & abrasive as it was, had felt exactly what I was feeling at that moment, & were able to canvey the emotion in their music. These sounds helped me through some hard times, aka the foodstamp days.
Nowadays I listen to stuff that would revolt me back when I had Cannibal Corpse in the CD player. And even though I've sold just about all of my Emperor & Burzum CDs to Amoeba, I've held on to the ones that still give me that tingling feeling when I hear them. Unfortunately, it seems that when it comes to this reverence of the power of music, I'm in the minority. I can't condemn other people for their taste in music, but I can say this: it seems like these days everyone wants their music to be as loud as humanly possible. I could relate to this when I was 15, but now it seems crazy to be sitting in your car at a red light, by yourself, blasting Tupac, or Los Tigres de los Norte, or Yellowcard, or ANYTHING, for chrissakes. You can't tell me you're really enjoying the music. When my friend Erin & are hanging out we would blast the radio during blocks of Social Distortion & pound beers. Well, we did until he went under house arrest. That was what I consider a social setting; but even then we would sing along with the chorus & appreciate the music.
My girlfriend's neighbor plays the blandest music so loud you can feel your teeth rattle. Dave Matthews Band, loud as an airplane jet, late at night or early in the morning. Linkin Park, Staind...Gwen Stefani?! As you can easily surmise, he has the personality of a dead moth. And NO appreciation for music. I suppose the part that pisses me off is that he isn't really LISTENING to the music. He's talking on the phone & watching tv or jacking off or taking a shit, NOT experiencing the interplay of words & music. My girlfriends other neighbor plays loud music at inopportune times, but, since he actually loves music & wants to enjoy what he's listening to, it's loud but not counterproductively loud, & it's decent fucking music. I may not be King Crimson's #1 fan, but it's more engaging than Green Day's new concept album. Why not just turn The Price is Right up full blast? Why not just start screaming at the top of your lungs? Why not just go outside & be deafened by the construction & gardeners & traffic?
Next time you're listening to music, ask yourself: am I really listening to music?
posted by I. P. Frehley at 6:55 PM
3 Comments:
I find that I dont listen to music when I'm along unless I'm horribly depressed and want to wallow in it.I guess going out with a nice tune is appealing to me.
Its intresting to see why others listen to music. I have found I only play music in the presence of others to test there tolerence of things they dont hear on a routine basis. Game show themes tend to get under people skin quickly.
how dare you suggest that i'm not truly enjoying the aural ambrosia of Kid Rock or the Kottonmouth Kings or Brujeria! why, just because i happen to be driving to work with a busted muffler, eating a hamburger and talking on a cell phone, doesn't mean i can't appreciate the subtle nuances of the music, or notice the gradual shifts from allegro to fortissimo. how dare you, sir. how dare you.
One possibility is that the drivers are all drunk. Back in my drunk driving days I would get in the car the next morning and be amazed how loud it was turned up. Can a drunk really feel the music? Drunken dance moves point to yes, or maybe they point to no.
Post a Comment
<< Home