Case in point: When I was 12, I came across the 1977 Paul Gambaccini poll of top rock albums (from a book of 200, I saw the top 20 in The Book of Lists 2). No big deal, I liked music, whatever--but I was intrigued that four of the top ten (and five of the top 20) were by the Beatles. I think it was the first time it had occurred to me then that they weren't just part of the cultural atmosphere, this overbearing monolith THE BEATLES, but were, you know, artists who created things you were supposed to enjoy, maybe even gain insight from. That's mine; what's yours?
― M. Matos, Thursday, 1 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
― Andy, Thursday, 1 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
― Nick, Thursday, 1 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
I'm not sure I understand the question - is this about our own experiences, realizing that Big Bands make musica and are Real, or some greater concern involving the fabric of popular music?
― David Raposa, Thursday, 1 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
― Mark, Thursday, 1 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
― Nitsuh, Thursday, 1 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
― Sterling Clover, Thursday, 1 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 1 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
When I was going through a classic rock phase around 12 or so, I stumbled upon a Jimi Hendrix documentary on TV. That's when I first realized that rock musicians could be important -- actual historical figures.
― Arthur, Thursday, 1 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
― Tracer Hand, Thursday, 1 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
― Dave225, Thursday, 1 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
I asked my mom for a Depeche Mode album for Christmas when I was 12. My ma, being the gem that she is, went out to the local record store and asked for anything by my favourite euro-trash synth gods. I guess the folks at the record store thought that it'd be pretty fun to convince her to buy something as far away for Depeche Mode as you can possibly get. Hence, they told her that if you like Depeche Mode, you're sure to like the Dead Milkmen (Big Lizard In My Backyard--to be specific).
I ended up listening to "Right Wing Pigeons" on Christmas morning and never turned back. Suffice it to say, it was the first and last music related item my mother ever gave me.
― cybele, Thursday, 1 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
― Maria, Thursday, 1 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
fuck, i could lie too, but what's the point. it was fuckin nirvana. everyone happy now?
― jess, Thursday, 1 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
― cory sklar, Thursday, 1 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
― daria gray, Thursday, 1 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
― Douglas, Thursday, 1 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
― ethan, Thursday, 1 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
And if I wanted a break from those two extremes, I'd watch TOTP or listen to Radio Clyde (Like Radio 2 with Scottish accents) listen to whatever was mainstream at the time, by which time (mid 70s) I was already developing opinions about bands. I remember the first band I ever really disliked was Liverpool Express aka LEX, (Remember them?!?? No!?!?? Lucky you!!!)!!!! I also remember also being really bored stiff with "Bohemian Rapsody" staying at number 1 in the Uk charts for what seemed like an ice-age, although I don't remember Abba kicking them off the top spot. I do however remember Abba kicking Manhattan Transfer off the top spot about a year or so later, and I even remember having a bet with my mum about whether M's "Pop Musik", which had been at number 2 for a couple of weeks behind Art Garfunkels "Bright Eyes", would finally reach number 1. I was on the side of "Bright Eyes", whilst my mum thought "Pop Musik" was a better record. I said I liked "Pop Musik" better, but more people appear to like "Bright Eyes". I won the bet- and got an ice cream cone or something... :) So I suppose summer 1978, when I had worked out the difference between a good record and a popular record, was the time music stopped being "furniture" to me...
Old Fart!!!!!
― Old Fart!!!!, Friday, 2 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
― bob snoom, Saturday, 3 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
― Tracer Hand, Saturday, 3 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
Basically this is what I do now, still. I think music stopped being furniture for me, realy, the second I became aware of a chart and started feeling that it mattered to me what was doing well on it. So earlier in that case, 1980, when I wanted Abba's "Lay All Your Love On Me" to do well.
― Tom, Sunday, 4 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
― ethan, Sunday, 4 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
In 1979 (I was sixteen) I bought the Nick Drake box set "Fruit Tree" after having read an enthusiastic review in a German weekly (non- musical) paper. "Five Leaves Left" and especially "Pink Moon" changed my conception of music. Suddenly it became like a resort for me. A place where I could go to flee from the stupid and mundane everyday life. In the beginning I almost thought that I was the only person in the world listening to this. Then I listened to it with my best friend. And the knowledge of these songs became a part of our friendship. For many years I could not listen to Nick Drake but recently I restarted and I must say these songs are still the best I have ever heard in pop music (together with Joni Mitchell's who I discovered six years later).
― alex in mainhattan, Monday, 5 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
What about : GLAM, PUNK, DISCO, POST-PUNK/NEW WAVE, ABBA, still some good stuff from MOTOWN, PHILLY....ETC ETC
Nick Drake's years of obscurity = thoroughly deserved.
― Dr. C, Monday, 5 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
After that things trundled on happily enough, Tom Brown presenting the Top 20 every Sunday evening, disco, Grease, something called punk ("no they're not punk, they're new wave" - my sister; "oh" - me) but punks fought teds so we don't get involved with them (or teds). Then, on a school trip to France the coach driver has but one tape - an Elton John hits tape, notably featuring Rocket Man and Someone Saved My Life Tonight - that is played repeatedly, and I discover you can actually go and buy albums, you don't have to just tape the Top40. From there, a short step to Fleetwood Mac, Pink Floyd and oblivion.
― Jeff, Monday, 5 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
GLAM - 'too bloody false'. Not sure I follow this - falser than...what? Nick Drake? How do you know? Were Slade pretending to be something they weren't? I doubt it. Marc Bolan? Likewise. Not that it would bother me either way - pretence, deceit even, is fine as long as good music results.
PUNK - the Buzzcocks charted in the UK with 4 or 5 singles.
DISCO - D.I.S.C.O. I love disco. Donna Summer, Chic, Heatwave, Bee Gees... Boney M had their moments - some groovin' basslines early doors, but dud later on. I can lose myself in say, "Funkytown" or "Lost In Music" in a way that feels like a total out-of-body experience. (Like Ned would have while enjoying Slowdive ;). Some of the production is marvellous, never bettered - I think in the main because they didn't clutter the grooves too much - just concentrated on getting the essentials right.
ABBA - I'm sorry to hear they almost destroyed your youth. I bet they didn't mean to.
You said **I never liked MOTOWN, Soul, Funk and all its derivatives. I hope hating those styles (as well as rap and hip-hop) does not make me a racist**.
I don't think so, but it's sad that you dismiss such a huge chunk of music in one fell swoop. Hate is a strong word to use - what is it that make you 'hate' it?
― Arthur, Monday, 5 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
― Irwin Petoir Daly, Monday, 5 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
**No drum machines and samples** - Not even a teeny-weeny sample? WHY?
**Glam is superficial for me. It was just a marketing trick to make people buy more records** - Get away! Seriously, Alex, even Neil Young uses marketing tricks to sell more records. And Joni Mitchell does.
Don't get the idea that I categorize music rigidly into genre types - I felt i needed some broad categories to repond to your earlier message. So Roxy, glam/pop/rock, prog at times even - who cares? Good band though, I agree.
You sidestepped an explanation of your hatred of soul, funk, hip-hop etc I'd be interested to hear why you hate it. I'd say lots of it is 'organic' (also no samples/drum machines in the 70's varieties), so what's so wrong?
― Dr .C, Monday, 5 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
― Sterling Clover, Monday, 5 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
― Dr. C, Tuesday, 6 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
― alex in mainhattan, Tuesday, 6 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
John
― john, Wednesday, 19 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
― ethan, Wednesday, 19 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 19 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
id hate to be post punk but i swear to fucking god it was the minutemen double nickles on the dime that got me into music when i was 13. -- cory sklar (coryskla...), October 31st, 2001 5:00 PM.
― city of gyros (chaki), Tuesday, 25 April 2006 22:17 (nineteen years ago)
― Abbadavid Berman (Hurting), Tuesday, 25 April 2006 22:27 (nineteen years ago)
― JW (ex machina), Tuesday, 25 April 2006 22:36 (nineteen years ago)
word to your mother
― marc h. (marc h.), Tuesday, 25 April 2006 23:05 (nineteen years ago)
The perils of benefactors, The blessings of parasites.
Thanks Joni.
― Beth Natale, Wednesday, 26 April 2006 00:12 (nineteen years ago)
― strongo hulkington is a guy with a belly button piercing (dubplatestyle), Wednesday, 26 April 2006 00:44 (nineteen years ago)