I’ve spent some time this week on the digital transfer of an old VHS tape that contained the entire (infamous to some parties in this town) Pria Mambo 2 gig that I and some friends organised ten years back, way before the time of SHEMUBROJA. Smiles accompanied by the knowing sighs that spelt “Those were the good old days” were aplenty, and it was then it occurred to me how dated some of the music we were listening to ten years ago. This was 2002, and it was the time of post-grunge and nu-metal when Puddle Of Mudd and Linkin Park were the sounds of the day to many urban youths, present company included. *koff*
Imagine if we played those tunes now and I bet we’ll be met by some pretty blank stares. The kind that we used to give when people of say, our older cousins (let alone those of dad’s generation), would pontificate on our apparent “bad” taste in music and going “What lah you people are listening to. Real music is like those by Led Zeppelin bla bla”. Nothing against Led Zep (I have their records) but you know what I’m getting at.
This phenomenon is getting a tad familiar as I grow older. Forget being 40-ish, I’ve experienced this firsthand when we were in our 30’s. You could see this on their Facebook walls where YouTube vids of music from the relevant decade would be posted with aplomb. Again, pontificating the “crap they call music these days” and putting up each generation’s own “crap”.
I don’t pretend to be young but I’ve to say I’m happy to listen to anything, as long as I like it. I can admit to know and like (to the point to be able to play), say Avril Lavigne‘s (contoh, OK? Heh) material, but I’m sure not in the way some of my friends of my generation would like her music. They’ll be more like, “Oh ya, she’s quite good. My ten-year old daughter plays the CD all the time / I brought my daughter to see her concert at Stadium Merdeka today/etc.”. I think this phenomenon boils down to where music is placed in one’s life. You have on one hand the casual listener, and on the other, the aficionado. The casual listener probably listens to what is on the radio’s top 40, buys the odd Now That’s What We Call Music CD and a compilation CD or two in their student days. The aficionado would probably be somewhat more selective, and have comprehensive knowledge of said band/artiste, have all their records and recognises a bootleg from a 1963 show at the Fillmore by listening to the first chord played. What about me?
I think I am somewhere in between. There are a few bands that I listen to steadfastly, with the occasional lapse when the band kinds of go quiet. Those of you who know me would be able to tell which bands these are. I started really collecting CD’s after graduation when I first bought my hi-fi separate system. With Metallica, I tried to get as many of their official recordings and go for the Japanese imports (just for that one extra track not available on the US/UK release). The other CDs would be those of artistes/band that I had taken a liking to. And if they are good enough, I would continue to listen to them and buy the next record they make.
Imagine doing this for the next 20-odd years, bearing in mind during this time, I take a fancy to newer artistes/bands. Forget about the growing collection of square clear plastic cases with CDs in them, but to maintain genuine interest is some feat in itself. It was doable in the first, say, ten years. I even go to see them live when they passed through town (or Nottingham). And with time, I began to see the interest waning a bit although I’d like to say not in a bad way. I began to be more selective – like the time Arctic Monkeys came out followed by a flurry of Brit bands that I felt sounded/looked same-ish. Also, I began to lose interest in some bands which I genuinely liked (the Manic Street Preachers come to mind), especially when in the recent few years these bands have slowed down a bit. So much so, this waning of genuine interest has started to make go, “The what?”, when something is being played on the radio, or when some younger friends telling me to check out As I Lay Dying and I’d go, “Yeah, yeah – I’ve heard of them, but I haven’t got around to check them out yet”, sheepishly in a cover line kinda way. I do admit this has caused some delay in listening to some worthy artistes, like Adele.
As a result, I think I may have thoughts of going into the pontificating game of how “crap” today’s music is, almost to extolling the virtues of music from “real” artistes from the “good old days”. I now abhor BBC Radio 1 and prefer Radio 2.
As Ed would say, “It’s evolution, baby”.
