Tuesday, January 5, 2010

5101520 - As The Years Go By...

I can’t say for certain that I’ve been a music nerd my WHOLE life. But I can’t remember a time where I wasn’t wholeheartedly into some form of music. Here is where I go through the years and get real embarrassed…

Birth-4: I cried a lot.

5-7: When I was 7 my family moved from Holden, Massachusetts to Naperville, Illinois. Our babysitter got my sister and I goodbye presents. My sister got No Doubt’s Tragic Kingdom and I got Space Wars: 20 Space Hits. I have no clue why he go that for me, but MAN did I love it. The only thing I really remember about this was jammin’ so hard to “Cantina Band” from Star Wars, and I can still jam to it. It’s good to know my 7-year-old ears agree with my 19-year-old ears.

8-11: Three words. Third Eye Blind. Yes dear reader, I was a 3eb super fan. I knew every word to every song on both Third Eye Blind and Blue Planet. I would look back every few years to Third Eye Blind and until the last year or so, I absolutely hated it. I was pretty anti-pop music for quite some time. After years of hatred, I gave in and just embraced it for what it is: amazingly well written, irresistible pop music.

12-14.5: I’d like to blame my sister for these three years. I listened to nothing but AC/DC. You think I’m kidding...I’m not. I like to lie to people and say that at this age I listened to Zeppelin, Clapton, GNR, KISS and AC/DC. It was just AC/DC and sometimes a song or two from those other artists (I listen to Led Zeppelin way more now than I ever did). In middle school I had my CD Walkman and a thick CD case filled with AC/DC (21 in all). Everyday I’d listen to a different CD on the bus ride home. I don’t know what was so damn appealing, but I was hooked. I kind of see it as the same reason why some young kids like the hibbity-hop. There’s a big beat to bob along to, and it’s the same flawless formula every time. After three years of nothing but that flawless formula, I began to see the flaws and just got bored. Although, I do jam Powerage once in a while.

14.5-16ish: I’d like to thank Jack Johnson for showing me the light. By that I mean, showing me that modern music could actually be good. During my Junior High years, I was pretty convinced that anything past 1991 was not worth listening to. I remember sitting on my couch and seeing this video. Today it seems stale, but at the time this was the coolest video I ever laid my eyes upon. From Jack Johnson, I started to explore more modern acts. I got into pretty much every pop-punk band on earth. For that time, it was the end all be all. I was so devoted to that music and that scene (or whatever), it was scary. The only bands that still remain a favorite of mine from this period are Alkaline Trio, The Lawrence Arms, OK Go and Coheed & Cambria. The rest sort of make me wanna puke. Though nostalgia gets the best of me sometimes and I spin certain songs by certain bands that will remained unnamed. As for Jack Johnson, I feel like everyone goes through a JJ phase. I've moved on entirely from him but I will always respect him for his music and what he showed me.

16ish-19: These last three years or so have been the most musically explorative years ever. I’ve listened to pretty much anything I can get my hands on. Indie, Hip-Hip, Pop, Jazz, Classic Rock, Classic Country, Folk. Anything...but not everything (save this debate for another time). I’ve done my best to take music at face value. If I didn’t I wouldn’t listen to Hank Williams Sr. Hank is one hell of a song writer, but if you really look at his songs, they’re all the same in almost every sense of the way. They’re all around 2 minutes and 45 seconds, they’re all about some lady, they’re all tongue-in-cheek, they’re all in the key of D and there’s never, ever a bridge. Must I continue? And although they’re shallow country songs, they’re fun and well written. That’s all that matters. I just wish country music now wasn’t such a joke.

In my later high school years, I was a pretty huge elitist when it came to music. If you didn’t listened to what I listened to, it sucked and you sucked. With age came the realization of certain things (okay a lot of things). Most importantly that what someone likes or doesn't like doesn’t really matter. All that matter is what makes you happy. Even if it’s Angels & Airwaves. Though it is hard to not rip on someone when on their facebook, under music, it says “Rascal Flatts, T-Pain, AVA, oldies”. If that’s what they like, the God Bless ‘em. I’d rather the world listen to music, than not at all.

On a final note, I highly encourage everyone to go and do this for your self. If you’d like, post what you listened to throughout the years. It’s really cool to reconnect with your self. I went back a listened to that “Cantina Band” song from Star Wars. It's basically a jazz song, and I got a Jazz boxset for Christmas. Spooky.

5 comments:

  1. G Spinn, I love your blog. Imma have to do this for myself on facebook. I understand what musically makes you, you.

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  2. Uhh, Pardon.

    Birth-19 years old: You cried a lot.

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  3. In the summer of 1963, I got a transistor radio for my birthday. I finally was driving my own musical directions, but with no roadmap (primitive paper GPS). At one point in July I decided to risk hell and eternal damnation and I tuned in the local top 40 rock & roll station. Since I had no dim idea what I was hearing, I decided that the very next song they played will be my "favorite" song. It was "Please Don't Talk to the Lifeguard". It depicted a girl ready to fake drowning just to get near that dreamy lifeguard.

    Fortunately, when my mom took me to the the store that later became Target to buy an album for me the only Beatles LP released in those pre-Ed Sullivan days was Introducing the Beatles on the VJ label. The cover photo had red hair on all 4 Beatles. I thought that was hilarious and chose that one over whatever girl group had the lifeguard song.

    That worked so well for me that for the next few years I based all my record buying decisions on what cover art I liked best.

    Your blogging continues to improve, and to show a lot of skill in conveying your thinking and feelings about music. I think with a little time, a little exposure, and a little luck you might be paid a pittance or two for this work. Don't get lazy or complacent like me. Keep up the good work!

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  4. Dearest "College Girl",

    you comments insult me. they are only partially true.

    die in a fire,

    G Spinn

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  5. With my father in my life (That damned Shannon Sheley), this will be a very difficult task. A task I am currently note prepared to undertake and will be writing notes for the next few days.

    Through all the periods in my life there have been so many bands that have been a part of my everyday. Be prepared for a long post here.

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