Generations
“We’ve got all kinds of good music, bands you’ve never even heard of,” she said. “Well there’s your problem.” I said, “bands—I’m more of an orchestra guy.”
Tim, Chris, Cinnamon and I were getting ready to leave for Las Vegas to play chess. Chris had purchased an FM transmitter for his iPod we’d be able to play his 30 gigabytes of tunes through the radio. Well not entire thirty gig the trip is only 400 miles, about six hours, more like 300 megabytes.
There was a time when I made the trip in five hours not six, but caution comes with age, and one too many tickets. “How fast do you think you were going,” he’d say. Today I’d say about 60 megabytes an hour officer, and smile knowing that I was not being stopped for speeding.
It was true what she said there were many bands I’d never heard of. My education started with Mercury Program, and their funky vibraphone sounds, then a reprieve was issued and we listened to some Britpop, all very melodic, and all quite enjoyable. Then came Bloc Party, a Post Punk Indie band, Nine Inch Nails, I’d heard of, a guaranteed headache. They are the poster child for all the angst and anger in the current generation. Ghostland Observatory and Ratatat followed, they both play electronica, but unlike Mercury Program they add lyrics. Then there was a German band Rummstein singing Du Hast. Won Beta Band, American Analog Set, Interpoll, oh my do they have a dark sound. A little bit of Thom Yorke and we were there.To be fair there was a Mozart Concerto and some Beattles in there somewhere, but mostly it was stuff I’d never heard.
All told we listened to 8 hours of music on a six-hour trip, thanks’ to Chris’ temporally transcendental iPod. I’m still a classical guy, but now I’m up-to-date and musically savvy.
July 3rd, 2007 at 4:43 pm
hmmm Norm. Not sure if you’d like all of the weird stuff that I listen to. However, the music of Nine Inch Nails.. I have to be in the mood for that kind of stuff..
July 4th, 2007 at 7:40 am
Norm…my kids would have me listening to all the stuff of my youth. It’s come full circle.
Really.
July 4th, 2007 at 9:23 am
I must say my boys seem to enjoy my favorites from the fifties and sixties, and they also have come to appreciate the classical repertoire. The difference is I tend toward a sweet melody while they a strong bass line.
July 4th, 2007 at 1:20 pm
Norm,
I enjoy a solid bass line with an interesting rhythm. I enjoy the music from days gone by such as Schumman and Mozart.. add a little rhythm and it’s sublime.. A sort of techno/ drum ‘n bass/mixed with a Mozart sonata ..
**some eyes rolling about now, I know….*
July 4th, 2007 at 3:16 pm
A sort of techno/ drum ‘n bass/mixed with a Mozart sonata ..
That’s as close to blasphemy as you’ll ever come.
July 7th, 2007 at 3:57 am
Great way to get a sense of what our young ‘uns are thinking by listening to their music and the lyrics. Gave me quite a bit of insight into my offspring in the eighties and nineties. We had an agreement, even driving around locally any distance, to listen to each other’s music — i.e. mine going and theirs returning. We all had fun and came to appreciate certain of each others music.