I am trying to listen to music like I did when I was a teenager. Buy the record--or in my case, tape--listen to it from start to finish over and over again, and read the liner notes. Cd's have changed this experience for me, and now, what with itunes and all, i'm stuck on shuffle and skip. I wouldn't say that I was a particularly knowledgeable person when it comes to music. My boyfriend is. We were listening to a song, can't remember what, and it was nearing the end. They lyrics were about something not finishing, and he said, "Hear that? He didn't finish the insert technical guitar playing jargon here, just like the story." I replied, "Oh." I didn't know that that was happening. And, of course, the musician fully intended for that to happen. I'm sure of it. Not knowing didn't diminsh my listening pleasure. Knowing heightened Shawn's. I'm not saying I'm going to take a music theory class and begin to listen to music with an ear towards technique. I'm still happy to listen to music with the mindset of simply enjoying what I'm hearing. AND I'm going to take the time to listen to the album, beginning to end, because there is a reason for the placement of songs. Even I, with my lack of musical know-how, can figure that out. Shuffle's great. I love it. Sometimes it reminds me of music I haven't chosen to listen to in a long while. "What's that song?" "I have that album?" Encourages exploration so that I can sit down--lay down, fold laundry, attempt the crossword puzzle--and listen to that long lost album from start to finish. A healthy combination of listening experiences.
I'm also going to avoid the whole "I liked them before they were popular and now they've sold out" schtick. It's tired and old. If a band is suddenly in a position to make some money doing what they love, bully for them. Why do we begrudge success? Unless it's our own. We have this need to prove that we were cool before cool was cool. (Should I say "some people" instead of the general "we"? Because of course there are people in this world who truly are cool, and therefore do not have to prove anything. They're so cool they don't know that they're cool.) I don't think of me as falling into that trap too often, though I'm sure that I do--ugh. It's true. No, really. I read an interview with Karen O, of the Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs, recently. I'm not a big fan, though not because I think they "sold out". I just didn't go out of my way to get to know their music. (I dont' know how to do fancy linking things, so you can either buy the June/July issue of this magazine--it comes with a cd!!!!, or go to the website, here to read it. O. I think I just figured it out. This is cool.) Anyway, she talks about this and that got me to thinking on how often I do that myslef. Well no more. Viva Success!!!
I'm also going to avoid the whole "I liked them before they were popular and now they've sold out" schtick. It's tired and old. If a band is suddenly in a position to make some money doing what they love, bully for them. Why do we begrudge success? Unless it's our own. We have this need to prove that we were cool before cool was cool. (Should I say "some people" instead of the general "we"? Because of course there are people in this world who truly are cool, and therefore do not have to prove anything. They're so cool they don't know that they're cool.) I don't think of me as falling into that trap too often, though I'm sure that I do--ugh. It's true. No, really. I read an interview with Karen O, of the Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs, recently. I'm not a big fan, though not because I think they "sold out". I just didn't go out of my way to get to know their music. (I dont' know how to do fancy linking things, so you can either buy the June/July issue of this magazine--it comes with a cd!!!!, or go to the website, here to read it. O. I think I just figured it out. This is cool.) Anyway, she talks about this and that got me to thinking on how often I do that myslef. Well no more. Viva Success!!!
