Face Melting (sorta RR)
Birdman9
5,417 Posts
So I was trying to make conversation with a co-worker who is in a band. As many of you know, I used to be a band dude, I have done the recording thing, the (sorta half-assed) touring thing, and the full-of-yourself-local-celeb-among-five of your closest friends-thing, so I thought this guy and I might be able to habla rock, trade some war stories,etc.So I ask the guy if he is much of an MC5 fan, as I am anticipating seeing the bootleg of "A True Testimonial" soon (thanks to Soulstrut)....He responds with "Never heard of 'em." 
I try to stammer my way around what has obviously become a huge gorilla in the room. I start to explain who they were...but I can barely contain my confusion. This is a guy in his late 20s/early 30s in an ALTERNATIVE ROCK BAND. He then explains how he can't stand punk(which is all contextual, I hate most things labeled 'Punk' these days too), but it soon becomes clear he has contempt for almost anything I would frame as Rock and Roll.So I just needed to share how I was confronted with the hard reality that there are few shared values out there when it comes down to how people see even this microcosm of music that we all inhabit. I knew it, but sometimes your own context becomes so engrossing that as basic a phrase as "never heard of 'em" can throw you into a ball of confusion. Any thoughts?
I try to stammer my way around what has obviously become a huge gorilla in the room. I start to explain who they were...but I can barely contain my confusion. This is a guy in his late 20s/early 30s in an ALTERNATIVE ROCK BAND. He then explains how he can't stand punk(which is all contextual, I hate most things labeled 'Punk' these days too), but it soon becomes clear he has contempt for almost anything I would frame as Rock and Roll.So I just needed to share how I was confronted with the hard reality that there are few shared values out there when it comes down to how people see even this microcosm of music that we all inhabit. I knew it, but sometimes your own context becomes so engrossing that as basic a phrase as "never heard of 'em" can throw you into a ball of confusion. Any thoughts?
Comments
have you heard this coworkers band?
I was at CBGB's the other night and was bullshitting with some scenester chick. I point to a picture of Deborah Harry and say "Man, what I wouldn't give to have seen them play here back in the day..." and she goes "yeah.. wait. Who IS that?"
Who is the Meters?
Who is Sly Stone?
I understand not being into stuff or not being a fan, but I seriously wonder if this dude could tell me who Blondie were, for Chissakes.
I guess I don't think it's much to ask that people do even a nominal bit of reading/listening if they are gonna be in a rock band. Shit, I am no folk fan but I have HEARD of Dave Van Ronk, I have HEARD of Pete Seeger, I have HEARD of the Pentangle. I mean aren't there accepted norms for avatars of genres? Aren't you supposed to know that Fela is the big name in Afrobeat, that James Brown is the big name behind the Funk and Hank Williams is classic country? I don't require that you have "Tiger By The Tail" memorized to convince me of your alt-country credentials, but I would at least expect you to know who Buck Owens was!
I guess my point is that what was once obscure is still obscure in the larger picture, but if you are in a field, you may wanna at least make note of some of the big landmarks so you at least can grope your way home occasionally.
Yes.
Alternative rock. That's the only descriptor I have, maybe U2-ish.
I'm wondering how many things he must of passed up just thinking they were cheesey late 80's R&B.
my way of dealing with him was trying to educate him by bringing him tapes and CD's from home so he could be up. I disguised it by saying things like "I got some crazy obscure true hip-hop from back in the day you may be interested in". He bit and slowly gained a little bit of a more well rounded idea of hip-hop and rap music.
maybe you should introduce him to some "obscure early alternative" music?
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well, but that's a matter of talent[/b] and talent and knowledge are not hand in glove at all. I mean, I used to play the trumpet, but at my BEST, I never had the chops to play jazz...even now, having spent the last few years immersed in all sorts of jazz, I just don't have that ability in me. Some people I guess just don't have that same mechanism that stops them. I am glad some people don't, and frankly I wish I could fine tune mine to not be such a quitter.
Knowledge and talent...two great tastes that taste great together!
exactly
On a semi-related tip,
I seen A.J. wearing a CBGB's shirt on 106 & Park
saying!
Talent is one thing, but I was thinking more of people who are way into MC5, Can, Eno & VU, yet their music sounds like John Mayer... I could cite a couple 'blazing downtempo' equivalents, but that would be cruel & unnecessary.
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yes,yes, and yes.
I dont like the MC5 though
Yes...I thought about it....
The other part is, my pet peeve is imposing your view on other folks(ie. If someone you work with tells you they are a HUGE new country music fan, it's not a good look to be all "Ugh! That shit sucks"-you just smile and say "Oh, uh huh"), and there was enough attitude behind his "I hate punk rock" statement for me to take a wee bit personally.
I will continue to have all musical conversations with one of our PR writers who used to DJ and hang at the Paradise Garage on Friday Nights back in the day. At least with him I learn something that melts my face in the positive!
And I would bet you a year's salary he probably has MC5 records at home, too.
I've found this to be true also among very good accomplished working musicians.
They simply do not care about other peoples music.
When I first opened my shop and was trying to focus on blues I picked up an incredible collection of blues 45s. I thought some of the local blues stars would flip for this stuff. Most really didn't care, they had Muddy's greatest hits, Wolfs, greatest hits, they were not at all intrested in b sides, or 45 only cuts. And they sure weren't interested in all the Syl Johnson and James Carr stuff that was in there.
I heard Brian Setzer interviewed on the radio. I am a big fan of his inventive guitar solos, and like the big band he was working with at the time. Interviewer asked him about finding material or record collecting or something. He said something to the effect "All the good songs went to the popular artists, I just want to hear Sinatra and Louie Jordan. Sometimes fans will bring me 78s by Farmer Brown And His Boogie Chickens, but to me it's a waste of time."
Unless you are some great gifted artist who's head is so full of music that you can't get all your original ideas out in your life time, I agree you should listen to as much as you can and listen to the giants.
Speaking of giants, don't you hate jazz fans that can talk for hours about all the Blue Note and Prestige all-stars but don't know who Sonny Sharrock or Francy Boland, or Sahib Shihab are?
Dan
Uhhh...who?
Ouch...guilty as charged.
Opps, I was not trying to show anyone up. Sonny Sharrock; inventive electric guitarist who played behind Herbie Mann for years. Francy Boland as in Clarke-Boland Big Band, I think they were US ex-pats in Europe. Sahib Shihab is another ex-pat bop saxaphone who has a record with a beat I've never found.
Not my point. Let's change those names to; Roy Ayers, Dorothy Ashby and Weldon Irvine.
Or the inverse, people who can talk about Ayers, Ashby and Irvine but don't know from Lee Morgan or Clark Terry.
(and thanks to whoever gave me three stars - i'll take what I can get).
Got me.
James Taylor and Instant Motor Pool?
Jones Town and India Municipal Police?
Jurrasic Three and Intellegent Muther Puckers?
However, I always got that, or "how can you like so much music? How do you know all of those people?" Right, and these are the same people who find it so difficult to fill up their crappy ass mini-iPod's. FUCK 'EM ALL!!!