The first post I put on this blog was call “A blog about the music I listen to” or something like that and I realized that there’s not so much I can say about the music I listen to, except it’s what I listen to. Here’s the thing, and it’s typified by a conversation I had in a pub with someone – I enjoy all music, good music – and by good I mean interesting and meaningful. Most mainstream pop music bores me because it just follows the same pattern – it’s made for the “casual” listener, or made to please as many people as possible, or people who probably have different priorities in their lives – that’s fine, methinks – it just annoys me that it’s that type of music that seems to be played on most radio stations, in most supermarkets, most airports and bars or cafes – it’s like our collective consciousness needs to be dumbed down so that we all can agree.
But the conversation in the pub – a music lover/listener, commented that he “hated” the Beatles – hated! And I have heard that before – “I hate the beatles! What did they ever do! Over hyped mop tops!” etc etc – but when I hear this, especially from someone who I know loves music, I always point out that their argument is only from the point of being a contrarian. Everybody else loves it, why should I? To me, that’s not so much about the actual music, but more about the myth surrounding the music. It’s like the individual has had the Beatles forced down their throat and like a kid being forced to eat broccoli, they’ve rejected it and do so for the rest of their lives. And as they grow in their musical tastes they are then able to rationalize that hatred, hence, “I hate the Beatles”.
And perhaps, collectively, since their is a general consensus that the Beatles were “great”, “ground breaking” there is the argument that we need to move on, evolve, push forward. Perhaps.
Anyway, below is the playlist for week3 of the new decade and we are only in week 2 – getting ahead of myself I see. First track is a short one played on the Irish uilleann pipes (pronounced “ill-an” (I think)) – I get a little conflicted listening to Irish folk music that’s been recorded since I always get disappointed – to me, personally, it’s music that should be experienced live and I recommend taking that opportunity to see and hear these pipes in the flesh – if I can say that. I may have dreamt it, or someone may have told me it in a pub (depending on my state, those two things could almost be the same) that to be able to play the uilleann pipes, it took 7 years to learn, 7 years to practice and 7 more years to perfect to be considered a “player”. Whether this is regarded as truth in the piping community, I have no idea. But I have seen them being played live and I can well believe it. Scottish bag pipes they are not, thanks be to your god!
The rest of the playlist – well, Ennjoy (and no Beatles :-))