Musical idenity

Triathlon Forum
1

When did you first realize what would be your favorite type of music? Did it form who you are or did it just click?

I knew I was in trouble when I was 8. I was watching Saturday Night Live with my dad (back when it was funny) and DEVO came on.

They where in thier DEVO plastic hair, plastic jump suit finest. They sang Jockohomo then Whip it. I sat on that fantastic yellow couch and knew I had seen greatness. My mom and dad had raised me with great music (Beach Boys, Kingston Trio, Beatles, Willy, James Taylor, etc) but I knew what I was seeing and hearing spoke to my soul. It was that night I knew I was going to be wierd. It’s been beautiful every sense.

2

Not an answere to your question, but you made me remember now how much I loved my “Q: are they not men…” But the grey vinyl was not very durable though.

3

I think I realized it in the late 70’s. My musical tastes are quite varied, and I noticed that early on. I’m 31, and I don’t really remember listening to music much before the late '70’s. I remember when Elvis died, but I didn’t start listening to Elvis until I was in high school. The first song I really remember listening to on the old record player was ELO’s “Don’t Bring Me Down.” I remember hearing the guitars in that song, and I was hooked. I also remember hearing some country back then, though it wasn’t the hardcore stuff (it was artists like Glenn Campbell, Eddie Rabbit, Kenny Rogers, Ronnie Milsap). As we moved through the '80’s, I listened to whatever my brother did. He’s 6 years older than me, but he was into Talking Heads, REM, that kind of music. I liked some of it, but it always left me wanting something edgier, something with a little more drive to it. When I was 15, I bought “Master of Puppets” by Metallica, and then I really was hooked. In the early '90’s, I rediscovered country, and those two styles of music are pretty much what I enjoy to this day. My CD player is a mixture of headbanging stuff and southern rock/country. Right now there are 6 southern rock/country CD’s (including one southern gospel CD) in the changer and 4 CD’s of the harder stuff. The headbanging stuff is pretty tame, though – nothing that requires an explicit lyrics sticker, but fast and furious just the same.

That may be more information than you requested, and I apologize for taking up so much space. But it certainly was fun to think back on all that for a moment.

RP

4

bizarre, I was listening to it last night, I love the guitar intro to “Gut feeling”.

5

I listen mostly to jazz, but also a variety of rock and pop I picked up along the way, with non-jazz favorites being U2, Joni Mitchell, REM, Prince, Pearl Jam, the Band, Matthew Good, and Jeff Buckley. I freaking hate Bob Dylan as a performer (I just had to say that). Good lyricist, though.

Miles Davis described listening to the music that first attracted him as getting up inside of him and making him feel all funky inside. That’s exactly how my favorite musician of all time struck me the first time and continues to affect me to this day. His name is Dexter Gordon and he was a jazz tenor saxophonist with a long, tall body and a huge speaking voice and even bigger sound on his horn. I blame him for hooking me on jazz, which I can never get enough of. I have about 35 Dexter Gordon discs and nearly 100 Miles Davis discs, and another row of John Coltrane to boot.

6

I would not say that I have one favorite type of music since my music choices tend to reflect whatever mood I am in, but I do have a favorite band… …Led Zeppelin. I don’t really know when or why I started to really get into them, but when I was about 13 years old I could recite all the songs on every album in order. The band is not part of my generation (born in 1981) , but I definitely think that LZ is one of those bands that transcends the various generations. I am sure there are a number of folks that might not think that my friends and I can really appreciate LZ without having lived during their prime.

I think that is fair, but I did get the oppurtunity to see Page/Plant twice, once when I was 14, once when I was 17. Their first show was definitely the better of the two. It was like a dream come to true to have the two reunite at the prime of my interest.

Jimmy Page turned 60 four days ago. Long Live Zeppelin.

Justin D

7

As a wee laddie I heard the music that would prove to be so apt:

“I am Iron Man!” - Ozzy/Black Sabbath!

8

Motley Crue. Fifth-grade. I wouldn’t necessarily still consider that my favorite type of music, but it’s got the only direct line to my soul. And with that admission I bid adieu to any credibility I enjoyed on this board.

9

I grew up in a household filled with music. My Dad was/is a Classical music nut and my Mom loved Choral music.

As to my own preferences for Pop music there were two precipitory events that really began to open my mind:

  1. When a friend of mine played me Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down Broadway album for the first time at about age 14 in 1975

  2. When CFNY went on the air in the Toronto area a couple of years later(about '78), tossed out the top 30 play-lists and went with focus on “new music”.

10

1965, hearing a recording of “Linin’ Track” by Koerner, Ray, and Glover, started me (at the age of 16) on a life of Blues that still has me firmly in its grasp. At first it was just a “click”, then I guess it helped form who I am (if I understand that concept correctly). I’ve spent a gazillion hours (and close to a gazillion dollars) tracking the Blues back and around their roots, and have subsequently forayed into other related musical forms that also resonate within me. Powerful, powerful stuff, music!

Good thread, Mr. Tibbs – I’m interested to see where all this goes!

11

While they’re not pure blues try to get a copy of Canned Heat live at The Moteray Pop Festival. Greatness.

In an attempt to impress you I have some Leadbelly and can sang Bolweavel.

12

“Kingston Trio”

Yeah!!! My parents listened to these guys when I was a kid. One of the earliest folk/protest groups. Still enjoy that 60’s peacenik coffee house music from time to time.

13

Mr. Tibbs,

I am indeed impressed that you can sing “Boll Weevil”, but the real acid test for Leadbellyism is to commit a couple of serious violent acts, serve a couple of sentences in prison work farms, and get released from each sentence because you know people in high places. Now, I KNOW that you are very well connected, but just how violent are you? Any grudges to settle? (Hey, I’m just asking; please don’t take it personally…Sir.) At any rate, you’re closer to Leadbelly than am I, because at least you can sing him!

As for caneed Heat, early Canned Heat was great — before Al “Blind Owl” Wilson killed himself. He was a good slide player, a great harp player, and owned a fine, expressive, quivering falsetto. Wilson and Henry Vestine were two of the earliest of the white blues researchers who tracked down the likes of Bukka White, Son Hose, Robert Wilkins, and others, so they hardly deserve the bad rap that they so often receive. (Well, the “endless boogie” concept DID get old after a short while…)

14

Not an answere to your question, but you made me remember now how much I loved my “Q: are they not men…” But the grey vinyl was not very durable though.

OOps! I also have this grey vinyl version of “Q: are we not men”. But, haven’t heard it for a long time I have to check if it still is listenable. Why shouldn’t it be durable?

As for Led Zeppelin: this was the first live concert I visited at the age of 13 ( 1973 in Nürnberg). That experience made me start learning playing the guitar and making music in a group - I still play “whole lotta love” every now and then.

regards,

Frank

15

Not sure if durable is the right word, but I remember that it easily got damaged, same with a Talkin heads record that was made in “clear” material. But if I try to think back 20 years, that might have something to do with me playin those at parties all the time.

16

What music, band or song is with you right now. Has the most relavince to what you are going through today, stuck in your head, love it to the point your teeling everyone about it 20000 times. What is getting your groove now. Old or new.

17

Kiss is my band, and in 2000, I realised my life-long dream of being ten feet away from Gene Simmons (and I was dressed up just like him) while watching him sing “Deuce”, which is a song that described me through my single years. I was transported back to 1978. Kiss puts on the best concert I EVER saw, and my wife admits that they are a better live band than any she has seen (and she is NOT a fan of Kiss, shame on her).

Barry White (G’d rest his soul) was a big factor in my life, especially when it came to the ladies. I knew a woman was a real woman if she got in the mood while I played Barry White. I sing his songs at Karaoke night, and it gets the house rockin’ and rollin’ and sometimes couples (and people who became couples that evening, if you know what I mean) would leave for a few minutes after I was done doin’ the Barry thang and come back with big grins and disheveled clothes. Yes, I am a short, skinny white dude singing these things.

In the '80s, I was a working musician. I played whatever was the rage at the time, as I just wanted to work playing drums. I loved Black Flag, as well as other independent punk bands of the era. I also had long hair for the '80s hair bands (where I tried to do my best John Bonham/Tommy Lee/ Eric Carr/ Peter Criss impersonations). I did not think the quality of the music in the '80s was as good as everyone says, but there was a lot more choices.

I tried to get into the Pearl Jelly (I mean Jam) and other bands in the '90s, but everything just sounded like noise to me. Maybe if I had not married the first time and got a real job I would have felt differently. The lyrical content just sucked, as well. And this Justin Timberlog/Britneee/Beyonde?/Christina Ugulera crap all sounds the same, as well. And what’s with this Enema dude? He seems to have big problems, and I like music that is about having a good time. He’s rich and can get all of the women he wants, and he’s still unhappy. That’s what I call an ingrate.

So, my Cd’s in the car are as follows:

“Unplugged” by Kiss, the Kiss box set, Kiss Symphony, “Revenge” by Kiss, Barry White’s Greatest Hits, “Ozman Cometh” by Ozzy Osbourne, Chef Aid, and the South Park Christmas album.

18

Kiss is my band, and in 2000, I realised my life-long dream of being ten feet away from Gene Simmons …

Ten feet!? That’s dangerous! He may still touch you with his tongue at this distance … :wink:

regards,

Frank

19

I’m a recovering DeadHead who used to play bass in a punk band.

Mom liked jazz (Miles, Dizzy, Bird), Dad was a folkie (Kington Trio), so naturally my first concert was Queen in 1975.

When my wife & I first met she described me as “a roadie for Def Leppard.”

The people in my cube-land quote me as a reference for all things 80s and a one-hit-wonder encyclopedia.

I have 2GB of surf music from around the world on my hard drive (thanks to mp3.com, not Napster!!!)

As a famous and well-respected American once said:
“There are only two kinds of music … Good and Bad”