Overheard at a convenience store this evening

[doity]

I was waiting in line at a undisclosed convenience store this evening and the guy in front of me was asking about the music playing. The clerk (who has a very eclectic taste in music I have to say) told him who it was and I did not get the reference but it was some offshoot of ‘House’ music or something. He started writing down the name of the artist or whatever and the guy in front of me said “That’s Ok, I only listen to house music’.

The guy had to be in his late 20’s to early 30’s and didn’t come off as some kind of vacant club denizen. I thought to myself what a stupid statement to make, and how the guy must have horrible taste in music. That is almost like saying “all I listen to is Cardi B. or Bananarama or whatever. I often wonder what some of these young people who listen to only say vapid pop, or rap, or bro country or a combination of either will do when they get to be middle aged? Because at least when I was growing up and maybe 13 or so I was already getting into the big progressive rock bands of the day. And a lot of that stuff had at least some roots in classical and jazz, which gave me a somewhat solid musical appreciation foundation to allow me to effortlessly move into other music genres as I grew out of it. And a lot of that stuff is still as good to this day which says a lot.

Can you imagine a bunch of 60 year olds going to a Cardi B, Brittany Spears, or Juice WRLD concert 30 years from now? It would not only be pathetic but pretty funny to see on top of that. Has anyone else here wondered the same thing or am I just being a elitist or musical snob?

 

[Jim the Oldbie]

I think most new music is disappointing as hell. Same worn-out chord changes, same stupid beats, same self-centered, posturing, auto-tuned lyrics. Not even music - more like just a product, like spray cheese for your ears or something. Oh hang on a minute, I gotta go take care of this...

HEY!! GET OFF MY DAMN LAWN!!

 

[doity]

I know what you mean that it comes off like that......but really. Likely there is some intelligent music out there somewhere but like you said most or all of what I hear is like ‘product’. Almost like a mass corporate sponsored dumbing down of the culture. The last new band that even caught my ears was probably 20 years ago and it was that guy that played the lap steel guitar like Jimi Hendrix or Stevie Ray. Can’t remember his name.

 

[windhoek]

If that's what the guy likes then that's what the guy likes, it's not our place to judge.

I remember seeing some guy, a guy who you might call a hardcore classical music enthusiast, state every now and again on another forum that he absolutely can't stand pop music: The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd David Bowie Jimi Hendrix, Leonard Cohen were baby food in his view. I wholeheartedly disagree as far as my own taste in music goes, but if classical music is all he connects with then fair dos. He likes what he likes and it's not my place to judge.

 

[HomerJAU]

Can you imagine a bunch of 60 year olds going to a Cardi B, Brittany Spears, or Juice WRLD concert 30 years from now? It would not only be pathetic but pretty funny to see on top of that.

Some old fart probably said the same thing in the seventies about us going to see the Stones, Doobies, Tina Turner in our 60s and 70s. Pathetic and funny? Depends on your perspective.

 

[doity]

Well that is true and I am not really judging more than scratching my head. Maybe the guy who just likes classical has really refined musical tastes and figures that he would be lowering himself or something by listening to lesser forms of music. Which kinda makes sense in a way. Of course people are entitled to listen to anything they want, but as someone who loves music like I do I just am sad that there is so many people past a certain age that listen to what is essentially throwaway crap that will not age more than a few years or so. Almost like people who have been weaned on Disney and Superhero movies and the like will not have the attention span to watch a long classic drama without being bored and tuning out.

 

[furui_suterioo]

There is some good noise techno/acidhouse from the early 90s, I wouldn't torture my quad system with it but it is good for testing car subwoofers. And yes, new music is crap.

 

[MakoShark]

I invite you to spend some time on this site
https://chosenfewdjs.com/index.htmlreading ABOUT, listening to MIXES, and watching MEDIA.

 

[windhoek]

In fairness to the guy: all that was captured was a snapshot in time. We've no idea what music he has listened to in the past or will listen to in the future. I mean, take the song below, for example: I thought it was great at the time but looking back, it's absolutely substance-lite with nothing going for it except a catchy beat that's almost certainly no more sophisticated than the house music that guy is into.

 

[doity]

In fairness to the guy: all that was captured was a snapshot in time. We've no idea what music he has listened to in the past or will listen to in the future. I mean, take the song below, for example: I thought it was great at the time but looking back, it's absolutely substance-lite with nothing going for it except a catchy beat that's almost certainly no more sophisticated than the house music that guy is into.

That’s funny. I never liked that song myself but I remember when it came out I was working in a CVS store in downtown Boston stocking shelves overnight. We had the radio on and that song came on and some older guy said “what the hell is this garbage” or something along those lines. So obviously he had no idea of who George Harrison was......I think he came of age in the 50’s so Sinatra was probably more his bag.

Of course there has always been disposable music in any era, but it seems now that it is the rule not the exception. People will point to the bubblegum music of the 1960’s, but there was also the Dylan’s, Motown artists, Hollies, Beatles, etc. all playing together on ‘Pop’ stations. Music with ideas and timeless melodies. Heck, even adult contemporary artists of the day covered a lot of those songs.

 

[doity]

Some old fart probably said the same thing in the seventies about us going to see the Stones, Doobies, Tina Turner in our 60s and 70s. Pathetic and funny? Depends on your perspective.

Yeah but aside from Tina who is retired I think these bands are still large draws. Can you say the same for the latest chart toppers? Looking at the top 20 right now it is full of the Cardi B.’s, Pop Smoke, Lil this and Lil that, etc. Not exactly music with staying power.

I know what you mean though. My parents (as most parents likely did) hated Kiss and once said “Where are they going to be 20 years from now? Now Pete Seeger, that is real music”. I always liked to bring up that conversation every time Kiss came to town 30 plus years later.

 

[windhoek]

And sophistication is no measure of greatness either: Mozart may well have been one of the most skilled composers ever, but almost everything I've heard by him makes me want to shove pencils in my ears!

 

[Soundfield]

Muzak in stores is still common in the US then? It was never really much of a thing in the UK - I guess the stores realised it just annoyed people. I can't remember the last time I heard anything being played in a shop. Except, for some strange reason at Christmas, when the bigger supermarkets seem to enjoy force feeding their customers a diet of what sounds like a loop of the same four tediously jolly festive pop songs - probably to encourage people to get out of the shop as quickly as possible. Not surprisingly, the staff always say it drives them mad!

 

[Jim the Oldbie]

Yeah, Mozart... The guy was clearly a genius, but on a base emotional level, that period of music just doesn't do it for me. I always feel like I know where it's headed; like it's solving a math equation with music, or something, I dunno. Later periods of orchestral/ instrumental music I find much more satisfying.

 

[windhoek]

Yeah, Mozart... The guy was clearly a genius, but on a base emotional level, that period of music just doesn't do it for me. I always feel like I know where it's headed; like it's solving a math equation with music, or something, I dunno. Later periods of orchestral/ instrumental music I find much more satisfying.

That's exactly my view as well! Composing seems like it was too easy for Mozart, like giving a kid dot-to-dot pictures. By contrast, it seems to me that every piece of music Mahler composed was wrought from the deepest and often, the darkest depths of his soul. That's the sort of composing I can relate to and appreciate with the deepest respect and admiration.

 

[Marplot]

I saw Dr John a few years ago in a small bar, probably fit less than 100. At 50 I was the youngest person there. As soon as we left, we were twice the age of everyone else out on the street; it was rather surreal.
I can state emphatically that there are musical styles I don't like, but to only listen to one when there are so many styles to enjoy seems rather limiting to me. I feel sorry for someone so narrow minded. You like what you like, and music is person, but it seems a shame.

 

[ar surround]

In fairness to the guy: all that was captured was a snapshot in time. We've no idea what music he has listened to in the past or will listen to in the future. I mean, take the song below, for example: I thought it was great at the time but looking back, it's absolutely substance-lite with nothing going for it except a catchy beat that's almost certainly no more sophisticated than the house music that guy is into.

I agree with you, but the music video of this with the singing animal heads is very entertaining. When I think about it, I could not stand a good bit of the pop stuff played on the radio through the decades. Time filters out most of it. And if you want to talk about "formula" music, there was a bunch of pop records in the '60s where my mother would say..."Sounds like their last record played backwards."

 

[Rhinojack]

I think the key word here is “listen”, as his statement, “I only listen to house music” indicates. I doubt that he sits down at home and put on a recording of it, plays it and really listens to it while thinking, “I wonder if this is available in hi-res, or multi channel?, this recording is a little dull, etc.“ It’s repetitive all background noise to be heard while one stares at their phone and to be forgotten about as soon as the recording is over. Can anyone answer what was a big house music hit seven years ago?

 

[ProgRules]

Yeah, Mozart... The guy was clearly a genius, but on a base emotional level, that period of music just doesn't do it for me. I always feel like I know where it's headed; like it's solving a math equation with music, or something, I dunno. Later periods of orchestral/ instrumental music I find much more satisfying.

That's exactly my view as well! Composing seems like it was too easy for Mozart, like giving a kid dot-to-dot pictures. By contrast, it seems to me that every piece of music Mahler composed was wrought from the deepest and often, the darkest depths of his soul. That's the sort of composing I can relate to and appreciate with the deepest respect and admiration.

Personally I love Wolfgang, but I can appreciate your perspective. But remember, he died at 27 and who knows what a mature Mozart would have produced.

 

[splinter7]

Personally I love Wolfgang, but I can appreciate your perspective. But remember, he died at 27 and who knows what a mature Mozart would have produced.

I believe he wanted to explore house music.