Music

I don’t read the music press because I think they are all failed musicians bitter at others hard work, I like music actually I love music it’s the one thing I cannot do without, I could live without a TV I could at a push live without something to read, BUT and I really do mean the capital letters I COULD’NT live without music it helps me get through the day sometimes through the night and as always through the shitty thing that can be at times my life!

I like comedy as well, but its music that sooths the savage breast, my first single (which I still have) was Alice Cooper Hello Hooray, my first two albums (I remember when I bought of my music who I was with and the such  thing) was Mike Oldfield Tubular Bells and Blue Oyster Cult On your feet or on your knees an album I still play at least once a month, Tubular bells I can live without but I do need a regular dose of BOC!

I was influenced by my brother to a degree, but then punk happened and although I still liked those “hippy” bands as they became known, I just liked the faster more aggressive music to be honest most of them were just pop bands masquerading under the new guise until pop was fashionable again, I loved quite a few of the one hit wonders as well as the more serious contenders, I still play the first three Stranglers albums on a regular basis, I do find it funny that not many made it past the debut album stage live fast die young was certainly the motto that captured punk, there were a fair few good debuts but some really crap follow ups I love The Tom Robinson Band’s Power in the darkness, but TRB2 while it does indeed still have  some charm to be honest its dross! The dickies managed two albums but then drugs kicked in, The Vibrators were cracking they just couldn’t sustain it, The Boomtown Rats were just a pop band, Stiff Little Fingers were good but were soon turned into a pop band (a cracking good one though) and The Jam just believed their own hype, The Adverts were cack, Sham 69 were just that a sham! Then the freaks came out like Lene Lovich and well we then descended into hell!

By which time I was being dragged back into rock music I do prefer a melodic singer rather than a rabble rousing shouter, and as for this cookie monster stuff that passes as vocals not my cup of tea, I like to think that I don’t pose, just because something comes along that’s new doesn’t necessarily mean it’s good, I have friends who jump from to ship to ship to this day and they probably do have a better knowledge of music than me but I would rather have quality over quantity every day, I’m as guilty as the next man there are only so many hours in the day and I will admit to liking new music less and less, I return to what I know and love.

There’s not much I don’t like Prog rock I like, Punk rock I like, Rap some of it I think is clever while most of it is repetitive, Pop well let’s be honest you can’t beat a good tune can you, Rock music Metal whatever you want to call it that goes without saying, but it has to be good I prefer somebody with a voice and who can hold a note, I’m not a fan of stuff without a proper drummer on it but I bet there is about 99% of the music out there I will at least listen to it before I say I don’t like it!

Led Zeppelin (yes boys and girls we are going down this road) most people rave over them and they leave me stone cold, I understand why they appeal to the mass public but sorry they do absolutely squat for me, most people look at me blankly when I say I don’t like them, am I not entitled to an opinion, if you like them good luck to you but sorry that’s not the altar I kneel at! when it comes to music and I can guarantee you that 99.9% of the stuff I like has people going WTF that’s what it’s all about if we all liked the same, the world would indeed be a very boring place.

There’s a few bands that I have gone to watch (free tickets and the such like) and if they have been good I will admit it, the biggest shock to me was Marc Almond who supported Cher, and he rocked! no pitchy notes or anything a good set that I enjoyed, I didn’t want to but I did my toe was tapping from the word get go! Some bands that I love have done some of the worst gigs I have ever seen, Queen at St. James Park stands out a country mile and trust me I’m a huge Queen fan, usually it’s the set list well it was in that case! I’m not a fan of greatest hits sets I want to see the good stuff, I have seen some local bands  that have put on better shows than any stadium band could ever hope to, simply because they still have the belief that they enjoy it as opposed to it being a pay check!

Yes I had my little stint in the music business and it was fun but that’s all it was I personally think I was adequate, I had the help of some very good friends but it really was just a moment in time, some fun while I figured out what I wanted to do with my life (still don’t and still don’t care!) it’s very much like a muscle if you don’t use you lose it and I haven’t used it for over 30 years properly so rest assured I won’t be stepping back into the frame anytime soon. Music has been with me through good times and bad times I even know what music I want played at the service when I die, Ivor Biggun will figure prominently hahaha. Music has been the driving force for me, it drives me up the wall I can’t play an instrument or the fact that I can’t sing (I could when I was younger but that’s another story for another blog) or whistle hell as I have stated in various other blogs and stuff I couldn’t hit a bloody chime bar in time!

This has been a far shorter blog than anticipated purely because I have no desire to be picked up and transported to the nearest loony bin, I have done some silly things in the past that are related to music, actually far too many to mention but I did have fun, both of my kids like music and to me that’s a plus, I keep rattling on about winning the lottery it’s probably best I don’t because after buying a house I would more than likely spend a fortune going to see bands both big and small, buying merchandise and official copies of all and sundry maybe it’s just as well hahaha! When I think of what I have spent over the years it’s actually frightening I probably could have bought a couple of houses (couldn’t we all) but life’s for living or so I’m told!

Music is what keeps me feeling vital my favourite album from start to finish (which really does make people go WTF) is John Wesley under the red and white sky and it really can be a bit depressing but the songs speak volumes to me, I saw him sing most of the album in the sunshine outside a pub in Haddington many years ago and it has been played constantly where ever I go I love it! Your favourite album does not necessarily need to be the biggest album in the world! Music means different things to different people at different times, that’s why there is so many different forms out there from grind core to house to pop back to country and all that’s in between a good song is a good song it’s just depends what you consider that song to be!

I remember vividly a friend’s dad who claimed the music we (his sons and me) liked was cack but that the music he liked was the best, just as Tutti Frutti came on the radio and I sarcastically said that they don’t write lyrics like that anymore, and he didn’t pick me up on it he honestly thought that I meant it hahaha, each to their own enjoy and pass onto to your children they may not like everything you like and we certainly won’t like everything that they themselves call “music” but that is what life is all about!