Does "how" you got your music influence "why" you like your music?

[Riverside]

Lots of back-and-forth lately about who likes what...

 

For some of us, music came on singles (45 RPM) or LPs (33 1/3 RPM) vinyl. Put it on the player, and let it rip, all the way through - one side, and then the other. For me, I found nuggets 3/4 of the way through side 2 that stayed with me forever.

 

For others, the music video/CD format may have pointed attention somewhere else.

 

I have to kind of laugh at some of the recent threads that point out Beatles tunes "that you didn't hear on the radio"...

 

Does it make a difference?

 

I think it might.

[charlie brown]

Not sure it matters "how" you came to know the music you love.

Everything, including that, has some influence, of course. But,

we all have to start somewhere, some way, and (hopefully) grow

along the journey. Some initial sparks or "gems," will stay with

us, our whole lives, for various reasons. I think what matters most,

is the journey, and education/what we learn, along the way. I think

of it, as adding to, rather than replacing, a lot of the time.

 

CB

[duane v]

Interesting question.

 

My first musical influence was Ricky Ricardo (Desi Arnaz) of I Love Lucy. He was the #1 reason I wanted to venture into playing music. Now has the Ricky Ricardo influence somehow etched itself on me as a guitar player??? Probably not.... But from a trumpet playing stand-point it certainly came full circle when I tried out for Claude Gordon (lead trumpet player for the Desi Arnaz orchestra) for private lessons in the sixth grade. Basically I was accepted and took trumpet lessons from him until I was 17 years old.

 

So to answer your question, I would state no.

[Riverside]

Interesting question.

 

My first musical influence was Ricky Ricardo (Desi Arnaz) of I Love Lucy. He was the #1 reason I wanted to venture into playing music. Now has the Ricky Ricardo influence somehow etched itself on me as a guitar player??? Probably not.... But from a trumpet playing stand-point it certainly came full circle when I tried out for Claude Gordon (lead trumpet player for the Desi Arnaz orchestra)private lessons. Basically I was accepted and took trumpet lessons from him until I was 17 years old.

 

So to answer your question, I would state no.

 

So the other influences you might name (even though at the time, you had no other info whatsoever) came to you how?

 

Back in the day, one had no idea who played on what record - I just listened.

 

I suspect that folks who were served their music only via vinyl in the moment (teased by the radio, of course), might have had a different experience from those who know about the "classics" only from Youtube.

 

I have no doubt that that is why I can't get into some of the "newer" stuff... I haven't been immersed, and a random video that begins with some screamo stuff will never get me to the 34 minute mark.

[Tman]

Lots of back-and-forth lately about who likes what...

 

For some of us, music came on singles (45 RPM) or LPs (33 1/3 RPM) vinyl. Put it on the player, and let it rip, all the way through - one side, and then the other. For me, I found nuggets 3/4 of the way through side 2 that stayed with me forever.

 

For others, the music video/CD format may have pointed attention somewhere else.

 

I have to kind of laugh at some of the recent threads that point out Beatles tunes "that you didn't hear on the radio"...

 

Does it make a difference?

 

I think it might.

 

 

I think you're right. Nowadays with internet mp3 downloading, i certainly acquire music more efficiently which on one hand is great by increasing my exposure to new music but on the other hand lessens the chance that I'll listen to some downloaded songs that don't make it to my playlist. Now I'm not forced to listen to some songs that I would start out not liking and end up loving. Octopuses Garden would be an example of the difference. I really disliked it back in the early 70's because I thought it was goofy but was usually too lazy to get up and make the record skip the song (speaking of the Beatles thread). Listened to it yesterday and I realized how much I loved the song and especially the solo (not sure who played it). Today I probably wouldn't listen to it past the second or third time - although that being said, as a result of potential missed opportunities, I now have a 4 listen rule. Listen 4 times before deciding whether I like it or not.

[PP_CS336]

Not sure it matters "how" you came to know the music you love.

Everything, including that, has some influence, of course. But,

we all have to start somewhere, some way, and (hopefully) grow

along the journey. Some initial sparks or "gems," will stay with

us, our whole lives, for various reasons. I think what matters most,

is the journey, and education/what we learn, along the way. I think

of it, as adding to, rather than replacing, a lot of the time.

 

CB

 

I have to agree pretty much with what CB is saying here. We all came to love music no matter what the form was when we were first exposed to it.

I grew up with an older brother and sister who had 45RPM records they played on the Victrola from the 50's. Other than that I got my first exposure

most likely from the radio (I was born in 1953) and by the time I was able to buy my own records 33RPM LPs became the new fad (I still have hundreds of

these). The medium keeps changing along with the technological changes but the music is still there. I personally like tangible things like records, tapes,

or CD's. I haven't gotten into the whole i-Pod download technology (that's for my teenage daughter). Everybody has their own way of how they get their music,

what matters is that they enjoy what they're getting.

[duane v]

So the other influences you might name (even though at the time, you had no other info whatsoever) came to you how?

 

Back in the day, one had no idea who played on what record - I just listened.

 

I suspect that folks who were served their music only via vinyl in the moment (teased by the radio, of course), might have had a different experience from those who know about the "classics" only from Youtube.

 

I have no doubt that that is why I can't get into some of the "newer" stuff... I haven't been immersed, and a random video that begins with some screamo stuff will never get me to the 34 minute mark.

 

What I find most interesting, (and this concerns the radio) is the recent emergence of classic rock only stations. Back in the 70's and 80's there were really no such animal. Basically the local rock stations during that time (KMET and KLOS) played Beatles and other groups of the 60's while still playing the new up and coming rock / metal groups. It appears now that rock n roll has been segregated into three genres, and each radio station will only play that specific genre of rock. Which IMO is very disappointing not only to me, because I like to stay caught up on whats new. But also to our younger generation that don't get to hear the great classic rock / metal tunes of yesteryear. So now you have this BS tug of war between young and old rockers........... Which probably might explain why currently Rap and Hip-Hop is kicking Rock n Rolls ***.

[Silenced Fred]

My friend has a cousin who is 30 and unemployed. All he does is listen to music. He's a jag, but we have similar music tastes, so I find out about new bands from my friend through his cousin.

 

I listen to a lot of stuff from the 90s, and then I'll find bands now that have strong influences from those bands.

 

I find music by piecing together music from other places.

 

So in short, maybe?

[dem00n]

No.

[Riverside]

So in short, maybe?

 

Way back when (apologies to the folks who are too young to have experienced it and are probably tired of hearing about it), you'd hear a new song/artist/band on the radio, then tear on down to to the record store to buy the LP.

 

Then, you'd listen to the whole thing over and over again.

 

As a point of reference, as my kids were growing up in the '90s, they'd see a video on MTV, and then download that single tune if they liked it.

 

I always thought that process kind of left them without the experience of hearing what ever else the artist/producer/etc. thought should be have been included in the experience.

 

Maybe I'm just too old.

[Riverside]

No.

 

Exactly.

 

But without the experience described above, how do you know?

[Jantha]

I always thought that process kind of left them without the experience of hearing what ever else the artist/producer/etc. thought should be have been included in the experience.

 

I know exactly what you mean, and I feel the same way... even though I do appreciate that we can now purchase just a single track.

 

I don't really have an answer to your question, but I just wanted to say that I think even though kids now have convenience, they are missing out on the total experience. Saving up for a record.. hanging around at the record store with your friends.. staring at all the artwork on the cover and inserts... coveting your collection. I dunno, I guess the enjoyment went beyond just hearing the music for me.

 

Oh well.. I guess they can "text" now.

[duane v]

Way back when (apologies to the folks who are too young to have experienced it and are probably tired of hearing about it), you'd hear a new song/artist/band on the radio, then tear on down to to the record store to buy the LP.

 

Then, you'd listen to the whole thing over and over again.

 

As a point of reference, as my kids were growing up in the '90s, they'd see a video on MTV, and then download that single tune if they liked it.

 

I always thought that process kind of left them without the experience of hearing what ever else the artist/producer/etc. thought should be have been included in the experience.

 

Maybe I'm just too old.

 

You're not too old....

 

The experience of going to the record store and holding that 12"x12" record cover is an experience I wish our younger generation had a chance to behold. IMO the CD and down-loading age just sucked the conceptual side of a band right out of its musical identity. Also the album playing experience is so much more personal than watching a CD that spins at 460 rpm.

 

Maybe its just me but watching the Beatles Apple label and Zeps Atlantic green and orange vinyl label spin while playing thier records was half of the listening experience. Plus the other half of the fun was ****ing up your older brothers albums when trying to learn lead guitar parts, or listening to songs backwards when you were laced out on some strange chemical

[Silenced Fred]

Way back when (apologies to the folks who are too young to have experienced it and are probably tired of hearing about it), you'd hear a new song/artist/band on the radio, then tear on down to to the record store to buy the LP.

 

Then, you'd listen to the whole thing over and over again.

 

As a point of reference, as my kids were growing up in the '90s, they'd see a video on MTV, and then download that single tune if they liked it.

 

I always thought that process kind of left them without the experience of hearing what ever else the artist/producer/etc. thought should be have been included in the experience.

 

Maybe I'm just too old.

 

Oh, I always buy whole records. Always, unless its something really old, and I have listened to the whole CD multiple times and I know there are only a few songs I like.

[bschory]

I always thought that process kind of left them without the experience of hearing what ever else the artist/producer/etc. thought should be have been included in the experience.

 

Interesting point.

 

I've been thinking of modern bands, where, if you pulled a single off of an album, you would miss out on a lot of the experience. For me, The Mars Volta come to mind first. I remember someone recommending I check out "The Widow" (off of Frances the Mute) as a single on Youtube. Afterwards I went and bought the album, which added a lot to the experience of that song and that band.

 

At the same time, it feels like music has evolved (devolved?) to the point where a lot of modern artists are writing strong singles (or an entire album of strong singles) so they can sell successfully song by song.

 

I'm young, so I can't speak to this firsthand, but I recall reading that early on with the Yardbirds, up through early Zeppelin days, everyone was driving them to produce 3 minutes singles for the radio. These were considered to be the important things, and would be marketed for people to scoop up. Putting out the rest of the album was sort of an afterthought.

 

(If someone with actual life experience can either refute or confirm that, it'd be appreciated.)

 

Even if the above wasn't the case, today's music feels a lot like that in a lot of cases. The single isn't a teaser for the album, it's a self contained piece of product.

 

My 2c.

 

- B

[duane v]

Interesting point.

 

I've been thinking of modern bands, where, if you pulled a single off of an album, you would miss out on a lot of the experience. For me, The Mars Volta come to mind first. I remember someone recommending I check out "The Widow" (off of Frances the Mute) as a single on Youtube. Afterwards I went and bought the album, which added a lot to the experience of that song and that band.

 

At the same time, it feels like music has evolved (devolved?) to the point where a lot of modern artists are writing strong singles (or an entire album of strong singles) so they can sell successfully song by song.

 

I'm young, so I can't speak to this firsthand, but I recall reading that early on with the Yardbirds, up through early Zeppelin days, everyone was driving them to produce 3 minutes singles for the radio. These were considered to be the important things, and would be marketed for people to scoop up. Putting out the rest of the album was sort of an afterthought.

 

(If someone with actual life experience can either refute or confirm that, it'd be appreciated.)

 

Even if the above wasn't the case, today's music feels a lot like that in a lot of cases. The single isn't a teaser for the album, it's a self contained piece of product.

 

My 2c.

 

- B

 

Some good points...

 

IMO, newer bands have too small of a song library.... It takes them too long to record and release a CD. Again IMO, it's all about the single these days.

 

I couldn't imagine today's rock bands being able to do 12 studio albums in a five year span. We're lucky to see two studio albums from today's groups within a five year period. .....

 

Maybe the music executives might consider re-opening the Brill Building again

[charlie brown]

When I lived (30 years) in L.A., there were plenty of stores, full of records, CD's, tapes, etc....new and used.

 

Out here, in the "Stick's" there's "Walmart!" And, they have drastically cut back,

on CD's. Even so, there's basically just "greatest hits," Rap, Hip-Hop, or...Tons of "Country" CD's.

There are no "Vinyl" albums, at all. You'd have to drive 100 miles (at least) to find a specialty

shop, that stocks them, and then probably only the "Criterion" versions. I too, miss the "Albums,"

the smell, the feel, the artwork/liner notes, that whole experience. But, if you didn't grow up

with it, you'd have no idea, really. So, young folks, nowadays, just do with what's available,

and convenient! Can't blame 'em, for that... ;>) The "real" musicains, or people that are really

interested, in the origins, etc...WILL take the time, to search out, the alternatives, I think.

It's interesting, that there is a renewed interest, in top quality Vinyl albums, nowadays. Nostalgia,

partly, no doubt, but there's a quality in analog vinyl, that seems missing, in digital. A "warmth"

and "richness," as it's often described.

 

"Half the music I own, is old and scratchy!" (George Harrison) ;>)

 

CB

[MrNylon]

I heard it, and liked it. That's about it.

[guitarkid]

I love AC/DC and their influences

 

 

I HATE Rap and most other modern music

[Tman5293]

I have to say no. I like music for the way it sounds, what the lyrics mean to me, the style of the music, and the rhythm of each song on an album. The format which it comes on means nothing to me.

 

And even though it doesn't even relate to the question asked, I completely agree with guitarkid.

[rocketman]

I was taught piano at the age of 8 by my godfather's mother who lived with us. She obviously influenced my music. When I took lessons from another teacher after she moved back home I learned more about jazz and I became a huge Gershwin fan. As far as rock music, my first real albums where a Beatles greatest hits album (can't remember which one) and Rush's Moving Pictures. They both had a tremendous influence on me. Bottom line is that how I got my music influence does affect why I like music because I still listen to my early influences a lot. For example, I finally learned The Trees note for note (I never had it quite right, which always bothered me). So my early influences are still influencing me today...

[Versatile]

It can be interesting and nostalgic to go back to early musical exposures and interests...parental influences...what records were 'in the house' at that time, what was on the radio and TV.

 

For me as a child....Tubby the Tuba, Britten's 'Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra', Brubeck's 'Take Five'

 

Shadows and Elvis

 

Bert Weedon on TV

 

Gershwin and Rodgers and Hammerstein on the record player

 

First 45 I bought...'She Loves You' by the Beatles

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[zigzag]

Maybe its just me but watching the Beatles Apple label and Zeps Atlantic green and orange vinyl label spin while playing thier records was half of the listening experience.

 

...watching (the records) spin was half of the listening experience...?

 

Interesting...

[DennisMiller]

We older folks, (I'm 61), might have had a bit more fun in the way we came to like certain unexpected music. As someone said, we would hear a song and rush to the store to buy the album it was on... vinyl at the time. Once we listened to the album, we often discovered other songs on it that we liked. I actually kept my daughter's high school stereo just because it has a record player on top of it. (Turn table sounds way too sophisticated for this thing)

 

Now, when young people hear a song, a lot will just grab that song over the web without knowing what else there might be. It's not wrong, just different, but I wonder how many take a chance on the whole album? On the other hand, they have nothing but music they love.

 

Interesting thread...

[PP_CS336]

I'm glad I came back to read some of the new responses by others since I put my first one in. This has been a pretty interesting thread. Sorry young people,

I have to agree with a lot of what the older folks (there's a George Bush-ism for y'all) are saying about their experiences. I'm 57 years old, and I have to say

that obtaining or purchasing music was part of the experience in itself. Whether you heard a single on the radio and you rushed out to buy the album (Face it kids,

in our days you could a monoral vinyl album for under two bucks and stereo after they started coming out for just a bit over two dollars.) I mean with 45RPM records

being 77 cents for only two songs (the A and the B side), why the hell wouldn't a person who's really into music invest in the LP which had 12 songs on it (Some

less as the FM-radio format became more popular and songs started getting longer in time. Vinyl only has so much space to lay out the recorded music as opposed to

the CDs or MP3s of today) for just a little more than a dollar more. Many of the album covers had great art and even came with posters and other paraphernalia.

Speaking of paraphernalia, how many of you old stoners out there probably may still have a little "Magic Dust" from rolling doobies in the album covers that opened

up. No wonder duane v said he enjoy watching the label spin as much as listening to the music. . Getting turned on in our days wasn't only to the illicit

stuff . How many of your friends turned you on to the latest Mother's of Invention album, or the Rolling Stones, Cream, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Yardbyrds,

Beatles or whatever and you knew after listening or experiencing (theirs a Jimi Hendrix thing for you..."Ah let me prove it to you."...I know the guys who know what

I'm talking about are smiling now. ). I remember the first time listening to the then new Stones album "Let It Bleed" through headphones in the school library's sound room. Especially the "Midnight Rambler". Whoa!!! Many of us identified with certain bands as a sports fan would identify with their favorite team.

And yes, we didn't spend most of our spare time on the computer, i-Phone or whatever, like most kids do today. When we listened to music, we really listened. We were

like stone-cold music junkies. People talk about the re-release of vinyl albums today. That's all well and good, but who wants to pay $24.00 for a vinyl album. Come

on Wall St. Talk about ripping off the public. Maybe if you brought prices more back to reality, people would spend their money more on albums (whatever format) than just down loading singles off the internet.