What do "Just Can't Get Enough" by Depeche Mode, "King of the Road" by Roger Miller, "Rapid Roy (the Stock Car Boy)" by Jim Croce, "Gonna Make You Sweat" by C+C Music Factory, "Jughead" by Prince and the New Power Generation and "Me Neither" by Brad Paisley all have in common? These were just a few of the songs that came up on my "Move Your Ass" playlist last Friday while I was cleaning house. What that brief list should tell you is that my taste in music is eclectic. I have hundreds of CDs in my collection and thousands of songs in iTunes. I always say if you can't find something to listen to that you like then you need to look again. The only musical form I don't have represented in some way is Opera. I just never grew to appreciate the form. But I would say I have at least one song from most other types of music in the collection.
Tomorrow (or Friday) the blog is going to be about music and memory but I wanted to start with this one. The tastes...the variety. Partly because you all know I love me some background blogging and partly because I wanted to talk about both things and couldn't figure out how to weave them together smoothly.
I group my music by playlists. The aforementioned "Move Your Ass" list. This is for working out or cleaning house or just generally any time I want to move. I have "Life is hard, but there is an Alternative" which has also been labeled, "Don't Talk to Me" and "Not fit for Humans" the stuff I listen to when I'm angry or frustrated or just want something with a little bite, it's my harder rock and alternative music (see what I did there?). There is "Waterfalls and Rainbows" which is the pan flute, whale songs type stuff you would expect to find in a massage studio as well as "Kid tested, Client approved" which is my mellow rock/pop collection I also play in the studio. "Rainy Days and Mondays" which is the "I'm having a bad day and want to wallow" sort of playlist. You know those songs that are actually kind of depressing but still really good? Those are on there. "Place in the Country" which is country music and "That's just classic" which is classical. I know, I am so clever right? And then there is "All pleasure no guilt" these are the songs that other people swear I should be ashamed to love but since I don't do guilt, it's all pleasure for me! Yes, I will belt out "Mambo No. 5" and not even bat an eye about it.
I always swore that I would keep current with newly released music. I wouldn't turn into one of those adults that only listened to stuff from when they were growing up. And I did a pretty good job of it, until the trend of autotuning the soul out of your voice started. I don't want perfection from my singers. In fact I sort of prefer if the lead sounds like they wake up with a shot of whiskey and a cigarette waiting for them. Men and women. I like a little gravel. But there are some current artists that I listen to. Lady Gaga is one. I didn't like her when she first came out. Just wasn't really anything there for me. Then I heard her sing without all of the processing. Just her voice and a piano and I was impressed. She's got the chops. So now that I've heard her actually sing I can enjoy her dance music a lot more.
My music taste is like jelly beans. I like a lot of flavors. And like jelly beans I don't like some flavors that every one else seems to love. Bruce Springsteen is one...I just don't get it. I like maybe two songs of his. It used to be three then I found out that my favorite Springsteen song is actually by Gregg Allman, Ooops! The Rolling Stones. Not a fan. I will listen to a bit here and there, but not often and not very many of their songs. I know, it's almost a crime to admit to not like those two, but it's true. They just aren't for me. There are others but that's the joy of music, we all have groups we love and groups we don't. What is your taste? Comedy and music, they come in flavors and some are for you and some just are not.
C recently did a 30 Day Challenge for Video Games, each day you had a What is your Favorite/Least Favorite/Most Challenging and so on. Then I saw two friends who started a similar challenge for music. At first I thought it would be fun but then I was out on day one. The question was "What is your favorite song?" Wow...I don't have ONE favorite song. I have a ton of favorites. Favorite dance song? Favorite song by a group? Favorite song by a solo artist? Favorite song on Mondays? There was no way for me to narrow it down to just one. Then I looked forward on the list and they wanted me to list a song I loved by a group I hated. Couldn't have done that one either. I have a song I love so much that it made me like the group. But no songs I love by groups I hate. Can't love one and hate the other. As soon as you release something I like then I will most likely find other things about you to like.
I am a sucker for a One Hit Wonder. I do love the music I grew up with, 70s and 80s, cheesy as it is. I'm a lyrics person as much as a melody person. The fact that I dig the words really shouldn't be a surprise to anyone reading this. I will sing to anything I know the words to and some things that I don't. And just because I am singing to it doesn't mean I like it, it just means I know the words. And there are songs that take me right back to place and time and that is for tomorrow....
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