So I was hanging out over at Gone Feral, and Feral Mom was asking for the shameful music tastes of her readers, I thought it was a great idea until I saw in the comments that several people listed artists(Grateful Dead, Springsteen) that I proudly adore. I found it kind of upsetting. I don't know why. I certainly didn't think that everyone liked these artists, in fact, I know for a fact that many people detest them. And they always feel free to share those feelings with me. The Grateful Dead, in particular, elicits some vociferous negative feedback.
I just never figured that there were people who were ASHAMED to like them.( I guess I did have my own self hating Springsteen phase for awhile, but it wasn't the same as being ashamed of liking his music, I just avoided it and didn't listen to it.If anyone had asked, I would have said that I "used" to listen to him.) It made me question my musical philosophy. Was I proud of things I should be ashamed of ?(Like ending a sentence with a preoposition?) Should I be prouder of things that I find shameful ?
Of course, I guess the shame is really internal anyway, isn't it ? But still. I mean, I know I am supposed to hate any Liz Phair after Exile In Guyville(again, a fact I am bombarded with anytime her name is mentioned), but I do not. I suppose I should feel ashamed of that, but I really don't.
But how wrong am I there ? I love early Pat Benatar(her first two albums in particular) am I to feel shame from that ? I don't know anymore.
What should I take pride in ? What should I hide ? I gotta know before I go out to the bridge for a smoke with the cool kids.
Journey's Greatest Hits ?
Courtney Love ?
John Denver ?
Some Neil Diamond ?
The Black Crowes ?
Jackson Browne ?
The Replacements ?
Aimee Mann ?
That 4 Non Blondes song ?
Bob Seger ?
The Dolly Parton version of "I Will Always Love You"?(Take THAT Whitney Houston)
The Cars ?
The Spin Doctors ?
Terry Jacks' "Seasons In The Sun" and the rest of the sad "story songs" of the 70's ?(The Bobby Goldsboro canon, "Wildfire" by Michael Martin Murphy,"Angie Baby" by Helen Reddy, "The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald" by Gordon Lightfoot)
I could go on, but I won't...Unless you want me to ? No ? You sure ? I really could go on..And on...And on...
What's good and what's bad ? Where is my shame center ? I fear I am coming unglued !!!
5 comments:
Good: what you like
Bad: what you don't like
Everyone else: be damned
Aw man, it was supposed to be feel good post. You know, "You say potato, I say Tull circa 1982." But this is what happens when you fuck a stranger in the ass, I guess. Anyway, no need for self-loathing or coming unglued. And we can agree to disagree on late period Liz Phair, yes? It keeps a little spark in our bloggy relationship.
Feral Mom,
It's all good. My mental deficiencies are purely my own. I wasn't taking issue with your post at all. I dug your rap, Momma. And I would never let that lovely slut Liz Phair come between us.
(Cue piano music)..."did you ever know that you're my hero ?...And everything I would like to beeeeeee...And I can fly higher than an eagle...C'mon everyone with me...For you are the wind beneath my wiiiiings!!"
I'm proud to rock to Bob Seger! Not a guilty pleasure. Well, maybe a little. But it's hard wired into my midwestern brain. Turn the page dude!
Meester Higbie,
Nice to see you sir. I totally dig the Seger. Even if his music too often makes me think of Tom Cruise driving a Ford truck in his tighty whities. But maybe that's a discussion for another time.
But "Those Hollywood nights, in those Hollywood hills, she was looking so right, it was giving him chills"
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