Acquiring the Taste – or Losing It
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Illustration by Von Glitschka
When I was a young boy (as opposed to an overgrown boy sometimes accused of Peter Pan Syndrome), I couldn't stand certain types of food - especially the three b's: broccoli, brussels sprouts and beets. I was never too fond of liver either, and still not over that one, despite my gourmet friends constantly ooh-ing and ahh-ing over pâté. Eventually, I came to like, even love, broccoli and brussels sprouts - and tolerate beets that were properly prepared (dressed in a light vinaigrette and not overcooked).
Can you tell that an analogy to music is coming?
Tastes often mature over time, whether we're talking food, sexual partners, or the arts. So there are instances of music and musicians that I found uninteresting, derivative, abrasive or too blatantly commercial back in the day, and that I now enjoy for one reason or another. I've learned how to appreciate some styles and sounds on their own terms. My previous post stated a certain measure of disdain that I had for the Doobie Brothers. But, many years after they were first recorded, some of their hits - heard through the haze of nostalgia - can be joyfully relished as expressions of pure, earworm pop.
The same goes for numerous disco "classics" of the '70s, which I used to think of as vile, brain-dead soundtracks for the coke-and-Quaalude crowd - perfect for bumping and grinding under the flashing lights and sparkly fixtures of late-night big-city meet-markets. Amazing how Donna Summer's Euro-disco chart-toppers (the ones produced by German techno-mage Giorgio Moroder) manage to sound so epic and intoxicating to me today, and how funk bands such as the Brothers Johnson, Heatwave and LTD still get yo' ass in gear when you hear their hotter tracks in the 2000s.
And I definitely had to grow to truly appreciate the intricacies of jazz musicians such as Coltrane, Dolphy, and Monk.
Conversely, I have a hard time or little patience with a few once-lauded progressive rock groups and various tediously long blues jams by so-called virtuosos. I shall withhold names to protect the guilty, also known as musicians I used to respect - even revere. As for the silliness of the new-wave era, I will say that I might (I say, might) have once liked the Thompson Twins. But please don't play "Doctor, Doctor" or "Lies" in my presence, or a doctor might be required - no lie.
The usual process is that I hear a song or artist, and, if it strikes me in a positive way, I embrace it for the duration. If not, it's buh-bye. For instance, there's the delirium-inducing "Blue Song" by the U.K. studio unit Mint Royale. Heard it. Instantly bought in. I can't imagine ever not grooving to it. But, clearly, one's opinion can change over time.
How about you? Who did you love that repels you today? Is there anyone that you couldn't stand, or just didn't get, that now flips your switches? Favor us with those flavors.
Locating MOG account...
Comments (29)
Hard to think of any specific artists, but there are two kinds of music that I long ago fell out of love with. When I was young, I liked displays of instrumental virtuosity, no matter whether it was relevant or necessary. And I liked anything that was weird, simply because it was weird. These days, the odd and the virtuosos have no real claim on my attention, unless there is more ... that is, I have nothing against either group of artists, but what was once enough is no longer. Enough. So, to choose a band off the top of my head, I appreciated Mad River a lot more in the 1960s than I do when I hear them now.
it comes and goes in waves with me. I will listen to a band over and over and then one day the lead singer sounds a bit annoying and their records go back on the shelves. There are a few though that no matter what stand the test of time with me, and no matter what I can listen to their music with out any problems.
Didn't like jazz (without knowing it well), but I like it now.
I adored (and I do mean that) Garbage, but they lost me after Version 2.0. Now I'm bitter and I hate them :P
I really fancied Offspring, and now I'm meh.
I used to be turned off by Bauhaus, and now they are amongst my favourite bands of all time.
"a doctor might be required", not the good kind of doctor, eh? ;)
anna, take a listen to the new offspring record me liking them again
Damn Mike, this is the post I should have made. This is (really) one of the biggest mysteries of growing older to me. At 38 , the only thing I can stand listening to is a lot of 70s / 80s punk, stuff I had no interest in when I should have (maybe some would say) been, at 13 or 14 years old.
And also true, sometimes I'll hear a song from the past and be blown away or say to myself: Wow, they really were a special group!
Don't laugh but I had a similar experience hearing "Destination unknown" by Missing Persons. It was really a joy.
Masoo: D'accord. But, I must add that, as weary as I am of the extended instrumental wank, I can still listen to Duane Allman's stuff and the Butterfield Blues Band's "East-West" and get chills. Sometimes genius must be served.
Rawkkiddoh: Yes, as Justine Frischmann of Elastica sings, "A connection is made." (Hmmm. That one still rocks my world.)
Anna: FYI, I'm still playing select Garbage and liking it. But an entire album? Nah. The good kind of doctor? Would you mean...a love doctor?
qballvolpe: Missing Persons? Really? Sounds like me and my way-late adoration of The Motels' track "Suddenly Last Summer." Must be an L.A. thing.
funny, but the "comes to mind at the moment" answer is more about production. there are certain sounds and directions that were "hot" at the time that are currently hard to listen to except when taken "in character" and smiled at.
there's one thing hanging over my head though, but at least no one else has it. when i did a King Biscuit Flower Hour show with the Church and Tom Verlaine in Philly (88?), there was an AMAZING jam to Neil Young's "Cortez the Killer" that was, basically, guitar heaven. unfortunately, my "arena-style" snare drum sound bothers me to this day. i wish i had a multitrack to remix.
Noted, Kevin, merci :)
Mikey, I play only the first two albums, then I get irritated of what they became after them and hell breaks loose :)
You know..the when-I-play-doctor-I-play-to-win kind of doctor ;o)
I liked a lot of 80's music from floks like Scritti Politti, ABC, and that ilk, but the keyboard sound is off putting to me now..too shiny, this includes early Prince and other minneapopolitans.
60's and 70's country music did absolutely nothing for me til I was in my 30's.
As a kid I liked Motown, but as the Big Chill generation distilled it for new mass consumption in the 80's and I learned of Mr.Gordy's business practices, I started to dislike Motown pre-Marvin and Stevie's freedom. Nowadays, I love Motown, despite Mr.Gordy and the factory setting..learning to love it for its pop prowess and instrumental innovation..
I was all over early 80's electro:Pac Jam,Jonzun Crew,etc., but it leaves me a little cold now despite it resurgance in revisionist history circles..
Robin: The producer's perspective is another thing entirely. As regards the quality of sound, I wonder if I'd now appreciate the screeching of the crowd and the tinniness of the band's sound on the Stones' first live album Got Live If You Want It. Um...probably not. (BTW, I'd love to get my hands on that "Cortez the Killer," regardless of the snare.)
Anna: Ah. Playing "doctor." Where's the night nurse when I need her?
Cody: I'm with you on most of this, although the shiny keyboard sound hasn't been a deal-breaker with Scritti, The Time, and such. Electro, dude!
It is hard for me to fall out of love, so nothing comes straight to mind in that realm. Obviously tastes change, and I don't regularly listen to a lot of the same stuff. Being part of the generation that grew up on seattle grunge, I never listen to Pearl Jam anymore. They might be quite good at what they do now, but I have zero interest.
I used to hate the Dead, and I still do, so no changes to report there. A lot of that had to do with the (poser?!) scene that I perceived. You know, rich kids on drugs. I kind of tied some reggae up in that scene - mostly the polished British stuff. But now I am a huge reggae fan, at least for the originators and the dirty dubby goodness of it. A lot of my "discoveries" have been when I spearated the music from some people I knew who liked it (excessive drug users). I have definitely developed an appreciation for disco, mass appeal and lo-fi, in the past few years. Getting high off music - that is all I need.
Oatmeal: You've probably heard that old saw: "Hate the sin - love the sinner." When it comes to the Grateful Dead, I've always thought "Occasionally enjoy the band - can't stand the fans."
Hip hop really went in phases with me. I liked it until the early-90s, then hated it until a few years ago.
I'm with Anna on The Offspring.
45 years ago I was a Brownie McGhee fan, until I heard recordings by his mentor Blind Boy Fuller.
Mike - Yeah, I have heard that one. I like the Allman Bros. at least live, but the Dead, can't do it. But with age more "rootsy" stuff has found a place in my heart.
And Pumpkin - I come and go on actually listening to hip hop, but I will never say I hate it. I just don't listen to the radio, or to what is causing the kids (with the bass cabinets in the trunk) to lose hearing.
I know - very curmudgeonly of me.
I'd have to say christian rock! Used to be big into it when I was a 'believer' back in the day but I haven't listened to any of my lps in decades! UGH! I've now seen the light, thank GODDESS!!!!
Also, I was a huge Eagles, Elton John, Lionel Ritchie fan in the '70s but then lost interest in the '80s when I grew up & got turned on to alternative/underground music, discovering there were far better offerings out there than what was in the top farty, haha!
gympumpkin: For me, old-school rules, as does conscious and trippy De La Soul-ish stuff, but gangsta lost its allure fast and never got it back.
Spike: Ya know what Dobie Gray says: The original is still the greatest.
Oatmeal: I'm very selective when it comes to stuff like the Dead and Phish. When it's good, watch out! When it's mediocre, it's "meh" to "bleah."
August: I would never question the source of anyone's faith. If religious beliefs give you strength and encourage you to practice kindness and tolerence, I'm happy for you. But, personally speaking, I've got no time for organized religion - and even if I was a believer, I'd still be disgusted with what they presume to call "Christian rock" - a self-cancelling phrase if there ever was one. Richie? Nope, never, nuh-uh. Eagles and Elton? Considered on a song-by-song basis.
Well don't worry, I have no faith now! I have no time for organized religion either. Christian rock was always behind the curve as far as cutting edge music. It always aped what was hip & cool in the secular world. I despise anything after Elton's '70s output.
No worries, August. We shall all see one another again in the ether, whether it's in this life or something else quite different. (Like I have any idea...heh.)
Yea, I have no idea either. We may not end up seeing one another in the afterlife, but let's hope there's a rock n' roll heaven or some shit like that!
aaand another great post from Sir Knifey.
i tried and failed to love The Stone Roses for ten years. gave me migraines. imagine that. (now i'm almost a fan.)
hated most of '80s synth pop, to be honest. am more tolerant of the recent crop.
the biggest change is that now i am willing to give any song one chance before passing judgment. i mentioned this in one of Sam/fistula's posts - i am not going to bash a song i have not heard at least once. i think that is otherwise known as mellowing with age. eek.
That 80s big drum sound. Used to love it at the time. Now I'm hearing many a good record being punished by it. 'Happy Trails' by Quicksilver was an intense rotation piece in my latter youth but sounds unlistenable now (tho various live tapes still attract). Unvarnished music like Hank Williams and various blues artists didn't move the magic meter at all when I was young, but now I'm increasingly drawn to the stark simplicity. "East West" will never tire me out - genius, as you say.
Mike, great post as usual. I haven't truly fallen out of love with anything, but there is a whole lot that I listen to a lot less of than I did back in the day... and some of them can even be bands that I still dig, and still might go catch them live. Mentioning names though would be like comparing old flames with a new flame, and I can't really do that either. LOL!!! Let me give this some more thought, I'm sure I can come up with something that I wouldn't mind kissing and telling on. But it would have to be bad, really bad, and like most things that we're not that in to any more, I can still see what I was in to about it at the time... nostalgia kicks in, and well, you know...
BTW, we're practically twins (yet again) on the organized religion front and Christian Rock, and ... the list goes on and on. :)
I would have to say Green Day is one of the bands I lost interest in along with Blink 182, the Offspring, and other bands of that era. Now I listen to the new Indie acts. Dr. Dog, White Williams, Eastern Conference Champions... and I have a feeling once I graduate college my tastes might change again. I guess I'll have to wait and see.
August: If there's a rock n' roll heaven, I'll bet they don't have a helluva band. Lazy hedonists are probably boozing it up and trying to get it on with famous dead actresses at the Elysian Hilton.
poebegone: Thanks for the kind words! Patience born of wisdom and experience? I should try some of that.
Jonh: The big drum still works on vintage stuff like Joan Jett's "I Hate Myself for Lovin' You." But I see/hear what you mean. And the Quicksilver track is a good example of jam excess, although a handful of the band's songs hold up pretty well. Not as well as those country and folk artifacts, though; the artists and songs are that timeless.
vannatta: Just crackin' 'em out, man. And I get it. You're being tactful. You don't wanna poison the well. What can I say, but...Onward, secular soldiers!
trend: Weird. I still like a number of tracks by Green Day and The Offspring, but never went for Blink 182 who I always considered typical hard-rock crap o' the day. Meanwhile, try as I might, I'm just not into my Philly homies Dr. Dog - and it ain't the long hair and the facial adornments. If it was a tonsorial issue, how could I be so fond of the Fleet Foxes and their debut album?
Tonsorial has to be the best word i've ever learned. thank you. Dr. Dog was more of a "yeah my roommate played them all the time and they grew on me" kind of thing. my two favorite songs By Dr. Dog are 'Easy Beat' and 'Worst Trip'.
and Fleet Foxes are definitley a band i've been getting into recently as well.
Oh...Mike, no Dr. Dog for you? : ( They're my lastest favorite! I think Fate is really a brilliant album, but if it doesn't click, it doesn't click. You still have my utmost respect, Sir.
Used to hate Eddie Vedder's voice, now I love. Used to love and connect with Tori Amos but now her dramatic style bugs me. Used to be addicted to Incubus, but their lastest couple of albums were seriously dissappointing. There's more but that's about it off the top of my head.
SunshineDaydream and trend: Maybe I should try Doggin' it again. But you might be right, Sunny. What clicks. clicks. So what would you do with a Vedder-Amos duet? (Hey! It could happen...)
Yo Mike, long time no talk. It took me quite a while to get into Coldplay, Tool and the Smashing Pumpkins. Coldplay and Tool were so overhyped and I couldn't get over Corgan's voice. When Coldplay came out with X&Y and I was somewhat forced to hear it at my old college job, I really got into it. Their older albums eventually parasitically infected my brain and the rest is history. The Pumpkins, I always sort of liked, until my good friend convinced me to give them an honest chance. Once I could stomach Billy's voice, I fell in love with the Pumpkins. Tool I didn't appreciate until I saw them live.
Green Day has been off and on for me. Really depends on the album.
I'm hoping the Killers' next album is good, as I wasn't very impressed with Sam's Town, and I don't want to not like them.