A few days ago I saw an episode of The Cosby Show where Stevie Wonder’s limo hits Denise’s car. Clair declared that her kids would never forget meeting him for the rest of their lives. It occurred to me that, while that was true, they might have to explain who Wonder was in about 10 years.
It’s a generational thing. My parents loved Merle Haggard, Patsy Cline, and Jimmy Dean, probably to upset their parents who were into Les Brown and His Band Renown, Dean Martin and the Andrews Sisters. Therefore I had to love Three Dog Night, The Beach Boys, and then Aerosmith, Led Zepplin, Genesis, and Pink Floyd just to spite them. Not to be outdone the next generation went berserk for Donna S’s, and KC and The Sunshine Band’s disco gang because they knew my generation hated it, and their kids are now appalling their parents by being in love with rap and hip hop.
I still have to tell people that Richard Harris did not steal "MacArthur Park" from Donna Disco Queen. About 10 years ago I remember explaining to a kid that Paul McCartney was more famous as a Beatle than as member of Wings, and had to explain that Paul didn’t rip off “Live and Let Die” from Axl Rose, and he wouldn’t believe me till I showed him a video tape of the movie.
It’s not fair that I should know what a “33 1/3” is, or be embarrassed for knowing all the words to the Mamas and the Papas “California Dreamin’,” or have Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon memorized. You know you’re musically obsolete when you find yourself singing along with The Moody Blue's “Nights in White Satin” playing on the overhead speakers at the grocery store.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Jet in Columbus
Thanks Eric!
2 - JP
Don't worry, Jet, there are many of us out here. I'm 35 and I find myself saying "I can't believe what those kids are listening to!" far earlier than I expected.
3 - Jet in Columbus
Thanks JP: What kills me is that some of my favorite songs are now commercial jingles too!
4 - Guppusmaximus
Amen Jet.... I'm only 31 and I love most of the music in the grocery store compared to the radio or tv. "Nights in White Satin" is a kick a$$ song anyways! Most of these untalented hacks couldn't write a song like that even with their multi-platinum writing teams.Anyways,*off the soapbox* I remember 33 1/3 because my dad was a radio dj. Granted, I love "The Divison Bell" but if I heard you cranking "DSOTM" I would give you thumbs up...
5 - Jet in Columbus
Thanks Guppusma: What's worse is when you hear some Rab song that's using a riff from a song you loved thirty years ago, or the kids nowadays don't know that "Big Yellow Taxi" was originally recorded 36 YEARS AGO!!
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!
6 - Jet in Columbus
Do you realize that most people under 20 have no idea who those people in the album ads under my article are!?!?!
7 - rob
My 13 yr old neice says that I don't like her music because it scares me, because it's heavy and the vocalists sing in a low growl. I told her I've seen Ozzy bite the head off chickens and bats, Alice Cooper beheaded, Gene Simmons spit blood all over the stage, AC/DC in their heyday and have been bruised in a mosh pit. It's all been done before!
8 - Christopher Rose
It's not completely true, Jet. There are still teenagers listening to Pink Floyd and even The Beatles...
9 - Jet in Columbus
Rob #7, Me too... Ah I miss the good 'ol days.
10 - Jet in Columbus
Chriss#8 I knew you'd be the contrary one. However I don't think we'll see starcrossed and crazed teens on this article screaming PAUL IS SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO CUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUTE!
do you?
11 - Jet in Columbus
Come to think of it, I can't remember ever seeing some teen lately in a Pink Floyd t-shirt saying "Farfuckinoutman!"
12 - Jet in Columbus
Uh Christopher Rose?... To Quote Megan's comment just posted on another article... "Actually, indie kids don't listen to the Rolling Stones. Music began with the creation of Joy Division remember?
Before then it was just wolves, plagues, and banjos."
So true... sniff so true
13 - Guppusmaximus
Rob, I can understand the sentiment about "It's all been done before" and that may be true for the shock value but I don't think Alice Cooper or Ozzy ever dreamed of producing music like the bands: Death,Neuraxis,Between The Buried and Me does(to name a few). I guess I can get caught in the middle of this debate because as much as I agree with Jet and I do appreciate the classics(Ozzy,Moody Blues,etc) I can't stand that statement,"It's all been done before"!! That just shows a lack of musicianship and if everybody thought that way we wouldn't have the pioneering work from a band called Opeth who pretty much fused Pink Floyd and Death Metal...
14 - rob
Sorry Guppus, I didn't mean that today's music isn't relevant. It is, very much so. I guess what I was getting at was that yesterday's music has evolved into what the kids listen to and love today. There's a lot of great stuff going on out there today, but there was some great stuff written in the past too.
15 - Mark Saleski
you know what does seem different today? maybe i'm getting my timespans wrong but i remember in the late seventies being aware of music that was ten years old or older. today it seems like kids in that age group are much more focused on very current things.
...though this may be completely wrong...maybe it's just my stepkids and their circle of friends.
16 - Jet in Columbus
Done before? "Big Yellow Taxi" done by Joanie Mitchell in 1970 showing up as a Counting Crows song.
"Live and Let Die" a song as famous as a James Bond movie theme, that today's kids think that Axl Rose wrote???
It sucks that no credit is given or even acknowledged that the originals done decades ago were better!
17 - Jet in Columbus
Rob 14: I agree but I just can't find a way to wrap my head around what amounts to bad poetry readings done to sampled music from the 70s. I'm sure the message is there, but couldn't they be tallented enough to write their own music to it instead of bastardizing my favorite childhood memories?
18 - Jet in Columbus
Mark 15: You're right if it's more than 6 months old it's "old News". When was the last time you found yourself humming a rapp tune?
19 - Guppusmaximus
I agree with you 100% Rob... The prog rock from the 70's was phenomonal and even the releases in the 80's from bands like YES & Rush were very influential to my musical abilities. My idols started in the 70's...IRON MAIDEN!! Talk about pioneering metal. But, at the same time, there is so much sh!t that makes the airwaves in this country nowadays that it makes me sick. Let's not discuss the American Metal Scene..*ugh* Don't even get me started about Hip Hop....LOL!!
20 - Jet in Columbus
IRON MAIDEN!!!!! I knew there was somone I forgot to mention. Them and Hall of the Crimson King.
21 - Sister Ray
I was surprsied at the number of teen girls on the Axl Rose birthday thread. He was hot in his day, but that day was more than 10 years ago.
My oldster moment came when the movie "Sweet Home Alabama" was out a couple of years ago. Some women in my office were talking about it, and thought there was some song or something with that name, but they weren't sure.
22 - Mark Saleski
i read yet another blurb in the newspaper this morning where axl was sayin' that Chinese Democracy will be coming out this fall.
gee, i can hardly wait.
23 - zingzing
oh, bah. if kids think "that music started with joy division" (and i don't think that all that many "kids" know who joy division were), then they are just ignorant. it's not some sign of the times. it's just good old inexperience. if they're really interested, they'll come around. i doubt a bunch of you old fogies had any idea who wrote all those covers on the early beatles LPs. be honest.
24 - Jet in Columbus
Sister Ray, try this one, I had another moment yesterday morning singing along in falsetto with Aretha Franklin's "Respect"
God I am old aren't I?
25 - Jet in Columbus
Mark 22: I wonder if he still looks good without his shirt on, and if his tatoos are still spelled right?