My Dirty Little Secret

It's no secret that I am obsessed with music, with making it, listening to it, buying imports, 7"s, vinyl, rare remixes, I love music. You would be hard pressed to find anyone with a bigger music collection than me. There is one thing though, one type of music I can't stand. I get a lot of shit for it because everyone I know listens to it. And being a music fanatic such as myself it does seem a bit odd that I am really just not into this genre but I've tried. It came as kind of a blow to me when a friend of mine said I had no taste in music or appreciation for music because of this.

I can't stand classic rock, there I said it. I tried to get into it, I tried to pretend that AC/DC was good, I really wanted to understand why the Rolling Stones are considered Gods. I can't stand the whole late 60's/70's, Hendricks and all that. I will concede that there are a few good songs but on the whole I think the whole genre is shit. I don't know why honestly. I'm not saying that the big hair bands of the 80's were all that much better but I would rather listen to that than Classic Rock all day if I'm forced. I like Tom Petty but 80's Petty, not pre 80's. It's weird considering some of the music I listen to, you would just naturally assume I would like classic rock because a lot of what I listen to has it roots in classic rock, but alas, that is not the case.

Maybe it's because my parents never listened to it. My dad has all these old vinyls, like Hermans Hermits, Neil Diamond, The Monkee's, Dolly Parton, like a lot of 60's pop music and classic country, so we listened to that when I was a kid. So I grew up on old people music, old country and whatever happened to be on the radio. We had an 8 track player for YEARS, like my dads stereo was way older than me. I am positive my dad was the last person to own and finally get rid of an 8 track player in the whole Tri-State area. Lynard Skynard, The Who, The Doors, all those types, I can't get into them. Believe me I have tried because everyone tells me I'm missing out but personally I don't think so. I have an appreciation for people who can get into it but it's just not my thing.

It wasn't until I was a freshman in high school that I realized that there was a whole world of music out there that wasn't played on the radio. I loved My Life with the Thrill Kill Cult, Front 242, NIN's first album changed my life and opened my eyes to all that music could be and was to me. The Smiths, Joy Division, Built to Spill, Depeche Mode, The Cure, Pet Shop Boys, KMFDM, that was music that spoke to me and still does to this day. The heavy, deep, Goth beginning type music was what got me going followed later by industrial and leading to my love of techno/dance.
When I was pissed off I listened to KMFDM not AC/DC, when I was feeling mellow and wanted to think, I listened to The Cure, not the Doors. When I was depressed because that hot chick in chemistry barely realized I existed, I listened to Morrisey and the Pixies. When I needed to listen to a chick tell it like it was I listened to the Sugar Cubes, not Janis.

So, I'm not saying classic rock is shit, I'm just saying I had an alternative growing up. My parents weren't the kind to have the radio on often unless it was talk radio. We really only used the record player at Christmas to listen to all the Christmas albums we had. My family was more likely to have the TV on as background noise than the stereo. So I didn't grow up listening to all that classic rock stuff and the few songs I do like, I grew an appreciation for because my friends forced me to listen to them- repeatedly. There are a couple exceptions as there is to everything in life and Pink Floyd is mine.

I promise not to roll my eyes too much when you force me to listen to Highway to Hell for the gazillionth time as long as you let me toss in this really great mix cd I made of my current favorite Emo Boy Band I'm thinking is great, ok? I won't bitch about how high pitched guitars are overused and annoying in the 70's. But in return you can't go on about how Morrisey is a self pretenous prick, ok? I think I can get along with all you Classic Rock lovers out there as long as you don't keep telling me I'm a twat for not liking it and have no taste because in my world, oyu are really the one who is missing out on the beauty that is The Pixies and such.