Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Music meme I got from Scott

Scott's a man with one hell of a sense for music, so when he did this I had to follow suite. Here we go.

1) What's a piece of music, any genre, any year, and form, (i.e 45, album, MP3, etc), that you often return to. Something that continually resonates throughout your life, and seems to gain greater impact as you grow older. How often do you find yourself seeking this piece?


Answer: The Who's Quadrophenia. I have always been trying to integrate all the competing parts of who I am to find the real me. I've been listening to this album since 1989 consistently.

2) Is there a specific story that relates to this?

Answer: Nope.

3) Was there a piece of music, despite the fact that you may have "outgrown" it now that at one time changed your life? How about something you feel you'll never outgrow?

A: Um, probably "Eruption" by Edward Van Halen and various works by Steve Vai. I am well over it now, but when I first heard those works, it was when I was a kid and it blew my preconceptions of what the guitar could do. I wasn't around for Hendrix to blow my mind while he was alive, so these guys did it for me. As for never outgrowing something, that would be Heavy Metal.

4) Could a piece of music that you found in common with a stranger bond you for life? Is there a story behind that?

A: It could, but it hasn't yet.

5) Is there a favorite artist that you had that you gave up on only to have him or her redeem themselves?

A: Yes: Alice Cooper, Jimmy Page, and Roky Erickson.

6) Has music ever got you through some really tough times? How?

A: Yes, probably Neil Young and Chris Bell, but Rush got me through adolescence because they are geeks who stick together and kick ass.

7) Can music change the world or is that naive wishful thinking?

A: It already did in the sixties, but not exactly how they wanted it to.

8) Is Rock and Roll dead?

A: Aw, hells no! As long as there's that sex in music, that rocks back and forth in the rhythm, then it isn't dead--they are just re-branding it so the kiddies will think that they have something original for their generation.

9) What's the song you wish played at you wedding? How about your funeral?

A: At my wedding I would want Pachelbel's Canon in D Major to be played. While my body is being prepared for burial I want Strauss' The Blue Danube waltz to be played. When my funeral is actually happening I want Dylan's "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" to be played.

10) What's the greatest live show you ever saw? In what year? Why? How old were you then? Did you attend with friends? Were you a skeptic going in?
Did you enter a huge fan? How about the most disappointing show? Why?

A: Pink Floyd at ASU stadium in 1994. I was 21. I was with friends, strangers, and my brother.
How could you be skeptical about Pink Floyd? I was a huge fan. The most disappointing show was ZZ Top at a festival because Dusty Hill was too fat and sweaty to finish the set and they left early. Billy Gibbons was awesome, though.

11) Has your feelings about recorded or live music changed over the years?

A: Arenas are evil. Small venues are bliss. Recorded music: MP3 compression is evil. Analog is the best when it is done/heard under the right circumstances. Digital is user friendly, economical, and has a high potential for both good and evil.

12) Do you listen to radio? How do you listen to music?

A: I don't listen to the radio unless that's all there is. I listen to music via my computer, Ipod, my truck's system (CD and MP3), my turntable, and my Walkman for my old tapes. I also get a kick out of listening to music on my brother's antique RCA phonograph.

13) Has the amount of time you listen to music changed over the years? To what extent?

A: I mainly listen to music now while I am doing something, like driving or working. I used to take hours out of the day just to listen to albums. It sucks, but I can't help feeling like I am wasting time just sitting there. I chalk it up to growing older.

14) In these tough economic stressful times do you gravitate towards a different kind of music, i.e happy, nostalgic, the blues, then you did say, 4 years ago?

A: I haven't been listening to bleak music for awhile because my life has needed more sustaining influences lately. It isn't that it is sunny music, just not dark without any redeeming quality. So, I haven't listened to much Dissection, Electric Wizard, or Bauhaus lately.

15) You're stuck on a desert isle, you've got a mix Cd with 10 songs you're stuck with until your dying day, (or at leas until you're rescued) what are those 10 songs and why?

  1. "Wish you were here" Floyd: Because I wish I'd have someone else there with me.
  2. "The Knife" Genesis: Because I need something to make me fall asleep and it's long.
  3. "2112" Rush: Because I said so.
  4. "Powderfinger" Neil Young: Young is so cryptic and I still need to figure out the whole story on this one.
  5. "Like a Rolling Stone" Dylan: This song always makes my neck hairs stand on end, especially Al Kooper and Mike Bloomfield's contributions to the playing on this one.
  6. "Mahgeetah" My Morning Jacket: This song just feels beautiful.
  7. "War Pigs" Black Sabbath: I need my heavy metal and this one is the finest example of the genre.
  8. "Wild Horses" Rolling Stones: It gives me longing.
  9. "Waterloo Sunset" The Kinks: This song breaks my heart in a good way.
  10. "Won't Get Fooled Again" The Who: Because Roger Daltery's yell is empowering.
That took way too friggin long.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

That was ace, Grunt-o!
Heart you.
Vera

Julie Kwiatkowski Schuler said...

It was nice to just have time to sit and listen to an entire album. I can never manage to justify that sort of time-spending, either. It's sad, because it certainly is worthwhile.
Also, I never would have guessed that you were older than me :) You seem so young and fun and vibrant. Yet you are, just a tad older.

Scott said...

So glad that you did this. Love the appreciation for Rush making it in there, so important.

I saw Floyd in 94 as well in Detroit. Amazing show!

Queue_t said...

Great MEME - I think I might be tempted to try to answer some of these though I am a bit older than you guys!

sent you some snail mail Love grunty- hope all is well with you.
QT

The Grunt said...

Vera~ I heart you back! You should take this one on. I'd be interested to see what your answers would be.

Julie~ Well, young and vibrant are things that no chronological age is going to take away from me. Anyway, it always freaks people out when they find out how old I really am. I'm just glad that I don't look like a fourteen year old anymore.

Scott~ Thanks man! Well, I definitely had to give it up to Rush because no matter how whack people tried to tell me they were back in the day, I stayed true to them. Now, as Huey Lewis once sang, it is hip to be square. Cool that you also caught Floyd on their '94 tour.

QT~ All right! I love getting snail mail. I can't wait!

Chandra said...

A: At my wedding I would want Pachelbel's Canon in D Major to be played. While my body is being prepared for burial I want Strauss' The Blue Danube waltz to be played. When my funeral is actually happening I want Dylan's "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" to be played.

I think that is truly amazing that you know what parts and what songs you want. AWESOME.

Karyn said...

Waterloo Sunset. I am right there with you.

(Also Pachelbel Canon in D. )