• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join freeLog in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Does anyone else really DISLIKE talking music with people?

I usually defer from talking about music in the company of unicorns because they are tone deaf and find the subject very irritating other than that when I do talk about music I don't use phrases like "The best ever"
 
I'm glad it's not just me who has this experience. I like talking about music, but I hate the conversations that become a sort of one-upmanship "taste competition". You know, I don't understand this conversational dynamic where person A says "I like Turnip Ambiguity", person B says "Dude, Turnip Ambiguity sucks!", and person B is perceived to have scored some kind of point. What, I ask you, *is* it with people?

-NT
 
It's strange it's a lot like religion and politics. I have to admit to judging people by their musical tastes at times (and been proven both right and wrong) That said I do find that music is a good barometer to other aspects of a persons personality. I worked with a guy for years we started out hating each other, developed a professional respect and then one day discovered we liked the same usually socially alienating music (progressive rock) we became pretty decent friends after that with him surprising me on several occasions with cd's, books etc. But to address the op I don't hate talking music I just tend to avoid it...
 
With each passing day I have less interest in discussing music and gear with anyone. I have all of my gear purchased and my favorite bands to listen to and as far as I'm concerned, it's time to drop out of sight and let everyone else talk about it. Later.
 
The only thing that bothers me is when people don't undertsand that every artist, whether they realize it or not and whether you liked them or not, has been influenced by artists who came before them. For example, The Beatles, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin are still influencing bands. Even bands who do not lnclude these three as influences are influenced by bands who were influenced by them.
 
I Love talking about music! As long as it doesn't derail into person A maintaining he is "right" and "therefore" person B is "wrong". Endlessly tiresome, pompous and infantile are discussions about who is the worst/best/overrated/underated/greatest etc.

+a million. I like what I like and it's not to fake sophistication or impress others. I also don't really care what other people think or what they enjoy.
 
The only thing that bothers me is when people don't undertsand that every artist, whether they realize it or not and whether you liked them or not, has been influenced by artists who came before them. For example, The Beatles, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin are still influencing bands. Even bands who do not lnclude these three as influences are influenced by bands who were influenced by them.

It bothers me when people assume that pop/rock is the be all end all of music and can't have a discussion about music without bringing up rock bands. I also can't stand it when people assert that I should like a certain band because they influenced "everything" that came after them, whether I know it or not.
 
Most of my close friends are musicians, so music is one of the most talked about subjects... however I just know whenever I share that I enjoy an artist that is not on the "cool list" I'll get that disapproving look from everyone, followed by the long drawn out conversation where I'm supposed to justify my choice of music. Especially if the artist in question is mainstream, and currently in the charts. :(

Pretty much. A guy I play with currently used to rag on my pretty hard about liking Duran Duran and other 80's bands. The turning point was when he was in my car one time and, unbeknownst to him, we were listening to a DD mix CD that I had made. About halfway through the third tune he turned to me and said, "Hey, I like this. Who is this?" I turned to him, smirked, and said, "It's Duran Duran." He hasn't given me any crap since then :smug:

No offense, JMatt, but it sounds like you may be hanging out with hipsters. :p

You're probably right about that lol.

It's strange it's a lot like religion and politics. I have to admit to judging people by their musical tastes at times (and been proven both right and wrong) That said I do find that music is a good barometer to other aspects of a persons personality...

It is, and the unfortunate thing about it is that a lot of people seem to have no issue judging others by it, but come hell or high water they won't stand to have you judge them on their tastes!
 
The only thing that bothers me is when people don't undertsand that every artist, whether they realize it or not and whether you liked them or not, has been influenced by artists who came before them. For example, The Beatles, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin are still influencing bands. Even bands who do not lnclude these three as influences are influenced by bands who were influenced by them.

(I'm usually the guy in the conversation that gets reamed out for not liking the Beatles or Led Zeppelin)

Sure, they were influential on all my favorite bands. BUT, does that mean I have to like the music they made?
 
Pretty much. A guy I play with currently used to rag on my pretty hard about liking Duran Duran and other 80's bands. The turning point was when he was in my car one time and, unbeknownst to him, we were listening to a DD mix CD that I had made. About halfway through the third tune he turned to me and said, "Hey, I like this. Who is this?" I turned to him, smirked, and said, "It's Duran Duran." He hasn't given me any crap since then :smug:

This is how I get people into music they say they don't like. I put on the cd player and wait for the "who is this?" and then politely tell them who the band is.

Also, hating 80's music is so 90's! Your friend needs to get with the times! ;)
 
(I'm usually the guy in the conversation that gets reamed out for not liking the Beatles or Led Zeppelin)

Sure, they were influential on all my favorite bands. BUT, does that mean I have to like the music they made?

I'm not implying that anyone should like a particular band but it bothers me when people insist that what they like is totally new and bands that came before them had no influence at all.
 
I don't talk about music with anyone unless I'm 95% sure we've got some serious common ground somewhere on the musical spectrum. If I can't fangirl with someone with similar musical tastes, it ain't worth talking about. That said, I won't hesitate to answer questions about what I like musically.
 
Kwesi said:
I don't talk about music with anyone unless I'm 95% sure we've got some serious common ground somewhere on the musical spectrum..

Common ground is key. Even here on TB, when the younger guys start talking bands they are bands I've never heard of or listened too.

Blue
 
I'm not implying that anyone should like a particular band but it bothers me when people insist that what they like is totally new and bands that came before them had no influence at all.

Yeah that's fair ... that's as annoying as people's band biographies that claim their music can't be confined to genres and is unlike anything ever created before.


My only other issue with the "influence factor" is when people argue (I'm not saying you are doing this ... but I HAVE had this argument with people) that rock music wouldn't exist without so-and-so band. Ugh. Just because someone was the first to do it doesn't mean that nobody else would have ever thought of that.

Sheesh. Maybe I don't like talking about music!