Musical Immaturity - Is it that common?

[darwin-bass]

Ah, yes, so true. Music taste is totally emotion-based. It is not justified by reason. It is art and we appreciate it on an emotional level. I really don't enjoy opera or classical. Or bagpipes. They make me want to plug my ears. Big pipe organs, heavy metal, some jazz - yuck.

I could say "it sucks" but what I would really mean is that "I really dislike it". The limitation is with me, the listener, not with the music itself. And since music is an emotion-based thing, no amount of rational though will really affect the outcome.

And when we're left with just the emotional reaction, we revert to 10 year olds.

Oh, and this thread sucks. There. Some had to say it LOL!!!

 

[blue4]

You think it's bad in music, try living in Missouri and buying the wrong kind of pickup truck.

 

[Killing Floor]

I try to be open to music, food and booze. If someone in my sphere recommends a song from an artist that I don't normally dig I'll give it a listen.
No band and no brand ever tries to make junk.
And the opposite is also true, I once heard The Beatles described as "nobody poops ice cream." If you haven't had bulgogi on breakfast taco you really can't say you don't like it.

Don't like what I like? OK. Call me stupid for liking it, whatever, water off a ducks back.
And I concur with the sentiment that this forum is a pretty safe haven for like-minded and not-so-like-minded musicians to bounce thoughts around without a lot of nastiness.

 

[Hummergeist]

I can understand it with teenagers, they're trying to define themselves and find a place to fit - I used to do it as well. But from 'grownups' it just sounds silly. I know a guy who works for a very well known and much derided band. He loves his work, and they have stuck with him for years, how can that be a bad thing?

 

[AudioTaper]

So many comments to read (so I skipped a few pages, sorry)
I think it comes down to the individual and how open minded they are.
I used to talk to another bass player at work about music and gear. One day I had my headphones on - I had just heard Starstruck by Lady Gaga and loved the thick synth/auto wah sound (even though I'm sure it was a keyboard, I wanted a bass synth pedal to sound like that). He asked what I was listening to and the moment I said Lady Gaga he shut down. Said it was crap and I shouldn't listen to it and walked away. Dude, WTH?! Try an open mind for once....

 

[Gilmourisgod]

I was a terrible musical snob as a young guy, particularly regarding the Grateful Dead. I thought anybody who played that long together should be better musicians, and maybe that’s true, but their concerts were always more about the whole Deadhead scene than the music. I only saw them once, and don’t remember much, but I’m told I had a great time. I’m sure I missed out on a lot of fun concerts because i considered myself above it musically. I was clueless on Rush, for instance, until somebody handed me a ticket out of the blue. His voice was always an acquired taste, and that was back in the High Screech days, but Dang! Geddy can play!

An interesting sub genre of this thread would be:

Horrible Concerts you Went to in Order to Get Laid.

Air Supply. Enough Said.

 

[spantini]

I always think it's cool when a famous musician, when asked who their influences were, speels off a list encompassing Motzart to Sir Lord Baltimore to Michael Jackson and Hank Williams Sr... with some Thelonious Monk to glue it all together.

Growing up listening to 60s Top 40/100 music, our jargon while scanning the radio dial was, "Oh! I hate that song" or "Oh! I love that song". We didn't actually hate, just preferred other songs. Not many of us listened to Country as we classified that as our parent's music. Didn't hate it, just wasn't hip. I eventually got into classic Country, but don't care for the crossover styles today.

When writing songs, I have no idea what style it's going to be. I don't begin with that narrow limitation. I just write the way it flows best and worry about classifying it when someone asks what kind of music do I play.

 

[Snarf]

Seems to happen a lot online, 'they suck' is a common response from 14-yo boys, but from 40-yo men?

Some of my 'friends', who also play Music, have the same limited maturity:
mention Janet Jackson - Ah, she's a no-talent hack
posting memes about how Smash Mouth concert-goers should die

It's just sad!

Is it really that common, even among Musicians?

I'll admit, I'm not the most Musically mature, but I don't go around putting others down because of their choice in Music, and especially not posting memes about Artist X sucks so badly.

Well, I define "musical maturity" as liking the exact same music that I like, and any deviation from my personal taste is a sign of being an infantile, unrefined, hopelessly lost human almost undeserving of the brilliance of my taste in music. It's extremely important to me that I point this out as frequently as possible in the most important place in the world, the Interwebz. So yes, clearly judging by the fact that not everyone agrees with me, there is TONS of musical immaturity out there.

 

[datasmog]

I played in a country rock band for several years. When asked what we played we would usually say country rock or Americana, depending on who asked. Often to blank stares. Some country music clubs didn’t like us as we were too rocky. Other clubs loved us as the members were more open minded.
On the other hand we played the same sets in lots of pubs, many frequented by bikers. We usually went down very well as the assembled music aficionados thought we were a rock band playing stuff they’d never heard before. Which of course we were.
And our lead guitarist thought the Beatles were nothing to write home about and Michael Jackson was a talentless weirdo. The drummer didn’t like anybody remotely famous.

 

[Koog]

Immaturity, based on jealousy and insecurity.

If I don't care for a particular genre or artist, I simply don't listen. There is no need to express negativity.

After a (so far) 58 year musical journey, I've learned how much hard work and determination it takes to become reasonably proficient with instruments and vocals, to say nothing of the courage it takes to get out and perform in public. In my book that deserves nothing but respect.

Koog

 

[59jazz]

Then there are the gear / pre CBS snobs (any brand for that matter) LOL. I recently posted a pic of my '63 Precision ( on a different forum) that I brought back to life, and there's always "that guy" who has to belittle your tastes or efforts. Says my '63 looks like a Squire and that he would have never done that if the bass was his. Whatever!!!! So I asked him if he could post a pic of his Squire.

 

[Ellery]

Come to think of it, the irony is quite high when a person is putting down band X, but on another day they're moaning that no one watches their YT clips of their playing. (or comes to see their band perform)

Wow that is a really good point!!

 

[Relayer71]

I thought only Primus sucked.

Did you misspell "Bon Jovi"?

I think musicians can be elitist when they're young, but if you're in your 30s, 40s and still can't see the merit in certain music, even if it's not your thing, then you're most likely close-minded about lots of things.

I mean, I do not like country music, at all. But some of those guys can play and sing (and I love me them Telecaster guitars ).

There's interesting things to take and learn from all genres. Really does wonders for creativity to listen to something totally foreign to what one is used too.

But Peter Gabriel era Genesis were still better.

 

[datasmog]

The other side of the coin is what I call The Kings New Clothes syndrome.
Where some influencer, music critic, DJ etc says a certain artist is the next double dogs bol***ks, and droves go out buy the stuff because, well it must be good mustn’t it? Lot of rubbish been foisted on the world as a result.
Don’t judge me, I’m just saying.

 

[alaskaleftybass]

I'm in my 60's now. A growing realization about music and culture--especially TV culture and social media-- I'm no longer the target audience. Sad realization. That means that the distasteful commercials, what I term music not for me-- the 'lingo' of the youth-- is about communication to someone else but not me. It doesn't matter if I don't like it. The younger generation does.

But I need to take a lesson from my mom. She was much older when she had my late brother Tom and me. We went to an all-city dance (yes, that actually used to happen!) and the band of the night played She Loves You by the Beatles. My mom was one of the first on the floor! And she grew up listening to Bing Crosby and Glenn Miller. It's never too late to listen to different current music and appreciate it. But bashing music? If I don't like it I can change the station or channel and move on. Why rain on someone else's parade?

 

[joker820]

I'm no Metallica fan but there's a good clip of James Hetfield talking about being run out of town by people that preached "tolerance". They didn't like him hunting deer for food. Don't get me wrong though when some Top 40 garbage comes on an Alt Station I grimace and change it. Luckily I've outgrown arguing with fans over the internet.

 

[BadSanta1281]

The other side of the coin is what I call The Kings New Clothes syndrome.
Where some influencer, music critic, DJ etc says a certain artist is the next double dogs bol***ks, and droves go out buy the stuff because, well it must be good mustn’t it? Lot of rubbish been foisted on the world as a result.
Don’t judge me, I’m just saying.

Pardon me... I'm off to another forum site where I can say "double dog's bol***ks" in all it's glory!!

 

[Rib 13]

Seems to happen a lot online, 'they suck' is a common response from 14-yo boys, but from 40-yo men?

Some of my 'friends', who also play Music, have the same limited maturity:
mention Janet Jackson - Ah, she's a no-talent hack
posting memes about how Smash Mouth concert-goers should die

It's just sad!

Is it really that common, even among Musicians?

I'll admit, I'm not the most Musically mature, but I don't go around putting others down because of their choice in Music, and especially not posting memes about Artist X sucks so badly.

Sour Grapes. Something that happens to a lot of folks who see others easily exceed in some area that they themselves have spent a long time in the trenches with - not just music either but especially with the 'arts'...It may just be human nature (envy) as opposed to just immaturity.

 

[proverbs10_4]

The types of music we hear is what is being pushed by those trying to mold society and advance a particular agenda. That's the way it was, the way it is, and the way it'll always be. There's money to be made when your subjects are lulled into a trance by vapid music, whether it's the Beatles, Elvis, or Lady Gaga.

Instead of questioning the fans of Drake and Billie Eilish, question those who've invested so much money in them. Their record company execs, their advertisers, their management, etc.

 

[Splash7]

Everyone has biased, musically immature, opinions. Whether they voice them or not is another matter.

Speak for yourself.

Being 66 years old means that I have had many years to listen and appreciate a lot of music. I have lots of experience listening to all kinds of music. I am not musically immature and my opinions of "music" are not immature. Music is a very important aspect of my life and has been for a least 60 years.

I know what music I like and what music I don't like. I keep my opinions to myself to what I consider great, good and lousy music.

I do know what is good music and I do know what is crap. My opinion of either is neither here nor there.

Because there is good music out there and there's crap out there. Whether we like it or not.