Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
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 free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
The Generation Gap
- Thread starter bluewine
- Start date
- Status
I like playing all types of music and I am often pleasantly surprised at music that I had previously dismissed once I give it a chance.
I try not to bring my baggage into the groups I am in. I am 58 and play with a number of musicians younger than me. I don't feel the need to direct them - if they want to know something from me they can ask. People sometimes like things better if they feel they have "discovered" them on their own.
Having said that, none of them are into metal, but if one of them wanted to try it out, I would have no issue with it. I consider myself a rhythm section guy and I like to serve the band when possible.
I try not to bring my baggage into the groups I am in. I am 58 and play with a number of musicians younger than me. I don't feel the need to direct them - if they want to know something from me they can ask. People sometimes like things better if they feel they have "discovered" them on their own.
Having said that, none of them are into metal, but if one of them wanted to try it out, I would have no issue with it. I consider myself a rhythm section guy and I like to serve the band when possible.
BW, you spend an awful lot of time agonizing over how old of a player you are, how you don't quite get younger players, etc etc... I'm an older guy too and frankly, I *like* what many young players bring to the table. No, I don't get all of their cultural references and interests (Baseball caps indoors?? Texting at dinner? What the hell is up with that?!) but I like new ideas, so I try to keep an open mind about music - - I certainly do about gear (I officially have remove the word "Vintage" from my vocabulary. Forever. All because of TB!)....
I suggest you relax. You want to swim in the pool where the kids are? Well, you're gonna get splashed. Roll with it!
I agree with BigOldHarry. I'm 29, LOVE the Beatles (wearing a Beatles t-shirt as we speak) and I dont like Metal. Well, I take that back, I don't like the new metal stuff. Mid-90's and earlier there's a lot of good stuff, but generally speaking I think stuff on the radio (all genres) is just so dumbed down anymore. IMHO, classifying it as a young vs. old thing is pretty narrow-minded. I've read a lot of your posts on here, and with all due respect, I tend to think that it's you letting age be a factor in all of these discussions, not the other people you play with. Just a thought.
Your obsession with age is somewhat concerning.
I am 37. My two favorite bands are the Beatles and Machine Head.
I am 37. My two favorite bands are the Beatles and Machine Head.
jive1
Commercial User
This.
I have people who are the same age as me disagree on the music that they like. One of my favorite kinds of music is R&B and Soul from the 60s and 70s, and I wasn't around back then. I know people who were around back then who don't like that music. I know people who were around during the Disco era, and hated that stuff. There's plenty of college students who dig Classic Rock like the Beatles. If I go to a show with 80s music, I see lots of women in their 20s there.
If you base your preference of music based on age, and being there, then there would be no-one who listens to Blues, Jazz, or Classical music since the movers and shakers of the genre and folks who listened to them originally have died off.
I'm 58 too and play in a Pop/Sleeze LA Style Rock Band.
I like the guys and the material rocks and it's hot. However, we don't have a common musical history.
I know they are to young to understand or appreciate my generations music (I still think The Kinks kiss a$$). And they know I am to old to appreciate the music they grew up with. Mutual respect, leave at that.
I hope I am never asked to play metal and I am never playing Brick House at a Holiday Inn.
And if you ever do play a Holiday Inn, just be sure not to get stuck playing behind the salad bar like Hedwig and the Angry Inch! Hilarious film, if you haven't seen it...
But seriously, Blue, I really don't think it's an age thing. It's more of a cultural thing, depending on what folks were exposed to and what resonated with them at different times in their lives. As others have posted, there are loads of younger folks who love the Beatles. It seems there's a faction in each new generation who fall in love with 60s and 70s-era rock and keep all those great songs alive. On the other hand, I know guys in their 50s who are really into metal and hardcore.
It's an interesting question: Do band members need to share common musical tastes? Is it enough that everyone likes the sound you're creating together? I think it is. And I think the different influences that everyone brings to table adds to the richness and diversity of the material, assuming the chemistry in the band is good, of course. The age range of our original rock band is 41 - 52. Close enough that we all share similar history and cultural experiences. But the youngest and eldest members are classic rock guys, while the two of us who are in our mid-40s are into alternative rock. If the four of us were hanging out and listening to music, we'd definitely have to take turns sharing our fave bands with each other. There would be very few that we'd all agree upon. But what started out as a major concern for me when I was first composing with our classic rock-influenced guitarist has resulted in a good blend of styles. So I say, vive la difference!
You can check out some of our practice recordings at Link Removed and hear for yourself. Official demo coming late April.
It's great that some younger people like The Beatles, but what does that mean?
We are not talking about true Beatles fans or historians like me. More than likely we are talking about people that happen to like a handful of Beatle songs.
Only those of us who were coming of age, meaning at least 9-10 years old who were parked in front of their parents TV sets around 8:15PM on February 9th, 1964 when The Beatles were fist seen on National TV and caught the bug have the right to say we like the Beatles.
It goes way beyond their songs.
I am not buying into this I'm 25 and I like the Beatles stuff, unless maybe if they have written a book about the Fab Four.
BTW Hedwig is a really cool movie.
I'm 28 and grew up on Beatles, Moby Grape, Stones, Warren Zevon, The Animals, Jackson Browne. What kind of band am I in. METAL! Now I understand lots of people can't stand certain things because they just don't want to try from the moment the idea is even brought up.
Here is a story for you oldies to you young cats.
Our last show my father(the one playing all the stuff I grew up on) who is in his 60's who used to be a drummer and actually play shows with the stones when they first made it state side came to our show. We did a "metal" version of "paint it black". Which if you listen too has tons of "metal" type drumming, guitar, and singing in it. He hated everything else we did, but loved the stones cover.
All the metal you hear is influenced all the oldies you love. Look for those elements the next time you try to listen to it.
Unless its "Post-Hardcore" type metal, that's just new-nu-metal in my eyes and only influenced from that.
Here is a story for you oldies to you young cats.
Our last show my father(the one playing all the stuff I grew up on) who is in his 60's who used to be a drummer and actually play shows with the stones when they first made it state side came to our show. We did a "metal" version of "paint it black". Which if you listen too has tons of "metal" type drumming, guitar, and singing in it. He hated everything else we did, but loved the stones cover.
All the metal you hear is influenced all the oldies you love. Look for those elements the next time you try to listen to it.
Unless its "Post-Hardcore" type metal, that's just new-nu-metal in my eyes and only influenced from that.
Jeez, Blue. Are you seriously that judgmental? Only those who were parked in front of their TVs in 1964 can say they like the Beatles?! Come on. I was born in '64 and was a HUGE Beatles fan growing up. I read every book, interview and article I could get my hands on. I listened their full repertoire over and over and over again. And I know people much younger than me who were bitten by the same bug. They were brilliant, innovative musicians and many people from a wide range of age groups and cultures love their music to this day. Same goes for so many other great musicians, both older and newer. What it means is simply that good music transcends time, age, culture and other barriers. That said, not everyone was so taken with the Beatles, of course, even some of those who actually were parked in front of their TVs back in the day. And for the record, I'm not a big metal fan, but I was into hardcore punk and a kid and I can appreciate the power, energy, and skill in good metal band, even if I don't choose to listen to it at home.
The whole metal thing is a real strain on my brain. Mainly because I am friends with some really cool guys and it's what they play.
I don't discuss metal with them because I just don't get it.
I don't agree that the skill level is all that high, I guess you need chops to play that fast, but musically speed and scales mean very little to me.
I don't discuss metal with them because I just don't get it.
I don't agree that the skill level is all that high, I guess you need chops to play that fast, but musically speed and scales mean very little to me.
Not an age thing at all. My folks are +- 60, never really cared for the Beatles. Mom got really into Jethro Tull though, hehe.
I'm a fan of a lot of the Beatles songs, but I don't actually own an album. Listen to tons of David Bowie though, and I have more Joni Mitchell albums than anyone I know. I'll pop in Court and Spark back to back with AFX Drukqs, hell that's a ten year old album itself now.
Electronic music is coming in in a big way, and if you lend a critical ear you'll find a lot to like, or at least respect. "Metal" is pretty general and actually not that popular all in all, yes there is a strong scene but its not the biggest music scene by a long shot. So thats something of a crude generalization. I think musicians tend to be a bit more enamored with some metal bands because they're actually good musicians. Meshuggah, and Strapping Young Lad come to mind.
I'm a fan of a lot of the Beatles songs, but I don't actually own an album. Listen to tons of David Bowie though, and I have more Joni Mitchell albums than anyone I know. I'll pop in Court and Spark back to back with AFX Drukqs, hell that's a ten year old album itself now.
Electronic music is coming in in a big way, and if you lend a critical ear you'll find a lot to like, or at least respect. "Metal" is pretty general and actually not that popular all in all, yes there is a strong scene but its not the biggest music scene by a long shot. So thats something of a crude generalization. I think musicians tend to be a bit more enamored with some metal bands because they're actually good musicians. Meshuggah, and Strapping Young Lad come to mind.
Don't get me wrong, hell if you read my post, I would have nothing if it were not for the young musicians I have been playing with over the last couple of years.
Further, anyone who truely understands my threads know it's no secret that I think that anything cool and inovative in bands right now are young people.Thats the way it is and always has been.
I do get ticked when a young person says he doesn't like the Beatles only because it's so ignorant like thinking it's ok to wear a baseball caps indoors.My oldest son came to my last show like that, I walked up to him with one word, "Off"
The younger person has no reference to like or dislike the Beatles. Just like I can't say I don't like metal. I say, I don't understand it. None of it.
Age has little to do with it.
Interest enough to know your music history has.
If a 'kid" really cared, he would listen, regardless of when something came out. And, to get to hear it, he would actually read music history.
If you don't know where something came from, you don't have any right to act like you can have an opinion on it.
The year you were born is not sacred, nor was it the beginning of time or music.
Sadly, I think that is where the difference really is:
A lot of older guys make an effort to stay current and understand, while way too many younger people just hide behind the convenient "it was before our time."
Ultimately, if you really love music, nothing is before your time.
CC.
Interest enough to know your music history has.
If a 'kid" really cared, he would listen, regardless of when something came out. And, to get to hear it, he would actually read music history.
If you don't know where something came from, you don't have any right to act like you can have an opinion on it.
The year you were born is not sacred, nor was it the beginning of time or music.
Sadly, I think that is where the difference really is:
A lot of older guys make an effort to stay current and understand, while way too many younger people just hide behind the convenient "it was before our time."
Ultimately, if you really love music, nothing is before your time.
CC.
- Status
