When Did I Become Old? (Long Post)

[bassist4dalord]

27 years young here with an eclectic taste in music. My two favorite artists are Bruce Springsteen and NEEDTOBREATHE. I’m a 90s kid so I listened to lots of 80s and 90s music growing up but my parents love music from the 60s and 70s and I inherited that from them.

I listen to all different kinds of music but I feel like an old soul at times. Some of the music today makes me want to tell kids to get off my lawn with how old and out of touch it makes me feel.

But I guess that’s life’s!

 

[Herrick]

Honestly, though, don't beat yourself up about liking what you like and not liking what you don't like.

Agreed. I was never on the "cutting edge" of music. I am 37 and listen to what sounds good to me which happens to be Metal, some Prog Rock and Classical which I've been into since my late teens. I'm also slowly (very slowly) getting into jazz starting with stuff from the 1950s. If that makes Herrick "old" then so be it.

 

[pglaser01]

I took the week off to do some yard work before the summer is over and my wife was joking with me as we ate breakfast, “When was the last time you listened to new music?”

I laughed and said “Well, I listen to a modern jazz radio station (Jazz FM 91 The Grooveyard, which plays more jazz fusion/jazz-funk kind of music. I highly recommend it if that’s your thing) and they play newer stuff. I also listen to Esperanza Spalding, and other newer jazz stuff.”

She laughed, “That’s old people music. When was the last time you listened to new music? When you started being a musician did you ever think you would not be on the cutting edge of music?”

I had to think, and she was right. What got me to buy a bass was learning Pink Floyd’s bassline to “Money” on my acoustic 6 string, but the band I really cut my teeth on were the Arctic Monkeys and at the time (their first and second album) were really different to everything I had heard before and it was real refreshing. At the time, I was playing towards joining a band of that style.

My music taste evolved as I got older to 70’s Prog Rock (Rush, King Crimson, Yes, etc), older Rock/Metal, Classical Music, and Jazz. I pretty much despise all new music (except for new releases of the older styles I like). In my teens, I also loved 90’s hip hop/rap, but feel that hip hop has also tanked since around 2005.

Anyways, after I ate breakfast, I went outside to do my yard work. I turned on this Grooveyard station on my iPhone. A few hours later, my wife came out to see how I was doing, and joked around about listening to this old music again.

A minute later, a real sweet neighbour we have (a married, Christian couple in their 60’s, give or take), came over to talk to use and the wife screamed, “Oh, you’re jazzing it up back here!” And she put her hands in there air and started dancing.

After they left and my wife went in, I couldn’t help but feeling like my Dad. I’m 34 years old, and while that number sounds old to my old teenage self. I don’t feel old at all. I’m immature as hell. I still watch Marvel movies and saw the new trailer for Bumblebee (the new Transformers spin-off movie NOT directed by Michael Bay), and was very happy to see OG Starscream will be in it.

So, when the hell did I turn old? If I had to pin-point it to an age. I’d say it was around the time I turned 30...

I’m curious if generations before me found themselves listening to similar type music they grew up on, or matured and listened to older music around the time they turned 30; or if the good music of the day kept their interest in new music?

My wife is my age and she loves new music, but we don’t listen to music the same. She listens it to it passively as she drives or works out. She likes uptempo stuff that gets her dancing. I don’t dance. I listen to stuff that inspires my musical endeavours.

Thoughts?

Yeah...I can relate to your entire post....turn 34 next month.

Not the Jazz part but especially with kids, seeing yourself in someone else makes you feel really old. Especially when they say Rage Against the Machine is old rock

 

[Edgetone]

54. I'm listening to new music right now.
Having grown kids that have great taste in music helps.

 

[Nebula24]

Fav bands in my teens were mudhoney, Minutemen and no means no...still are in my 40s. Lol. I've at least branched out to more classic rock..always liked zep, doors, sabbath but now enjoy more classic rock songs even cheese ones (if have good bass lines). Tell my 20yr old self the bass lines I'd practice at 40 hahahaha. Practice more classic rock than grunge or punk.

 

[slowjam98]

I’m 39. In my early 30s, I noticed a similar theme—it had been ages since I’d listened to and enjoyed a new debut album. Instead, I was looking forward to my favorite band’s eighth full length. So, I made a conscious effort. I went to my local record store Stinkweeds and asked the clerk for some recommendations. I bought Caveman’s debut and Here We Go Magic’s third record. I listened to them on repeat and since then have added 100 new bands to my listening rotation. Many new, some just new to me. Recently, I got Apple Music and that has been a great way to find new creative music. I also follow indie record labels, radio stations like KEXP, and artists on YouTube. There’s a lot of good stuff happening right now. Don’t miss it!
On a side note, there are a ton of Canadian bands doing rad stuff—Alvvays, Ought, Preoccupations.

 

[RicPlaya]

We are on a site with musicians at one level or another.

You would think this group would like "musical" music. Music that has something going on to keep them engaged and interested. When I listen to music, I don't really pay much attention to the vocals, I listen to the musical aspect of a song and I believe that is the difference compared to the general population. Another trend I see with musical types (not always) is it has to be actual performed and played by musicians versus electronically derived. I am not knocking anything electronic, but if you ask a drummer I bet chances are they do not like drum machines...lol

There are things that must be interesting to musical people for them to like it. Unfortunately a lot of modern music falls short in that regard. Don't get me wrong there is some cool new stuff out there, but not like it use to be.

I have to agree with the OP as well about getting more into jazz as I age (I'm early 40's). It's one of the only genres that really keeps my interest anymore these days. I can only listen to the old standard classic rock, funk, R&B tunes so much. Listening to jazz is mentally and musically stimulating.

 

[Tampabass]

"New" doesn't necessarily mean good. In fact, many times, it means the opposite.

 

[AudioDwebe]

I don't understand.

You're equating listening to Jazz as getting old?

I've loved Jazz (fusion, contemporary) since I was about 15. Love it to this day, along with a bunch of other genres.

So you've got an eclectic taste in music. To me, that's a good thing.

 

[JLW]

How people who have very little voice talent, like A Grande (shriek much?), become popular is beyond me.

@Fender_Bender When you say A Grande do you mean Arianna Grande? She's actually a talented singer. You can find her isolated vocals during live performances somewhere on youtube for proof of it, as well. If you don't like her music/pop style, that's another subject entirely.

 

[Mike Sorr]

I just turned 52 and I have been finding some really good new music to listen to over the past few years. Bands like Vulfpeck and the Travis Larson Band are two that immediately spring to mind. Of course, I suppose it could be argued that those bands are new versions of older styles of music. However, if pretending to enjoy the gutter filth that passes for music that was displayed on the VMAs recently is what it means to be hip these days, I’m very happy to retreat back into my comfy 60s, 70s and 80s rock, metal, fusion and roots reggae. Now get off of my lawn!

 

[squidtastic]

I listen to stuff that inspires my musical endeavours.

End thread.

Seriously, though... your own sentence sums it up. You like what you like. You're inspired by what you like. There's no right or wrong, and if new stuff doesn't inspire you, so be it. You don't owe anyone anything when it comes to art. Enjoy what makes you happy. Make music that makes you happy.

The overwhelming majority of pop music today is utterly uninspiring to me, but there's some indie stuff that I like. In the last few weeks, I've been thoroughly enjoying Knower (especially Hanging On -- killer bass by Tim Lefebvre!), but not because it's new(ish) -- I just like the music.

Remember, age is just a number -- don't let that number influence what you enjoy. Old stuff, new stuff... who cares?

 

[IvanC]

Drifting this thread a bit further...

I'm 56 and it seems like the past 20 years just flew by. As it relates to bass, I distinctly remember in the late 70s wanting a pristine clean sound, and being enamored with big multi-amp rackmount rigs and bright bass sounds. I'd listen to all sorts of progressive jazz, funk, etc.

I only played for a year or two, and since then had gotten into electronic music (all varieties). I hadn't played bass in decades and only recently bought a bass and am working on learning again. The funny part is now I'm loving listening to buzzy and fuzzy bass from the 60s and 70s and the tone I'm wanting is more a throwback to those days. Not sure if it is a backlash against all the clean and polished assembly-line pop of today, but give me a down and dirty rockin bass line and I'm happy. Or a nice warm old-school Motown groove.

 

[Muddslide]

...When I listen to music, I don't really pay much attention to the vocals, I listen to the musical aspect of a song and I believe that is the difference compared to the general population...

I think for me this has a lot to do with modern/current music and my really "meh" feeling about a lot of it: the vocals and lyrics.

As I get older I notice two things about vocals in newer music (leaving aside discussions of production, auto tune and all that)--

1. Most of what I hear has already been said before, but better, by people who came earlier. So I tune out the words a lot.

2. Although there are talented younger singers and lyricists and I am by no means down on younger people/generations, I find that at 50 I generally don't care to hear much of what a 20-something is going to sing to me about love and loss and life philosophy. (See #1 above for further explication of this.)

Fortunately, there are all kinds of wonderful instrumental bands from the last couple of decades, and I gravitate to them a good deal:

Pell Mell, Barry Black, Friends of Dean Martinez, Dirty Three, Don Caballero, Grails, Pelican, Mogwai (mostly instro), Labradford (mostly instro), Earth, Big Lazy, Stars of the Lid, etc.

...I have to agree with the OP as well about getting more into jazz as I age (I'm early 40's). It's one of the only genres that really keeps my interest anymore these days.

I do dig a lot of jazz. My dad turned me on to it growing up. But for me I don't care for much jazz post 1965 or so.

I also listen to a lot of soundtracks, old electronic/experimental music, wordless ambient stuff, avant garde classical, and so on.

 

[JMarkD]

So, you turned old at 30. Man you are in for a heck of shock when you turn 60.
I'm pushing 70 and I just got into Knower. I don't know if that is hip or not. I just like it. I'm too senile to remember what I was listening to when I was 30. Whatever it was, I probably liked it as well.

 

[martin1961]

I am almost 57. Started with Genesis, Jethro Tull, Wit, Led Zep and stuff like that. Then came King Crimson, Gentle Giant etc. The only new music I hear is from YouTube. Things like King Tuff, the Thermals, Wolf Alice. I pity for the youth of today. They have no idea of the history of music. The remake of old songs mostly sounds terrible with all the disco booms. And.. I hate Coldplay.

 

[Deleted member 261632]

Only 38 years young, but I can get off in a bass playing frenzy when listening to Pink Floyd, Marillion or the new metally stuff in the likes of Devin Townsend, Linkin Park or Metallica. I don't and cannot care.
I only see the plus side of things: the more and eclectic your taste in music is (going to be), better and you'll never get bored or old. Only last week, I saw an 50'ties/60'ties/70'ties/funk, rock 'n roll, crooner show and had the best time. The next day I had Devin Townsend and Riverside (polish prog rock) blaring in my ears.

Listen what you want to listen to and play what you want to play.

 

[davegt666]

Not old. It just sounds like you stopped actively pursuing new music once you kind of found your "thing".

Which is fine. If you're happy where you're at then you don't have to change anything. Jazz is cool, nothing wrong with that. However, you gotta put in the effort nowadays if you wanna be "up to date" but also not listen to what's on Top 40 radio.

Btw sounds like your wife will probably like my band's stuff lol

 

[knight of ni]

We are on a site with musicians at one level or another.
I have to agree with the OP as well about getting more into jazz as I age (I'm early 40's). It's one of the only genres that really keeps my interest anymore these days. I can only listen to the old standard classic rock, funk, R&B tunes so much. Listening to jazz is mentally and musically stimulating.

I fully agree. The difference is in listening passively to music, just hearing radio stations and playing the same records on and on, or searching for new albums, new artists in whatever type of music you like. Listening to jazz doesn't mean listening to dead music, like say greek or latin ! And it regularly integrates some aspect of "up to date" music.
We now have about one century of jazz-blues-rock-etc. music behind us. Why would the music produced nowadays be better than the best of this century which already fills up one life to listen to ?
This music is addressed to people that have little or no knowledge of past music and that haven't developed "an ear" to listen. My son is 18, and while aware of "new" music, he really enjoys Jefferson Airplane, Coltrane, jazz rock, etc., artists he will look for now totally by himself and not just because his dad said hey listen to this. One great advantage of Spotify, Apple Music etc, is that the kids can dig into music as they like.

 

[Jazz Ad]

It is kinda sad for a musician to stop evolution on music that is older than you are.