9 Dec 2010

Which album are you?

It's because of music that I started this blog. Somewhere deep inside, it's what I'm made of, little guitar solos and the bashing of drum kits. Sometimes just a smooth voice will do, on cold days one that's been matured in gin works better. In the summer it needs a splash of rock and roll, regardless of the time of year / day / night, music is a constant presence in my life.

Music helps us all get through the doldrums of our day to day strutting to and from work as well as the racing home on a Friday night to greet the weekend. Now, it may not move you to the same extent as a lighting storm does, but it can help you switch off for a split second in the midst of this entire "life" debacle. And in that brief moment, pictures can jump into focus, instantly.

There are only good reasons for music to exist, even though music often becomes associated with dark days of times past.

"It helps you get away from it all"
Love Won't Save You - Rain Machine

To me, music knows no bounds. We can't stop the juggernaught we've created. My musical education began with Led Zeppelin, Uriah Heep, Sabbath, Chris Rea, Joe Cocker, Joe Jackson, etcetera etcetera. Back then, the cars looked as weird as some of the music sounded. They were clunky and heavy, but fuck it, some of them were beautiful, you just have to be selective and follow your instincts.

It reminds me of conversations with my old man about tunes and him unleashing tirades about "your generation this" and "you young kids that." And it's been a few months now, but this year, for the first time, I've noticed me thinking those same things. I'm getting old enough to see the generation gap between myself and the "next" generation and it's a little unnerving, but also gives me this sense of "I know so much crap you still have to learn."

And for someone, me, that really enjoys breathing in the crisp Cape Town air (although any old air will do) that freaked me out a little. Death has never and will never be one of my favoured topics of conversation, countless Seinfeld, Mighty Boosh, Black Books and Family Guy quotes require a lot attention to detail. Get you more laughs too.

Even though death sucks, it's been responsible for some of the most important and significant songs and albums ever recorded. Whether it's the subject matter of a single track, or the inspiration behind an entire album, misery loves company and sadness is the great writing companion.

That's how I see life, it's all one big dress rehearsal before your opening night. When a life ends, an album is born. Which album have you written? I'd like to think mine would be awesome and happy, but I'm pretty confident it would be noisy, hard to digest and appreciated by very few, but that's the whole point of the melodrama.

Write your own album, don't be part of what the world wants you to record.

Rick
Over.

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