I guess I really am old

[merlin666]

I love playing a song called She's Not There which I think was by the Zombies. But that was probably more than 50 years ago when it was a hit.

[wguitar]

Originally Posted by Mandobart

The Cranberries? Obscure? It's hilarious the attitude my fellow boomers have - "if I haven't heard of something it must be obscure; I'm so worldly and knowledgeable..."

We truly are the "it's all and only about me" generation. Okay boomers.....

Mando,

Point well taken, and perhaps I should have simply said that I was not familiar with the song. It's all good !

Cheers!

[JonPR]

Originally Posted by Nymuso

What is passing for music these days, at least pop music, is of no interest to me. Anything anyone wants to say about me because of that position is fine because it, too, is of no interest to me.

Yes, personal taste is fine. Its only a problem when one starts making critical assesments based on one's taste.

The vast majority of current pop music doesn't interest me either, but - like you - I wouldn't go so far as to say it's crap. I'm not much interested in classical music, and that doesn't mean I think it's crap! (As with current pop music, I do like occasional examples, just not most of it.)

IMO, the best way to think of it is as languages we don't understand. The music that doesn't interest me - whatever genre or period it is - always sounds like a language designed to communicate to someone else, not to me.
If I make an effort to listen more often or more closely, I usually find I can understand it better. Maybe still not to the point of actually liking it or being interested in hearing more - because it will still seem to me like it's not intended for me to like it. I'm not its natural audience.
That applies to Beethoven as much as it does to (er) Jay-Z or Beyonce.

[JonPR]

Originally Posted by merlin666

I love playing a song called She's Not There which I think was by the Zombies. But that was probably more than 50 years ago when it was a hit.

Yes, 1964, to be precise. 57 years. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2hXBf1DakE (singer Colin Blunstone, keyboard player Rod Argent)
Santana did cover it later, but that was almost as long ago.

[Aimelie]

One of the best ways to stay young is to stay curious.

Generally, today’s pop music isn’t to my taste, but when I happen to hear it (I don’t actively look for it, honestly) I listen and reflect on it (and try figure out its merits).

I don’t think it’s ever a good idea to close down and live in a self-imposed bubble of the past being the only reality of worth. That’s how the dust settles down and the rust sets in.

imho

[FingahPickah]

I, too, am a sexagenarian, but I don't play one on American Idol. (Errrr ... Even I don't know what that means). But -

I have eclectic musical taste. Always have. From Sinatra to the Beatles to Blues to Mo-Town to Celtic Folk to Bluegrass to "3 Chords and the Truth" and others.

In all cases (involving lyrics) if the words are not discernible; forget it. I've enjoyed some beautiful music involving languages I do not understand. That is not what I'm referring to.

I can always appreciate a melody (which IMO automatically eliminates some contemporary "music") - but fortunately there is no shortage of music to be appreciated and my door remains open.

[Bob Womack]

The millennials can have a bit of an attitude about baby boomers. I used to eat my lunches at a college dining hall that is adjacent to the studio where I work. I paid cash. One day the young lady at the register and spat out, "Why do you use cash? Don't you know it is outmoded?" She was really angry, presumably because she had to make change.

Last time I checked it was legal tender for all debts, public and private.

Bob

[Gdjjr]

I'm 73, I remember the first time the Beatles were on the Ed Sullivan show

I also remember seeing Elvis on The Arthur Godfrey Show-

I prefer the music of yester- year- not yesterday-

I wish I could find a non-opinionated teacher that could help me improve what I do and not tell me what he/she thinks/feels I should do to suit him/her-

Eric Blackmon on you tube could probably fill those requirements, but, I ain't into
video lessons- I'm too freakin old, I liked it better the old way- (extra points if you know where that line came from )

[Cecil6243]

Btw I do like some newer tunes (at least newer to a 63 year old). Two that come to mind are I'm Yours by Jason Mraz and Hey There Delilah by the Plain White T's. I like the harmony slides into the chords with I'm Yours and the nice swing beat, which adds a nice touch. Hey there Delilah isn't as much a challenge to play as the numerous fast vocals but still sounds nice.

[ishtar]

I guess I’m really, really old.

Like it says in that 70s classic, time keeps on slipping, slipping, slipping into the future.

But then there are rocks. They are really, really, really old. Older than most zombies.

[Pura Vida]

Originally Posted by nightchef

Yeah, the Cranberries were a fairly major band in their brief heyday. “Zombie” was a #1 song in a bunch of countries, including the US. I owned the album with that song on it (No Need to Argue), and I thought there were some good songs on it. “Zombie” is kind of ugly, for a reason— it’s a song about warmongers and the damage they do to innocents, a la “War Pigs” by Black Sabbath. Whether you think that works or not, it was clearly a conscious choice.

As a boomer with a millennial child (turning 30 next year), my experience has been that millennials are way more tolerant of us and our music than we were of our parents’. I have to laugh when people of my generation take offense at “OK Boomer,” considering that we came up with “Never trust anyone over 30.”

Well said. And I hate to break it to everyone, but The Cranberries song was released in 1994, which qualifies it as "classic" rock. 60s/70s/80s is considered "oldies" to many.

[JonPR]

Originally Posted by Bob Womack

The millennials can have a bit of an attitude about baby boomers. I used to eat my lunches at a college dining hall that is adjacent to the studio where I work. I paid cash. One day the young lady at the register and spat out, "Why do you use cash? Don't you know it is outmoded?" She was really angry, presumably because she had to make change.

Last time I checked it was legal tender for all debts, public and private.

Bob

LOL. Sounds like she wasn't too good at math, and found herself in the wrong job - operating a cash register! "I can't add up and it's your fault!!"

[SprintBob]

My view on modern pop music is that much is too heavy on electronics and too many vocalists use way too much vibrato in their singing. I can’t listen to male and female singers whose voice sounds like a 5 year old singing, sing with your adult voice please! I hear this a lot on the acoustic channel of Sirius. When my wife agrees with me, I know I’m probably on to something.

Rap and hip hop. I’ve enjoyed some rap and hip hop music with a good beat and groove but so much of it sounds similar and I cannot tolerate lyrics with obscenities, violence, or misogyny. The recent Grammy awards performance by Megan Thee Stallion was just lude and degrading to women IMO. And we wonder why children are growing up in the wrong ways too fast.

I remember a documentary years ago about the Beatles and there was a part of it where Paul McCartney commented that for the most part they wanted to write sweet songs about peace and love and that have a sense of fun about them.

[DCCougar]

Originally Posted by merlin666

I love playing a song called She's Not There which I think was by the Zombies.

Yeah, that's a good one! This thread also reminded me of Werewolves of London. But Zombie by the Cranberries? I guess I stopped listening to pop music in the 70s or early 80s. Clearly by 1993.

[FrankHudson]

I'm exactly the right age for the way I feel in the morning. I remember Zombie and the Zombies.

In America, The Cranberries were sort of one-hit MTV generation thing. I recall liking the song. There was a little bloomlet there on MTV for songs with political observations and points of view. Beds are Burning. 99 Luftballons, Sunday Bloody Sunday, etc. I have some soft spots for that era of music because it's where my younger spouse and I cross over musically.

The Zombies were a three-hit band, and criminally underrated. I can still recall hearing She's Not There for the first time, and that keyboard solo comes on, and...

What's that? Oh man, I want some more of that!*

The Zombies Odessey and Oracle is the best typo-bearing LP ever, and a classic in my opinion.

I'm mostly a guitarist, but I've been drawn to playing with keyboard players all my life. The Zombies' keyboard player Rod Argent was the Argent in Argent in the 70s. The rest of the band were no slouches either. My little transistor radio speaker couldn't give witness, but Chris White played some great bass parts.