It struck me when I was cruising for U2 albums on Spotify. Aparently all their work since the Joshua Tree doesn't seem to interest me anyhow. As I had been such a big fan once, the question that popped up was: how is that possible? Did the band get worse, or did my taste change? And, is this idea aplicable to other bands as well?
Let's get back to the eighties. Me and my friends were too young to have actually experienced the punk revolt, or the sugar sweet disco wave, of the late seventies. What was left, in our mind, was either heavy metal, or, in my case, new wave bands. I remember vividly the first time I saw Under a Blood Red Sky by U2. I must have been something like 11 years old, and didn't understand what Bloody Sunday meant, but the energy of the band, the strength of the songs in all their simplicity, and the incredible crowd going wild, made an unforgettable impression.
Of course U2 wasn't the only band apealling to my puberty ears. I recall The Cure, or American punk bands like the Dead Kennedys (though not for their political correctness, ahum), or even bass master Mark King and his Level 42. Not much later VPRO television showed their notourious documentary about a young and promising p-funk band called The Red Hot Chili Peppers. Completely unknown back then, though their live reputation (including the basketball socks act) was growing.
Now getting back to the question at hand. Two of the my absolute favorite bands from the time my musical taste was formed are still around, and have been more succesful in 90's and 00's then ever before. Both U2 and the Red Hot Chili Peppers have sold more albums, and more tickets to their live shows at the time my love for the bands withered. And I also believe that their music got better, maybe I should say more shaped to the taste of the bigger crowds. Albums like How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb by U2 (released in 2000), or Californication by RHCP (1999) do have some great songs on them, but it is hard for me to appreciate. Their sound is too smooth, their presentation too poppy.
But hey, that is just my appreciation of these bands, but let's have a closer look at yourself, will you Caspar? Are starting to sound like an elderly man? It is oh so true that I find it harder to identify myself with these new crowds the bands attract. I tend to look more at the indie aspect of musicians, when they have their often well deserved break through, I loose interest. But, I have no problems when an old band plays, I really appreciated the Rolling Stones, Roxy Music, or the Boss when they played one of their mega stadium shows (won't do it too often though). And, you have to respect bands that manage to reinvent themselves and their following and be more succesful then before.
So, I guess it is me... The music you grew up with, that you felt was yours, and yours only, you want to keep to yourself as much as possible. Later, when you realize that there are many more people with the same love of music, some people feel save being part of a crowd. Personally, I prefer to like music even though no one else does, or even knows that particular music. I prefer exclusiveness, and have a few good friends to share it with, ofcourse, hehe.
No comments:
Post a Comment