The Blues, continued...
In the late 80's and early 90's, I was heard a good bit of top 40, which included more and more R & B and hip hop. I always loved hip-hop, so naturally I love rap, too. Some of the best are Prince and the Revolution (before he became a symbol), George Clinton and P Funk, The Dazz Bank, Cameo, The Gap Band, Ready for the World, Morris Day and the Time...also, early LL Cool J, Too Short, Run DMC, Beastie Boys, Big Daddy Kane (love that hat), Kidd N' Play (love that hair), plus Salt and Peppa, Madonna, and many more. Kinda eclectic, I know. Nonetheless, this is the music I remember. And lest I digress, AC/DC was a major, MAJOR influence via my younger brother in the hard rock genre. The first time I heard the album "Back in Black", it was like I had arrived at Vatican City. Shazam, I was never the same.
In the late 90's my life changed...went through a divorce, and what I call the beginning of my 'blue period'. Up until this time, I was listening to quite a bit of alternative, punk and hard rock including groups like Soundgarden (Chris Cornell, maybe the best rock vocalist ever IMO), Pearl Jam, Screaming Trees, Extreme, Metallica, Nine Inch Nails, Smashing Pumpkins, and another elusive and relatively unknown collaberation between members of Soungarden and Pearl Jam, an album titled "Temple of the Dog", featuring vocalists Chris Cornell and Eddie Vedder.
All the while, I am spending more and more time with my close family, including my dad and older brother. They get together regularly to "jam" and play guitars, mostly blues and classic rock. I began to really listen to the lyrics in the songs for the first time, and then the music just overwhelmed me. It's like you hear people say...the blues is a STATE OF BEING. It's not a mood, or a passing fad, or some spiritual revelation. It's four bars on a gibson, lyrics, and a broken down, barren heart. Once you get the blues, it never leaves. It varies in degrees, but never disappears entirely. I couldn't really know the blues and appreciate it until I fell upon hard times. Now, I can't remember who I was before I got the blues. In my next entry, I will share with you how the blues became a part of me. I will also tell you about my favorite artists, and their influence in my life and musical tastes. Untilk then, peace and much love...
In the late 90's my life changed...went through a divorce, and what I call the beginning of my 'blue period'. Up until this time, I was listening to quite a bit of alternative, punk and hard rock including groups like Soundgarden (Chris Cornell, maybe the best rock vocalist ever IMO), Pearl Jam, Screaming Trees, Extreme, Metallica, Nine Inch Nails, Smashing Pumpkins, and another elusive and relatively unknown collaberation between members of Soungarden and Pearl Jam, an album titled "Temple of the Dog", featuring vocalists Chris Cornell and Eddie Vedder.
All the while, I am spending more and more time with my close family, including my dad and older brother. They get together regularly to "jam" and play guitars, mostly blues and classic rock. I began to really listen to the lyrics in the songs for the first time, and then the music just overwhelmed me. It's like you hear people say...the blues is a STATE OF BEING. It's not a mood, or a passing fad, or some spiritual revelation. It's four bars on a gibson, lyrics, and a broken down, barren heart. Once you get the blues, it never leaves. It varies in degrees, but never disappears entirely. I couldn't really know the blues and appreciate it until I fell upon hard times. Now, I can't remember who I was before I got the blues. In my next entry, I will share with you how the blues became a part of me. I will also tell you about my favorite artists, and their influence in my life and musical tastes. Untilk then, peace and much love...
posted by Reality Chick at 1:49 PM
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