Growing old with Keith, Peter, Barbara and the gang

[Grim Lounge Cowboy]

This prompted by recent posts on emotions and on library music.

The music that opened my ears was punk. After that? Beck period Yardbirds. Hendrix. Miles. Coltrane. Dolphy. AEC. Cecil. And so on. Looking back I can see that for me much of that music was to do with impact. Here comes Jeff/Jimi/John with the big statement! Some of it, especially the more chin-stroking end of the jazz spectrum, was to do with me pandering to a particular sense I had of myself.

Nowadays I rarely listen to rock. Too much noise and not enough rhythmic variety. Lyrics are silly or trite. And I listen to big statements in the same way that I listen to big statements in any context.

Nowadays, as I have said before, it is about the lounge. Music that can be on in the background, but that has enough going on in it to hold my attention if I choose to focus on it. Nice easy grooves, for the most part. Nothing too frenetic. Nothing to ‘angry up the blood’ (© The Simpsons). Traces of Satie’s musique d’ameulblement?

Library releases have proved to be a good source of such music. The reason being, I imagine, that it was always meant to complement something else. Often enough that ‘something else’ might be a fairly complex set of circumstances on the cinema or TV screen. I am reminded of a remark about Morricone’s use of bossa’s exoticism to frame the hedonistic ‘new lifestyles’ depicted in some early 70’s Italian cinema. Not, I should say, that my lifestyle is anything like those. Anyway, library music called for creativity and skill, but they weren’t being brandished about. I have no reason to doubt what seems to be the conventional narrative of how library music re-emerged (DJ’s looking for breaks etc.). But I think that it can have a different appeal. I wonder if comments about it being dull miss the point in that respect.

What is it, then, with me and library? Is my taste maturing? Is it just that I am turning into a tired old dude? Or both?

[Grim Lounge Cowboy]

On a related point, I don’t have much along these lines from the late 60’s/early 70’s from South America or Africa. There seems to be plenty of afro-rock and afro-funk out there, but what I hear tends to have too much of a rock or funk component for my taste. My guess is that those producing the music were thinking in terms of their local market, and that what people wanted to hear was quite dance oriented. There seem to be more South American contenders, but there is a lot of singing going on, and I am less keen on that.

I have tracks from the following that qualify. African Woodoo – Manu Dibango. The “Black Goddess” soundtrack – Remi Kabaka. Brazilian Suite – Rogerio Duprat. Meu Balanco – Waltel Branco. Brazilian Mood – Mario Castro Neves. Dom Um Romao - Dom Um Romao. Jacaranda - Luis Bonfa.

I’d be grateful for any suggestions along those lines.

[Ian Townsend]

The music that opened my ears was punk.
After that? Beck period Yardbirds. Hendrix. Miles. Coltrane. Dolphy. AEC. Cecil. And so on. Looking back I can see that for me much of that music was to do with impact. Here comes Jeff/Jimi/John with the big statement! Some of it, especially the more chin-stroking end of the jazz spectrum, was to do with me pandering to a particular sense I had of myself.

Nowadays I rarely listen to rock. Too much noise and not enough rhythmic variety.

Nowadays, as I have said before, it is about the lounge. Music that can be on in the background, but that has enough going on in it to hold my attention if I choose to focus on it. Nice easy grooves, for the most part. Nothing too frenetic. Nothing to ‘angry up the blood’ (© The Simpsons).

What is it, then, with me and library? Is my taste maturing? Is it just that I am turning into a tired old dude? Or both?

You're perfectly healthy and following normal hormonal and ageing trajectories.

I think we must be a similar age. I regularly went to punk gigs, early Ants, UK Subs etc etc...but can't listen to it now.

I spoke to a man recently who was a pill-popping Northern Soul boy. Loved the music all through his youth and well into his 40s, encyclopaedic knowledge of it, but now listens exclusively to Popcorn, the slower the better. He admits he still likes Northern Soul but doesn't 'feel' it like he used to.

A Paul Newman flick called 'Winning' was on the television recently. I wasn't watching it, but the calm and easy Rhodes-driven incidental music kept distracting me. Sounded like Deodato- like ('Prelude' era - Carly and Carole etc.).

I that laid- back, American, easy, jazzy, stuff from 69 - 74. Quincy Jones stuff from that period is ace. Of course it's from when I was aged around 8 to around 13. Didn't 'sweat' knowing who it was then, didn't chase for ogs of it.

Just subliminally inhaled it from the wooden encased black and white telly in the corner.

------------------------------------------

This links to numerous YouTube comments attached to computer game music I've been collecting recently.
'Millenials' confessing to feeling weepy when hearing the theme tunes to Zelda, Tomb Raider, Mario etc.

[Ian Townsend]

Can't edit my post but meant to add: Winning OST / Dave Grusin / 1969 is now on Wants.

[Grim Lounge Cowboy]

Ta

Looking now I see that I was too slow - the library discussion has gotten away from me. Never mind.

[treeboy]

Still waiting for the hormones to kick in. Can I get something in Holland & Barrett to make me normal?

[medlar]

Your getting old dude, happens to all of us

edit: addressed to Funktionnaire, not treeboy, to avoid confusion!

[amidar]

Nothing wrong with that. I went from Punk to Prog to Krautrock to Jazz and Funk with lashings of electronica and rave inbetween and am now as happy sticking on a Martin Denny album than something by Anthony Braxton, Faust or Squarepusher. There is something good about a well made, well played and aesthetically (aurally) pleasing easy listening album.

With Library music I never started to get into it for the breaks albeit there are some seriously tasty beats to be head if that's your thing. In the first instance it was trying to find all the synthy incidental music from sci fi shows as a kid or the nostalgic incidental music from programs like Look and Read and Zigzag in the late 70's early 80's, music that is haunting and nostalgic at the same time.

Current fave is 'Basil Kirchin - Jack Nathan Nigel Shipway – Wildlife' on Bruton lots of cues and interludes but just a great listening experience like carry on up the jungle on magic mushrooms.

That said a lot what I consider lounge background music for my own ears personally is a lot of Indian Classical, ethnic music or Flamenco and Classical guitar albums (which seemingly go for pennies which is always good). Anyway at 18 I'd never have dreamt I'd be playing anything remotely like that on the front room hi-fi.

[mr sayers]

Can't edit my post but meant to add: Winning OST / Dave Grusin / 1969 is now on Wants.

And so it should be as it's a great soundtrack.

[treeboy]

Your getting old dude, happens to all of us

edit: addressed to Funktionnaire, not treeboy, to avoid confusion!

I'm confused all the time, part of the condition

[Grim Lounge Cowboy]

Getting old is clearly what underlies it all. But is there a bit more to it? That is what I am angling for in distinguishing between 'impact' and 'sense of self'.

I looked up “Ain't got a clue” (the Lurkers!) on Youtube. No nostalgia, no nothing. I was struggling to see how I ever could have liked it.

Different recently with a box set of Cds of Miles Davis 60's live stuff. I gave up and sold them on. The difference being just that I couldn’t be bothered any more.

Giving up on Miles makes me feel old and tired. Whereas I can’t help but think that not getting “Ain’t got a clue” is somehow a step forward (sorry, guys).

It wouldn’t surprise me, incidentally, if there is still a ‘sense of self’ element. My taste in ‘lounge’ is probably mundane enough here, but it is esoteric for most people. There is little or no cachet in it. Hence the polite incomprehension that I get when I do the kind of mix that mentioned in the ‘bad selector’ thread.

[peter sundae]

Giving up on Miles makes me feel old and tired. thread.

I think Miles gave up on himself for awhile, didn't he sit in front of the telly drinking Heineken for five tears. Ever since I read that I've imagined doing something similar. Then I remember I don't like larger much.

[Tsundoku]

There might be a sense in which you've "done" a particular LP to death and therefore got almost everything you are going to get out of it. I sold a Jah Shaka LP last year (a compilation, not one of his own) and was happy to let it go as I'd had it for 20 years and was thereby happy to pass it on. Had done it too death, quite comfortably. I think you just graduate from certain things when you've enjoyed them intensely. I think I am a definite neophile - I get excited about that which is new to me, not so much by that which is known. I don't get as excited about the musics of my youth as I do about things new to me - thus I'm more likely to reach for a UK psych record than an old soul LP as this stuff is "new" to me (discovered in the last few years, in no small part due to this forum). My tastes in hip hop also reflect this neophilia - maybe I've lost something 'cos I don't enjoy old classics the way I used to? I think tied up with this, is the thrill of discovery. Reading, digging, finding - this is all part of what moves me. I'd add that I think this kinda appeal to neophilia is what drives a lot of the marketing of reissued music now.

But I haven't found ageing has brought with it a taste for more mellow sounds - I'm in my early 40s, and much more likely to listen to discordant electronics and weird shit than ever now. My last swap CD was rooted in 80s post-punk and industrial kinda sounds, which I've been enjoying a lot this year. Ironically, as I was busy ignoring this stuff for contemporary hip hop when it came out. I don't think there's a fixed answer.

Currently listening to Black Sabbath's first and greatly enjoying it.

[Shere Khan]

I looked up “Ain't got a clue” (the Lurkers!) on Youtube. No nostalgia, no nothing. I was struggling to see how I ever could have liked it.

I think that's normal. I had a few Lurkers singles, and I enjoyed them at the time, but they were of their time. Punk was more of a means to something else, I think. What came after had more lasting value but much wouldn't have happened were it not for Punk. My Lurkers singles didn't stay with me for long but I wouldn't dream of ditching my Pop Group records, or The Fall, or others from that era. I think you do have to guard against slipping into fogeydom, though. I don't ever want to lose my love of noise, and feedback Did you get the recent Rory More LP, 'Looking For Lazlo'? Tremendous record; you'd love that.

[Grim Lounge Cowboy]

Some punk still cuts it. Although I don't often make a point of listening to it. Noise has its place too. It is just that that place is smaller than it used to be. The Miles I just sold had way too much of it.

I'll look into Rory More. Ta.