Rock n' Roll Friend (Part I)

Once Upon a Time...
Not so long ago, eventhough it seems that way to me now, I had a friend. A close friend. Let's call him Friend.

Apart from  the fact that we both lived and breathed music, Friend and I had very little else in common.  Even on this single piece of common ground, we were as different as night and day. Initially, the types of music that I listened to must have sounded to him not just like a puzzling and mysterious foreign language (like Russian to a Mexican farmer), but more like the way Martian communication would be perceived by an Earthling! This feeling was mutual cos his stuff sounded to me like something from literally, another planet. No Joke. I mean it!


Which one is Junk... Punk or  Funk? .. Depends on Who you Ask
Friend grew up on a musical diet of punk, hard rock and rock n' roll. Nothing wrong with that. He invested a considerable portion of his  teen and subsequent years, towards acquiring an impressive library (mainly records and cassette tapes) of music that he liked. He also had extensive knowledge on individual artists. Friend  knew in amazing detail, the life stories of legendary rock musicians/bands and their contributions to grand scheme of music things. He really does know his stuff.

Now me, I grew up consuming funk, soul, raggae, jazzy instrumentals and a pinch of country. Coming from the kind of cultural and family background that I come from, this was  natural. My older sisters listened to Dolly Parton, Don Williams, Kenny Rogers and Linda Ronstadt. My older brothers listened to Kool & the Gang, Bob Marley, The Whispers and Earth Wind & Fire... to mention just a few. I was caught in the crossfire and didn't have a choice. I inherited this wide taste. And I'm glad I did. I spent a great deal of my formative years chasing for a complete understanding of my musical heritage. So, I also do know MY stuff.

Let the Musical Imperialism Begin...
So what happens when life brings  two people with such radically  different musical tastes face to face with each other? Do they become  "taste imperialists" ? In other words, did I think that Friend should abandon his "Loud, screechy, strange & freakish" stuff and enter my musical world... what I was convinced was a better world.. a world in which  music has "melody, soul, rhythm and smooth edges" .. a world where music is literally pleasing to the ear? Did Friend on his part,  try to get me to leave my   "softish, poppish, conformist" taste in favor of what he genuinely was convinced was a better musical world...  one with " edge, attitude and a spirit of rebellion "? Yes and Yes.

Now, these superiority complexes were not battled out openly.  The battles were in a sense, even more intense because they were  unspoken.

I knew a taste battle was  going on when Friend would come to hang out at chez moi but would refuse to  "trust his ears to me". I knew my taste was under attack when Friend would  look, with disguised frustration, through my collection.. what I think of as an impressive music collection, shake his head, look at me and ask  ".... don't you have anything with Iggy Pop?". And I ask back.. "what the hell is Iggy Pop?" (in my rock n' roll ignorance I imagined it to be some kind of sub genre within the punk metal speed death whatever rock world). Friend would look at me with genuine pity in his eyes. The kind of look a wise old professor would give an ignorant college freshman. Friend would take a deep breath and decide to educate me out of my rock n' roll ignorance. Friend would, at this stage,  like parents do, walk me to my first day of school .. in this case a trip to youtube. A video or two or three. Followed by a lecture on a great, legendary "monster" of  rock n' roll. (Monster is a good thing in this context)

You feel your taste is under attack when you are playing your most  rebellious and rough stuff, in honour of your friend, but Friend still won't let a single one of those songs play to the end.

Friend never said explicitly that he thought  my taste was wack. But it still doesn't change what was going on under the surface. I felt my  taste was being ridiculed. Imagined or real, I could sense attempts to re-wire me musically.  Now, that to me is a crusade against my musical heritage. That's warfare.

How did I respond to the call to battle? You guys don't think I took those punches lying down.. do you? Did I give that impression? My bad.. sorry.  At the time, I had serious ambitions to crusade my "superior" taste to all corners of the earth! So I fought back.

I'd very much like to continue but I have a feeling  that I already exceeded the  maximum "bloggable" number of words for a  single posting.

Next Upon another Time...
How I fought back and what the point is in all this will have to be the subject matter of another one or two or three postings.

So let's stay tuned...It will all make sense.

Meanwhile..what do you think? Do you have a "FRIEND"? What is your taste in music and/or other artforms? Have you felt your taste under attack? Have you felt "justified" to crusade your taste on others? What do think of the narrative? Feed me back!