I Must Be Old, Today's Music Stinks

For years I wondered when I'd turn into my parents and complain about everything or most everything the cool young kids are in to. OK, my parents didn't complain about everything but when you're young it just seems like it.

Of course the biggest thing was the music I used to listen to. I could appreciate and I enjoyed the oldies that they liked. In fact I can recall dad and I sitting by the radio when I was just a kid listening to the Sunday Night Oldies on the radio. I don't recall the station but it was the music of the late 50's and the 60's.

Buddy Holly

We'd sit and listen and sing along with Elvis, Bobby Vinton, Bill Haley, The Crests, Supremes, Frogman Henry, Buddy Holly and all of the great performers of that era. Kids today don't understand that these guys were the beginning of Rock and Roll and they paved the way for the crap they listen to today.

Did I say crap? I mean music. No...I think I mean crap. Now I know I'm old.

It's not all music today that I don't like but to be honest, since about the mid-90's there hasn't been a lot of great music to choose from. I'll admit I'm not a fan of most Rap or Hip-Hop. By the way, for those of you even older than me, Hip Hop is not something the Easter Bunny does.

It also seems like every song that comes out has to have foul language in it. I don't know why today's musicians feel they have to swear to sell records. They say they're just being "real" and speaking from experience. I say they're just showing how poorly raised they were and how disrespectful they are. I don't care how much money they make or records they sell, there are plenty of other words that rhyme with "duck", "stitch" and "trigger".

There are some songs that have come out today that I enjoy but it's usually in the Adult Contemporary or Rock and Alternative categories. The odd dance song also grabs me from time to time but not too often. I don't go out too often anymore to the bars and certainly not the dance clubs of my youth but I will frequent a pub on a Friday night after the hockey game with my buddies and there's a small dance floor there where the 20-something girls are gyrating to some of today's biggest hits. Oddly enough, I don't mind that at all.

My all time favourite music comes from the 80's. I can listen to almost anything from that decade and I love it. Honestly; for me; that was the best decade of music. Who can forget bands like A Flock of Seagulls, Alphaville, Van Halen, The Cult, Kajagoogoo, Mr. Mister, Scritti Politti, Wang Chung and Depeche Mode? Or solo artists like Jackson Browne, Eddie Money, Howard Jones, Kim Carnes and Peter Schilling?

Kajagoogoo

So maybe you don't remember all of those or any of those great artists from the 80's but trust me, they were awesome.

No, my musical choices are an obvious giveaway that I'm getting older. Plus I don't even listen to my own music very loud anymore. I'm so uncool.

You may have noticed I haven't even talked about country music. There's a reason for that. I can't stand country music. My dad's a Johnny Cash fan and I can tolerate a little Cash from time to time but I'll only listen to country music if I'm forced to.

The only time that seems to happen is when I'm driving in my brothers truck in Florida since he's a redneck good 'ol boy in the south. He and his wife just built a new house and I'm sure it won't be long before he has an old Ford truck on blocks in the front yard and a swimmin' hole in the back where his future youngin's can swim when they're not whittling knives to kill the local wildlife. Yee Haw!

The one thing Country music is good for is some creative song titles. Here are a few of my favourites (these are real):

1. Get Your Tongue Outta My Mouth 'Cause I'm Kissing You Goodbye
2. Her Teeth Was Stained, But Her Mouth Was Pure
3. I Wish I Were In Dixie Tonight, But She's Out Of Town
4. She Got The Ring And I Got The Finger
5. You're The Reason Our Kids Are So Ugly
6. She Got The Gold Mind And I Got The Shaft
7. My Wife Ran Off With My Best Friend, And I Sure Do Miss Him
8. If My Nose Were Full Of Nickels, I'd Blow It All On You
   

Now those are Country songs I can enjoy.