What I don’t get about today is the music of popular culture. I don’t understand the appeal to R’n’B or that throbbing sound of drum and bass. Don’t get me wrong, I like a bit of Rhianna on a night out as much as the next girl but I just CAN’T listen to it all the time.
Music was my entire life, still is in a way. I learned to appreciate all kinds of music: from opera to baroque, from pop to heavy metal. I would sink into music and just…breathe.
But recently, it’s changed. I suddenly find that I recognise nothing on the radio, go blank when typing a song choice into Youtube, and find myself weeping in desperation at HMV (ok well…sniffing morosely at least).
And I am abruptly struck by the deepest desire for the past.
I want to know what happened to melodies. To hand jive and funky bass guitars. To music that lives on for decades with everyone mouthing the words without knowing how they learnt them.
I WANT THE MUSIC OF THE ‘60S BACK.
Come on, how could you disagree? The Kinks, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, even Dusty Springfield…I can guarantee you all know the lyrics to at least ONE song by one of these artists.
My favourite song from the 60s is ‘All day and all of the night’ by The Kinks. Not because it was popular or because it’s easy to remember. But because I listened to it for the first time with the man I love whilst watching ‘The Boat that Rocked’ and we ended up dancing around the room at three in morning and singing it to each other for days afterwards. That’s a beautiful memory that will stay with me forever and I have that music to thank for that.
The 1960s brought us good music, the kind that makes you remember something or someone. It’s what makes you smile first thing in the morning or comforts you at night.
It has that element of soul that no one can explain.
The same way that no one can explain what makes ‘Yellow Submarine’ just so damn good.
elspod 