That said, I can’t deny that this is probably my biggest pet peeve. To me the music a person chooses to listen to is a direct reflection of their insight, persona, and basically their level of thought. So, at the risk of seeming callous, I can honestly say that if a person exhibits no thought about the music they listen to, we most likely have nothing to gain from one another. I’m aware this comes off as judgmental and elitist, but to me it is a profound indicator of what is going on upstairs.

I belong to a gym where it is almost impossible to avoid hearing yet another Lady Gaga song- women think that she is just the greatest thing that ever came to this planet- after all, she’s a strong woman who “beat the odds” and rose to the top of the charts, etc.

Too bad that her music sucks. Ok, objectively speaking, it’s very very low-quality. But if I dare say it, I’m labeled a “hater” and all the 25 year old girls (notice I didn’t say women) give me the dirtiest looks…

I’m very very tired of the fact that the standard for musical quality according to most women- is a “catchy” tune with the same 3 chords (I, IV, V)- a prefab percussion and base track that I could lay down in 5 minutes, and a singer with a gimmick that needs to rely on pitch-correction software in order not to sound like a bad karaoke singer. I wish I could enjoy this kind of music- I have tried, but it’s just bloody awful.

I did grow up listening to jazz, maybe that did help. I spent my cash on new music when I was a kid, and in high school, when the rest of the girls were getting into Duran Duran, I was mesmerized by Rush- and wished I could be like Neal Peart.

Some guy above said that you have to show women where the good music is. Again, he’s probably right, and again, I must say that I’m embarrassed for my gender. But I could probably show you some interesting music- it would be a fun exchange.

Another poster says that getting too technical with music takes the fun/life out of it. I disagree. Sometimes it can be fun. Take the time signature to Lateralus- 987? It’s fun to play with stuff like that. Transcribe the drum part to a song and play it. Figure out the chord progression- these technical explorations become the foundations for making your own music. Develop your ear, learn intervals and pitches. Take a theory class for fun.

Then let the intuition/right brain take over- drum circles, dancing, jamming, enjoying Thom York’s spooky voice…

Lady Gaga? It’s like trying to drink a wine cooler when you have already tasted the best pinot noir. It’s not a snob thing, it just is.

My issue is that most of the sheeple can’t spot the difference between generic radio-rock and something a little more authentic. Whether it be something crafted with the cerebral sophistication of Radiohead’s OK Computer album or something crude, simple, unrefined and honest like Kurt Cobain’s brief but genius contribution to music.

The bottom line is, you shouldn’t have to dissect music in order to appreciate it, other than perhaps the song meaning or what it is that makes the song great. Getting too technical sucks the life out of it … and is it any wonder that all of the technically trained musicians I’ve played with over teh years can’t write a decent song to save their lives? and when they do it’s just techy dribble?

where as the technically incompetent tend to be WAY more profound with their output? whether it’s good or bad is a whole other story ..

food for thought.