Friday, July 25, 2008

My music

Music. The most beautiful creation of art. Bless these class of people tuning in to what they're at, and bringing to the world something so pretty. Music is the atmosphere around us which protects us from external damage. That damage may come in varied forms and sometimes; the attack is from within. Music uplifts and gives everything a high. Its not just entertainment. Its more than entertainment. It’s like the oxygen you people are crazy about. It’s like the water you fight for. It’s an important part of our lives. It’s a necessity. I can't believe people who don't react to music. Theirs is the sad breed. What a shame. But such outcasts are rare. Thanks. Music should be alive inside all of you and should be part of your everyday lives. Yes Sir. Good boy.

Now I will let you all know about my history with music. Ah, I have lived half my life with music. My first love. My lovely music. Muah. I own it all to my Dad who first got me into the whole music scene. I was a Bon Jovi fan since I was 3 or 4. Mom still tells me that I used to stand in front of the TV watching the 'bed of roses' video. Little kid enjoying Bon Jovi. Yay, and that's how it all started. Dad has this huge collection of music greats. Not the classical stuff; I'm not yet into Mozart or Beethoven. So he has these old cassettes; 70s n' 80s times - The Beatles, The Who, Led Zep, The Doors, Steve Winwood, Clapton, King Crimson, Bob Marley, blah blah blah...I never actually went through all that...but I was an adamant Bon Jovi fan since that age...until I became 13 or something. So I had all the albums...knew every song by word...had the Sambora solos in my mind as well. Bon Jovi. Good, great stuff. Honest. I mean, I listen to 'livin on a prayer' and still freak out. So that era was nice. I had this 1995 Live in London show as well...saw it tens of times. Good fun.

As I grew up, I realized there a lot more to music than just Bon Jovi. So, enter Guns N' Roses and Nirvana. Ah, what times. GNR were crazy, raw, aggressive, abusive and melodious at the same time - what more could a teenaged kid ask for? I absorbed all of Axl Rose's words and the powerful Slash solos. I must mention, Slash is and will remain the most stylish lead guitarist of all time. Period. At this time, I had started playing the guitar pretty decently too. Did a bit of songwriting as well. I became a Cobain worshipper. Oh. My. God. Kurt Cobain. There is nothing much to it, but the guy had this intensity in him...that makes you believe in what he wants to put across...and you understand all of it very well. Yes, when you're feeling low and bad...listen to Nirvana. They will help you punch your depression out. You can jump and shout in anger or let out the frustration of being too cooped up. Whatever. Nirvana. You are still my number one band. Smells like teen spirit. Ahh. I have a Nirvana poster right here on this wall next to me. There he is; Cobain; smiling down at me. Wish me luck, my friend. Maybe I can join your 27 Club too.

So with Nirvana, I started practicing my songwriting. I began working on chord formations and tunes and lyrics. 'Rust' was the first song I completed when I was 15. Or maybe 14. I came to think I did have it all in me. This was something I was good at. And I probed into it. Real deep. I got some good stuff in me now. I'm proud of the songs I can safely claim I wrote.

And after Nirvana...Bryan Adams, Aerosmith, U2, The Beatles, Oasis, Duran Duran...and related stuff. Rock, Pop Rock basically. I was just brushing up my knowledge and meaning for the big part. Laying the base. For the important part of music. The real thing. The essence of good music and the joys and the freak attached to it.

I expanded musically. Now I have these phases. Like some band I'll like for a short period in my life. A funny mood. A little down. A happy feeling. Something occurring. Anything. Everything. A certain song. Relating to a song. It all started happening. I understood the experience. The complete bliss in music. The satisfaction. The feel. The emotion. The sensation. Music. It was all coming at me and I was taking it in. All of it. It was about me really. The music. Perfect songs. Favourite songs. Beautiful. Soulful. With deep meaning. Lyrically powerful. Its great, its huge, its brilliant.

I was hooked on to Stone Temple Pilots. Good, subtle lyrics and this angry, morbid kinda hang to their music. Raw, yeah. Scott Weiland; I love his voice. 'Sour girl' is this dreamy sad song. 'Plush' has style. And then these people met and formed Velvet Revolver, and I found my new favourite band. I really love the combination. GNR - Axl + Scott. Too bad for Axl though. Contraband and Libertad; love them both. I could listen to all the songs again and again. I do. Crazy sound. Can totally relate to it.

I liked the White Stripes for awhile. Simple thing. The guy writes awesome stuff, plays effortlessly and the songs come out real cool. Easy, plain stuff. But the melody is so much there. Sweet. And now Jack White is hailed as one of the only blues guitarists of the new generation. John Mayer has decent songs to his name as well.

Green Day. Okay, so people are fed up. But these guys have a good sound and there is something interesting in what they bring to you. Smooth punk. Yeah yeah yeah! Plus, Billie looks good on stage and has this tolerable voice you can like.

In between, there were phases involving Incubus, System Of A Down, Blur, Linkin Park, INXS, Rammstein, Motley Crue, T.A.T.U and Smashing Pumpkins. Good times listening to them and sometimes I still go through some of their songs to remind me of them.

More recently I experienced the sound of the likes of Pearl Jam, Muse, Alice In Chains, Marcy Playground, Living Color, Radiohead, Poets Of The Fall (saw them live at IIT-K), Judas Priest, Cream, Blind Faith, Moby and Jefferson Airplane.

Female vocalists and bands headed by girls are pretty interesting as well. Avril Lavigne did a good job and I like bands like Within Temptation, Dark Princess and Evanescence. Others, yeah...I have a few favourites...less known songs.

Well of course...bands coming up with a couple of good hits are appreciated. These are minor phases and you get over their songs after awhile. But yes, during their phase, when its their turn to captivate you; they do a good job addicting you to their song. Just one song. Gorillaz, Death Cab For Cutie, Paramore, Kinks, Nelly Furtado, Foo Fighters, Wolfmother, EMF, Amanda Ghost, Offspring, Scorpions, Rush, Natalie Imbruglia, Ugly Kid Joe, Hanson, ACDC, Vanilla Ice, Everything But The Girl, Dave Matthews Band, Talking Heads, Eagles, Spice Girls, Goo Goo Dolls, Sonic Youth, Dandy Warhols, Seal, Hoobastank, James Blunt, Aselin Debison, Alterbridge, Audioslave, Beck, Extreme, Weezer, Good Charlotte, Nickelback, Chumbawumba, Coldplay, Roxette, Marilyn Manson, Cranberries, Dire Straits, Rob Zombie, P.O.D, Creed, Alien Ant Farm, Dream Theater, Flipsyde, and Pink Floyd...the list is longer than this...but its been a good few hours with each of the aforementioned...thank you so much. I feel miserable for putting such a varied jumbled list...some of these bands shouldn't be on the same list or even the same paragraph as certain particular bands that are present there. But, oh well. Nevermind.

So you see how I gradually build upon my taste in music. The pleasant choice. The perfect time. Hours and hours of it. It adds up to me. Somehow, it reflects. I get this peace with music. Something like meditation maybe. The calmness and the silence. Silence? Ha. Sure.

I'd begun to work out heavy metal riffs on my guitar. Too bad I'm not doing that anymore. But during that time, I deviated to Metallica, Iron Maiden and Megadeth. Its a different genre...not my kind really. But I did develop the taste because I was playing those songs. And let me assure you - it feels real cool when you can actually manage to play what these guys belt out. Your time will come.

And then there came Porcupine Tree. I came across the band in their album review in RSJ. I can’t fathom out what I like in Porcupine Tree. They’re a British progressive rock band – everyone’s heard of them and everyone hasn’t really liked any of their songs. It’s sad. They’re one of the most unique bands I’ve heard – Steve Wilson has this coldness and conviction in his voice that makes the listener just hear him sing it to him. The music is enchanting – I love the melodies and the tunes and the powerful choruses. The musical interludes have this addictive hollowness and strange drama to them which makes one want to enjoy it slowly, without any eagerness to want to hear the chorus once again. The lyrics are deep and meaningful – they remind me of my own style – sorrowed and morbid, yet pleasant and direct.

Then there's Tool. Dark, mighty and dense music. Immense power in their songs. The hollow, ringing bass...and the drummer comes up with these awesome drumlines...weird progression to their songs...very unique in everything they do. I love his voice and the tunes and the riffs and the moods. Moods. Angry ones. Mad. Furious. Great band. Spent a lotta time playing Tool on my player.

Songwriting. I write songs. I find that the best part of me. I love coming up with lyrical content – they’re like a journal telling and explaining what I make of things and how things around me affect me. It all takes an inspiration – once you have your inspiration for your song – there’s no stopping a creative work of art. Yes, I call it an artistic talent – songwriting. I don’t see everybody doing it – they try in vain, or some give up too soon I guess. Or some just say they’re doing it to sound impressive, but have no wit to prove their notion. I feel proud of my masterpieces. I love every song I’ve written and what makes them more special to me, are the memories or thoughts attached to them. Each song can remind me and take me back to a certain period of my life – whether it’s an upward, winning phase or a crashing sinking feeling. More significantly, I like my style of writing my songs. I think it’s pretty unique when you come up with works as diverse as moronic attitudes on one hand, and insomnia on the other. Fine, so I’m just your average songwriter – so what, how many of us do you think exist in your city, anyway? I think I’m a poet too, but that’s too strong a word, I’m no cynic, nor am I wise, so I won’t dare to declare myself to that extent. I’m a songwriter, and I put music and tunes to my ideas which I express through language and words. That’s basically it.

I play in a band too. But we don't do much stuff worth mentioning. We've made our name, played good shows and people know us and love us. Our own songs; yeah. We've got a few. It's going fine. And my guitar is present around me as well, waiting for me to finger it.

Its a happy place 'cause they have music in it. And its a happy world where everything can be lyrically and tunefully expressed. Moods become tunes, memories become melodies and thoughts give way to the words. Music - as I've said before -
I love you.
I love you.
I love you.

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