Why Do We Listen?

Music is so interesting.  It’s a hard to know why you love a song or an artist.  It also seems that with the overwhelming amount of music, and access to music, we are on a never ending hunt to find the next best thing.  And once we find this next best thing it seems that we leave it behind quicker than ever.   The hunt continues…  Our ADD causes us to turn away from what was so meaningful at one time.

This is not true of all records for sure, but I find that it’s more and more common as our gigantic buffet of music grows and grows.  This makes me ponder the records that have never soured for me.  The ones that when I shuffle through my songs and hear them I think, “that is such a great record.”  It usually has a time warp effect on me.  I remember a period in my life where those songs were always on.  A sort of audio induced deja vu.

So I wonder what makes you love a song or an artist?  What are you listening to and why?  I think it’s good to consider why art is important to you.  It’s so hard to put your finger on.

I’ll get us started:

Favorite Records I will always listen too

1. Jeff Buckley  Grace-Musically masterful and one of the most honest records I have ever heard.  I believe him when he sings

2. Wilco  Sky Blue Sky- Lyrically so poetic and thought provoking.   Guitar playing is insane and challenges me. The tension and release is so good.

3. John Mark McMillian The Song Inside the Sounds of Breaking Down- Few people can combine their emotions, poetry and rock and roll like this dude.

4.  U2   Joshua Tree- Do I really need to say why.  I mean come on it’s freakin u2.  There are too many songs on this record that I see lasting forever.  My kids will be rockin this record when they are older, at least until they realize I like it.

5.  John Scofield A Go Go-  once a year I come back to this record and don’t let it go for a least a month.  It grooves so hard and is musically genius.  It’s jazz that a normal person can understand. If you don’t bob your head listening to this, you might want to check your pulse.

6. Stevie Ray Vaughn    Texas Flood- Everyone wants to know how to play guitar after hearing this record.  It had so much influence on me as a guitar player.  To hear someone who was born to play the guitar, bleed out through his instrument, is an incredible thing.

And lots more: Jimi Hendrix-Blues    Led Zepplin- IV    Elbow-the Seldom Seen Kid    NeedToBreathe-The Outsiders   The Black Keys-Rubber Factory    Radiohead-The Bends   Athlete-Tourist   and many many more

What are you listening to and why? Look through that iTunes list and see what has resonated with you and consider why you connected with it

Thanks for reading

Nic

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