What We Like

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As I often do, I was playing around in Apple Music yesterday and choosing some songs that I hadn’t heard in a while. This then encouraged me to follow them into YouTube to have something to look at as well as listen to. You know how it goes, don’t you: they give you a recommendation based on what you’ve been watching and all of a sudden an hour has passed and you are way down a rabbit hole of music miles from where you set off. Of course, what they suggest is based on algorithms rather than personal knowledge, but it does sometimes feel like you are in one of those sessions from teenage days, when we used to meet up at each other’s houses and take albums to listen to together. Those formative years taught me a lot about what music I did and didn’t like, and I have continued growing my tastes since then. But why do I like some music that others don’t? And vice versa?

You often hear people saying that someone has bad taste in music – I’ve probably done it myself – but there is no such thing, really. It may be different from what you like, but that doesn’t mean it is bad. Or perhaps it is, in some cases, though a huge number do seem to like (c)rap for some reason! But I’m sure people might listen to music I enjoy and won’t like it, and may tell me I have bad taste: not a bit of it, it’s just that we like different things. Wouldn’t the world be a dull place if everyone liked the same music? I share a lot of music here, and recognise that people might not like all of the songs I play: but you can be certain that I keep to my own rule of not playing anything I don’t like, even if others disagree. And I follow quite a lot of other blogs which post music, not all of which I enjoy every time. There’s nothing wrong with that, as long as I keep my comments civil (well, most of the time, though a well chosen emoji can make a point!). And I would expect – and do receive – the same kind of response to what I play.

Sadly, in recent years, my perception is that we have become generally less tolerant of disagreement. The US is divided on partisan political lines, here the big schism has been over the referendum to leave the EU and its long drawn out aftermath, and a divide can be seen in many other countries too. It has become a daily occurrence that we hear people in public life making rude comments about those with whom they disagree: those people aren’t cretins just because they hold a different viewpoint (though some of them may be, for other reasons). But that seems to be the starting point for what passes for political discussion and debate these days. And I’ve seen many instances of that spilling over into other parts of life, including music. That is really sad – music is an entertainment to be enjoyed, and however much you dislike something doesn’t invalidate someone else’s pleasure in it.

You may have noticed that one of my favourite words in relation to music, either on my own blog or when I comment on yours, is ‘favourite.’ I have been listening to music for well over sixty years, and have acquired quite a few favourites in that time: both in terms of songs and albums, and of performers. You don’t have to like them just because I do, and there’s a chance that I might not like your favourites, either. So what? There is room for everything, and we can always reach for the blog equivalent of the ‘off’ button! About a year ago I posted a piece for Song Lyric Sunday which gave you what is still my all-time favourite song, and I thought that playing that tune again would illustrate today’s point for me, so here it is:

This is part of what I said about it then: “Alone Again Or was the opening track of what has since become a classic album, Forever Changes. This wasn’t particularly successful when it was first released in November 1967: it peaked at #154 in the US but did better in the UK, where it reached #24. This was the first of three tracks taken as a single from it, in January 1968, but it only made #123 in the US and didn’t chart in the UK as far as I can tell.”

I then went on to tell the story of how I bought my copy: “As this wasn’t a huge seller my favourite record shop in downtown Dover didn’t stock it, so I had to make a special order for it, having heard it played on the radio. Even at that early age – I was 14 – I was a regular customer in the shop and on first name terms with the staff there. When I went to collect this Julie, the assistant on that day, looked at it and said she hadn’t even heard of it, so would I mind if she played it in the shop? They had a fantastic sound system and when it had finished we just looked at each other: her reaction was along the lines of “wow, that was good” and the next time I was in there she told me that she had ordered a copy for herself.”

That reminiscence speaks volumes to me. There was something about the local record shop, being in there with your mates, becoming such regular visitors that you were on first name terms with the staff, that we have lost in the days of everything being streamed. The social aspect has gone, and that is, I think, reflected in much of life as a whole. Or maybe this is just me, getting a bit maudlin as I approach 70 and am largely confined to barracks by my health!

Tell me if you think I’m wrong – I won’t start a fight with you! And tell me if you disagree on the song – as I have said, we can’t all like the same music but that doesn’t mean we have to fall out over it! And remember, whatever music you like, as the saying goes “there’s no accounting for taste.” 😉🎶

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33 thoughts on “What We Like”

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  5. Good post and I agree with your sentiments Clive, particularly on Social Media people can be very cruel with their comments…I have always loved this track Alone Again Or plus plus I agree they do have a similar sound to the Moody Blues…I have to thank you, Clive for making me look cool in my son’s eyes…He came in my room the other day and said the Stones have a new album coming out you may want listen to “Angry ” it’s really good…I said yes I know and the album is out on the 20th Oct his mouth dropped open..haha…xx

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  8. A great trach Cliv reminds me of the MOODIES in some ways. I agree with you about the demise of the record shop, when we lost those we lost a social event in our lives where we could go and be introduced to new and often suurprising music that would pique our interest.I’ll admit I can be lost in Youtube for hours sometimes but it’s not the same. Hugs

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  9. I find it comical when someone makes a comment that someone has bad taste in music. People don’t generally do that for individual differences in food preferences, so it makes me wonder why people think it’s okay to judge someone about their love of a group, style, or genre. I know plenty of people who have far different tastes than me, but that just makes us different and actually more interesting.

    I’ve always loved Alone Again Or.

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  11. I like that you talked about this subject. Everytime, I hear someone say in general, this is good and this is bad, I am biting my tongue. There are tastes and preferences and that is why there is so much to choose from regarding music, clothes, food, vacation destinations…
    It is so cool that you introduced the “shop” to that song and then listening to it over the sound system must have been special. I also enjoyed those record shops. I remember that I heard a song on the radio and then tried to figure out what the title is for buying it. Yes, it was more personal and music was more personal too. Maybe one reason that I am more connected to the songs I bought as singles and records and then recorded them on a tape. It was so much more special than simply opening YouTube and listen to whatever you want.

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    • I find that people can be very quick to judge, and don’t recognise that others have a right to their own taste. Nowadays it is very easy for them to shout about it, too!

      I miss that way of buying music. I spent many happy hours in record shops as I was growing up and you’re right, it isn’t the same, even though it is very easy to find music these days.

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      • Yes, that’s actually right. It is easier to find music. Also, you had to save money when you wanted to have a record. It was more special and maybe music was more precious because of that too. I think the music we bought was like treasure for us and more appreciated than nowadays.

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      • It is easier to find, and it does devalue it a bit when all we have to pay is a monthly fee which gives us everything we could want – and more. It was always a special event as a youngster when I’d saved up enough for an album, but not any more!

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  12. Seems I do remember this song from when you posted it on SLS! I still like it a lot.
    I agree that not everyone likes every type of music, but I’ll usually give them all a fair chance by listening at least to a little of them. I have lots of favorites, too, and it’s hard to pick just one. 🙂

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    • I thought a few might! It’s a great song, isn’t it, and I’m pleased you like it.

      That’s what I do too. For all the ones I think ‘not for me’ there are always some that make listening worthwhile.

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  14. Great post Clive and I agree! It’s ironic that although different types of music are easier to access nowadays, people seem to be more inclined to choose a niche and not give other genres a chance. Also social media encourages people to judge good or bad and promote their own taste blindly. Polarisation – as in politics! Like you, I remember when listening and buying records was a social occasion, especially the Saturday trip to the record shops, choosing different LPs and cramming into a listening booth until we made purchases or got thrown out.

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    • Thanks, Paul. I agree that people get set in their ways and social media make it easy for them to disparage others’ tastes. I used to love those record shop trips. The best I found was after we moved to Folkestone. It was often very quiet on a Saturday morning, and I used to sit behind the counter sharing album choices with the manager until her partner – who owned the shop – came in 😉

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  15. Terrific post. Agree that social media has turned people into attack dogs – rather than just saying it’s not your type of music, the person attacks your taste and more…as for Love, it was before I was old enough to really be into music but knowing about it led me to buy the remastered special edition CD several years ago and the creativity on display here is wild! There’s an old show on Amazon prime – or maybe YouTube now – where an artist sits down in the studio with the Producer of a classic album of theirs and go through it song by song…Phil Collins did it for “Face Value” and Donald Fagan and Walter Becker did it for “Aja” and they are fascinating – filled with tons of anecdotes, interviews with musicians involved…Phil’s is especially entertaining!

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    • Thank you, John. I’ve largely given up on Twitter for that reason: Facebook and blogging are generally much friendlier places. Thanks for the tip – we have similar series here on the Sky Arts channel and they are always interesting.

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