I'm Not Trying To Be Arrogant or Negative; I'm Just Right. And This Works For Movies Too

There’s a meme going around on Facebook asking people to name the albums that changed their lives. The minimum I’ve seen is fifteen, and the most one guy listed was 101. Really, you’re thirty-eight years old and roughly three albums a year shake you to your core? Flake. Music is an area that I want to have an open mind, but the giant metal door in my brain is on some faulty hydraulics. I understand that brand new music does change the realities of teenagers on a moment to moment basis, and this lasts for most of us until we settle down into the dreariness of our career lives. It has less to do with the music and more to do with what’s going on at the time. That’s how Al. B. Sure and Love and Rockets wind up on my list. But then there are people that are just trying to be cool, and in their quest for cool they fail miserably and wind up in a giant bag of douche. If you were born in the ‘50’s then I will accept that both Are You Experienced and Axis: Bold as Love changed your life, but not if Hendrix was dead before you were born. If you were born after 1970 you have to pick one Hendrix album, or Zeppelin album, or Sabbath album because when you heard the first one it changed your life, then you hauled ass to Coconuts or Turtles and bought the rest. This was my experience with all classic rock, and it was the experience of everyone I knew. Then there are the people whose music I just don’t approve of. This is my shortcoming. Who am I to say that someone shouldn’t like the Sammy Hagar Van Halen more than the Diamond Dave Van Halen – other than a guy who’s not deaf or retarded? I can’t respect that. I judge people by their music preferences, and I’m okay with it. Because the more I think about it the more I know my logic is rock solid. I’m capable of distinguishing good music from bad, whether I like it or not. I like Merle Haggard about as much as I like Garth Brooks, but I understand that one is a musical pioneer who is truly original and the other is Garth Brooks. If you tell me Merle Haggard changed your life I’ll ask you if you’ve ever seen him live. If you tell me Garth Brooks changed your life I’ll try not to talk to you anymore. The best real life example of this happened at FSU. A guy got back from a Guns ‘n Roses concert and said this, “Axl Rose is the BEST piano player in the world!” I want to have an open mind and be accepting of different points of view, so in the name of global harmony – Mr. Rose’s virtuosity not withstanding – I would love to hear why I should have listened to anything that person had to say ever again.