Watching our heroes through the lens of mortality

[rickawakeman]

Great week here in Northampton, where on Saturday night I enjoyed the AndersonPonty Band and this Thursday will be seeing Strawbs electric. As much as I relished seeing Jon up close on Saturday, I found myself thinking, especially during the Yes material, whether this could be the last time I would see him (he was in great voice btw), hoping of course to see him again in October with Rabin and Rick...

Recent losses in our world prompted me to listen to Jon even more mindfully than I otherwise would; thinking about seeing Dave Cousins later this week and both Jon and David's health woes did not detract from my enjoyment but did add a wistful quality I had heretofore not experienced. Wonder if this is happening for others....

[JKL2000]

Sean saying on the AWR thread that this might be peoples' last chance to see some form of Yes with Anderson hit home and helped me decide to buy a ticket. He's probably right. Of course, the tour could go well and they might do another tour soon, but I would almost bet this is the last time *I* will see some form of Yes with Anderson, because I probably wouldn't go see the same band again on a tour soon after this one.

When I say some form of Yes, I mean that in the same way that I considered ABWH to be Yes, although having Rabin and who knows on bass and drums, it's less Yes than ABWH.

[moecurlythanu]

There are no musicians who are my heroes, so I wouldn't have that kind of an emotional attachment to the individuals when watching them perform live, or when they pass.

When I was in high school and shortly thereafter, there was a band who I viewed in a "heroes" way, but that was a long time ago, and I haven't been in that frame of mind at any time since.

[bRETT]

I hear ya Rick, and I guess all we can do is be glad they're here right now....Cousins touring with Strawbs again and Jon on a quasi-Yes tour both seemed too good to be possible a couple years back.

[Paulrus]

What drives it home for me is that as more and more of the first gen prog heroes go away I'm filling the void with younger bands and musicians. But then going and seeing someone like Anderson again -- especially live -- makes me appreciate that much more how truly unique and special a talent he is/was.

[JKL2000]

There are no musicians who are my heroes, so I wouldn't have that kind of an emotional attachment to the individuals when watching them perform live, or when they pass.

When I was in high school and shortly thereafter, there was a band who I viewed in a "heroes" way, but that was a long time ago, and I haven't been in that frame of mind at any time since.

I think by "heroes" he just means you greatly admire their work, not that they're saving your city or anything.

[moecurlythanu]

I think by "heroes" he just means you greatly admire their work, not that they're saving your city or anything.

I would take it to mean a fanboy approach. A level of adulation beyond simply liking the music.

[rickawakeman]

I think we've had this discussion of adulation previously; seemed in some part to be an age-related issue i.e. if you were among the original cohort of prog fans who were pretty young during the Golden Age ('71-'75), you may have been more apt to perceive our musical stars as larger than life, which they appeared to be to me as a 13 year old in 1972.

[JKL2000]

I would take it to mean a fanboy approach. A level of adulation beyond simply liking the music.

There's nothing in the OP that says fanboy adulation to me. Lots of bands and musicians I like, I don't know anything about the people involved, just the music, which is what I'd base my level of interest on. Just saying...

[moecurlythanu]

There's nothing in the OP that says fanboy adulation to me. Lots of bands and musicians I like, I don't know anything about the people involved, just the music, which is what I'd base my level of interest on. Just saying...

And you still view them as your heroes? OK, well you cast a much wider net than I do.

To Rick- I was 11 in 1972.

[Dave (in MA)]

Great week here in Northampton, where on Saturday night I enjoyed the AndersonPonty Band and this Thursday will be seeing Strawbs electric. As much as I relished seeing Jon up close on Saturday, I found myself thinking, especially during the Yes material, whether this could be the last time I would see him (he was in great voice btw), hoping of course to see him again in October with Rabin and Rick...

I'm more interested in seeing future Ponty tours, which have been much less frequent in the past 15-20 years--though now I've seen him 2 years in a row, just like the old days. It seemed as though I used to be able to depend on seeing Tull and Ponty every Fall.

[JKL2000]

And you still view them as your heroes? OK, well you cast a much wider net than I do.

To Rick- I was 11 in 1972.

Whatever word he used, this seems to be the relevant text in the OP:

"As much as I relished seeing Jon up close on Saturday, I found myself thinking, especially during the Yes material, whether this could be the last time I would see him (he was in great voice btw), hoping of course to see him again in October with Rabin and Rick...

Recent losses in our world prompted me to listen to Jon even more mindfully than I otherwise would"

I guess it depends how you read it - I assumed he meant seeing him perform his music, not simply seeing him. I guess I didn't put as much weight into the single word "heroes."

[JKL2000]

I'm more interested in seeing future Ponty tours, which have been much less frequent in the past 15-20 years--though now I've seen him 2 years in a row, just like the old days. It seemed as though I used to be able to depend on seeing Tull and Ponty every Fall.

I saw him a few years back with Return to Forever - I didn't know he toured regularly solo.

[Mstove]

And you still view them as your heroes? OK, well you cast a much wider net than I do.

I'd say you are using a very specific, narrow, definition of the word "hero" instead of using it in the way it seemed fairly obvious the OP and others intended. The OP seems to be using it in a fairly common way that doesn't necessarily equate to fanboy adulation.

[Dave (in MA)]

I saw him a few years back with Return to Forever - I didn't know he toured regularly solo.

From the mid 70s until sometime in the 90s. In fact, the Anderson/Ponty band is Jon playing with core members of some of his 70s and 80s lineups.

[moecurlythanu]

I guess it depends how you read it - I assumed he meant seeing him perform his music, not simply seeing him. I guess I didn't put as much weight into the single word "heroes."

Hmm...Maybe this is a bit like the "Side Long" thread. Iow, whether you take things at face value, or run them through an interpretive filter. That could explain why sometimes it seems like people are talking past each other around here.

[JKL2000]

Hmm...Maybe this is a bit like the "Side Long" thread. Iow, whether you take things at face value, or run them through an interpretive filter. That could explain why sometimes it seems like people are talking past each other around here.

Could be. I think post #3 was unnecessary - why not just NOT comment, rather than comment negatively toward the very nature of the OP?

Anyway, that's enough commentary...

[moecurlythanu]

I'd say you are using a very specific, narrow, definition of the word "hero" instead of using it in the way it seemed fairly obvious the OP and others intended. The OP seems to be using it in a fairly common way that doesn't necessarily equate to fanboy adulation.

Ok...The only "loose" usage of the word hero that I'm aware of centers around firemen, police, soldiers, etc, but I'll take your word for it. May be a regional thing.

[JKL2000]

Ok...The only "loose" usage of the word hero that I'm aware of centers around firemen, police, soldiers, etc, but I'll take your word for it. May be a regional thing.

Yeah, I don't think anyone has ever suggested any prog musicians were "first responders."

[Mstove]

Ok...The only "loose" usage of the word hero that I'm aware of centers around firemen, police, soldiers, etc, but I'll take your word for it. May be a regional thing.

I didn't use the word "loose" I wrote common for a reason.

[moecurlythanu]

I didn't use the word "loose" I wrote common for a reason.

Well, what you described fit the term "loose." Since that's not what you intended, I'd say you're just wrong.

We use the term "heroes" to refer to athletes or entertainers in regards to our children, or young people. That people in their 40s & 50s still view these guys as "heroes" is fucking amazing to me.

There, I've come clean now.

[Fracktured]

To me it's more nostalgic than anything else. You don't want to lose the past. I grew up in bands like Santana Allmans Yes and to think that I wouldn't be able to see these artists live anymore because they've past away is more sentimental than anything else.


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[miamiscot]

I'm 53 and I still view many of my favorite artists as heroes; unashamedly so.

Steve Howe
Robert Fripp
Ian Anderson
Rick Wakeman
Greg Lake
Peter Gabriel
Bill Bruford
Steve Hackett
Neal Morse
Roine Stolt
Roger Waters
Geddy Lee
Jon Anderson
Phil Collins
Mike Portnoy
John Wetton

(to name but a few.)

I never met Chris Squire but his passing affected me so much. His music meant the world to me and I was surprised at how sad I felt for weeks afterwards. Maybe the reason fans don't view newer bands in the same way is because they aren't as good. I think we need more bands/artists that are worthy of hero-worship.

[Mstove]

Well, what you described fit the term "loose." Since that's not what you intended, I'd say you're just wrong.

We use the term "heroes" to refer to athletes or entertainers in regards to our children, or young people. That people in their 40s & 50s still view these guys as "heroes" is fucking amazing to me.

There, I've come clean now.

If everyone else in a discussion understands the use of a term except for you, perhaps you should re-think whether or not they are all wrong and you are right.

[rickawakeman]

^^^^
What he said. I do admit to a propensity for fandoms in general as I was attending comic conventions in NYC from age 11, so as a "fanatic" my passions tend to run high. If I had met many of the artists you named above in my youth, I think I would have plotzed. Finally met Wakeman, have met Gabriel and Hackett, Wetton, Morse, Howe and Portnoy, Stolt, still a thrill for this "fan".