At what age did start listening to cool music...

[klothos]

What constitutes "cool" music for me changes all the time

[Trane]

^ I love FZ but have little interest in his mid 70's radio friendly things like Yellow Snow.

Yup, but that's how I got to know about Zappa's better stuff (Hot Rats & stuff), through the bobby Brown Dancing Fool stuff...

and like with Jeff Beck, I dig just about everything in his catalog, but not so much 'Wired' or 'Blow By Blow'.

Yup, those two are highly flawed, but still very worthy... Until T&B included, Beck's stuff is OK at worse, terrific at best...

I'm thinking of seeing him in concert next Monday

What constitutes "cool" music for me changes all the time

Cool music is what I listened to back then and made me feel superior to the HS football team stars (though I was a LB myself) and that I stilll love today

[beano]

I guess when I was REAL young, Tom Jones & Engelbert Humperdink..Now there were 2 cool dudes...!! Prog? When I was browsing around Sam Goody at the mall, saw Nektar's Remember The Future in one of the displays..The rest is musical listening history.

[bob_32_116]

Oh no! Before you throw in the FZ towel I'll make one final desperate recommendation. Studio Tan. )

Yeah, they played RDNZL.

I'm not sure why people have such a problem accepting that people have different tastes, and attempt to explain it by saying I just haven't heard the right examples of this person's work yet. Two hours of Zappa, with examples from all periods of his career - I think that's enough for me to judge whether or not I am a Zappa fan or am ever likely to become one. Another 50 hours MIGHT convince me otherwise, but the chances of that happening are incredibly minuscule. Meanwhile there is a universe of other music out there for me to discover.

Thanks anyway for trying.

[zombywoof]

^ yes, thank you. This is exactly how I feel about people who try to convert me into a Beatles fan.

[Plasmatopia]

Well the last way to convert someone is to try to force them to like something they don't.

[Jerjo]

I tried and tried with Zappa - never worked for me. You are not alone.

[NogbadTheBad]

Depends what you call cool, by my wifes estimations I've never liked cool music.

When I was 14 in 1978 I started getting in "Heavy Metal" with bands like Iron Maiden, Motorhead, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, I also started getting into bands like Supertramp, Jean Michel Jarre, Mike Oldfield & Hawkwind.
When I was 18 at college a friend introduced me to King Crimson, Gong, Caravan & the like.
In the last ten years through my 40's my tastes have turned to more Avant, Kraut, Fusion & Electronic with bands like Univers Zero, Henry Cow, CAN, Amon Duul II, Tangerine Dream, etc.

[bob_32_116]

^ yes, thank you. This is exactly how I feel about people who try to convert me into a Beatles fan.

The difference with the Beatles is that it's pretty difficult NOT to have heard nearly all their songs at one time or another. If you say you're not impressed with the Beatles, it's pretty hard for your friend to say "Ah but have you heard this album?" or "Oh, you're not listening to Rubber Soul in the right way and appreciating the nuances." or "Check out this track, I bet you'll like this." Most people should by now have an opinion formed of the Beatles, one way or the other.

[willyswing]

The Beach Boys & The Beatles in 1964 (age 10).

[mogrooves]

I consider FZ a musical genius, but his work is hit and miss for me. I prefer it w/o vocals, yet I think 'Freak-Out' is a brilliant debut, and I can't get excited about 'Hot Rats'; and like with Jeff Beck, I dig just about everything in his catalog, but not so much 'Wired' or 'Blow By Blow'.

I don't know about "genius," but his work is hit-or-miss. But, then again, that's what CD "burners" are for.

Re: Beck, for me it's the Yardbirds, Truth, Beck-Ola, and Rough & Ready.

[zombywoof]

The difference with the Beatles is that it's pretty difficult NOT to have heard nearly all their songs at one time or another. If you say you're not impressed with the Beatles, it's pretty hard for your friend to say "Ah but have you heard this album?" or "Oh, you're not listening to Rubber Soul in the right way and appreciating the nuances." or "Check out this track, I bet you'll like this." Most people should by now have an opinion formed of the Beatles, one way or the other.

Not for me. Just like Zappa, I had to actively seek out Beatles music to hear it. I liked Zappa instantly, but I struggle with the Beatles. The point is, I find it frustrating when everyone tries to convert me (which is probably part of the reason why you struggle with Zappa).

[WytchCrypt]

Yeah, they played RDNZL.

I'm not sure why people have such a problem accepting that people have different tastes, and attempt to explain it by saying I just haven't heard the right examples of this person's work yet. Two hours of Zappa, with examples from all periods of his career - I think that's enough for me to judge whether or not I am a Zappa fan or am ever likely to become one. Another 50 hours MIGHT convince me otherwise, but the chances of that happening are incredibly minuscule. Meanwhile there is a universe of other music out there for me to discover.

Thanks anyway for trying.

You're welcome, but don't misunderstand my intentions. I don't have "a problem accepting that people have different tastes" in this case specifically whether you like FZ or not, I was just trying to be helpful and suggest something I thought you might like

[Trane]

Depends what you call cool, by my wifes estimations I've never liked cool music.

I'd answer that "I probably don't like cool women (or women with cool cultural tastes) either, that's why I'm with you"

make or break...

[NogbadTheBad]

That probably wouldn't go so well.

[Superfly]

When I was 7, I received a little red transistor radio for Christmas. Since I consider, to one degree or another, all music to be cool, I'll go with 7.

[TheLoony]

I've never been cool. Not even close to it. Therefore, anything I listened to automatically becomes uncool, even if it's cool.

[Vic2012]

I've tried to get into Zappa but it just doesn't work for me. I mean, I've only owned two Zappa records and don't have any recollection of hearing anything besides those two albums. I haven't heard enough to make up my mind but what I have heard leaves me rolling my eyes and thinking....."all this fuss over a jazz album? There's plenty of other jazz groups I'd rather listen to." And mixed in with all this jazz is all this comedy, doo wop stuff. I'm sure if I heard every single album by Zappa there's a lot I'd probably like but I just don't feel like investing that kind of money just to see "if" I'm gonna like something.

[bob_32_116]

You're welcome, but don't misunderstand my intentions. I don't have "a problem accepting that people have different tastes" in this case specifically whether you like FZ or not, I was just trying to be helpful and suggest something I thought you might like

I know you were.

[JKL2000]

Good question. It kind of took me a long ass time. Here's a timeline:

Lots of Beatles from about 8 years on, but that's a gateway drug and I don't really count it.

Bought Zep's ZOSO about age 14. Probably into Tommy around then too.

Summer 1981 - introduced to Duke and DSOTM. I'd say DSOTM clinched it. Audio bliss.

Fall 1981 - first semester of college, starting with The Lamb and 2112. Pretty much a prog snob from here on... LOL

[strawberrybrick]

Raised on cool music (uhhum!), there's a story about me shaking the crib, crying "the B's the B's!" (Beatles). Remember songs on the radio all growing up, first AM in the car, then FM on a big old console. Bought my first album at age 10, Yes Fragile. By the 7th grade, music was regular playground discussion.

[Rufus]

When I left home at 23 & didn't have to listen to the jazz shite my parents played!!!

[Jubal]

I had two older brothers that got into hard Rock/Progressive back in about 71. Probably the first really cool music I heard was Led Zeppelin II. They liked to crank up Whole Lotta Love and lay on the floor with their head between the speakers.This was about the same time WRAS (GA State University station) came on the air. I belive I received my first portable radio in 72. It was on WRAS most of the time I owned it for about 10 years.

[3LockBox]

I'll let you know as soon as I start

[Trane]

I had two older brothers that got into hard Rock/Progressive back in about 71.

That's the amazing thing about my own precocity...
Didn't have an older brother to introduce me to "cool muze"...
But one of my best buddy (also no older sibbling) and I had an amazing emulating relationship.
Not that we had really close musical tastes (we did, but not that much), but we explored musical avenues often together without consulting each other...
We'd always end up amazed that we' had explored Savoy Brown or Robin Trower simultaneously the previous week or so.

That is , until he turned "pop" to get the chicks (I must say he scored fairly frequently) around grade 11... He also went from collecting C grades to A- at the same time