Not sure I can define my musical taste, but I can trace my musical evolution.
1-10 years old: Dvorak's New World Symphony (Chicago Symphony), Tchiakovsky's 1812 Overture (Philadelphia Symph w/choir), Copland's Appalachian Spring (New York Philharmonic/Bernstein), and Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue (Philadelphia Symph/Oscar Levant pianist): My mother loved classical music and these were the pieces she loved the most. Being a native Dresdener (was there during the bombings), she was often lonely and homesick in America and would listen to Dvorak often. After a million listens, I still love those pieces.
11 years old: Beatles, Sargeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band: My neighbor turned me on to the Beatles, and I became addicted to them.
12 years old: Blood, Sweat and Tears: Joined the band and played trumpet based on listening to BS&T II and III. Was a big early Chicago fan throughout school, as we perpetually played their songs during marching band.
13 years old: Grand Funk Live: My first concert, and became a huge fan of hard rock n' roll. In The Court Of The Crimson King: My first taste of prog. Went to a friend's house, whose older brother bought this for the cool cover. Put the needle onto the first track and was blown away by this. WTF is THAT, and what's wrong with the singer's voice? Was Lake's vocals the first growl? Immediately cut a half dozen lawns to get the $3.00 to buy this album.
14 years old: Emerson, Lake and Palmer. Went to a party and saw a friend put on side two of the debut album. After a minute of organ music, I asked, "What is this? We are into church music now?" He smiled, then flipped the album over, saying, "I'll show you some church music." Presuming that NO rock band could not have a guitarist, I somehow thought that ELP consisted of Organ, guitar and bass, without drums. After The Barbarian ended, my musical taste has irrevocably changed, and the GFR was rarely pulled out of their sleeves.
15 years old: Spent the summer and fall in Manchester, Vermont, which was quite hippy-dip compared to Florida, and was introduced to James Taylor, Joni Mitchell, and much of the San Francisco sound. Still love it all.
By the time I was 17, my tastes included classical music and the jazz-pop sounds we played in school band, classic rock, and what was later labelled progressive rock. Never got into punk or metal (always considered Black Sabbath classic rock), as I never cared for the angry, angst-ridden lyrics of punk and 1970s/1980s metal. I didn't into other genres until college, with Bruford's One of A Kind, then explored Weather Report, and the rest of Jazz Fusion (also considered Mahavishnu Orchestra rock, because Circus magazine covered them).
Explored jazz in my early 20s, while stationed at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC, by frequenting Blues Alley and other jazz spots in the city.
Stuck to that through the mid-1990s. I was flipping through the television and saw a program with James Taylor and some country guy named Garth Brooks. Taylor played a Garth Brooks tune, and it sounded like James Taylor playing a cover, then Garth played Fire and Rain, and I thought he was absolutely amazing! So beginning in 1994, I began listening to country music. Being stationed in San Antonio, the home of George Strait, the music was all around me, yet I never really listened to it (my father was old school country and I hated the stuff as a kid). My attitude was similar to many here until that point, then it changed. Imagine lyrics that actually spoke to people, rather than old school country songs about cheating, lost love, drinking and roses on Momma's grave. the lyrics made more sense than anything Jon Anderson ever put together.
By the late 1990s, I enjoyed listening to Windam Hill New Age, which was perfect for background while I read (began my academic career at this time). I still love New Age - even Yanni!
Started getting into metal in the late 1990s, in my 40s, as I listened to it while running. I preferred the instrumental metal of Joe Satriani, Steve Vai and Eric Johnson, and enjoy it to this day. I suppose one could include some of Dream theater into this as well.
What a wonderful life we have, listeninig to all kinds of creative, soul-enhancing music throughout our lives.
Reply With Quote
OK, I'll play -- for the record, Im influenced by just about everything I hear so its hard to narrow it down to just 5, but these are the ones that helped "shape" my tastes/a few of these are what introduced me to a certain style without necessarily being my favorite of the genre. Also, as a musician (bass player primarily) what shapes me is what I was mainly influenced by so a lot of these are related to playing:
Originally Posted by Frumious B
Bookmarks