{"id":7,"date":"2002-08-09T23:40:53-04:00","date_gmt":"2002-08-10T07:40:53+00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/peterjanes.ca\/wordpress\/?p=7"},"modified":"2002-08-09T23:40:53-04:00","modified_gmt":"2002-08-10T07:40:53+00:00","slug":"lets-try-this-again","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/peterjanes.ca\/blog\/2002\/08\/09\/lets-try-this-again\/","title":{"rendered":"Let’s try this again…"},"content":{"rendered":"

This may seem like an obvious point to make, but I like music. A recent discussion with a friend made me wonder, though, just what it is about music that I like, and it’s not as simple as “it’s got a good beat and you can dance to it.”<\/p>\n\n

First, to quote C. Montgomery “Monty” Burns<\/a>, “I know what I hate.” I’d rather pull a da Vinci (twice) than listen to most hip-hop, country (particularly “new” country, whatever that means), hardcore “metal” rock, and Celine Dion.<\/p>\n\n

For any- and everything else, tune me in. I’ve got a particular predilection towards somewhat quirky (I like to say “unique”) acts; some that come to mind immediately are Lenni Jabour<\/a>, who plays “cabaret pop” with her band The Third Floor; Moxy Früvous<\/a> and Barenaked Ladies<\/a>, who made their names in Canada writing witty, satirical songs; Sirens<\/a>, “a cross between the Andrews Sisters and Manhattan Transfer with acoustic guitars”; and Ken Nordine<\/a>, the creator and master of “word jazz”.<\/p>\n\n

The list above may suggest a certain national bias—everyone except Ken Nordine is Canadian—and that’s certainly a factor. I like Canadian music, which is why I’ve hardly tuned my radio away from CBC<\/acronym><\/a> in the past 15 years.<\/p>\n\n

And I’m willing to admit that I’m a sucker for a pretty face (but not to the exclusion of talent): Emm Gryner<\/a> (who I also attended high school with), Sheryl Crow, Dayna Manning, Melanie Doane, the aforementioned Lenni Jabour, and too many more to list.<\/p>\n\n

And then there’s jazz… and folk… and world music… and all of the other nebulous genres that people use to define musicians and groups. Continuing what’s becoming a pattern of lists with an eclectic set of people: Loreena McKennitt<\/a>, whose “Celtic” music traces the history of the Celts back across Europe, Africa and Asia; “Weird Al” Yankovic<\/a>, the king of musical parodists (and not a bad songwriter in his own right, either); Peter Gabriel, Genesis, the Police, and others about who nothing more needs be said; Paris Combo<\/a> and Pink Martini<\/a> and Quartetto Gelato, who all perform ensemble work that makes me think of cafés in France; Stan Rogers and Stompin’ Tom Connors, two singers who have written some of the most uniquely Canadian songs there have ever been; Spirit of the West<\/a> and Gowan, two acts that I’ll travel long distances to see; and so many more than I have space or time to list.<\/p>\n\n

And still none of that answers the question of what it is about music that I enjoy. There’s no common thread or quality; it’s not about a particular instrument, voice, style, or experience, and it’s not music selection, or lyrics, or technical skill, although they all play a part. I’m going to need to think about this some more.<\/p>\n\n