I did these two while listening to David Gilmour (a member of a revered but antique musical group called Pink Floyd, which my daughter refuses to listen to on principle) being interviewed for an hour on BBC Radio 6 Music by Tom Robinson, and I think it probably shows. I'd be happy to supply your next album cover, David. Get your people to speak to my people (probably not the daughter, though)...
5 comments:
What is this curious principle that delegates "antique" musicians to the unlistenable category?
Kent,
It's called "youth", I think! Never did like Sinatra or Tony Bennett much, myself, despite my father's enthusiasm...
Of course, as you get older, these battle lines become less important, but I don't think I'll ever get into Ol' Mafia Ties...
Mike
Not surprisingly, it works the other way too. I can't bear to listen to a lot of what achieves massive popularity with "youth culture." And I consider my listening tastes to be fairly broad.
Strangely, while I too couldn't stand Sinatra when in my teens, I found as I grew older I started to appreciate him: he was, technically, and in his ability to phrase a song, perhaps the finest male singer of popular music in the 20th century. Mafia-loving creep, too, of course: interesting portrayal of him in The Godfather (the book) - his chracter is the one for whom the horse's head is put in the bed, though alas that never seems to have happened in real life …
Martyn,
I can appreciate him all right -- as you say, his phrasing is immaculate and at times downright witty. And the way he drapes his voice over those clever arrangements, just so? Class! But the idea of sitting down for an album's worth of Sinatra? Not really...
Mind, I feel the same about most prog rock, these days. I can't imagine wanting to listen to Yes or King Crimson... A little straight 12 bar blues goes a long way, too.
Mike
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