It’s Not Easy Going Retro Moment #1

Sunday, October 21, 2007
“Whatcha got coming out of your earphones?”

That was my thirty-something male coworker the other day, when he stopped by my desk the other day to ask me a question. I don’t own an iPod (they make people socially detached and catch on fire!) but I do subscribe to a website that allows me to download up to three songs from any artist for free into a revolving playlist and listen to it through the URL. Mine's currently a very eccentric mix – Bob Dylan, Benny Goodman, Etta James, Sam Cooke, Glenn Miller, my favorite disco song (More More More) by the Andrea True Connection, The Supremes, Johnny Rivers, Artie Shaw, Culture Club, The Coasters, and Bill Haley and the Comets to name about half of them – but oddly enough, they all seem to congeal into great working music to bliss out to when I’m working in Adobe InDesign.

But – I couldn’t tell my colleague that. I was too embarrassed to mention some of the older, unknown people for fear that I’d be viewed as square or just plain weird. This guy isn't much younger than I am and while he has a girlfriend, I'm still cool in his eyes as far as I know. So instead I replied with, “Uh…a lot of older stuff. Some 60s, a lot of 80s, you know, like Blondie.”

“Oh, Blondie! Did you know that she takes credit for performing the first rap song?”

And so he launched into a little history lesson about Blondie. I did have Blondie on my playlist, by the way. But why I am so uncomfortable about disclosing who else I’m REALLY listening to? This guy is about 30 or so. He probably wouldn’t have a clue who anyone from pre-1970 on my playlist is and would probably think I’m odd for being able to jam out (internally, of course, since our office is an open, non-cubicle environment) on some of this stuff.

At my last company, I was openly snickered at for loving the 60s and taking my mother to see Tom Jones - from my boss, no less. So I’m afraid to reopen up the wounds. I keep my musical tastes on my playlist private, at the risk of doing a disservice to the memory of so many wonderfully talented singers and/or musicians.

I want to be more like my brother. He openly plays what he likes and doesn’t give a rat’s behind about what other people think of it or not. At our family’s Fourth of July gathering this year, he spilled out a ton of his favorite CDs (many sans their corresponding cover) – Jimi Hendrix, Sam Cooke, some VERY old Benny Goodman from the 1930s, Buckwheat Zydeco, Clearance Clearwater Revival, and Jerry Lee Lewis to name a few – and proceeded to play them all, swapping one for another when the tracks started to get boring. My sister giggled at some of his choices, but she respected them. And I became a Sam Cooke fan thanks to my brother’s inability to get embarrassed.

I'm striving to become the type of person who can proclaim my retro musical choices proudly, because I fear that eventually they’ll be no one left who loves Glenn Miller, Bobby Darin, or anyone before the 1980s with the exception of The Beatles. Perhaps by mentioning some of these names, the tables will get turned and I’ll be the one giving the lesson down musical history lane. I’m going to work on that. "I'm listening to Dean Martin! And I don't care what anyone thinks!"

And for the record, Blondie did NOT invent rap.

1 comment:

  1. I used to have the reverse problem, in my office. When Napster was at its zenith...and most of my colleagues didn't even know what it was...I, in my mid-fifties, was listening to Counting Crows, Sister Hazel, Green Day. Co-workers would stop by and ask "What IS that?" "Um, just something new that my daughter likes." Even better were the questions about how I had so many songs...500 or so...on my computer. Heck, I was one of the few people who had speakers! I kinda miss Napster. Now...at the ripe old age of 60, I have a Gen3 Nano...with over 800 songs, so far...and enjoy the oblivious bliss or listening to what I want, and not to what's going on around me! Will confess, though, Glenn Miller, Buddy Holly and Gene Pitney are all included on the playlist!...Jude

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