In his post, Hulk reacted to a peer's cynical reflection on tropes in film by simply listing all the things he loved about movies, and I couldn't think of a better follow-up to that last post then to make a list of all the reasons I love music. I'm not just doing classical music either, my love for everything is getting its time today, because some times, I need reminding.
Before I start, here's the original work by Film Crit Hulk:
http://badassdigest.com/2012/02/05/why-you-love-movies/
And here's a video in the same format by another favorite of mine, Bob Chipman, the Game Overthinker, involving video games:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gr3iXginLUY
So, here's why I love music:
Because of Ralph Vaughan Williams
Because of band tees.
Because of date nights at the symphony.
Because of DIY punk shows in basements and barns.
Because of the moments when you're grooving to the same radio station as the guy next to you at the light.
Because of the second half of Abbey Road.
Because the main character in Quadrophenia is named Jimmy.
Because somehow Al Kooper sucking at the organ is beautiful.
Because of the horn solo that sounds like a mistake in Beethoven's 5th.
Because of the Cannons in 1812 Overture.
Because of Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins...but mostly Peter Gabriel.
Because of the drum solo in Inna-Gadda-Da-Vida
Because freaking Kermit the Frog can sing a song that makes my emotional.
Because "The Pianist" being a movement in Carnival of the Animals still makes me giggle.
Because it can enhance our words.
Because it can replace our words.
Because it can surpass our words.
Because of the click of vinyl
Because of the clarity of MP3's.
Because of the suicide scene in Les Mis.
Because of the battle themes in Final Fantasy.
Because of the music in Star Wars.
Because of the music in Mario.
Because of Zeppelin II.
Because of Zeppelin IV.
Screw it...because Zeppelin.
Because of 4'33"
Because of My Favorite Things...
Especially the Coltrane version.
Because of Iggy Pop's energy.
Because of The Wall of Sound.
Because of the Carolina Crown's spinning diamond in 2013.
Because of when Marcus Mumford's voice cracks in Broken Crown.
Because of the chorale in Finlandia.
Because of the vocal range of Mike Patton.
Because of the emotional range of Aretha Franklin.
Because of the drum battle between Rich and Krupa.
Because of Leslie West's guitar tone.
Because of Joshua Bell's violin tone.
Because of Joe Alessi's trombone tone.
Because of ska-punk covers of 80's songs.
Because of amplification.
Because of orchestration.
Because of literally every word that Leonard Cohen has ever written.
Because you never find out what "that" is that he won't do for love.
Because of just how many ways there are to sing about love.
Because of how many ways there are to sing about sex.
Because you can't listen to Stevie Wonder and sit still at the same time.
Because I'm finally starting to understand Tom Waits.
Because I'm still hearing new things in Dark Side of the Moon.
Because nobody does epic like Mahler does epic.
Because you can't top the build up in Mars.
Because it gave us Bach.
Because you couldn't have Fantasia without the music.
Because Stravinsky was Warren Zevon's piano teacher.
Because Baba O'riley played on the radio as I left Randolph heading to college.
Because of the way that Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris's voices seemed made for each other.
Because of the bari sax solo at the beginning of Moanin'.
Because Levon Helm lost his voice to cancer and re-taught himself to sing, so he could entertain you.
Because Shostakovich's instrumental music was considered political enough to be banned.
Because when Boots Riley raps, you listen.
Because you can fit sitars in English pop music.
Because you don't have to speak Italian or German to be moved by an opera.
Because of Sufjan Stevens' album covers...oh, and songs.
Because of the anticipation of a bass drop.
Because of the anticipation of a perfect authentic cadence.
Because Over the Rainbow can move eight year olds to tears.
Because Over the Rainbow can move eighty year olds to tears.
Because it makes us feel totally on our own.
Because it makes us feel like we are not alone.
Because the singer from Korn is actually having a break down on the recording of Daddy.
Because some times in rehearsals, I can't help but squeal in excitement.
Because Frank Zappa never compromised.
Neither did Hank Williams.
Neither did Richard Wagner.
Because Woody Guthrie songs could have been written today.
Because Rush songs could only have been written in the 70's.
Because Handel's music sounds like it's always existed.
Because Neil Young gets the respect he deserves.
Because the Drive-By Truckers said more about American culture with one album then some whole genres manage.
Because of Mozart's horn concertos.
Because of the riff in Sunshine of Your Love.
Because of Kind of Blue.
Because of the bass line in Respect.
Because of the clarinet solo in Blue Shades.
Because if Meat Loaf, Susan Boyle, and Lemmy aren't too ugly for music, neither am I.
Because of the total lack or irony in Feed Jake by Pirates of the Mississippi.
Because Johnny Cash singing hurt still gets me. Every. Single. Time.
Because my grandma loved to sing.
Because there's nothing I enjoy more then music...
Except maybe sharing it with the people I love.
Because there's an album out there that I haven't heard yet, waiting to change my life.
Because the next great orchestra piece is being written right now.
But, most of all, I love music because of the times in my life when I felt so down, so depressed, so worthless, that I couldn't bring myself out of it. Neither could my friends. Neither could my parents. Neither could any show or movie or book...
But Todd Snider or Beethoven always could.
Folks, I know this was cheesy, I know it probably seems like a meaningless exercise, but I got so much joy out of it. As easy as it is to get cynical, I'm glad that I can still find the things in music that drive me and compel me to keep with it. But enough from me. What do you love about music? What are those moments, songs, or pieces that enrich your life? Leave a comment, I'd love to know.
-Jimmy
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