FEATURE:
The First Cut Is the Deepest?
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Why Even Mediocre Songs from My Young Years Hold Up Today
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I have written before…
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how nostalgic reminiscence can be a dangerous thing. That is what people say. Especially if you indulge in it too much. In the coming weeks, I might venture into writing about the current weather and how environmental destruction and global warming might not only effect how musicians’ travel plans, but it also may impact vinyl production and shipping. I think we will see artists play less often abroad. Many others will do fewer gigs. In terms of production of C.D.s, vinyl and physical music, that is sure to be effected by climate change. It is all very worrying and grim but necessary. These things need to be discussed, as artists, venues and manufactures will need to adapt and rethink. In the current year, I don’t think there is anything wrong succumbing to the lure of nostalgia and escapism. It is impossible to lock away and ignore the issues swirling around us. In order to detach and offer some form of relief and stability, music from my past has been more and more important. I think most people, when they listen back to music from their past, take everything from their youngest years up to the age of eighteen, perhaps. That is what I am doing. Right now, I am exploring and reacquainting myself with music from high school. I entered high school at age eleven in 1994 and left five years later. It was a magnificent time for music. One of the things I noticed, not only about my high school favourites but songs from earlier than that, is that a lot of them are a bit naff. That might be a subjective call, but they are either one-hit wonders, tracks from great artists that do not stand up again their best work, songs that are not seen as brilliant, or others that are obviously quite shocking. I am not going to drop them in here in case of offending those artists, but the first album I bought with my own money was Now That’s What I Call Music! 24. That came out in 1993 - I was about nine or ten when I bought it. There are a few tracks from that album that are not exactly awesome.
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I guess there are psychological reasons why we latch onto particular tracks. Some might be quite child-like or catchy (but lack any real depth). Others might hit us at a very difficult time and offer comfort, whereas there might be a part of brain that has a soft spot for particularly mediocre songs. I have been feeling a bit conflicted listening back to songs form my childhood and teenage years that other people dislike. Should I feel embarrassed liking a song that is clearly not that good or credible?! There are some that are important because they were released at a challenging or exciting time in life. Others have something about them that appeals to a sense of compassion – maybe adopting these songs that others do not. In any case, I have found that these nostalgic songs have not faded in the years since! I have not really revisited many and decided that, at the time, I was foolish for liking them. Many other people feel the same. If we heard these so-so songs now for the first time, our opinions might be very different. I don’t think there is any such thing as a guilty pleasure song. Everything has its place. I am proud to play loud songs that would make others cringe or be seen as uncool and dated. Maybe the reason people like me still love these sort of records is because they are unmovable and intrinsic part of our growing up. Formative days that are defined by music, whether good or bad.
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The more I wrap myself inside the warm cocoon of nostalgia and better years, the more I am rediscovering and enjoying some of the more questionable tracks in my collection. One might argue that, if I love these songs so many years later, then it must mean they are great. There are many songs that, undoubtably, are just plain bad or dated. I think that all music, good or bad, resonates at a point in our life either because we need them at the time and they go deep, the soundtracks of our young and teenagers lives mirror our own. I treasure great memories from those days, but I also think that others, whether they are hard, tragic, boring or just plain dumb, are just as important. I would not want to get rid of them. In the case of the songs, I owe these tracks a debt. They have widened my tastes and appreciation of music. Each have played their part and scored some great memories. There is a great comfort in hearing these older tracks and realising that, for better or worse, they keep me looking forward. These mediocre songs have not waned or lost significance. I feel uncomfortable and plain wrong subjugating or erasing a song from my memory because I am grown up and it seems embarrassing to like particular music. Without these songs, I think I would be a different person. Genuinely. They have made a difference when I needed them. They have provided a few smiles. They have lodged in my head when I needed them most. More than anything, I still love these tracks today and, when playing them, I am transported back to an easier time. Of course, we cannot live in the past and pretend we can go back! Though it is nice that we can escape. If only for a brief time. If you have been uneasy spinning tunes from your past that you would not embrace easily, get over that and understand how important this music is. They meant something to you then, so why bother about whether they are cool tracks or they are not among the best?! This music asked nothing of you and, for one reason or another, they made an impression on you. And for that alone, you should be…
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VERY grateful indeed!