One of my favourite podcasts is Rockonteurs, which is hosted by the more talented Kemp brother Gary and legendary bass player Guy Pratt. It is, naturally, though not solely, heavy on nostalgia, with recent guests including John Fogerty, Robert Plant and most recently Toto man Steve ‘Luke’ Lukather. And clearly with guests like these, it’s always a great listen. The show brings back memories, it tells you things you might not have known and it makes you think. The latest episode featuring the great Luke was outstanding, giving me over an hour of memories, things I didn’t know and it made me think. One thing he made me think about was nostalgia.
I can’t remember who on the podcast said it but it was generally agreed that as we get older we tend to listen more to the comforting music of our youth and our slightly younger days. Luke interjected that he generally agreed with that point, but also that it did not stop him listening to new artists and new music. My experience is that, again in general, we do tend to retreat to our comfort zone when it comes to music, but it is not enough to say that some people are stuck in the past while others actively and passionately are out seeking new music.
For one thing, as the broadcaster Stuart Maconie put it, new music is just music you haven’t heard before. That is certainly reflected by the way in which I buy and consume music. I certainly find time to re-play the music of my younger day, whether that’s the sheer genius of Steely Dan, the glam rock of T. Rex or the sublime folk songs of Canadian legend Gordon Lightfoot. I still learn new stuff about it, such as what the lyrics are all about (which in the case of T. Rex is absolutely nothing), or the musicians who play on the records. I am, when it comes to music, a sponge for miscellany and trivia. For example, I just discovered that the songwriter, musician and producer John Shanks was not just involved with the Doobie Brothers, co-writing all the songs and producing their new album Walk This Road, he is currently a guitar player with Bon Jovi and, wonderfully, helped write and produce Take That’s best albums Beautiful World and The Circus. The past, the present and the future all in one place. Glorious.
Another thing to bear in mind is that we all have a different relationship to music. For some music is wallpaper, for others it is a minor hobby and, as with sad buggers like me, it’s an absolute obsession and it always has been. I still get the same kick out of buying a new album as I do from listening to it. Listening to a new release, like Yazmin Lacey’s Teal Dreams, Lux by Rosalia and A Bridge To Far by Midlake, all of which I purchased in the last week or so, gives me the same level of excitement as when I’d bring home the latest record by the Doobie Brothers, Boston and Joe Walsh.
And there are still great records out there. Rosalia’s new album is simply incredible, right up there with the Blood Orange LP Essex Honey in my early album of the year list. You might not be such a sad obsessive as me and would prefer to listen to Brothers in Arms by Dire Straits, Rumours by Fleetwood Mac or some dreadful dirge by Queen but that’s okay, too. Your main obsession might be your favourite football team (been there, done that), stamp collecting, gardening or watching telly every night. You might look upon one subject as being your obsession. I suspect most of us are in that boat.
Sometimes, I do retreat to the past and play music that reminds of times passed long ago. Indeed, that’s what my non-awaited difficult second book is all about. Music is, in my view, a form of magic. If you have never witnessed a person with dementia react to a particular song, you will see what magic really is. I know where I was when I first heard Hello Goodbye by The Beatles, Flowers In The Rain by The Move, True Colours by Cindi Lauper and Sidesaddle by Russ Conway. George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass, the best solo Beatles album by miles, reminds me of my dad, I Am … I Said by Neil Diamond reminds me of my mum and two Bee Gees songs – and you’ll have to wait for my book to find out which – remind me of my perfect partner of 26 years and my imperfect one of two-and-a half.
Forgive me for repeating something I always repeat at times like these, but here we go: we live in the best time ever for music. We have all the music that has ever been made, including recent music which, I can assure you, is just as good as it ever was. Don’t believe anyone who says music isn’t as good as it used to be. You don’t even have to venture outside your comfort zone, your golden oldie radio station or your ancient vinyl collection. If you don’t try it, you can’t know, but if you don’t want to try it, that’s cool, too.
As for Stuart Maconie, I share one vital thing in common with him. The first record I ever bought with my own money was Ride A White Swan by T. Rex. Great minds and all that? I doubt it. Great taste? Definitely.
