I Know it's Only Rock and Roll but I Hate it.

11/27/2005 | Hound of the Baskervilles

[Hound of the Baskervilles]

I'm posting this in hopes of getting opinions and advice about my growing annoyance of being bombarded with loud hard rock music everywhere I go. It's in grocery stores, department stores, even dentists offices, and it's ALWAYS on TV, in practically every single commercial.

What's worse, I got a job at a major chain department store that caters to mid-America. It's not Penny'S but it is on a par with Penny's/ The sotre plays mostly rock and roll all day long. At night it's nothing but hard rock. The Killers, Lynrd Skynrd, Blondie, Billie Idol, Swiftfoot, ZZ Top, and on and on and on. The music is loud too. (It's loud in most stores.) Not only that, in the store where I work the lyrics of some of the songs are raunchy. Aerosmiths Walk this Way is about oral and group sex. Billy Idol's Rebel Yell is about, well I can't print the words. Even the song, What's Your Name Little Girl, (don't know the artists) is about picking up a woman at a hotel and staying the night with her, plus a band member "having a go" with one of the guests.

This is just my opinion please you rock fans don't take offense. I hate rock music. It's worse than animals growling and screaming. The electric guitar is the most annoying instrument known to man. I am wearing earplugs to work and night and in most stores. Still I can hear it. Help me someone to understand why this music is the most popular form of music in the world. If you like it tell me why so I can try to understand and learn to live with it because there is no escaping it. If you don't like it please give me some sympathy!

[Huck]

Plenty of stores are run by young managers without any sense. If loud or inappropriate music only turns away 5 percent of your business that's a LOT of money lost.

But those young managers probably get paid the same either way, and prefer to get away with as much as possible for their own pleasure. If it goes bad, no big deal. It's a McJob. Plenty more where that came from.

[Huck]

I find Visine to be ineffective. I swear by Bausch and Lomb All Clear.

[Huck]

Primus disappointed me. When they first came out, I got all psyched. But they do the same schtick over and over and over. Change it up a little. Add some real melody once in a while. I think they need more Belew, less Fripp. But hey, they're making a living I guess.

[Hound of the Baskervilles]

"If it's too loud, you're too old."

Mark my words. You will get old too someday.

[HKMk23]

Okay. So, your alternatives are:

Disco.
Barry Manilow
R & B/Soul/Rhythm & Funk
Barry Manilow
"Easy Listening" [hurl!]
Barry Manilow
'Gangsta' rap
Barry Manilow
Half-drunk-out-the-car-window mariachis
Barry Manilow
Grunge
Barry Manilow
Goth
Barry Manilow
Speed metal
Barry Manilow
"Smooth Jazz" [urk!]
Barry Manilow
Bagpipes
Barry Manilow
Sackbutt, coronet and lute trio
Barry Manilow
...
and lastly...
Barry Manilow

[Xena... I'll see your "Freebird" and raise you "Oh Mandy".]

[Huck]

They were idiotic songs, for the most part. Here's a chart topper from 1923 by the great George Gershwin. It's just as silly---sillier and stupider, really--then the Skynyrd song objected to in the original post. Take note how the first verse eludes to the old prigs from back when, who were bitching about the 20s dance music.


Artist: George Gershwin
Song: I'Ll Build A Stairway To Paradise
Album:
[" " CD]

Verse One

All you preachers
Who delight in panning the dancing teachers,
Let me tell you there are a lot of features
Of the dance that carry you through
The gates of Hea-ven.

It's madness
To be always sitting around in sadness,
When you could be learning the steps of gladness.
You'll be happy when you can do
Just six or seven;

Begin to day!
You'll find it nice,
The quickest way to paradise.
When you practise,
Here's the thing to know,
Simply say as you go...

Chorus

I'll build a stairway to Paradise
With a new step ev'ry day !
I'm gonna get there at any price;
Stand aside, I'm on my way !
I've got the blues
And up above it's so fair.
Shoes ! Go on and carry me there !
I'll build a stairway to Paradise
With a new step ev'ry day.

Verse Two

Ev'ry new step
Helps a bit ; but any old kind of two step,
Does as well. It don't matter what step you step,
If you work it into your soul
You'll get to Heaven.
Get bu-sy ;
Dance with Maud the countess, or just plain Lizzy:
Dance until you're blue in the face and dizzy.
When you've learn'd to dance in your sleep
You're sure to win out.

In time you'll get Saint Vitus dance,
Which beats the latest thing from France.
Take no chances on this Paradise ;
Let me give you advice.

[Huck]

Come again? :-P God willing, I will get old. But not yet!

[Hound of the Baskervilles]

"But those young managers probably get paid the same either way, and prefer to get away with as much as possible for their own pleasure. If it goes bad, no big deal. It's a McJob. Plenty more where that came from."

You are exactly correct.

[Welsh Rabbit]

The new stuff, the "nu metal" and "emo" and "pop punk" is mostly crapola, but that's nothing new. The vast majority of any genre of music is mostly crap at any given time, because that's what ppl like.

You're right. I was thinking that too about today's rock, pop, ect. Then I caught a Beavis and Butthead marathon and saw their video critiques where they watch videos that were popular when I was in high school (I'll be 30 in a few months). Seeing a lot of videos for songs I haven't even thought of for years, I realized today's music is no worse than the stuff from when I was younger. We just tend to remember the good stuff from past eras and forget that 95% of it was also crap.

[Cecily]

The band members are definitely obnoxious and rude. Jason Newsted told the story of "Dr. Phil." He had apparently worked with another band managed by Metallica's company, so they hired him to work with Metallica. I never understood why they needed him when they had the patient, mild-mannered, and upbeat Bob Rock, who seemed to be keeping them on track and moving their work forward.

[Heatseeker]

"Gabba Gabba Hey" was sort of a motto of the Ramones (one of them). Google "The Ramones" to learn more about the great American punk band and the most influential rock band of the past 30 years.

[Welsh Rabbit]

I'm a Clear Eyes guy myself.

[MikefromOhio]

I was just kiddin :)

Although they were making albums before I was born :)

[darkangel82]

I liked Testament's first 5, not much for anything after.

[Hound of the Baskervilles]

Oh lord Barry Manlow. Noooooooo!! Smooth jazz? Nooooo! But I do like bagpipes! Okay what about Abba? I liked Abba way back in the day. Except for that Fernando song I liked Abba. What about Abba? Nerdy?

[Xenalyte]

Barry Manilow?!?!? I am SO coming to kill you.

[HungarianGypsy]

Nerds are cool now. My 11 year old son even likes to admit to being a nerd. Lately he seems to be going out of his way to prove it at times. LOL!
My 8 year old daughter's favorite music is classical. I remember when we in a Taco Bell when she was two she sat there rocking out to classical music that was being played.
BTW, here's a great musician. He calls his style adult contemporary, but if you like classical, I know you will like him . WOuld really like to know what you think.

[Xenalyte]

"Free Bird" is only energetic during the guitar solo. When whoever-it-is is singing, it's draggy as hell - whiny, nasal, meandering, and badly in need of snapping up.

"If I-ee leeeeve heeeeere to-mooooorow . . . would you steeeeel remember meeeee?"

Ugh.

[Xenalyte]

What you said . . . hear hear, well spoken, Flashbunny!

[flashbunny]

--"If I-ee leeeeve heeeeere to-mooooorow . . . would you steeeeel remember meeeee?" ---

And I usually answer "hell no!"

Like the green day song where he says "do you have the time...to listen to me whine"

So I say no and change the station.

Damn, I really need an XM radio. I'm getting so tired of local FM radio that it's not funny.