Posts tagged music

“Guess I need to unhook these thoughts.”

-          Throwing Muses lyric from ‘hook in your head’

Ok.

I began writing this to remind us that young people are smarter and more innovative than we give them credit for as well as we typically have to look to the youth for trends and what the horizon has in store for us (whether we like it or not).

Oh. And this is is also just a reminder to us old folk how short our memories are.

So I began this with lyrics from a Throwing Muses song because it was written by Kristen Hersh (maybe 20 at the time) and Tonya Donnelly (maybe 20 at the time). And I used music as an example because … well … that’s what I do.

Two young 20somethings from Rhode Island creating things that would influence musicians for decades.

That said. I will say that aging, getting older, is consistent.

We begin to doubt that which we believed in when we were younger.

So this is a reminder.

Since I read Rat Girl it has re-instilled my belief that the youth is our future.

And the early 90s provides some good proof.  And the Throwing Muses are proof. And Kristen Hersh (and Tanya Donnelly who has made every band she has played in sound awesome … not only did she co-found Throwing Muses with stepsister Kristin Hersh but then went on to work in The Breeders and Belly).

Anyway.

Hook in your Head is proof.

The song isn’t for everyone.

But it is a spectacular piece of song writing.  In its 6:30+ length it is kind of 3 different songs.

In my words … it is a “clean messy” song.

(definition: the constant incredibly hooky rolling bass and drum riff is clean allowing Tonya and Kristen to be spectacularly messy).

Hook in Her Head remains one of my favorite Throwing Muses songs of all time (and no it isn’t a real hook it is something that is just stuck, or hooked, in your head).

Certain things I love, Spend my time

I guess I’ll have to unhook those hooks

This woman literally

Felt she had a hook in her head

When I first heard the song I listened to it … and listened to it over and over. Typical of the Muses it was odd … a fusion of alternative sections in one song(within 6:32). It has a brilliant drum steadying it with an awesome rolling bass riff holding it together.

And all the rest is messy.

But it sounds messy great.

The song is “ridiculously intense” as one commenter suggests (this is a live version but an almost perfect rendition of what you would hear on The Real Ramona): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcnDsTpO-CY&feature=related

And, most importantly, it is timeless (you could play this on any current alternative radio station I will guarantee multiple calls will come in asking who the heck the band was).

And they were teen-young 20’s defining a future sound.

Unpopular then?  Sure.

Fearless ? Sure.

Young?  You bet.

Old people hated it? Absolutely.

Acceptable today?  It is what all alternative does and sounds like.

Truth? <as in “what can we learn” truth>

The youth are fearless and therefore, inevitably, they are influencers. Oh. Influencers of not only their own generation but of everyone.

At least everyone who pays attention.

At least to everyone who would quit bitching for “the good old days.”

And we shouldn’t forget it.

And any time us old folk do forget this I encourage you to go back to your youth and take a good hard look, and listen, and remind yourself.

And, frankly, we should remind ourselves more often.

Because too many of us are pretty frickin’ stubborn about today’s youth (and how irresponsible and immature we are so sure they are).

I have one suggestion for the old folk (say 40+).

Get your head out of your ass.

Young people are smart.

And they are innovative.

And, yeah, some of the innovations are aggravating … but we are supposed to be mature enough to delineate between “aggravating because it is simply aggravating” and “aggravating because now I am going to have to change.”

And, frankly, young people think of things we older people not only don’t – but can’t.

And if you ignore it or dismiss it (teen thinking) you are going to miss out on a lot.

Maybe worse?

You will have failed that generation.  The young’s innovative thinking should be nurtured and fertilized like young plants that you want to blossom.  For like flowers or trees they are the foliage that will line our horizons in the future.

If we kill their ideas our horizons will lie barren.  Or worse.  Our horizons will be lined in our ideas.  And while we may be comforted in the sight of things we have created we are leaving nothing for future generations to look to on the horizon as their own.

(sorry … I felt kind of poetic as I banged away on the keys … ignore that bad imagery but accept the point … please)

Anyway.

Here is a thought for you as you think about today’s young people.

The Throwing Muses weren’t ahead of their time.

They were at their time.

But originality is often unpopular.

Play their music today and they would be a top 10 alternative band.

Does that mean they missed out?  Nope.

Because they created.  They were influential. They were a voice of the youth innovators of that generation.

Ignore the Throwing Muses music if you want.

But don’t ignore the youth.

Nurture the voices of this generation. Don’t mute them in your non understanding of what they say.

Just because originality is unpopular doesn’t mean we should discourage originality.

No matter what age the originality occurs.

Bottom line?

Unhook those thoughts from your head about young people.