Riffology

Nov 22, 2014 23:49

BBC 4 is pleasing me currently, in that it is doing some shows about music -the quality is variable, but what makes them all fit for purpose is that they aren't the usual "We made this record and aren't we awesome?" crap.
Tonight's show is "The Joy of the Riff" and it's not bad at all.
What's good about it is that you'd expect it to be all about RWAAAAAHK! for such is the importance of the riff in the music of the cock.
However, it reminds you that Nile Rogers was a bit of a riffmeister too.
This reminds me that when I was a kid I had pretty specific tastes in music. If it involved odd time signatures, long solos, guitars turned up to 11, or thrusting male pelvises ( not necessarily all at once ) I was there. I was into Genesis, Pink Floyd, Rainbow/Deep Purple/Whitesnake ( pretty much all the same band one way or another ) and Rush.
Look, I'm not proud. Until I was about 15 that was me thank you very much. In fact it wasn't until I took up the drums and by necessity had to learn about all sorts of music that I started listening to other things.
Therefore up until about 1980 if it didn't rock I wasn't interested. At least a part of this was that in my school, if you weren't a rock fan, you were a second class citizen, and although my balls had dropped, my spine still hadn't developed. I didn't want to be any more an outsider than I already was thank you.
BUT, most of the bullies left in 1980, leaving the sixth form, a desire for a drum kit, Melody maker, Sounds, International Musician and Recording World and Modern Drummer magazines.
I allowed myself to admire pop music. I forced myself to like ( and play, which was harder ) Jazz. I discovered Bruce Springsteen, the Talking Heads, Weather Report and Ramones.
Yeah my head pretty much exploded in the summer of 1980.

This still though leaves chart music pre 80.
I am trying to remember when I began to like it.
For example Chic starring Mr Nile Rogers: really good stuff but I would have hated it on principle at the time.
Its as though I can't remember growing up.
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