I'm not a music snob by any means; I'll willingly share with the Blogosphere that I love Lady Gaga's wacky music, and Green Day's always been a guilty pleasure of mine. Nah, I'm not a music snob. But I do appreciate good music when I hear it.
That's why, today, I'm suggesting that you relax yourself, and perhaps even make your mind a more peaceful place to reside, by listening to some good ol' folk.
Ke$ha sure as hell is an entertainer to say the least, and Taylor Swift definitely does a better job than any of capturing the hearts of teenage girls because, well, let's face it: what she says is so relatable: we all have crushes who probably don't like us back, we all like southern gentleman who come to us in the form of a Romeo and Juliet-esque fairytale. Yeah, yeah.
But don't you ever wonder about the bigger things in life? I really hope so. That's why I suggest you take a time travelin' trip backwards by about forty years and listen to some good folk, some folk that will, hopefully, expand your mind more than 'Ye ever could. If you need a little push in the right direction, here's what I've got to say:
Pete Seeger - Sitting through my Dissent in America class was what first made me realize that Pete Seeger was more than just a name I heard all of my favorite musicians attribute their success to. My professor played a few songs for us, and I was instantly enchanted by his smiling face, positive songs, and simply happy attitude - despite the fact that most of his songs were protesting something. If you don't know where to start with Seeger, try listening to "Turn! Turn! Turn!" - a song that you'll undoubtedly recognize that was covered by the Byrds, but I suggest you listen to this original version, featuring the lovely and talented Joni Mitchell (also worth giving a listen):
I feel like Bob Dylan is this guy that everybody knows about but very few people know. And I've got to admit, I'm quite possibly one of those people who doesn't really "know" him; I have his Highway 61 Revisited album and I know his quintessential songs (Mr. Tambourine Man, Like a Rolling Stone, etc. etc.), but it's tough, for me at least, to really get into Dylan; his lyrics are really, really obscure to me - not very relatable in the way that a lot of times the lyrics sound completely bananas ("The ghost of Belle star, she hands down her wits to Jezebel the nun, she violently knits a bald wig for Jack the Ripper who sits at the head of the Chamber of Commerce") but I guess that's all part of his reputation as a lyrical genius. You've just gotta listen to him to get it. My favorite song by him at the moment is "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright". I couldn't find a good enough version to do the song justice, so if you're curious, you'll have to go look it up.
Wanna really chill out? Try the Grateful Dead. I'd suggest "China Cat Sunflower", my dad's favorite.Other suggestions? Try Janis Joplin, the Rolling Stones, or, of course, the Beatles, who I hope you've already exposed yourself to in more ways than just "All You Need is Love".
Keep calm (and listen to some new music),
Sarah
You would probably like 'Desire," by Bob Dylan, if you haven't heard it yet. Much more musical than a lot of his stuff, which made me actually listen to it when I was younger, instead of just going "Wow, his voice is really nasal..."
ReplyDeleteWhen I saw the Ke$ha picture I was expecting it to be a rant about her and other so called "singers." hahahah. But you inspired me to consider listening to some folk music. But of course this will have to wait until after the holidays ;)
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