On September 24th I posted a newsflash reminding you to celebrate the day by telling people stories of your first concert. Not long after that, I went out for beers with M. Giant. He had just started his sweet new job and I had just quit my awful old job so everyone was happy. The next natural step was to get even happier by drinking in the middle of the week at the place that features horrible service and cheap drinks.
We were having a swell time gabbing about music when he made a comment that made me think. He told me that he admired (respected? was amused by? Stupid gin made me forget the exact synonym) the fact that I was willing to admit that my first concert was a-ha. This confused me (stupid gin). I do recall that my response was something along the lines of, "Why wouldn't I admit it?" While I no longer listen to a-ha on a regular basis, they are still a part of my history as a music fan, and if I shunned them I would be living a lie.
The a-ha shirt is still in my closet, should I just pretend it isn't there? Why would I? I don't consider a-ha to be a guilty pleasure, because I don't believe in guilty pleasures. I owe my phrasing of that policy to Chuck from Cosmic Slop. I was listening to the show a few years back, and Chuck was seething over an article he had read about musical guilty pleasures. Chuck was outraged by the use of the word guilty. His overall point was, if you like something, then you like it, and we will have none of this guilty pleasure crap. Since this is a radio show that plays The Glitter Band and Shaun Cassidy, you know that these are people I respect.
I was never ashamed of my taste in music, but ever since then I have made it a point to give a stern lecture to people who use the phrase guilty pleasures. Liking what you like is also the theme of one of my favorite things from The Real Frank Zappa Book. In the book, Mr. Zappa said, "The Ultimate Rule ought to be: "If it sounds GOOD to YOU, it's bitchen; and if it sounds BAD to YOU, it's shitty." I think this is also a sound policy.
Anyway, I believe I told M. Giant that the whole point of this site is to be shameless about music. Rocksnobs should always feel free to stand up and say, "Yeah, I listen(ed) to _____, so what?" I'm not saying you have to defend your Wham! phase for hours on end, but if you have the time to spare, go ahead on. In fact, I am so shameless about my musical choices that I find it deeply amusing that a portion of my slogan is Everyone Else Has Bad Taste In Music. Many of my friends think that I have terrible taste in music.
True Story That Really Happened: Recently LCG and Aaaahj were having a talk about Judas Priest, because LCG is thinking of dipping into their catalog. He was asking Aaaahj if Priest albums, like Iron Maiden albums, are solid metal all the way through. Aaaahj said that they were. "Except for Turbo. That one's not as good." As LCG tells it, there was a pause and then Aaaahj added, "Dragon probably likes it."
They even hassle me when I am not there to defend myself. But that's okay, because Aaaahj is a Rocksnob. He knows that everyone else has bad taste in music, and he knows it to be fact. From his point of view, I am part of the everyone else category, therefore my taste sucks. And that's fine, because next time I see Aaaahj, I will feel free to say, "Yeah, I like Turbo, so what?" In fact, I am enjoying that statement so much I am going to turn it into a new rule.
The Sixth Rocksnobs Rule Of Etiquette is:
Rocksnobs should always feel free to stand up and say, "Yeah, I listen(ed) to _____, so what?"
So the next time you are listening to, say, Billy Ocean, remember that he isn't a guilty pleasure. He's just a guy who plays some music that you like.