So, so you think you can tell Heaven from Hell? Blue skies from pain? Can you tell a green field from a cold steel rail? A smile from a veil? Do you think you can tell? Did they get you to trade your heroes for ghosts? Hot ashes for trees? Hot air for a cool breeze? Cold comfort for change? Did you exchange A walk-on part in the war for a lead role in a cage?
How I wish, how I wish you were here We're just two lost souls swimming in a fishbowl, year after year Running over the same old ground, what have we found? The same old fears, wish you were here
this territory is moderated
It saddens me that Kids These Days don't generally know about Pink Floyd and what gods they were.
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I just saw this tonight. My experience is different. My daughter is now 22 years old. Since junior high school she and her friends were Pink Floyd fanatics. They even listened to old Syd Barrett stuff. I asked her about it and she said Pink Floyd was very popular. I think musically and lyrically it touches all generations.
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I'm glad; but I wonder how much of that is a local pocket? Like, when I was a kid there were all kinds of older works that had been lost to the haze of memory, but that you could rediscover, and then a small group would be into it. It was like you'd unearthed something in an archeological dig.
In other words: if we sample the high school one city over from where your daughter attended, do we find the same thing? Maybe so, that would be nice to hear. But I have my doubts.
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You would be shocked to know how often my daughter and I talk about this exact thing. My wife and I are "born slightly too late" hippies who are obsessed with the music of our generation. I'm sure that influenced our daughter. She grew up in the Spotify world. I am astounded by and jealous of the breadth and diversity of her tastes. Her theory, which I can't verify, is that Pink Floyd, in particular, is the only band of that time, which of course includes the Beatles, that transcends generations. She thinks it's a combination of the lyrics, which have that Catcher In The Rye kind of feeling estranged from normies sensibility, and the music, which simply doesn't sound dated. All I can base it on is that I go to a lot of concerts by old guys who's music I love, and Roger Waters always seems to draw the widest age demographic. You're probably right that it might be a small sample size, and my daughter's friends tend to have older parents like us.
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Interesting -- sounds like your daughter had a nice grounding to appreciate the fruits of the modern age.
Have you also spread beyond the original music, given the world that's opened up, or are you still mostly anchored to your original taste?
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I can't remember where I first read it, but there is some theory that the human brain is most open to stuff like art and music in your teens and early 20s. I think my brain may have slammed shut earlier than most. I felt closed off from everything post new wave of the early to mid 80s. Sure, I liked songs here and there, but nothing ever came close to playing Wish You Were Here or Dylan's Blood On The Tracks for the first time. Friends my age embraced grunge in a big way. I liked Nirvana, but I never got that feeling. My daughter has introduced me to a lot of music. Again, I like a lot of it. Probably Tame Impala is my favorite fairly recent example.
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102 sats \ 5 replies \ @ek OP 1 Feb
Her theory, which I can't verify, is that Pink Floyd, in particular, is the only band of that time, which of course includes the Beatles, that transcends generations.
This reminded me of this:
During my undergrad days, we had the theory that everyone that knows Billy Talent likes Billy Talent. So every time we remembered this theory of ours, we started to ask random students on campus if they knew Billy Talent and if so, if they like them.
The conclusion was: We didn't find a single student that didn't know Billy Talent and everyone we asked liked them. At one point, we even started to ask random strangers on the tram if they know Billy Talent and they also said yes and they have some nice songs (they could even name specific songs). Was quite fascinating. After that, we gave up to find people who don't like Billy Talent.
I think the same is true for Pink Floyd.
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If I want to give your theory the best chance to not be disconfirmed, which Billy Talent album should I attempt? (You listed the first 3, but which, if you get one shot?)
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Mhh, good question. I think the first one in that case. Has the most songs which I would listen to any time.
But here are my favorite secret hits from each album anyway:
Cut the Curtains from Billy Talent I:
most popular from that album is probably River Below
Pins and Needles from Billy Talent II:
the "Red Flag album"
White Sparrows from Billy Talent III:
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Now I have to search this Billy Talent guy and hear what I've been missing.
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153 sats \ 1 reply \ @ek OP 1 Feb
Haha, either you're trolling me since you know Billy Talent very well or you're making the classic mistake: Billy Talent is the name of the band. There is no Billy Talent guy in there.
I can recommend their first three albums. They are named Billy Talent I, II and III.
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Let's pretend I was trolling you.
I remember ripping off the colored wrapper from the album cover the first week it came out. I was on winter break in high school. I wore out the grooves that week, and I still listen to it almost 50 years later. One of my all time favorite albums.
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RIP Syd Barrett
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I simply love it...
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