The Longest Comment Ever!!

This comment deserves a post to itself. Thank you Atul.

Atul Vishwanathan said...

Hey, very nice and informative.. (seemingly professional too.. heh heh). I had a similar history as yours till the pseudorocker part... all of my co-pseudorockers then shifted to the blues.. i just couldn't. The music was boring and culturally not appealing. I am not saying rock was, but at least i thought it was. This, I couldn't even do that. To tell you the truth, I began feeling far removed ever since I started listening to Indian Ocean. That was because those guys sang in a language I didn't know, but still appealed. (Maybe it's the same with you for blues.) But ever since, music has lost meaning to me. As in, I can enjoy any music now simply as a break from routine. Entertainment and that's all. It never was (I thought it was) or will be a part of my routine.

Anyhow, please help me put a few things into perspective here:
1. You say Eric and the blues helped you be who you are and how you behave. I don't understand the direct link between the two. Can you please give an instance or otherwise clarify.
2. Do you play an instrument? Do you wish to?
3. There are thousands of people in India and elsewhere who have never been exposed to rock or blues. Do you think they are missing something? Do you think they would appreciate it if they heard it? Will American kids ever be as enthusiastic about rajasthani music as kids here are about their kind of music?

Sorry for this diatribe. I am not sure if this is the right medium for this discussion. But what the fuck...

Firstly this is a medium where anything goes, so well thank god for diatribes and for comments turned into posts. Now to answer them questions raised,

1. I remember my earliest memories of college being plagued with acts carried out of insecurity. I was a nervous kid. I wanted to do things right. Rather I wanted to do the right thing. Always. Besides I was extremely self critical, and often took the blame for other acting bitchy upon myself. And rock music abetted the same. Rock music inspired me to do what is considered right, to want to save the world, to uphold ideals. Milan Kundera once said, "Rock music is like my heartbeat to me, it reminds me with every beat that I am mortal". I think in retrospect I agree with him to a certain extent.
The blues however is a different story. If Rock music reminds one of one's mortality, then blues reminds one what it is like to be alive. The blues wanst to live. Despite having them blues. The blues keeps life simple, something you'll always understand. And it don't make no pretence of upholding any morality. The blues only deals with humanity and human reactions, right or wrong, they're still human and are worth singing and cherishing. And the simplicity is always welcome, especially when the world goes so complex on you. For example, BB King's "Get out of my life woman, you don't love me no more"; or Muddy Waters "Got my mojo workin' but it just don't work on you"; or "I'm going down to shoot my old lady, you know I've caught her messin' around with another man" from Hey Joe by Billy Roberts (famously covered by Jimi Hendrix). The blues, like I said, keeps it simple and accepts imperfections of the human condition whole heartedly upto the point of making it sound cool. Fucking cool. I like that.
I've stopped trying to do things right or even trying to make myself perfect in the eyes of others. The blues made me realise the futility of the same. I am what I am, Thank God. Jimi Hendrix said that. I've finally learnt to live like that. Thanks to the blues.

Also I've learnt to appreciate wimmen for the way they look and not for who they are. I believe a beautiful woman is God's gift to mankind and must be treated right. No matter how bitchy and dumb they are. Those are just obstacles God has put on them so that they can find a man who will look past that shit and appreciate the real beauty. Blues taught me to appreciate the beauty on the outside. The real beauty of a woman. Heh.

2. I 've been formally trained to play the violin - Western Classical - upto Grade 5. I've also cleared upto Grade 4 of music theory. However, playing the violin was like doing homework. I never really appreciated the music. I've always fancied playing the bass though. Jack Bruce (Cream), Leo Lyons (Ten Years After) and Jon Paul Jones (Led Zep) are my heroes in this regard.

3. I believe music is something that breaches the darkest corners of the human soul. Music is also something I've always been overtly influenced by. Kind of like what Literature does to some people. For example if I had to shoot someone, I wouldn't keep a book with me as an explanation, I'd keep an album. So like that, I feel anyone and everyone is capable of being influenced by music. The fact that you haven't been introduced to a certain form of music doesn't mean you're missing something. Everyone has their own natural inclinations and likewise find their type of music, which then grows around them and lives with them. In their car, or in their CD cases, or with the ones they love and share their lives and music with. No one is missing anything they don't have already.
On whether Rajasthani kids would appreciate American music; well maybe, maybe not. That really depends on the kid now, doesn't it? I appreciate music in the English language, cause well having been brought up in an English medium school since childhood, I'm most comfortable thinking in English. In fact for my vernacular exams, I used to think in English and translate the same into Bong/Hindi. So like that.

Have I answered all questions succintly? I know I have tried. Thank you for the comment. I'm glad I could arouse someone's curiosity for the blues. Please go ahead and ask for further clarfications. I would be only too glad to provide answers to the same the best I can. Cheers.



*If I maybe permitted, I'd like to make an addition to the answer to Q1. I was thinking about it, and I realised that I forgot to talk about my passion for travelling. I like to travel, and it is something I picked up round about the same time I started listening to the blues. Blues lyrics are traditionally characterised highways and railroads and cheap liquor places. All that is my kind of scene. I like travelling, mostly by inter-state public road transport. I live and eat cheap, travel and get high more. Also I find this kind of peace within me and without, both when I travel and when I listen to the blues. I guess I don't travel to beat the blues, I travel cause I got the blues. I said that. heh.

**Also worth mentioning is that I have no intentions of being a professional and hence don't write professionally. But coming from a professional, I'll take you comments as a compliment. So Thank You.