R.E.S.P.E.C.T.

Papa Lory

It seems that some people become bothered by my love of The Beatles or classic rock music in general. I love classic rock music because it is the music I grew up listening to, plain and simple. It’s just like someone saying they love the ‘90’s music because that’s what they grew up listening to. It’s just like my grandparents loving the music of the 1930’s and 1940’s because that’s the music they grew up listening to. What seems to become lost in the shuffle is respecting other’s opinions and tastes rather than simply understanding that everybody has different musical tastes.

Music comes in all styles and not all styles are for everyone. However, if you say you enjoy music but fail to respect that there are other kinds of music that other people enjoy rather than just your own favorite “genre,”, you’re missing out on some exceptional musical experiences.

Have you listened to Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture” in its entirety? I have, and it is one of a great many wonderful compositions from the classical music era. What about The Moody Blues’ “The Afternoon” from their Days of Future Passed album. It’s an exquisite combination of the aforementioned classical music and rock and roll. I enjoy just turning off everything else and playing this when I want to relax.

How about something totally different: Snoop Dog’s (aka Snoop Lion) 2013 album Reincarnation? A perfect example of an artist reinventing himself and drawing in new fans, like me. Too mellow for you? Try Megadeth’s Countdown to Extinction album or Pantera’s ’92 release Vulgar Display of Power? Thrash/heavy metal never sounded so good.

But wait; there’s more. Right now in my CD player is The Carpenters Greatest Hits. Yes, more of the music I grew up with, but so far removed from those last two examples that people may wonder if I’ve lost my mind. No, I haven’t, or at least I don’t think I have (at least not in the way you might think).

Music is a journey, and the journey is far from complete. Yes, I prefer the music I grew up with, because much of that music has special meaning to me. But I am also open to experiencing other music, and I have a great respect for many different musical artists throughout the wide array of musical genres we enjoy today. That respect extends to the fans of those genres as well. Sure, we like to joke with each other here at KEOL about our little fixations with particular songs or artists or genres, but in the end, I’d like to think it is all just that: joking.

As I just mentioned, music is a journey. The music of my generation helped form the music of today, as did the music of my grandparent’s generation helped to form the music of my generation. In turn, the music of the classical era helped form the music afterward. Today’s music will help form the music of the future. Yet, it is all tied together. Not understanding that and not giving respect to all music, and all lovers of music, whether you like a particular style or not, is a disservice to those who have been creating music for hundreds of years. It comes down to respecting other people’s opinions even if they conflict with your own. With that acceptance, we can all begin to respect all forms of music for what they truly are: an emotional extension of the human experience. Music is a journey – let’s see where the journey takes us next.

Papa Lory’s Show Times

Classic Rock Extravaganza: Friday 4-8pm
Classic Country: Saturday 10am-12pm