Thank You For the Music

A mighty fine song that is from the hugely successful ABBA. The title says it all and it's a sentiment I agree with wholeheartedly. Music to me is as important as running water and shelter.  The majority of my time awake has music playing. One of the main reasons I love my job is because I can have the radio on so I can sing/whistle/boogie along with it.

You know those silly hypothetical question you ask each other when you're young? Would you rather questions? Before they get inevitably sexual, I remember once being asked, "Would you rather go blind, go deaf?" I chose blind. Sight is a wonderful thing, but the thought of not being able to listen to music was not something I took kindly to. 

Music is something I think many people take for granted. There are so many types of music, each with their own sub-genres and alternative forms. Furthermore, within each genre there are superstars of the category and young fledgling artists just beginning their careers. For a vast majority of people though the thousands of songs and bands that aren't to their particular preference, simply aren't important. Their existence is insignificant. "That's crap, turn it off." Never to be turned on again.

I'm no different. I think to think I have a fairly broad musical selection, but Rap music? One Direction? R&B? Justin Bieber? Kate Bush? No thank you. 

I'm rather varied when it comes to music, which I'll get on to later, but there is one band whose music is almost synonymous with me. It's heavily associated with me and people who know me will know all too well how properly obsessed I am with them.

This band is Status Quo.

Yes, the Rock veterans who brought you 'Caroline', 'Down Down' and the 'Rockin' All Over The World' that opened Live Aid back in 1985. 

Status Quo are my favourite band. No argument. I prefer the newer line-up, honestly, but I still love the original Frantic Four. Put it this way, I have over a thousand songs on my MP3 Player, over 600 of them are Status Quo. There are posters all of my walls, I've seen them live four times and I hope to see them as often as I can.

Rick Parfitt, the rhythm guitar player is also my absolute man-crush. If I look that good at 60 I'll be ecstatic. 

Obviously, they aren't to everyone's taste and over the years I've heard the same few lines over and over again about Status Quo. Well now I'm going to shut them up.

"They only know three chords" I hate this. If you're listening to music and counting how many chords someone's using then you're doing it wrong. Music is for enjoyment; to make your ears happy. "Err, they only used two chords, they suck" Your loss.

"They're too old" Can't deny the guys are getting on a bit. However, go and see them live, they rock out like nobody else and get better and better every year. For saying they're sixty-somethings, they put more energy into their shows than most. 

"It's all the same" No, no it really isn't. I don't go to a Quo gig and sing the same song 25 times. This one is exceptionally irritating. 'Hold You Back' doesn't sound like 'Caroline'. 'Rain' doesn't sound like 'Roll Over Lay Down'. And so on. All ABBA songs sound the same because it's the same four voices written by the same four people, but people don't complain about that do they? It's exactly the same with Quo, they have a formula, one lead/rhythm guitar and one pure rhythm guitar and the songs are written by the same people. It wouldn't be Status Quo if they suddenly came up with an Operatic Reggae album.

I should point out at this point I do like other things than just Quo. I'm a huge fan of Country music. Proper country music, Willie Nelson, Kenny Rogers, Waylon Jennings and the like. Whilst also liking some of the more unpopular Country stars. For example, Billy Ray Cyrus is one of my all-time heroes. His music is under-rated and the mullet... I saw it in the 'Deja Blue' video and fell in love with it, so much so that I have a mullet now.

I'm a firm believer that no song tells a story better than a Country song. I don't know why but people seem to shun Country music like it's diseased. It's glorious, honest music that comes from some of the best song-writers ever to have lived. I'll take Dolly Parton over Rhianna any day of the week.

Music of old has always been better as far as I'm concerned. Nowadays there's too much focus on marketing and selling rather than the music itself. Shows like X factor and The Voice as far as I'm concerned are simply the worst things to happen to music. Real artists work from the ground up rather than going on TV to gain popularity. What's more irritating is that there are millions of people watch this crap and vote for the winner, but whoever wins gets one record out and is never heard of again. What's the point?! 

I dislike shows like it for a passion. I feel they're more for making fun of people rather than trying to get real talent into music. I say music. Modern music isn't for my liking. It's all computers and synthesizers rather than with real instruments and artists more set up for marketing than performing. 

However, as much as I, the most part, dislike modern music/artists. I'm thankful for their existence. Without the hugely diverse world of music I wouldn't have the music I love and listen to everyday. 

Could you imagine a world with only 3 or 4 artists? HELL NO!
I love how spread out the music industry is because it allows people to like different things. The idea of a quarter of the population loving Quo as much as I do scares me.

So on that note, go and listen to some Queen, or something.

Cheerio,

Stevie.