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Page96
Forum Newbie
Joined: June 07 2015
Location: London
Status: Offline
Points: 2
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Topic: First post at the age of 55... Posted: June 07 2015 at 16:10 |
I 've never posted anything on a music site (any site) before
but thought, at the age of 55 (born 1960), I should enter into the spirit of things. Please be gentle with me.I've been listening to progressive music since
I was 12, when a trendy neighbour (or at least I thought he was) who was quite
a few years older than me started playing some records he had bought. I
remember one of these records was the inaugural Roxy Music LP, which had been
released earlier that year (1972). To be honest, I “borrowed it” (he lived next door) simply
because I thought it was a grown-up thing to do. But when I started playing the
music I loved it (!), and did not do it to please anyone other than myself. I
really got into the music: other LPs he lent me included Jethro Tull, Quintessence
and Van Der Graaf Generator. I remember talking about Van Der Graaf Generator to
a science teacher at my local comprehensive school: I'm not sure if he was
impressed or appalled that I knew of this band. None of my class mates had any idea what I was talking about. I would like to think (secretly) impressed. In subsequent years I continued listening to progressive rock principally
Genesis, Yes, ELP, Focus etc… and Roxy Music
(their first two LPs were certainly worthy of being labelled as progressive
rock). I also listened incessantly to the various incarnations of David Bowie.
I remember queuing outside of a record shop in Lewisham High Street, South
East London (do you remember record shops??) for Alladin Sane, which I adored –
and still do. Music continued to be incredibly important to me – perhaps because
there was less to do in those days? – but I did go to the "dark side" for a while
and became influenced by punk rock (I was 16 at the time), listening intently to
John Peel every evening; I was eventually won over by the sheer energy and of it. I was also part
of “Rock against Racialism”, probably if I'm honest a fashion
statement as much as anything else, although I did believe in the movement. Anyway,
I've always had a penchant for the melancholy and as a consequence favoured Joy
Division and the Cure. Some of their works were hauntingly beautiful, which is
perhaps an odd thing to say about punk music, although I now realise they were much more than that.
From there followed respectively: studying, a
career (of sorts...) and fatherhood, but I continued to listen to music throughout
and made sure my young son had a “good education” as far as this was concerned.
I remember one day noticing that he was singing away to a piece on BBC Radio Six
(Fatboy Slim I think) when he was about 4 or 5, something I'd never noticed before- he was after all listening most of the time to his Smurfs CD! I
immediately went out and bought some Best of 60s and Best 70s CDs, as I thought this
would be good introduction – happy, uplifting tunes. I thought that what
I was listening to with my wife in those days wasn't the easiest - or the
most appropriate - music for a 5-year-old. Unfortunately, I had not taken into
account that when he was at junior school in the 1990s, he would be singing
Manfred Mann/Herman's Hermits’ etc…songs - this would definitely have singled
him as an odd kid, which was not my intention at all. (I should add that my
wife and I did move on to Best of 80s, but I'm not sure this made him any the trendier...) I'm pleased to say he subsequently learned to play the guitar, something
I encouraged him to do when from the age of 10, and he has gone on to play lead in a couple of
amateur rock bands with his friends - although very much as a side line.
Still, it made me very proud. (I just imagined how happy I would have been as a
teenager playing a Fender Stratocaster! Seeing him on onstage/in videos was
the next best thing. I definitely lived this side of my life vicariously.)
Anyway, to bring things up to date I find that
the progressive music scene is now as good as at any time in the past. Thanks
to the wonders of (legal) streaming, I can – and do – access “new” progressive rock
music not only from the UK, but also from places such as Italy, Norway and Russia
to name but 3 countries . There is still so much out there that I have yet to hear. It
is the thought of discovering great pieces of work that excites me so. As much
as I love symphonic progressive rock from the 70s (my era), it is finding and listening
to new stuff that excites me most.
I am not ready yet to live my life in the past,
and to "over indulge in nostalgia". The very thought appalls me.
Anyway that's more than enough for a first - and
most probably last - post from me. < id="_npfido" ="applicationpfido" height="0" style="line-height: 1.4;">
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Raff
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
Joined: July 29 2005
Location: None
Status: Offline
Points: 24391
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Posted: June 07 2015 at 16:19 |
A very warm welcome from a fellow child of 1960 ! I also started listening to prog at 12 (or even a few months earlier than that, as I was born in December). We seem to have a lot in common - especially not wanting to be stuck in the past. Hope you will stick around!
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lazland
Prog Reviewer
Joined: October 28 2008
Location: Wales
Status: Offline
Points: 13274
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Posted: June 07 2015 at 16:23 |
A fine introductory post. Welcome, and enjoy.
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Enhance your life. Get down to www.lazland.org
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micky
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
Joined: October 02 2005
Location: .
Status: Offline
Points: 46828
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Posted: June 07 2015 at 17:43 |
haha. that is far out man. Next step... Facebook for you Welcome to the forum! There is a lot of great stuff being made today just waiting to be discovered!
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The Pedro and Micky Experience - When one no longer requires psychotropics to trip
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paulserena
Forum Newbie
Joined: June 30 2015
Location: New Jersy
Status: Offline
Points: 5
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Posted: June 30 2015 at 04:48 |
You are very great! Nice to meet you. I'm a new here.
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someone_else
Forum Senior Member
VIP Member
Joined: May 02 2008
Location: Going Bananas
Status: Offline
Points: 24005
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Posted: June 30 2015 at 05:04 |
Welcome on the forum! You're never to old to post here.
Just like you, I started to listen to prog in 1972 (I was born in 1959).
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PrognosticMind
Forum Senior Member
Joined: August 02 2014
Location: New Hampshire
Status: Offline
Points: 1195
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Posted: June 30 2015 at 05:42 |
Great introductory post! Welcome to THE place for prog on the internet!
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"A squid eating dough in a polyethylene bag is fast and bulbous. Got me?"
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Moogtron III
Prog Reviewer
Joined: April 26 2005
Location: Belgium
Status: Offline
Points: 10616
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Posted: June 30 2015 at 06:21 |
I love the story about your son and his musical upbringing I was born in 1965 myself and because of my older brothers I was exposed to prog at kindergarten age . Welcome!
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Slartibartfast
Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator / In Memoriam
Joined: April 29 2006
Location: Atlantais
Status: Offline
Points: 29625
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Posted: June 30 2015 at 17:08 |
I'm a 1965er , too. That makes you five years older than dirt.
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Man With Hat
Collaborator
Jazz-Rock/Fusion/Canterbury Team
Joined: March 12 2005
Location: Neurotica
Status: Offline
Points: 166178
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Posted: June 30 2015 at 17:31 |
Welcome.
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Dig me...But don't...Bury me I'm running still, I shall until, one day, I hope that I'll arrive Warning: Listening to jazz excessively can cause a laxative effect.
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The Dark Elf
Forum Senior Member
VIP Member
Joined: February 01 2011
Location: Michigan
Status: Offline
Points: 12702
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Posted: June 30 2015 at 17:46 |
Welcome to the Old Farts Club. You'll find many here in your age bracket. NOW GET OFF MY LAWN!
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...a vigorous circular motion hitherto unknown to the people of this area, but destined to take the place of the mud shark in your mythology...
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Dayvenkirq
Forum Senior Member
Joined: May 25 2011
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Status: Offline
Points: 10970
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Posted: June 30 2015 at 19:49 |
Welcome. You've come to the right place.
Cheers, Andrey.
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Intruder
Forum Senior Member
Joined: May 13 2005
Status: Offline
Points: 2093
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Posted: July 08 2015 at 18:36 |
That first Roxy album.....a gateway drug for so many. I was hooked from first spin.
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I like to feel the suspense when you're certain you know I am there.....
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Daysbetween
Forum Senior Member
Joined: November 12 2006
Location: Scotland
Status: Offline
Points: 1036
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Posted: July 09 2015 at 10:41 |
Welcome to the site and greetings from Scotland from another oldie.
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