Question of the Week: What, Are You Still Here?
6November 12, 2007 by A.C. Rhodes
Through the decades, with some being much better than others, why do you continue to care and write about music, whether it be reviews, topics, or interviews?
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[…] mnworks wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptThrough the decades, with some being much better than others, why do you continue to care and write about music, whether it be reviews, topics, or interviews? […]
Yeah, unfortunately I’m still here, a situation exacerbated by the fact that I have no idea where “here” is.
Anyway… I spent a lot of my thirties fretting about the fact that I was still paying so much attention to this stuff, still trying to figure music out, still “reviewing” (if only in my head) every song I heard, still arguing with other critics (mostly imaginary–then and now) about stuff, etc. In the last few years I’ve come to grips with the fact that this will never change, nor would I want it to. I’ve got the critic in me (sung to the tune of an old Kiki Dee 45).
Still here, still listening, still writing. It’s what I’ve done for 31 years so I don’t really know how to do a lot else. But what keeps me going is that I know when I least expect it, a song will grab my ear and transport me back to the Land of Sixteen and Everything’s New. That makes all those pieces of shit along the way well worth kicking to the side.
Three nights ago I watched Booker T & the MGs. It was sublime and soulful and satisfying. That’s the music that makes my job (and life) so well worth it. And if I spend the rst of my writing days pointing people toward music like that, I’m good with it.
I wish I could say it pays the bills, but it doesn’t.
But — though I’ve written about film, TV, stage, etc — music is the art that keeps my toes a-tappin’.
Music is like a zit that never goes away, just filling and refilling back up with pus. And you just KNOW that when you see a zit in the mirror ya gotta squeeze it, right?
…just when i think that i can’t take anymore, something comes along that just blows me away: http://www.villagevoice.com/music/0746,gonzales,78337,22.html