musical musings, part two (version)

Where it all began.

It was just my luck to be venturing through my father's record collection while still a little tike; from a parental standpoint, rummaging through his albums with a relentless singleness of purpose might have seemed like the worst thing in the world for my mom (& especially pops) to deal with. For me, as I came to discover later on, it brought about a feeling of total liberation, forever changing how I would listen to music. And in the process, my trips through the old man's storehouse of vinyl opened up a world of infinite possibilities, in regards to what musical genres still strike resounding chords with me, which genres I prefer to return to from time to time.

And it turns out I wasn't alone in the search for hidden musical treasure. Let's face it: who knows how many genuine music lovers became more open-minded about music in general along the same lines as me, though at markedly different times in their lives. Where on earth did they get that newfound joy & inspiration to become such sonic aficionadoes? Naturally enough, they needed to look no further than their parents' record collection, a smorgasbord of different genres & sounds which they either a) dug with all their hearts or b) couldn't quite get after the first listen alone (but would embrace after the eighth or ninth). By sticking to the motto, "Listen & keep on listening," each album, each artist would soon leave a mark, a lasting impression on their lives, consciously or no.

As for the genres they couldn't initially relate to? For some, those very genres would become their first & foremost favorites, even to this very day. I mean, if you were raised on classic rock or progressive rock, that's what you grew up on & came to have the utmost appreciation for. With those first loves, the gateway was open for them (yours truly included) to embrace other genres like drum 'n' bass, reggae, Afro-Beat, or Krautrock. Man doesn't base his existence on one type of music alone, now does he?

Bottom line, the one place where a music lover's journey really begins is through their parents' vast assortment of vinyl. 9 times out of 10, that plethora of albums will do anyone in: that's the stuff on which true music lovers are born & made.