Rock. Classic Rock. Southern Rock. If it rocks, I probably like it.

Unless it’s Punk Rock. Nope. Music should go places. Take me somewhere, then move me someplace else, then bring me back again. Repetitive riffs/lyrics that just pound, pound, pound, over and over again, bore me.

Don’t care much for the way rock music has trended since the 80’s. I can appreciate the technical aspect of the tapping thing, but the guitar tone took a huge hit to make that trend possible. It’s been digitized, pedal-ized, effect laden, saturated with some of the absolute worst sound I’ve ever heard, just so those guys can pull off those fancy pants licks. I can’t get past the tone, to really like what they do. It’s horrible. Yes, I’m the dreaded, Tube Amp Tone Snob! Shoot me.

Don’t get me started on rap. If guitar tone has been dumped in the shitter, and it has, the insidious digital noises rap uses, combined with an endless, repetitive, mono tonal, “beat,” absolutely drives me up the wall. I’m talking, if you want my bank codes, my children, the clothes on my back, or want everything thing in this world I may know, put me in a room with loud rap, and I’ll sign the paperwork in less than 5 minutes. I can’t get past the, “what passes for music,” to be able to even attempt to appreciate what they are saying. Maybe it’s got something going for it there, but I’ll never know. I’d be institutionalized, if I had to listen to that endless repetitive beat for very long. Nope, can’t do it. It ain’t worth the straight jacket. My health matters.

I love music. I have a musical brain. It loves music. It loves to listen, it loves to play. I’m a musical creature. But I certainly have limits to what I can appreciate, in music.

Probably just another old man yelling at clouds…