Random Conversations With My Mechanic

It's funny the kind of people you encounter.

I was over at the auto shop yesterday, getting a little work done on my loyal steed, when I got drawn into a conversation with one of the mechanics there. He was an old school sort of gent, graying hair, wrinkles setting in, that sort of thing. Y'know, very golden years.

Naturally, the conversation gravitated towards music. And we started swapping info on good tunes in the bluegrass, old country, and blues fare. None too surprising.

And then he asked me a question that blew my mind. He said, and I quote:

"You have picked up the new Radiohead album right?"

I was stunned. Here was a seasoned old-timer, arthritis in his hands, who seconds ago was talking about Hank Williams Sr. Now, we're discussing Radiohead. It probably took me a full two seconds for me to regain my composure and shamefully admit, "No, I haven't even heard it yet." He then proceeded to tell me about a few modern bands that were actually shining stars in the current sea of blah. By the time the conversation ended, and my vehicle keys were handed to me, I was a much wiser person.

After thinking about it for a spell, I decided I really shouldn't be too surprised about how that conversation turned out. The musical borders we have maintained for decades now are starting to crumble all over the place. The nature of music is changing so much that record labels are losing sweat trying to slap genres on each new sound that comes about. Artists who have that interesting new sound have a helluva lot easier time peddling their wares these days. And fans care less about all of it, as long as it sounds good.

Personally, I thank the iPod. And I don't mean to discredit the internet, social networks, or illegal downloading sites, for they all have their parts. But, I think the iPod definitely changed how people interact with their tunes.

Walk with me, back into time a few years ago, when CD's were all the rage. Remember the difficulty in picking albums when you were going somewhere? If you wanted to go for portability, the most you could carry was about 25 CD's. You could kick it up to the hundred's if you bought one of those Trapper Keeper deals, but Then you'd have something the heft and size of an encyclopedia to lug around. Most folks I knew tended to keep it light.

The pressure was on to pick the "right" albums too, because you knew that people would be digging through your stash. And if there was anything contrasting between a CD you own and the clique of your association, you'd never hear the end of it. The razzing would be tremendous if you were an all-black wearing metal guy who happened to have brought along a Lionel Richie CD for the trip (yes, very much a personal experience.) Music was very much socially defining, and people selected their albums accordingly.

But, in this day and age, everyone is packing around the same (or equivalent) device, that's smaller than any CD player, and has tons of memory. Now, it's altogether possible for an individual to carry their entire musical collection. And that, believe it or not, changes the social politic of music.

Now, choosing a CD by Journey for a three day trip doesn't seem nearly as shocking as simply having it on the ol' iPod, along with everything else you listen to. Now the folks who view your tunes get a grander picture of your musical tastes. A single album suddenly doesn't have nearly the impact on your social bearings from your mates, as where that album fits into the ratio of cool shit you own.

Couple that with the fact that you can now buy albums anonymously, and you have free reign over everything sonic. Y'know how the music stores do it, segregating every album into a handful of well known genres. Remember how silly you used to feel, wanting that Johnny Cash CD, and having to stand in that "Country section" in the corner? Hunting for that vintage Cash meant having to look the likes of Tim McGraw and Charley Pride in the eye. Not always a comfortable situation to be in. Nowadays, buy it online, and the next time folks see it is when they flip through your iPod and compare the ratios.

Granted, this isn't a super good setup for the music stores, but it's good for the fans. Loving music means taking an interest in everything music has to offer now. More folks are exploring the roots of their favorite artists, and taking chances on some new sounds. metal guys can dig on a little country, hip-hop cats are paying some homage to the original jazz cats, blah blah blah. It's good stuff. Being musically hip doesn't mean conforming to a section at Wal-Mart, but exploring some shit nobody's ever heard of.

So I invite everyone, to talk tunes with me, or whomever you know. Doesn't matter if it's as old school as you can get, or some band from the 80's with big hair. Good stuff is good stuff, so embrace it, and spread the word around whenever you can.