You think that’s abuse? My mom’s favorite music was made prior to 1954. Doris Day. Perry Como. Kay Kyser. Roger Williams. Nice music. This pap was just about the only music that I knew existed, until we were watching Ed Sullivan one night and The Beatles were on. I barely knew any “current” pop music until I was 10. I’ve since made up for it, in spades!
Heh. I played the Beatles in the car, along with Ernie and Bert and some dinosaur tape and silly songs stuff.
Then I added Tom Chapin–easily segued into Harry…
I figured that if they listened to good rock, they would recognize crap when they heard it. I have been fortunate–no Britney Spears or even Christina Aguilera(sp?) in this house.
There is also a minimum of hiphop (thank god) and rap (thank god double and in spades).
I knew we were ok when my son was humming a Who song awhile back. I don’t care if they are into new groups–I just wanted them to be discerning. There is alot of redundant crap out there today.
“Today’s music” emcompasses a lot more than what’s on the radio and in Rolling Stone. A lot of “today’s music” is great. I love all the old classic stuff too (including Yes) but people who slap a coat of varnish on their tastes are sad. Well, not sad, because it’s their loss, but they shouldn’t proclaim that everything else made to date is crap.
Buncha old farts in this thread, solidifying all the worst stereotypes of boomers and GenX’ers. I shudder at the Subject Line. There’s nothing wrong with exposing the younger generation to great classic music, be it Bach or the Beatles and good for kids who pick up on how that stuff is, but “destroying” independent taste? That’s not anything to be proud of.
But what if their tastes stink? I would do the same if my kids were really wanting to listen to Donny Osmond–as in when he was little. I can’t think of anyone as schmaltzy as the Osmonds performing today, but I have no doubt they’re out there. Trust me, if my daughter had thought that Britney or Ashlee Simpson was the greatest–I would have been doing some major re-educating. There are differences in tastes and then there is lack of taste.
The key is to expose them to all kinds of music, and to encourage the better performers/albums (CDs). They may come back to Mozart someday, or they may hate it for all time–musical taste is as varied as food tastes, and about as stable, IMO.
For example: No doubt there is “good rap” out there–but I find the rhythm jerky, the lyrics poorly developed, emotionally trite, and the sentiments obvious. (Certainly the same could be said of much of rock as well.) I have no interest in pursuing the wonderful world of rap that I am missing–I dont’ feel I am missing anything. I like my music and if I were to explore, it would be more in the way of celtic music or techno-pop. YMMV, as will everyone else’s in this thread.
I am no musician, so I can’t argue in terms of musicianship, but even I can tell that Eric Clapton plays guitar better than Rick Springfield (sorry to use old artists–they’re the ones that pop into my head first). There is alot of crap out there–there was alot of crap back in the day as well… 
In fact, I’m not arguing with you at all. Just pointing out that this thread is celebrating that there was alot of good music “back in the day”–radio and the music industry have changed somewhat since then. I would say it’s harder to hear good artists on “regular” radio nowadays. There is the Internet, but not all of us have the time to going foraging for new music. I appreciate the list you posted in another thread–but it’s something that I would not compile–indeed, I don’t even have a list of all of my own CDs!
Just some thoughts.
:rolleyes: So it’s true what they say about Americans and irony.
I don’t think kids would like VU, and there’s some Pixies stuff they wouldn’t like. You’d be better off sticking with the Violent Femmes.
I’d recommend trying the Smithereens album “Especially For You” on a kid that likes REM and Nirvana. Great pre-grunge American alternative, and influential to Nirvana.
Jim Morrisson sucks, but Ray Manzarek was pretty cool. I think they would have been a lot better if they had a different singer.
I guess I’ve been doing something right…here’s what’s on my 8 yr old’s Mp3 player…
Led Zepplin (his #1 favorite group)
George Thorogood
Glenn Miller Band
Talking Heads
Pink Floyd
AC/DC
Grateful Dead
Bob Marley and the Whalers
Stevie Ray Vaughn
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Louis Armstrong
There are more I’m sure, but that’s what I can think of right now. Not all tracks off of all albums, though. He’s only 8, I didn’t put songs with obvious sexual references or swearing.
Hey, man, don’t make me come over there. The Femmes would be perfect for a kid his age, with all the hormones and whatnot.
The VU might work, but you’d have to start with “Loaded.” Then maybe work your way toward the beginning of the catalogue.
I would adopt any 12 y.o whose favorite song was “Sister Ray.”
Cazzle, this explains a lot about your brother! 
My parents instilled a love of Beatles, Beatles and more Beatles into my brother and I. The Reader’s Digest Cassette Boxset of The Beatles (that’s 6 tapes) were a necessity on ANY car trip. Additionally (and oddly), the other music was Hooked on Classics, but that’s another story. These days are now gone; on car trips these days, my mother subjects my father to endless Jane Monheit and Eva Cassidy. Apparently, it seems that my father was my only parent ever to have cool taste in music.
I plan to instill (via the same methods as my parents) the same love of music into my (future) children: Beatles, Led Zeppelin (my husband’s great love) and Crowded House/Split Enz.
I will listen to anything but country.
Recently, my WinAmp player played Type O Negative, Twista, Brandenburg Concertos for Piano, More Type O Negative, DMX, and Nightwish all in a row. Hehehe…
My daughter likes bubble-gum pop, but this summer I think she’ll get some good musical exposure.
I have no problems with my kids being mainstream. Not being mainstream when you’re young sucks. But by the time she’s in High School, I certainly hope that she’s got an open mind, about music and just about anything else.
My kids are 6 and 4. They listen to mostly bible school music or kid-type music. My son, though, just got a Kidz Bop cd for his birthday. So now he’s been singing “Had a Bad Day” and “Just the Girl” all the time. I think it’s pretty cool, not that the songs are that great, but it’s better than the Jesus Music. IMO.
My friend has a 15yo son who is really into music. He plays drums in several of the bands at his high school, marching band, jazz band I don’t know what else. The kid already likes a wide variety of music, but my friend told me that the kid wanted a Foghat record for his birthday. And I know my friend, no good music has been written since Elvis died. And Grand Funk rules! He has some independence from his dad, but there is such a strong influence there I feel it is my duty to make sure the kid knows that there’s been some good music in the last, oh, 35 years or so. And that he won’t hear it on the radio.
C’mon, I like Foghat, too, I suppose, but can’t you hear that stuff on the radio any day of the week? It’s like buying a Boston record. Why? Just turn the freakin’ radio on and wait like 10 minutes. It’ll come on.
Darn, how can I ever respect your oppinions again… 
Seriously, didn’t you know what you were getting yourself into for a King Crimson concert? It is weird stuff, and they are less annimated than Madame Tussauds, but they can play.