Great response Nigel. I'm not a huge AC-DC fan per se, but I can certainly appreciate them and why their fans like them, and I like a lot of other so called " less complicated " music.

In spite of being a big fan of Jazz, Jazz Fusion, and Progresive Rock Groups like Rush, ELP, Pink Floyd ( especially Syd ) and Yes, I also found some humor and understanding for the attitudes of the early Punk / New Wave bands and later the early Alternative genres that largely considered the Prog music of the 70's to be " way over the top", too establishment, and self indulgent ".

The irony maybe is that lot of these groups later went on to cover some of this material, especially the Syd Barrett era stuff. Back in the late 70's and early 80's, while others in my musical circle were lamenting the "death" of the so called great music we were accustomed to, I tried to listen to some of the new stuff and found new music to enjoy as I saw true innovation in some of the stuff that groups like Elvis Costello, The Cars, The Police and Joe Jackson were doing. I still like them all to this day.

Maybe I'm old for it, but I can't help but like things like Eminem's "Lose Yourself" too. I can also appreciate that there is some effort needed and a good ear to make today's modern beats and sounds, even when there isn't a "real musician" playing when they are created. I can play a pretty fair drumkit, but I can't imagine trying to compete with some of these folks who are constantly trying to find the latest hot beats and samples.

I just looked back at the old video on Youtube of Pink Floyd playing on the "look Of The Week" and how Hans Keller, who interviewed them afterward, so deftly played the stodgy old critic. Roger Waters and Syd both replied quite eloquently to his critiques of them though. Today many see them as icons. I guess it's just life's lot..where we come from, what era, etc.. Many years later in an interview, when told that the young groups and fans found Floyd's stuff to be dated and self indulgent, Waters said he felt that's the way the young are supposed to look at it, as they want to identify with their own sounds and stuff, much like the early Floyd did. I guess maybe I don't quite fit that mold though.

I would say I'm happy with my keyboard skills, and the fact that I've become a fair drummer, but I still practice when I can and try to learn new things when I can as well. Life probably isn't long enough to learn all that I'd like to, but I'll keep plugging away while I'm here anyway. What I have learned to do is appreciate that everyone's techniques are going to be slightly ( or more ) different from anyone else's, much like you could put Jimmy Page and David Gilmour on the exact same guitar and have them play the same solo or progression, and probably easily hear the difference just based on style of play and physical attack alone. Both would likely sound great, yet different.

AJ


[This message has been edited by Bluezplayer (edited 03-07-2007).]