Music and mood.

[Ousted]

I started this post in the "What are you listening to" thread, but because I didnt name any particular artists and kinda went off on a little tangent I figured this topic might deserve its own thread and discussion.

Since many of you are teenagers I am very much interested to hear your take on what Im about to say. Keep in mind I am 26, and am reflecting back, and I understand that teen angst and frustration may have lost its significance on me in the past 10 years.

To start, I like happy songs. Songs that make me smile and want to dance around and feel good and feel happy. There's too many to name by too many artists to name. It wasn't always that way though...

I listened to Nirvana all during the early 90's along with all the Nivana-lites of the era. Music does effect your mentality, I very much believe so now. I still think Mr. Kurt was a very troubled, but equally gifted man, but shit, I could have been a much happier teenager if I chose to listen to something else a little more uplifting.

Listening to depressing music can be seductive, though. You can feel deep and feel as though you are more complex listening to music that just feeds how down you feel.
If I knew then what I know now I would have realized that I was creating a wheel of misery for myself that unfortunately I would have to disengage in adulthood. But the thing is...I think I liked the wheel. I mean, c'mon, being all grunge, heroin-chic and Seattle-miserable was hip at the time, man. It was what was on the radio. It was what was in the magazines. Kate Moss and her little cocaine scandal wouldn't have been the scandal then it is today. She would have got a nice photo spread in Vogue, pics done in black and white, looking all gaunt and sickly, hanging over a dirty toilet with her eyes rolled in the back of her head and we would have framed it and called it art, and be envious of her glamourized misery.

I was a smart kid, though. I had to know what I was doing to myself, but I think like most kids, I was unable to foresee the consequences of my actions. It wasn't until the misery continued after the fad faded when I didn't find it quite so fascinating to be miserable anymore, that I felt my influences became a problem for me personally, and I saw the effect it was having on my well-being, my performance, and my opinion of myself. But it was intoxicating still. Nothing makes you feel more justified about your shortcomings (or bad attitude) than wallowing in your own misery and life's wrongs.

Dont get me wrong, I love music that can evoke emotion. Music that can relate pain, loss, heartbreak, sadness. But I now believe that a song like that must take skill, it needs climax, like a good drama. A song touching those kinds of emotions should make the hair on your neck rise and make you get chills down your cheeks. Many of these angry songs I hear on the radio are too straightforward: I'M ANGRY! I HATE EVERYTHING! I HATE MY PARENTS! LIFE IS UNFAIR!

Blech. Count me out, Mr. Crankypants. I'd rather be happy, uplifted and/or inspired, and no thanks to you and your whining/screaming Im not - or rather - Im not until I change the station to some other artist who can actually make me feel good about life and myself. You almost kicked in my misery-wheel Mr. Crankypants with your lamenting, but I am stronger than that to take on your misery as my own, to relive my misery as you relive your own. I'm stronger than to become intoxicated by your negativity, self-loathing, and hatred of events you have no control over, Mr. Crankypants. I know life is all about cleaning up shit. Some days there's a big shit pile, other days its a bunch of little shit piles. Its too bad you find the need to bellyache over it instead of just accepting the shit in life and redirecting your focus on the great.

I think it takes a lot of discipline to not make your misery the focus of your identity, which is why I often have high respect for those who possess such discipline, and have drive to be in the same light as the people I so admire.

I know my miserable stories. I know all the unhappiness I have experienced in my life. Why listen to audio influences that remind me of all that? Will it help me any? Will I discover something about my misery that Nickelback or some shit is going to enlighten me with? The only answer I can come up with, the answer I see before me whenever I pass some kid blasting his angry music, whenever I see some miserable being wearing all black and looking all depressed is because misery can be an identity to those who have no other identity. Drowning yourself in your own misery I do believe is intoxicating. And I do believe engaging yourself with misery-inducing influences has a hangover that popping a couple of aspirin wont cure.

Ousted Reviewed by Ousted on 10-28-2005. Music and mood. I started this post in the "What are you listening to" thread, but because I didnt name any particular artists and kinda went off on a little tangent I figured this topic might deserve its own thread and discussion. Since many of you are teenagers I am very much interested to hear your take on what Im about to say. Keep in mind I am 26, and am reflecting back, and I understand that teen angst and frustration may have lost its significance on me in the past 10 years. To start, I like Rating: 5

[rockaide]

Coming from another 26 year old, I definitely agree that music can really control your mood, although I think sometimes the blues can really help you feel better. I listened to Nirvana and the Pumpkins back in the early 90s, and still like their music, but I definitely know what you're saying, especially if you're just trying to chill, happy music is key. Pop on some good jams and just hang, that's my philosophy.

[Ousted]

Coming from another 26 year old, I definitely agree that music can really control your mood, although I think sometimes the blues can really help you feel better. I listened to Nirvana and the Pumpkins back in the early 90s, and still like their music, but I definitely know what you're saying, especially if you're just trying to chill, happy music is key. Pop on some good jams and just hang, that's my philosophy.

Smashing Pumpkins I think got lumped into the grunge bands when really a lot of their music is quite happy and charming. The music itself is absolutely beautiful, I could listen to the instrumental alone. Sure they have their depressing songs and screamy songs which I'll skip over, but there's enough balance on a SP cd that they aren't the artists among my music collection collecting dust.

Disarm is a hair on the neck raiser, chils down the cheeks kinda song, imo.

[NightProwler]

man i fuckin love the smashing pumpkins... by starlight is my favorite.

[flamingskullballs]

i like death metal, black metal, grindcore, doom, and the sort...but i also like stuff like eric clapton, steve miller band, and the doors....prefer them actually...

yeah...music can cause change....more then many can believe even...

never got into grunge...went strait from the rap i was jamming to when i was a wee lad to slayer and metallica, then on...

didnt find out that i loved classic/acid rock for many years...i thought that my mother was crazy for liking the doors...then i actually sat down and LISTENED...

beethoven and bach are great for chilling music...

[beachguy in thongs]

Did it feel good when you created this thread, Ousted??? It seems like you let off a lot of steam.

Wait until I start recording some music, I'll give you a free copy. You're gonna have to come to the beach for it, though. :smokin:

[Void]

Thats why when I smoke I like to listen to ska or reggae, makes me happy.But when I'm drawing hip hop sets the mood.But when I'm skating or just ballsin off you can never go wrong with an arrogant sarcastic punk band to make the mood.But fuck all the girls pants wearing emo shit, and anything else thats about love or whatever is played on the radio or TV.I fucking hate pre fabricated music, nothing pisses me off more.

[Ousted]

i like death metal, black metal, grindcore, doom, and the sort...but i also like stuff like eric clapton, steve miller band, and the doors....prefer them actually...

yeah...music can cause change....more then many can believe even...

never got into grunge...went strait from the rap i was jamming to when i was a wee lad to slayer and metallica, then on...

didnt find out that i loved classic/acid rock for many years...i thought that my mother was crazy for liking the doors...then i actually sat down and LISTENED...

beethoven and bach are great for chilling music...

I love classic rock as well and most music from the 70's. I used to really be into the Doors, but my interest in the music progressed to interest in the artist which progressed to me discovering what a shit Jim Morrison was and the novelty of the Doors for me was forever over. Its hard to appreciate the art anymore when you loathe the artist. I also can no longer listen to Guns and Roses for that very same reason, and Guns and Roses used to be one of my favorites. Whats funny though is that with both bands I had heard all their music so many times that by the time I discovered that the bands and their music aren't worth anymore of my focus and energy, I was already tired of the music anyway. So that could be more of the reason than anything regarding their character or whether I find them to be worthy of my respect...could have just given me good enough reason to finally say "Im tired of this." Especially since Im sure there are bigger shitheads out there who's music I may be presently enjoying, lol.

[flamingskullballs]

yeah man, people can get completely ignorant when money and fame become present...take jim morrison as a GREAT example...he was a smart man...and had a good heart...the money and fame just corrupted him in the bands latter years...

or at least i think thats what your saying when you speak of him being a shithead...

fantastic people can become pricks under the right circumstances...i think jim was scared, most of all...searching for the truth does that...it has to me also...once you come to realization, the world can no longer be flat...

[Ganj]

despite what i interpreted through the music i listen to, i'm always uplifted by any that's remotely good to me. for me, listening to music isn't for distinguishing the musicians emotions and/or situations and relating them to mine. music is all subject to interpretation - two people could listen to the same song and interpret something different from it. though, i do admit listening to the doors sometimes and feeling a bit depressed from the song, hyacinth house. then i decided, why the hell am i going to take a song i love and relate it to a bad feeling, it'd end up making me hate the song.

"the human brain must be subjected to extreme stimulus, by means of drugs and music" -hunter s. thompson