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People who don’t like music

Started by Ferris, August 11, 2019, 11:17:35 PM

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Ferris

What's all that about? I have close family members who just don't "get it". Left to their own devices, they just wouldn't bother with music at all.

For example - I've tried playing records for my dad (and none of them by particularly outré musicians*), but he sits politely and listens for a bit before getting up to do garden work or check if anyone has adjusted the thermostat. He's an intelligent man with a varied array of interests, but aside from Carole King's Tapestry, I don't think I've ever seen him voluntarily listen to music.

Is this common? It struck me as odd. Maybe it's because I'm a muso-bore? I can't really imagine going about my day to day life without music - genuinely one of the most difficult things about having my son (who I love more than anything and all that) is that I don't have time to listen to music anymore and I can only play him about 30 mins of music a day cumulatively before he gets a bit tired of it and has to lie down.

I wonder if this is an affliction that impacts lots of people or what. Apologies if this has already been posted, I couldn't find a similar topic when I searched CaB's recent history.

*a mix of stuff I love, and stuff that I think would be approachable for Joe Public. From memory on the latest attempt: Yes, Prince, the Mountain Goats, Nick Drake, Led Zeppelin, Radiohead, Portico Quartet, the Fall, Tom Waits


Quote from: Sebastian Cobb on August 11, 2019, 11:20:22 PM
Can't trust 'em.

Seconded. I've run across dozens of people with zero interest in music and without fail this Pubic Enemy banger is the one song they all agreed was great.

Ferris


Johnny Yesno

Yeah, I rely so heavily on music to get me through life that I find the idea of not needing it almost inconceivable. Then I remember other people being perplexed at my complete lack of interest in sport (no, not even the world cup).

Lordofthefiles

Quote from: Johnny Yesno on August 11, 2019, 11:41:12 PM
Yeah, I rely so heavily on music to get me through life that I find the idea of not needing it almost inconceivable. Then I remember other people being perplexed at my complete lack of interest in sport (no, not even the world cup).

Music is primeval though. The beat moves you. The spirit rises to the tune.

People that don't like music can't be said to be living/alive surely.
It's as if they're aliens and understanding music is the only thing they can't master to blend in.


Stoneage Dinosaurs

Some people get their artistic fulfilment from certain forms of art but not others I guess. I mean I'd describe myself as someone who's 'not into films' in the sense that I watch the odd thing at the cinema but don't have an active interest in particular genres of film or anything and haven't seen a good deal of what is considered the cultural canon of important well known ones. I just can't usually be arsed with giving one whole thing 2 hours of my undivided attention, I tried to watch the Godfather and ended up getting through it in 30 minute installments. So if someone has similar sentiments towards music then fair dos.

Johnny Yesno

Quote from: Lordofthefiles on August 11, 2019, 11:47:56 PM
Music is primeval though. The beat moves you. The spirit rises to the tune.

People that don't like music can't be said to be living/alive surely.
It's as if they're aliens and understanding music is the only thing they can't master to blend in.

I feel the same. It's different from film or sport.

But I would say that, wouldn't I?

Psmith

There are so many genres it's a bit odd not to like any.
If there was only one and it was C&W I would hate music.

kalowski

These kinds of people usually do have 2 or 3 CDs, though. The Best of Queen is a common one.

Lordofthefiles

The only exception these people seem to have to not likening music is... "Christmas songs".


Blimey, I've wound myself up just typing that!

timebug

I know a bloke who always claimed to be a music fan; his collection was every track,single or album, recorded by the Rolling Stones. Nothing else.Everything else was 'shit' to him. If you were not a hundred percent Stones oriented like him, you were a tosser (or much worse). Strange guy. I like a load of Stones stuff, but not everything; Mick's disco posturing in the past twenty odd years has lowered my opinion of the band. Each to their own etc, but for fucks sake......!!

idunnosomename

Some people can't really distinguish between semi-tones, so music, while not unpleasant, is not interesting to them. All they can hear to distinguish is rhythm, timbre and lyrics.

I reckon.

EOLAN

Not a full put music fan. Especially once podcasts came along. And would always have talk radio stations in the car.

I have noticed though that a lot of comedy I relisten to is like listening to a beloved song. Matching the rhythym, mouting along. Even after several year gap with the Herring and Lee radio  one shows a lot of the little inflections were just so predictive 

Cuellar

QuoteThe man that hath no music in himself, Nor is not moved with concord of sweet sounds, Is fit for treasons, stratagems, and spoils

- Jeff Lynne

Kalabi

I don't get the "I don't listen to the words" people either. I've been in bands with singers who are like this too, weird.
I was recording with a band years ago and the singer was writing the lyrics just before he went in the booth, his argument was that "nobody can hear what I'm singing anyway so I just make it up". We'd been gigging these songs for over a year. How can you take so little interest in what you're supposed to be doing creatively?

NoSleep

Words aren't music, though, so I understand it completely. I never engage with lyrics at first and just let the music do its thing. I think music journalists particularly are far too concerned with the literal credentials of artists, which has deflected from some very musical movements. I like Miles Davis' argument for having no lyrics; that music means different things to each person that listens, so why tie it down to one expression?

I knew somebody who just didn't get the attraction that music had over others as she just heard a noise, whatever music was played to her. Must have had an oddly wired brain, as she was highly intelligent and pioneering in other respects.

Petey Pate

Quote from: NoSleep on August 12, 2019, 02:52:10 PMI knew somebody who just didn't get the attraction that music had over others as she just heard a noise, whatever music was played to her. Must have had an oddly wired brain, as she was highly intelligent and pioneering in other respects.

This is similar to how Vladimir Nabokov described his experience of listening to music. To him, all music was just irritating sounds that bored him - though he did regret not being able to appreciate it.

Not having any real interest in music isn't uncommon among academics whose interests are focused elsewhere. I recall that Noam Chomsky struggled to name any music he liked when being interviewed by Tom Morello.

New folder

I've had somebody once claim to me that music without lyrics isn't "real" music.

But in any case:
Quote from: Sebastian Cobb on August 11, 2019, 11:20:22 PM
Can't trust 'em.

Quote from: Kalabi on August 12, 2019, 02:37:38 PM
I don't get the "I don't listen to the words" people either.

I listen to music all day, I love it but never listen to the words - they're just another texture to me. I can happily listen to music in any language.

Jockice

Quote from: kalowski on August 12, 2019, 08:13:42 AM
These kinds of people usually do have 2 or 3 CDs, though. The Best of Queen is a common one.

Another one of the stories I've probably told on here before. A few years ago I had to go to a funeral in Scotland. I usually drive up there but on this occasion someone else I knew vaguely from my hometown offered me a lift there and back, or so I heard through a relative of the deceased who he is friends with. As he lives in Leicester while I'm in Sheffield I wasn't taking him too far out of his way so thought okay, he's a decent guy, why not?

He had a CD in the car. One of those punk hits compilations. All your Undertones, Stranglers, Buzzcocks etc. Good stuff. So I picked it up to check the tracklisting. He offered to put it on and did. But he then told me that it was the only CD he had, he had been bought it as a present and he just wasn't into music. So after he'd played it we had to talk. It's fair to say the conversation was a bit strained at times.  We support the same football team, know a few of the same people, but it turned out we didn't really have a lot in common. Not enough to cover more than five hours of driving anyway. Then, of course, the following day we had to go all the way back...


Lisa Jesusandmarychain

David Mitchell ( the fellow who went to Cambridge just so he could get on to panel shows )'s one of these people He's been to one live music performance in his life ( a Shirley Bassey concert, I think ), and owns one album by Level 42.

I find this sort of thing very odd, almost as odd as a music fan genuinely liking the Longpigs.

BlodwynPig


imitationleather

When I had depression bad I didn't listen to music for about six months.

Maybe they just wish they were dead?

greenman

Quote from: Petey Pate on August 12, 2019, 03:26:03 PM
This is similar to how Vladimir Nabokov described his experience of listening to music. To him, all music was just irritating sounds that bored him - though he did regret not being able to appreciate it.

..and yet he inspired possibly the greatest word play in rock history from Sting.

Sebastian Cobb

Quote from: Kalabi on August 12, 2019, 02:37:38 PM
I don't get the "I don't listen to the words" people either. I've been in bands with singers who are like this too, weird.
I was recording with a band years ago and the singer was writing the lyrics just before he went in the booth, his argument was that "nobody can hear what I'm singing anyway so I just make it up". We'd been gigging these songs for over a year. How can you take so little interest in what you're supposed to be doing creatively?

Didn't know you were in the cocteau twins, etc.

Bobby Ralgex

You fucking bunch of 15 year cliquey fucking cunts.

I love it.

NoSleep

Quote from: greenman on August 12, 2019, 06:44:53 PM
..and yet he inspired possibly the greatest word play in rock history from Sting.

And inspired the titling of a Fall album.

Jockice

What about people who have no interest whatsoever in contemporary music. Like me. I really didn't think I'd ever end up like this but I only very occasionally hear new stuff and what I do hear doesn't do much for me, I rarely go to gigs (I think I've only been to three in the last two years. I used to regularly beat that in a single week) and most of the stuff I do listen to is that from my teens and 20s. Maybe I overloaded on it when I was younger, but I'm certainly no John Peel, that's for sure.

NoSleep