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Inside every older person is a younger person wondering what happened.


Here is a boat. I wish that it was a better shot, but the camera can do only so much. If Santa has worked his calculations out correctly, and is on top of correspondence, I may well be in possession of a slightly better piece of equipment the other side of this retched holiday season.

On other matters, the other day I was perusing the annual NME top whateveritis albums of the year and was reminded yet again of the cruel march of time. There was a time that I attempted to remain abreast of the comings and goings of the music world. I'd keep an eye (ear?) on the hot young acts, and was generally hip - if somewhat dismissive - to the critically acclaimed artists.

Browsing this year's top whateveritis, it quickly became apparent that I hadn't actually heard of, let alone heard the majority of the acts. Despondant, I click back to 2007, and find much the same thing. '06, '05, '03, on and on it goes.

Yes, it appears that 1997 was the last year that I could with any confidence claim to be in tune with the cultural Zeitgeist.

1997!

Man, it's a good thing that I think most people are idiots. Otherwise a dude might get depressed...

Comments

Anonymous said…
Welcome to my world. There's a Glasgow music festival being advertised, 30 apparently Top Acts - I'd heard of 2, but couldn't tell you what their music was like, and as for the rest ... not a clue. It's official, I'm turning into my dad.
SH -ic said…
Kris .. thanks for all your nice comments .. wish you a MERRY CHRISTMAS and a wonderfulyear 2009 .. love foto-sh
Rita said…
You are SO absolutely spot on there, Kris.
Sue said…
Don't worry Kris...when Henry and Ezra get to being teenagers they will introduce you to a whole new world of music. Luckily my boys l-o-v-e their music and so I am exposed to the latest on offer (most of which I enjoy immensely) That NME list was an eclectic range of music...much of which you wouldn't have liked anyway.
Zac is being given a Big Day Out ticket this year...and the acts he is mostly hanging out to see are...Arctic Monkeys and Neil Young...typifying his love of a wide range of music.
And you are never too old to love music...I still go to the odd music festival myself (Woodford, Apollo Bay, etc and even almost bought a BDO tix this year)and am on the far side of 50. The youngsters are very tolerant of us oldies!!!
USelaine said…
I think you've overcompensated by keeping up with popular culture from well before you were born.

There's a long thought to be had about lizard-brain directed developmental hierarchy, etc., but I'm not smart enough to distill it. The short answer is, you enjoy good mental health, as evidenced by this declaration of yours.

Greta Keller or Marlene Dietrich? Beatles or Stones? Astaire or Kelly?
Miles McClagan said…
I'm still pretty up to date, since the rise of downloadable music and divergence of tastes means no one has to be trendy anymore! Anything is claimable! I think the NME album of the year in 97 was the Verve anyway, forget that!
Anonymous said…
I love that quote. My Nan (who had dementia I might add) used to look at herself in the mirror a lot and ask me who the person was she saw. She saw herself as much younger and couldn't really understand why she didn't look the way she thought she should...
Kitty said…
Tell me about it.
I feel like a cave woman!
Kris McCracken said…
Jackie, it is a cruel world out there. It’s even worse when you find yourself bagging their clothes and haircuts...

Picture to words, and thanks to you! Have a happy Hamburg Christmas!

Rita, it is hard work getting old.
Kris McCracken said…
Sue, I just hope that they don’t get bad haircuts.

Now I know the Arctic Monkeys, and I am quite confident in my judgement that they are utter shite! And Neil Young? Cats being tormented!
That said, I think that Norman Greenbaum’s Spirit in the Sky is a perfect slice of pop and that Buddy Holly has more rock cred than Wolfmother, so what would I know?

I am happy to give the festivals a miss though, but I never really liked them in the first place. Stuck listening to some rubbish like Rancid or Frezel Rhomb (Jesus save me) while waiting for 45 minutes of a band you like (go The Amps]? Never again!
Kris McCracken said…
USelaine, I will admit to a certain fondness for Annette Kellerman, far more than any of your trumped up starlets of today!
Kris McCracken said…
Miles, actually, it was an album that I liked very much at the time (but haven’t listened to in years), Spiritualized’s Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space. Unfortunately, like a lot of acts that peaked in that period, poor Jason Pierce was unable to back it up. Personal pain will only get you so far in the world of music (take heed, emos).

Radiohead’s OK Computer clocked in at number two, and I will pay that, with your mates The Verve in at three. I agree that one or two solid tracks aside, the album was pretty lacklustre.

Something must have happened to me in 1998 to change my record consumption so vastly. Maybe it was the Internet. I can’t remember. I was drunk a lot of the time....
Kris McCracken said…
Tania, I think that I’d rather not know and stay confused than know and get all depressed about it.

Kitty, it is a troubling reality, aging.

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