If you listen to most popular American music forms, and trace them back to their roots, just about all of them are rooted in blues and/or gospel. I love listening to blues (especially some of the older, more acoustic based artist) as it really gets passed the BS, and goes straight to emotion. If you think about it, that what the best music does, appeals to your emotions and the part of you that makes you human. Btw, blues ain't necessary feeling sorry for one's self. Blues is the music of a person dealing with life, and everything that comes with it.
Why the Blues Really Hit The Spot
After a tough week at the office, I found myself headed to New Orleans for a short business trip.
As any of you who have visited Bourbon street know, there are plenty of live bands to choose from: Dixieland jazz, R&B, pop/rock cover bands and simple, down home, guitar driven blues.
I had a great time listening to every single band I could find, enjoying a wide variety of music last week.
But whenever I really settle in with a good, live blues band, I wonder what it is that makes the blues so timeless and appealing -- especially late at night with a good local beer!
So for fans of the blues, can anyone explain?
Do the blues more perceptively touch some aspect of human nature? During times of stress or loss, do the blues give you a sense of empathy and understanding? Or is there some counterintuitive explanation that the blues can somehow cheer you up in a mysterious way like Ritalin somehow calms hyperactive kids?
I guess I am asking the musically equivalent question of when and why people seek out movies like Love Story, Platoon or Terms of Endearment?
What are your thoughts and experiences and when do you most enjoy listening to the blues?
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- 46 posts total
- 46 posts total