“[...] the best thing to do isn’t squander your money on toys,2 but is to have children of your own and then rediscover the things that used to give you so much joy as a child with your own kids.”
This is such a powerful statement and 100% true. Can’t even express how amazing it’s been to see my sons enjoy Legos and Super Nintendo. Nostalgia has nothing to do with the fact that some things produced during our childhood are absolutely timeless.
It’s a blast seeing things through your own kid’s eyes. It’s the closest to living again, or dare I say immortality, that we get.
Nostalgia is more of a mindset than the enjoyment of older things from one’s past. And nostalgia isn’t a de facto bad thing, but it can be if allowed to trap one in the past. Some things are timeless and that is an ideal we should all aspire to.
I've had a lot of these thoughts myself, especially as my sister and I have been at a joint venture reselling old toys from when we were kids. I have to consistently ask myself "Am I regressing? Is this bad for my personal development?"
I also believe there's this "cult of mediocrity" at work, not just in music, but in all areas of our society. That's a whole other newsletter, which I might write eventually. But people are afraid to be great 1) because being great opens you up to criticism (which I'll agree is a little frightening) but it also means that you have to hold yourself to a certain standard and continue holding that standard. Society these days hates that, and wants to tear it down because they don't want to hold themselves to any sort of standard.
Enjoying old things from one’s past isn’t regressing per se, but it CAN be if you refuse to look forward and live life in the here and now. Ominous warning aside, I do think it’s healthy to maintain a connection with one’s own past. I used the word “joy” throughout this post deliberately since as adults we tend to feel ashamed or embarrassed at feeling pure, sincere, and unfiltered joy at much of anything. Whatever we approach—music, nature, God—it is healthy to retain our capacity for enjoyment and wonder.
Regarding mediocrity, it’s the mindset of settling more than being mediocre that I find the issue. We’re not all going to be great at things we love, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try hard. Nor does it mean we should be content with the bare minimum in other aspects of our lives. As with everything I pontificate about, though, easier said than done.
What is LZ's legacy but a real ARTISTIC VISION? The band became sacred because they had so many things to say musically, and this will always polarize every music listener everywhere. I think that the critics directed at my boys are malign, but I don't mean to give heed to them.
I will say this: how many pop artists do you know that can claim such a deep artistic research and actual exploration that is pleasant to the ears? And wouldn't you love to find such a giant in the current landscape?
There is a reason there are people out there pretending to be them. As always, the problem is the being unable to understand that what people want is not LZ 2.0, but someone whose artistic ideas are as epic as theirs.
I was waiting for you, my fellow Led Zeppelin respecter, to chime in!
Artistic vision is the best way to describe the band. From the first album they had a clear idea of what the band was going to be, and with the benefit of time and hindsight it sounds like every album had been planned from the beginning.
We’re so used to grandiose rock bands now because they’re following the path Zeppelin laid out for them. What the band did at the time was incredibly audacious, yet we take it for granted because, 40 years later, they’re still being imitated.
Again: like their music or not, you can still appreciate their greatness.
Indeed. To be fair, I only understood this when a friend of mine gently reminded me that, yes, I was free to strongly dislike The Beatles by my taste, but that still they've been an influence on all the music I like the most: hence, a dose of appreciation and recognition had to be given to them from my part.
Sorry for replying so late; Master's Courses in universities leave you with little time and even less energy to keep constant touch.
As awesome—and awesome-looking—as Page and Plant were, and as obviously, immediately integral Bonham’s drumming was, Jones was the secret ingredient that elevated Zeppelin from “cool heavy rock band” to “truly epic legend” status.
And yes, Them Crooked Vultures was a truly pleasant surprise.
“[...] the best thing to do isn’t squander your money on toys,2 but is to have children of your own and then rediscover the things that used to give you so much joy as a child with your own kids.”
This is such a powerful statement and 100% true. Can’t even express how amazing it’s been to see my sons enjoy Legos and Super Nintendo. Nostalgia has nothing to do with the fact that some things produced during our childhood are absolutely timeless.
It’s a blast seeing things through your own kid’s eyes. It’s the closest to living again, or dare I say immortality, that we get.
Nostalgia is more of a mindset than the enjoyment of older things from one’s past. And nostalgia isn’t a de facto bad thing, but it can be if allowed to trap one in the past. Some things are timeless and that is an ideal we should all aspire to.
Another good one.
I've had a lot of these thoughts myself, especially as my sister and I have been at a joint venture reselling old toys from when we were kids. I have to consistently ask myself "Am I regressing? Is this bad for my personal development?"
I also believe there's this "cult of mediocrity" at work, not just in music, but in all areas of our society. That's a whole other newsletter, which I might write eventually. But people are afraid to be great 1) because being great opens you up to criticism (which I'll agree is a little frightening) but it also means that you have to hold yourself to a certain standard and continue holding that standard. Society these days hates that, and wants to tear it down because they don't want to hold themselves to any sort of standard.
Enjoying old things from one’s past isn’t regressing per se, but it CAN be if you refuse to look forward and live life in the here and now. Ominous warning aside, I do think it’s healthy to maintain a connection with one’s own past. I used the word “joy” throughout this post deliberately since as adults we tend to feel ashamed or embarrassed at feeling pure, sincere, and unfiltered joy at much of anything. Whatever we approach—music, nature, God—it is healthy to retain our capacity for enjoyment and wonder.
Regarding mediocrity, it’s the mindset of settling more than being mediocre that I find the issue. We’re not all going to be great at things we love, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try hard. Nor does it mean we should be content with the bare minimum in other aspects of our lives. As with everything I pontificate about, though, easier said than done.
What is LZ's legacy but a real ARTISTIC VISION? The band became sacred because they had so many things to say musically, and this will always polarize every music listener everywhere. I think that the critics directed at my boys are malign, but I don't mean to give heed to them.
I will say this: how many pop artists do you know that can claim such a deep artistic research and actual exploration that is pleasant to the ears? And wouldn't you love to find such a giant in the current landscape?
There is a reason there are people out there pretending to be them. As always, the problem is the being unable to understand that what people want is not LZ 2.0, but someone whose artistic ideas are as epic as theirs.
I was waiting for you, my fellow Led Zeppelin respecter, to chime in!
Artistic vision is the best way to describe the band. From the first album they had a clear idea of what the band was going to be, and with the benefit of time and hindsight it sounds like every album had been planned from the beginning.
We’re so used to grandiose rock bands now because they’re following the path Zeppelin laid out for them. What the band did at the time was incredibly audacious, yet we take it for granted because, 40 years later, they’re still being imitated.
Again: like their music or not, you can still appreciate their greatness.
Indeed. To be fair, I only understood this when a friend of mine gently reminded me that, yes, I was free to strongly dislike The Beatles by my taste, but that still they've been an influence on all the music I like the most: hence, a dose of appreciation and recognition had to be given to them from my part.
Sorry for replying so late; Master's Courses in universities leave you with little time and even less energy to keep constant touch.
No need to apologize. I can relate, and I hope your studies are going well!
Ah, they are. The only problem is having little left to do anything else. hahaha
Thanks for the comment!
As awesome—and awesome-looking—as Page and Plant were, and as obviously, immediately integral Bonham’s drumming was, Jones was the secret ingredient that elevated Zeppelin from “cool heavy rock band” to “truly epic legend” status.
And yes, Them Crooked Vultures was a truly pleasant surprise.