Slash's Real Name is Saul Hudson

Think about the last time someone asked you what type of music you listen to. I bet you didn’t have a very specific answer. In fact, I bet you either said “everything,” “everything except country,” or “everything except rap.” Generally, the person asking you about your musical inclinations does not know you very well. Thus, you would feel like a jackass going into a five-minute response breaking down the differences between emo and alternative rock or trying to explain that Blind Melon is the most underrated band of the 90s. It’s just easier to say everything.
I enjoy music more than most people, but I am selective about what I like. Music snob is not the right word to describe me, but your favorite band does suck. I am especially picky with new music – I probably like less than 10% of new music that has come out in the last decade. I have above-average musical knowledge, especially with respect to the music I listen to. I know that Stealer’s Wheel – not Bob Dylan – sings “Stuck in the Middle with You.” I know that Pearl Jam named their first album Ten because that was the number of their favorite basketball player, Mookie Blaylock (the band’s original name was “Mookie Blaylock” until they were forced to change it over trademark issues). For whatever reason, I know that Saul Hudson is Slash’s (former Guns N’ Roses guitarist) real name. I usually tell inquirers that I prefer classic rock because I would look like a giant douche if I spouted out all of the above-mentioned information. Truthfully, classic rock is one of many types of music I like. I like jam bands, but not as much as I did in college. I like modern rock, but not as much as I did during the grunge years of the early to mid 90s. I like reggae much more now than I did before I discovered Peter Tosh. I like rap, but 90% of the rap I listen to is from before 2000. I choose not to celebrate Michael Bolton’s entire catalog. Would you assume I did if I said I listened to everything?

This dilemma illustrates why I enjoy the challenge of music trivia but hate being asked what kinds of music I like. I cannot rationalize a satisfactory answer to that question. In an effort to better answer the inevitable question, I have broken down my evolving musical tastes over the years. I will probably still tell the next person that asks that I listen to mainly classic rock, but at least I will know the more specific answer. The following is my musical preferences of the last 26 years:

1981-1983: Lullabies.

1984-1986: Sesame Street.

1987-1991: Exclusively oldies. I remember someone in my 4^th grade class asked me what my favorite Metallica song was and I said “Nine Inch Nails.”

1992-1995: Modern rock / alternative – mostly Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots, and Soundgarden. I’m not ashamed to admit that the Spin Doctors’ “Pocket Full of Kryptonite” was my first CD. There was a 6-month span when I only listened to Nirvana. During these years, I also discovered Guns N’ Roses and realized what all the buzz was about when “Appetite for Destruction” buried hair band rock and paved the way for grunge (while I was listening to doo-wop groups). I would be lying if I said I never listened to Salt-n-Pepa and similar artists frequently showcased on Z104’s Top 9 at 9 during this phase, but alternative rock was my main interest (along with wearing surf and skate shirts even though I was never a skater or surfer -- POSER!).

1995-1999: Still listened to alternative, but started branching out to rap, classic rock, and softer rock like Dave Matthews Band and Blues Traveler. My mix tapes were random during this time – they could go from Blink 182 to Wu-Tang to K-Ci and JoJo to Kid Rock.

2000-2004: The college years brought out old and new jam bands – Grateful Dead, Widespread Panic, Phish, String Cheese Incident, etc. I gave up most of the alternative rock. I was really into O.A.R. for a semester until I realized you could be publicly ridiculed for admitting you liked them. I soon realized that O.A.R. was in fact mega-lame. Napster helped me discover a lot of new bands during the college years and saved me hundreds of dollars. One lame co-ed had the audacity to call me a “studio hippie” because most of the Widespread (she probably called them “Panic”) songs on my Napster were album versions rather than live tunes from concerts (she probably called them “shows”). Needless to say, that comment did not go over well with me.

2004-present: I pretty much listen to everything. Just kidding. If I broke down my musical preferences it would be as follows: 20% classic rock (Zeppelin, Stones, The Band, The Faces, Van Morrison, Grateful Dead, Allman Brothers, Bob Segar, Clapton, etc.), 10% bands that sound like classic rock bands (Black Crowes, Blind Melon, Bruce Hornsby), 10% 90s rap (2Pac, Dr. Dre, Nas, Wu-Tang, etc.), 10% reggae (Peter Tosh, Bob Marley, Toots and the Maytals, etc.), 10% modern rock (Pearl Jam, My Morning Jacket, Kings of Leon, The White Stripes, etc.), 10% new alternative/alt country (Radiohead, Death Cab for Cutie, Bishop Allen, Wilco, Ryan Adams), 10% 80s music (Steve Winwood, Huey Lewis, Journey, dozens of others), 10% motown (Temptations, Al Green, Smokey Robinson, etc.), and 10% new funk rock (Robert Randolph, Mofro, Citizen Cope). I would throw Widespread into one or more of these categories, but I can no longer list jam bands as a separate category.

In closing, I’m glad that only about a half dozen people read my blog because that stream of consciousness answer is quite possibly lamer than being THAT GUY who says he listens to everything.