Musical Pesto

 I consider myself to be a lover of all kinds of music. Growing up, if I was ever with my dad, we were listening to country music. So I grew up listening to and loving music by such artists as George Jones, Don Williams, Hank Williams Jr,, The Oak Ridge Boys, Randy Travis, and lets not forget the greatest, George Strait (I know Halo just went a little weak in the knees at the very mention of that name)

But I also had a lot of influence from my mom who listened more to oldies music. As a result, to this day, I love listening to Elvis, Marvin Gaye (actually a lot of Motown), The Beatles, Beach Boys, Jim Croce (though, he might be considered a little country, I’m not sure). Also, because of my mom, I really like Barry Manilow. I feel like I am telling a dirty little secret by saying that, but I can’t help it. It makes me think of growing up, my mom would blast Barry Manilow while we were cleaning the house.

My mom also liked the music from classic movies like Singing in the Rain. She honestly thought that those movies were how life should be, that people should all of a sudden break out into song and dance. I disagree. I know that I would get incredibly weirded out if everyone around me all of a sudden started singing and dancing on tables and things like that, but the music itself was never lost on me. I like a lot of show tunes.

Then I had the influence of the friends I had as a kid, which tended to get me into certain kinds of rap music but mainly hard rock, and I mean HARD rock. Some of it was a little milder like Pearl Jam and Sound Garden and Red Hot Chili Peppers, but then I got into heavier music like Metallica and Primus and even Pantera.

Some of the rock that I listened to was more classic rock like Lynyrd Skynyrd, CCR, Cream (most things by Eric Clapton), etc.

My point in telling you all this is that I think that I have a VERY well rounded musical repertoire. I like Frank Sinatra. I like Les Miserables. I even like the Evita soundtrack which some circles might take that to mean that I am gay, but I can’t help it. It is good

Mega-Babe and I do not agree on hardly any kind of music, which is fine. We have some things that we both enjoy, but for the most part, she will roll her eyes at some of the music I keep on my mp3 player, but I can’t help it. If I hear a song that I like, I can’t make myself not like it. If it is pleasing to my ears, I will listen to it.

But there is one band that is the pesto of bands to me. Like in Seinfeld when George is upset because everybody talks about how great pesto is, but that he doesn’t like it and feels like he is an outcast just because he doesn’t like pesto. The pesto band for me is Led Zeppelin. I feel like everyone likes Led Zeppelin. They are this great band who are rock legends and anybody worth their salt when it comes to rock music is a fan of Led Zeppelin.

Being older now, the approval of my peers means considerably less to me than it once did. As a matter of fact, I just don’t care what people think of my taste in music.

Now, I do take comfort, however, in knowing that Mega-Babe most definitely does not like Led Zeppelin .I think I am safe in saying that my grandma and probably my mom and dad don’t either, but in my friend circles, I don’t ever want to mention it because I don’t want the question posed to me, “How can you not like Zeppelin???”

Sorry, I just don’t. I do have some of their music on my mp3 player. I don’t know why. Maybe I was hoping that if I listen to them a bit more, I would like them, but I just find that every time one of their songs comes up in the queue, I just skip past it.

Wow, I feel so liberated. My dirty secret is out in the open. I know, this may not seem like a big deal to a lot of you, but for a man of my musical prowess and a man that likes so many different types and styles of music, this just seemed like a shameful thing. But I will not give in to the pesto. I don’t like it and I don’t have to eat it. You can’t make me.