One day I was driving to work and I was listening to the Church’s Further Deeper.  I always skip “Toy Head.”  I love the rest of the album but that one I can’t quite stomach.  Why?  Well, I have a number of legit reasons.  1.) The lyrics are clumsy (usually the Church can get away with things lyrically that others can’t; it’s their magic).  2.) The song seems forced.  3.) Musically, it really doesn’t progress.  It just hangs there.

Then the question came to my head, “If the song is relatively conventional and not poorly performed, how can you switch it off every time and yet never switch off something like John Coltrane’s ‘Ascension’ or ‘Offering’ or ‘To Be’?”  These are very unconventional, challenging songs and not exactly easy listening.  One difference between these songs and “Toy Head” is that they are going somewhere and are not forced.  This is not to say “Toy Head” is a bad song, it just isn’t one I can listen to and enjoy in any moment whatsoever.

I don’t think that there is any song I can turn on at any time and enjoy.  Everything has its moment.  With the Coltrane pieces I mentioned earlier, it takes a certain atmosphere and mindset to listen to them.  They are not typically background music but when one listens to them properly, they are worth the time.  In the Church’s case, as mentioned in my previous entry, it usually takes several listens for one of their albums to sink in and get you addicted.  This is because they think enough inside the box to lure you in and enough outside the box to make you dig deeper.  It’s not easy.

Ever have some bands that you don’t particularly care for at one point and suddenly grab you at another?  Why is that?  It has to do with timing, the situation, the point you are in your life.  A good example for me is Yes’ Tales of Topographical Oceans.  I’ve always liked it and gave it casual listens (unfortunately for me, a little Jon Anderson goes a long way).   But lately, the unexpected happened (one thing in life I have learned is to expect the unexpected).  I’ve been listening to it again and again.  Each time I have found something new and enriching about it (even inspiring).

The question arises, “Why now?  Why not before?”  The only answer is that something in my life created a need for it (yes, I look at music as a need.  More like a necessity).  Music reaches you where you are, whether you progress from that or stagnate is up to you.  Not all our assumptions are true (this is especially true of music).  If you keep rigidly expecting things from your music, you will be spinning your wheels (i.e., feel like you’re going somewhere when you are, in fact, still in the same place).  If you allow things to wash over you from time to time (suspend your preconceived ideas), you may find all sorts of treasures that help you progress (or at least get through the day).

Good music comes to you when you are ready for it, not when it’s ready for you.  This is why some things are appreciated long after they are past.  Few people, for example, appreciated Van Gogh’s paintings until he was long dead.  Why?  Because he chose not to tailor his art to the times but follow his inner vision.  This is where commercial music fails.  It is tailored to sell.  Music, however, is a gamble (full stop).  This because good music comes when you are ready for it.  Music tailored for you provides little benefit.  It’s nice to have comfort zones.  In fact, they are essential from time to time but if you only dwell there you are spinning your wheels in the mud (or snow, depending on the season).

When good music comes to you it is not only a joy, it can be a game changer.  It can inspire, make you think, give comfort or expand your horizons (or all of the above).  This is why from time to time I let my guard down and listen to something I wouldn’t ordinarily.  Sometimes I decide that it is worth no further effort and is discarded (or filed away).  Other times, it is a revelation or at least something I enjoy.  I would not be able to do so had I not tried it.  I like to take joy and wisdom wherever I find it, I believe it saves us all from ourselves (or, at least, the insane self-absorbed world).