Howdy, All.
I just got off of a 3-hour YouTube bender.
Man! They really should ban that website! It’s a menace to society.
You plop down in your easy chair and think, “I’ll just listen to a song or two and then I’ll get up and get busy.”
Next thing you know, three (or more) hours have gone by, the house is dark, everyone’s in bed, the cats are asleep, and you’re exhausted from spending a couple of years back in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
What manner of pure evil caused the creation of the “if you liked that, you’ll also like …” list?
It starts off innocently enough. You think, “Hey, I’ll just listen to that James Taylor song I saved the link to the other day.” That leads to a little Player. Which leads to a little Little River Band. Which leads to a little America. Which leads to a little Boz Skaggs. And then on to Gilbert O’Sulliven. And then off to Atlanta Rhythm Section.
Next thing you know, you’re openly sobbing to an Ambrosia song and crying, “Yes, that IS how much I feel!”
Luckily, everyone has gone to bed or else they would be seriously considering calling a health care hotline and having you committed.
So, kiddies, the take-away to today’s post is this:
Time travel is not for the weak.
Or maybe the take-away is this:
Avoid YouTube at all costs.
No, I think it may be:
Gather ye rosebuds while ye may.
Which, really, is just another way of saying:
Getting old may be inevitable, but that doesn’t make it any less sucky.
Ya know … I may just have to face the fact that I’m not good at summarizing things in pithy little expressions.
Just take from this what you will.
But do it soon.
Time isn’t going to wait for you while you figure it out.
I rarely fall victim to YouTube’s insidious up next list, but those are some good tunes. I was careful not to play more than one, and only for a few seconds…
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I wish I was as disciplined as you! I have no self control when I start listening to the music of my youth.
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Shame on you, Biff. Where is your discipline? The ocean that is Youtube contains many Sirens beckoning you into its depths, I must admit. One must fortify their defences and – and – who am I kidding? We all end up shipwrecked on the rocks. The 80s / late 70s were my stomping grounds. Punk and alternative mostly.
It is one thing to see your favourites performing in their prime, quite another to see them still doggedly performing their hits of yesteryear. Myself, I find that a little depressing, and tend to steer away from it, and toward the broad theme of people and things falling down. Also, there is a lot of good music out there and I love to listen to what is current.
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That is a perfect description and metaphor, Wilt! I always feel like I’m being seduced when I start watching YouTube. But not by beautiful woman. I am being seduced by hairy, poorly attired musicians from the 70s and 80s.
And I agree entirely about seeing my favorite artists much later in their life. It just isn’t the same. In fact, I wrote a blog post about that several months ago. I can’t remember when or what it was called, though.
As for what is current, I’m afraid I have fallen hopelessly behind the times. I don’t know any modern artists and, frankly, don’t care to. I’ve become a “you kids get off my lawn!” kind of guy. it was the role I was born to play! Ha ha!
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Oh I love a YouTube bender! A favourite hobby of mine. I may take up the opportunity to see Gilbert O’Sullivan soon, though it won’t be my first time 😉 So many great songs. My teenage self would disown me for being so middle of the road 😊
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Wow! I’m so jealous! I would give anything to see him in person. In my youth I only heard the songs of his that made it onto American radio (about 2 or 3 songs). I am just now discovering some of his other music and it is pretty uniformly awesome!
If you get to go see him, make sure to write a post about it so I can enjoy it vicariously through you.
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I made it through Dr. Hook and the Guess Who… but, this morning I found myself listening to Blotto’s I Wanna Be a Lifeguard. I need help!
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Ha ha! I guess we all need help to one degree or another. And Dr. Hook is awesome!
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Great post! You just described one of my typical nights to a tee.
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Thank you! I always say I’m not going to spend a lot of time doing that, but I always do. It’s bad enough that on nights I have things to do, I avoid YouTube at all costs.
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The other half of my duo did that last night – hours and hours and hours of music …
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It’s a good way to wile away an evening. 🙂
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You had to mention Boz Scaggs, didn’t you? Now I’ve ridden that Two Lane Highway, and I’m pretty sure I’m going to Take It Easy for the rest of the night. I have to confess YouTube’s one of my great pleasures, and you’re exactly right about how easy it is to lose an hour (or two, or more) while you try to remember exactly why it was that you landed there in the first place.
Now, if you’ll excuse me…. I have a little more music to listen to.
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Hi Linda!
Sorry about the Boz Scaggs mention. It’s funny (and a little scary) how one innocent little listen to some obscure song from our past will somehow make 3 or 4 hours disappear while we listen to one great song after another. I’d better never download the YouTube app on my phone. I’ll never get anything done!
Enjoy your music!
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