Not So Deep Thoughts
I remember being in middle school and just listening to records (that’s pre-CDs for you youngsters) in my room and wondering to myself why no one else seemed to listen to the same kind of music I did. I mean this wasn’t fringe, cool to listen to, counter-cultural stuff. The music I was listening to was just plain weird – stuff my friends had never even heard of. I was a huge Adam Ant fan (this was way after listening to Adam Ant was cool … if it ever was). A few years ago Nine Inch Nails covered Physical (You’re So) on their Broken CD. Trent Reznor had personally chosen to record this amazing Antmusic relic. I was finally vindicated.
I still remember the first two records I ever bought (or actually my Mom bought for me): Culture Club’s Colour by Numbers and Motley Crue’s Shout at the Devil. It was a big day marked not only by this very important acquisition but also symbolized an interesting dichotomy in my musical taste that is still with me. Maybe this musical preference is encoded in some as yet undiscovered gene? If you know anything about Culture Club and Motley Crue, you know that in the 80s there couldn’t have been a wider gap between the two groups around. Of course, they both did wear makeup … Hmm. Then again I think all 80’s bands wore makeup. But that’s another story.
The point is that I have always loved the super-trendy pop hits – at least for a week or two. I also love Ministry, Nine Inch Nails, and Marylin Mansion. To most people, this wouldn’t seem like much of a problem but to me, this is a problem. It represents these two unreconciled parts of myself. On the one hand, I am extremely superficial and shallow, on the other, I think a lot. I'm curious about things like whether the big bang was caused by the smashing together of two universes. I'm usually thinking while listening to Britney Spears. Of course, when I’m doing something like mowing the lawn I love to listen to Nine Inch Nails. It’s as if both sides of my brain are asking for fuel and the really dark, industrial type music stimulates that astrophysics side and the Britney Spears music works the more emotional, less analytical side. Now, I know you may be saying to yourself, “Yeah, and…”
But isn’t that kinda cool? It’s yin and yang. Britney and physics, NIN, and mindless physical labor. I think I may be onto something with this whole left-brain, right-brain thing. What do you think?
