Soul And Snow

‘I just love Snow Patrol’ she said while the music purportedly from the band blasted from her PC speakers gotten louder and louder.

‘They are great, don’t you think?’

‘Me? No. I mean they are fine and all but I am more of a Soul Patrol guy”. I said with a little stress on SOUL. She sort of expected my response and decided not to let me go just yet.

‘O yeah you told me already. I can see from your PC wallpaper now’. I cringed. I felt like I was under her microscope. I felt tiny.

Luckily my wits swung by and rescued me. ‘Don’t get me wrong. I am sure they are a bunch of talented guys. Just that - me and rock music don’t gel well. But I enjoy other type of music too. I do listen to Mariah, you know’. Pause. (an image of me putting my right foot inside my mouth suddenly became apparent)

‘Er… I mean I like the old Mariah better. The new one is too slutty for my liking’. Dead silent.I cringed even more. I gave up.

Truth, new music just doesn’t excite me anymore. Sometime when I listen to the top 40 hits on the radio, I hear nothing but noise. Songs nowadays tend to be overproduced and fluffy like hell. I prefer old songs better cause the melodies are stronger and the lyrics are real. Like they say – it ain’t groovy if it ain’t got the soul. (There is no better way to say it!)

That is why a true musician like Taylor Hicks can hardly pass the top 40 hits but for me he’s a breath of fresh air, like a swimming pool on an August day. OK stop.

‘I kinda agree with you, that’s why sometime I do listen to oldies too. Just not that too old’ She said.

Phew. That was awkward. I mean it’s not like I have anything to hide, just that I don’t feel comfortable when people judge me simply by what types of music I listen. Music is universal. It’s supposed to celebrate our differences not to divide us further. For whatever reasons I like a certain kind music is entirely my prerogative and I should not be ashamed about it.

‘Besides Taylor and Mariah, I also enjoy Alicia Keys, Whitney Houston and even Michael Buble. But give me Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and Barry White any day, and these granddaddies of soul will meet their match'.

‘You are such an old soul Mus. I guess there is nothing wrong liking Taylor Hicks then. I totally understand now. Old school songs are great - as long as they are not from ’Dreamgirls’ or ‘Grease’'. She laughed hard. Heartily.

I didn’t tend to probe further. I figured it wasn’t wise.