For those of you who pay attention to the events that take place on my Facebook page, you noticed a change. Someone has come into my life who is starting to mean a lot to me. She makes me happy and spending time with her is one of the greatest joy of my life.
With that being said, a friend of mine, and frequent commenter on this blog recently posted this as a comment to my most recent post.
Your posts were edgier when you were single. Just saying…
I understood the comment almost immediately. By almost, I went back over the piece and wondered if I lost my touch. However, I think Christopher was just commenting on my status in life, more so than the post…he had better be anyway.
I can cut him some slack because it did inspire this post. His comment forced me to harken back to an observation I made years ago about artist and their work in relation to their station in life. Mostly music, but as I write this I can probably find other examples in other media.
Way back in the early 80’s there was an up and coming female rock star called Pat Benatar. Her first album was raw and had an edge to it. As a young man who prided himself in being a rocker, I liked her first album. I also liked the next couple and didn’t mind the ridicule I received from classmates when I admitted I owned Pat Benatar albums.
Then her music underwent a transformation. One I didn’t like, it started to become…happy!
There was a television special about her on one of the five stations we had as a kid. Since I sort of liked her, and there were few options, I watched the special. Her professional music life was hard. Like many musicians who are dedicated to their craft, she endured her struggles. With those struggles came a certain anger, followed by determination, and creative energy.
But its hard to stay pissed off at the world when the money is flowing in and you are no longer struggling.
When The Tubes came out with their big smash it, “She’s a Beauty”, I was listening to a radio interview of the band. The interview stated that your earlier music was darker, angrier, and now it’s much more upbeat, more positive. The member of the band doing all the talking, we will assume it was the lead singer said, and I am paraphrasing. “You can only stay pissed off at the world for so long.”
Mötley Crüe, there early stuff was dark and morbid, some cash rolls in, they clean up their act, and boom. Their music is all about sex, drugs, and rock and roll. All positive, upbeat subjects there.