Music That Changed Me, Made Me.

Let me ask you a fair question, "How many people you know, alive today, started listening English music because they listened to Bob Dylan and they fell in love with him instantly?" I am expecting a answer similar to zero, because other than myself, I don’t know any of them, yet.

Actually, looking back, I had quite an uncommon upbringing. I started listening English music when I first heard "The Times that are A chaingin" while I was in class 6 or 7. My Uncle was listening to a English song in a Audio cassette player. I looked at the cassette cover and, asked him, "Who is this Bob Dylan Kaka?" I still remember what he replied, "He is a poet, singer, musician, a communist who isn't a communist, and a revolutionary. And, If you listen to him, He is going to be that reason that your life will be never the same again." Just as he said, the song hit somewhere in me, that I found the rebellion inside me instantly. I listened to his records, I started reading communist literature at the time most of us would study for their exams or spend hours watching Movies. I started writing poems, that would classify as "rebellion poems". And became free willed. Right at the time, I started becoming agnostic, and when I got out from school, I had already became an infidel.

Then I got introduced to freewheleen' Bob Dylan when I first listened to "Blowing in the Wind" , and it changed everything. I couldn't help but think, How in the earth a 21 year old boy could write a song like this, song of black pity and moral dilemma of being white man in America of 60s. I was barely over 16 then, and hadn't done anything remotely creative except for writing some sulky poems. The voice of people had gotten into me, and days started to begin with "even the president of the United States has to stand naked" and end with "nobody's home" or 'desolution row'. I became Johana's lover, as well as the workman singing homesick blues. I saw my dream shatter while listening to Bob Dylan's dreams. Bob Dylan was all English music I ever listened in school.

Then came the time of English Rock songs. Led zeppelin  Kurt Cobain  Bob Marley and Jim Hendrix. I have literally never touched a guitar, but If I have seen perfection, Its Hendrix and his guitar. I went for a spiritual quest, I got back along with Ravi Shankar and his strings. Whenever i went somewhere, I took some Buddhist mantras as well as George and the whole Beatles with me. I never find the solitude I searched for, yet, I am glad I didn’t. The music that was more popular than Jesus, gazed me. Rumblings around the tomato fields and nursery we have in my home, listening to let it be, Hard day's night, and here comes the sun, I wept with their guitar for the many good things I lost, I don’t know more than a zillion times.

Its hard to accept the fact that I got acquainted with Pink Floyd pretty late. I was just out of high school and had dropped a year before college. I got a DVD full of Floyd songs from friend. I was hooked immediately, nothing had gotten me like the echoes, wish you were here, mother, money, comfortably numb, Gunner's Dreams or the most beautiful of them all Shine on you crazy diamond, did to me. Even today the most favorite past time is listening to The wall, Final cut or TDSM.

Those who know me, know that I am terrible at Musical taste. And a thousand time worse or so am I in making music or singing music. And whenever I start making my playlist for some tour or something, I leave less than 10% space for the contemporary music, while letting Dylan, Pink Floyd, LedZepp and Beatles take the bulk of space. 

And lastly, I am not punk, neither do I do drugs or  weed. I don't wear torn jeans. I am not as freewheleen' as i used to be once anymore. But yes, I am a Rock and Roll fan. And the thing about Rock 'n' Roll is, "there was time when, woody Guthrie was dead, Little Richard was becoming a preacher, so whether you are a christian or folksinger, Rock 'n' Roll was the devil." I was in a ditch, up a cliff, out of step, ready to quit."(~I am not there).

P.s. Last year I discovered, Freddie Mercury is still alive, and holds a concert at his home yearly. As soon as I heard that, It went to my bucket list straight away.