You Can't Deny It, You're Only Hidin' From Bryan Adams

I've been too harsh on Bryan and perhaps slightly touchy about Reggae.

I have to eat my words - or whatever you do. Beg forgiveness, pardon my ignorance, excuse my snobbery, but I have edited my Blog Profile this morning after purchasing...Bryan Adams 1980 self-titled release from iTunes. I don't know what's wrong with me but last night, early evening when the sun was setting I was in the car, listening to the "Radio" (which I rarely do) and wouldn't you know it - "You're Only Hidin' From Love" came on. All I could do was turn up the volume. Yes. Really loud so passerbys on the sidewalk could hear it. Shameless. All that talk about Bryan Adams and now I have to correct myself. But don't get me wrong. I'm only a fan of his first album. Okay, maybe two or three off his second. But hey, that's some catchy pop music and my inner 12 year-old can't resist it.  Bryan Adams - "Win Some, Lose Some" and "Remember".  Oh the irony. Bloody hell. WHAT IS HAPPENING TO ME???

The more serious aspect to this recent revelation is that now when people come over and my iTunes becomes the focal of their attention, right there near the top of 8,196 songs, there will appear a few Bryan Adams entries. Yes, it's true. And, I am sorry Bryan, for any ill will brought against you by my music snobbery. I apologize because right now as I type this, I'm listening to "Give Me Your Love" and people are peeing their pants reading this. I may never show my face at the Cross again.

Another thing that happened yesterday early evening. Coming back in the car with Steve and Dan from a drive over town (Point Grey, Locarno Beach, Kits), we discussed the pitfalls of naming music with labels - genres can be so ambiguous. So I don't like reggae. Period. But I guess when Elvis Costello's "Watching The Detectives" comes on 104.3 FM, there is some integrated Reggae there for sure. We all concurred. Then I found this "The Sound Of The Suburbs" site. Yeah, their subtitle is SKA-PUNK-NEW WAVE-REGGAE-SCOOTERING SOUNDS.   

The truth is, The Clash were the first ones to integrate Ska and Reggae, softening the edges to a new-found Punk Rock. That's what made them unique. Joe Strummer was highly enlightened and his politics were at the base of his music. He never winced at teetering on that edge, putting it out there on "White Man in Hammersmith Palais".

While I still don't completely agree with Hartwick about Jane's Addiction, (a bit of steel drums doesn't equate a Reggae song-come on), I will give him this. There is a lot of Reggae in Rock. So there you go. I do listen to people. I don't kick and scream, I just like the tension to a certain extent.