Aliens from Planet X
My six-year-old is a metal head.
I am not ashamed of this. Actually, I am rather proud -- he inherited my tastes. And I get a real kick out of it when a little boy goes crazy for the same songs that I do. Especially when they are songs and bands that are considered rebellious.
For well over a year now, my son would steal my CD's and blast the songs he enjoys on the stereo in our family room. Guns n' Roses, Disturbed, Motley Crue, Ozzy Osbourne and Led Zeppelin turned up to outrageous decibels. I would wonder at times if my wife gave birth to a clone of me.
Saturday night he slept over my in-laws with his cousins. We picked him up and, as usual, he demands we put on one of his favorite "wild" songs, as he likes to call them. We hadn't even buckled in and shut the door when he yelled, "Put on 'Immigrant Song'!"
"Jonathan," I said, "it's not here. You took that CD from me."
"OK," he said. "Put on 'Paradise City' then."
From Exit 44 on the Merritt Parkway to my house, it is a little bit longer than two live versions of 'Paradise City'.
On the way it occurred to me that my son has no idea what Guns n' Roses looks like. He's seen Ozzy's face on a picture or two, but that is the only time he'd ever seen any of the rock stars he loves. So, when we got home I told him I had a surprise for him. I sat him down on the couch and put on a DVD of a Guns n' Roses concert from Tokyo.
At first, he heard the opening riff and his face beamed. He was excited to finally see the faces to the music he loves. But then...
...he did see them.
A lot has happened to the music industry since the last days of pre-grunge rock and roll, nearly fifteen years ago. Everyone seems to wear jeans and "normal" clothes. And no one has long hair.
Jonathan saw Axl Rose in a white leather jacket and spandex shorts and his jaw dropped to the floor. And then there was Slash, with no face and a mop of black hair on his head.
He had a lot of questions.
"Dad, is that a girl singing?"
"Dad, is he in his underwear?"
"Dad, what happened to that guy's face?"
"Why do they all have long hair?"
I tried to remember being a young boy and wondering if the same thing would have shocked me. I was his age in 1976-77. What would have shocked me is a rock and roll band with short hair. Heck, even the BeeGees had longer hair than anyone out there today.
I learned a lot watching Jonathan's reaction to seeing his favorite band for the first time. I wonder if he'll still ask for 'Paradise City' and 'Welcome to the Jungle' when we're in the car.
I would have a whole lot more explaining to do if I ever played him a New York Dolls video.
I am not ashamed of this. Actually, I am rather proud -- he inherited my tastes. And I get a real kick out of it when a little boy goes crazy for the same songs that I do. Especially when they are songs and bands that are considered rebellious.
For well over a year now, my son would steal my CD's and blast the songs he enjoys on the stereo in our family room. Guns n' Roses, Disturbed, Motley Crue, Ozzy Osbourne and Led Zeppelin turned up to outrageous decibels. I would wonder at times if my wife gave birth to a clone of me.
Saturday night he slept over my in-laws with his cousins. We picked him up and, as usual, he demands we put on one of his favorite "wild" songs, as he likes to call them. We hadn't even buckled in and shut the door when he yelled, "Put on 'Immigrant Song'!"
"Jonathan," I said, "it's not here. You took that CD from me."
"OK," he said. "Put on 'Paradise City' then."
From Exit 44 on the Merritt Parkway to my house, it is a little bit longer than two live versions of 'Paradise City'.
On the way it occurred to me that my son has no idea what Guns n' Roses looks like. He's seen Ozzy's face on a picture or two, but that is the only time he'd ever seen any of the rock stars he loves. So, when we got home I told him I had a surprise for him. I sat him down on the couch and put on a DVD of a Guns n' Roses concert from Tokyo.
At first, he heard the opening riff and his face beamed. He was excited to finally see the faces to the music he loves. But then...
...he did see them.
A lot has happened to the music industry since the last days of pre-grunge rock and roll, nearly fifteen years ago. Everyone seems to wear jeans and "normal" clothes. And no one has long hair.
Jonathan saw Axl Rose in a white leather jacket and spandex shorts and his jaw dropped to the floor. And then there was Slash, with no face and a mop of black hair on his head.
He had a lot of questions.
"Dad, is that a girl singing?"
"Dad, is he in his underwear?"
"Dad, what happened to that guy's face?"
"Why do they all have long hair?"
I tried to remember being a young boy and wondering if the same thing would have shocked me. I was his age in 1976-77. What would have shocked me is a rock and roll band with short hair. Heck, even the BeeGees had longer hair than anyone out there today.
I learned a lot watching Jonathan's reaction to seeing his favorite band for the first time. I wonder if he'll still ask for 'Paradise City' and 'Welcome to the Jungle' when we're in the car.
I would have a whole lot more explaining to do if I ever played him a New York Dolls video.
posted by E-Luv at 8:23 AM
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