It has been a really long time since I last heard the Chili Peppers. Stadium Arcadium (which, by the way, I now feel starts off well and then gradually descends into unintelligible madness) is an album that listened to considerably last summer. So when I heard Snow Hey Oh this evening, it brought back the memories of sunny Bangalore and trying to tuck my zippy car in the chaos of cars parked on Church Street. It also brought back this lovely memory of driving my father to work one morning:
My father is, by far, one of the most calm and open-minded people in the world and I love him to tiny little bits. On this fine July morning, we were on Koramangala Ring Road and Stadium Arcadium had played on the system for a good twenty minutes. Negotiating my way through rush hour traffic, I was, as usual, tapping my fingers on the steering wheel to the beat.
Suddenly my father asked me in all seriousness, 'What is this fellow saying?'
'Err.. hmm.. actually, I can't follow the lines in this particular track.' I replied uncertainly, trying to decipher Anthony Kiedis' rap interlude.
'Hmm.. so why do you listen to this music, if you can't understand it?' he asked earnestly.
'Well..' I said, caught a little offguard. '.. it's catchy and funky and it has rhythm, don't you agree?'
'Actually, that is true. I do feel the beat.' My father replied, with a tentative head bob to the beat of Hump De Bump.
'Don't you?' I smiled back, pleased at my skills of persuasion, doing a little jig.
A silence followed as we appreciated the melodic genius of the Red Hot Chili Pepper's guitar riffs together. What a beautiful and peculiar moment, I thought to myself.
The song ended and my father remarked in wonder, 'It never ceases to amaze me how there is a market for everything. Even this has an audience!'
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13 comments:
It's strange what fathers will take to.
Mine took to the Dixie Chicks one day and had a similar conversation with me (albeit without the last statement).
In twenty years, I fear we'll be just as out of touch and will need to be reintroduced by Important Young People.
LOL. Who'da thunk they'd have one, huh?
Btw, I really like this post. It's really simple, but there's all these beautiful little images dancing in all the corners. Nice =)
Young Thos,
That said, I feel pretty outdated myself, with the current music scene. I feel years and years older than you!
Gaurav,
Thanks. :) My father read this and then asked whether RHCP is an accepted acronym for the Peppers or whether I'd made it up!
heheheh.
"Even this" has an audience? now RHCP is "Even this"? Such travesty!
Its worked for me. If there's such a thing, a string that strengthens between father and me -- its the music and books. So whether its the blues, Stones, myths of rock 'n' roll (soul sellers of the highway), Dylan's poetry, Morrison's Dinosyian ghost, -- to books On the Road, to plays...its coolly similar. Nice post. :)
Your father and I need to have a conversation.
RHCP is one of my favourite bands.
No gaurav, those beautiful little images are the bhang taking affect...
Oh wait, the writing is good :p
RHCP's immortal... well they used to be at least... Stadium arcadium's excellent, and I share your choice of song there too, Snow, but I have to admit, their old stuff was better... less, moaney?
and guess which song itunes just fired up for me :p
Renovatio,
Definitely. I find their earlier stuff is way better - Blood Sex and By The Way (which is my all time favourite album). I don't even know what they were thinking bringing out this 2 CD (truly inter-plantery) weirdness.
Jerry,
I can imagine you and your father bonding over music and books. :) My father didn't grow up with Dylan and the blues etc. He likes 'safe' music like Dire Straits, Santana and some of The Doors. Basically, he is into Hindustani Classical music (as am I) so we connect over that. He's a little conservative about his jazz preferences but thats there too for us. Though I shouldn't blame him too much. I'm the one who listens to MMW and Mukta. :P
TS,
Feel free to speak to him. Though I fear you might walk about being convinced of his stand, not because he's terribly charming but because he will make you see reason in what he thinks!
Tap,
I know. And he really smashes them to bits with that last nonchalant line. And here's the most annoying part - he wasn't being mean. He said it like he was stating a fact!
That's very cool. He knows when the music can get you wondering wrong. But I don't know -- in father's -- their's always some Atticus in them.
:)
i remember zipping through delhi to led zep's bbc sessions once and after 10 minutes of insufferable self-imposed silence my driver, rather the guy who was driving me because he's more htna just a driver to us, turns around and says, 'yeh kaun chilla rahi hai?'
:D
Jerry,
Haha. Is that so? Lol. My father can be pretty stubborn too in his own way. He can switch entirely. You can tell when starts humming a different tune over what you're playing! It can be the most annoying thing in the world!
Hobo,
Lol. I think we've all heard that line from our drivers. My mum, who I should tell you guys about some time, has liberal taste in music but she says the funniest things to annoy me. Only it doesn't work because she has been rolling on the floor with her cominc timing - Does guy have to go to the loo? How is this song any different than a keertan?
smiles. rhcp, I like. Dads, more.
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