Rehearsals for Retirement

As time passes most people begin to think about it differently. You start out luxuriating thinking about HOW MUCH time you have, but end up obsessing over how much time you have LEFT.

Musically speaking, a younger person might feel at ease exploring all the different byways, but later with a limited amount of time, focus on essentials. So how is it that I feel I've gotten it backward? Perhaps because I always tried to have it both ways. 

As a teen with a lot of time, I'd occasionally sneak outside the Allman/Dead/Country Rock galaxy to explore singer-songwriters, bands like the Kinks, prog rock, and then punk/new wave. 

Then, while balancing work and school, I stuck my toe into jazz with (what else?) Kind of Blue and classical with (what else?) Beethoven.  

And finally, as a working parent and spouse, I tried to take full advantage of the limited time I had to focus on the "best books", the "best movies", and the "best music". I probably relied too much on critics but it sure beat not utilizing them at all. I learned a lot and experienced many things I otherwise would not have.

Now, with children grown and retirement approaching, I'm changing my focus again. On one hand, I've got fewer days to look forward to. On the other, on a day-to-day basis, I'll have more time. So should I stick to the essentials? 

I've decided Hell no.

My attitude, instead, is why not? Why not the "frowned upon" music? Why not the weird music? Better to experience it myself than to make assumptions based on what others say.

I carry around three frequently overlapping categories of music/art in my head:

1. The Very Popular, which I occasionally dip into. Knowing what I'm getting into allows me to do so with little regret, but occasional embarrassment. (Carla Rae Jepsen, Bad Bunny)
2. The Critically Acclaimed, which, for a while, provided me with the sense of there being a "canon". There isn't but it helped me focus on that niche of the culture that gave me the biggest bang for the buck/hour. It should contain some of categories 1 and 3.
3. The Weird, which I would only indulge in if it also fell into category 2. I no longer care now. Even if I end up hating something I won't regret experiencing it. A double CD set of droning electronic minimalism? You bet! A three-CD set of "unlistenable noise"? Bring it on! But let's wait until winter.

If anything, my greatest fear is to fall into the rut of getting "just another pop record" that, while pleasant enough, may not add any joy to my life. I want records that make me feel that it's good to be alive. A merely excellent record may not do that. 

All of which - this time around - brings me to the last Beths record.

The Beths: Experts in a Dying Field (2022)

Singer Elizabeth Stokes doesn't seem to feel the need to minimize her adult femaleness by sounding like an eight-year-old, nor does she overcompensate for it by being mean. She's just a regular gal trying to get through her life. And melody is not a bad way to try. 

It's not that those melodies are revolutionary, just tried and tested before and applied here with care and intelligence now. 

The guitar knows just what to do, whether it's an arresting intro, a to-the-point solo, or a timely change of pace,  Sweet most of the time, fuzzy or crunchy when called for.

The rest of the band focuses on putting this all across. And the title really sticks with me. Does AI make it may apply to all of us now? 

In other words, as good as almost any pop record I've gotten in the last few years.

Ah, but the eternal question now is, will it bring me joy? Not quite sure yet, which itself is not a good sign. The very reasonableness of the sound may undercut any attempt to go for broke, which may be what you have to do the get there.

So I just don't know. But I'll let you know at year's end.

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