"Thanks for the post and the examples, Nick. You were right in pointing out that it's no use comparing one's self to others. And I like your father's saying.
"
Manly Music
In a society today of pop music with its female idols and boy-bands, what kind of music can we call manly? Classical music is catered to the elite, Rock music is catered to rebels, Country music is catered to heartland Americans, Jazz music is catered to night clubbers, and the list goes on and on for every genre.
I feel as though there isn't any music out there that real men can appreciate, something that feels generally masculine. Being a musician by profession, I've seen and heard basically most of what mainstream music has to offer and am very dissatisfied. Right now when I think of music for gentlemen I think the great American songbook, or classical music. Yet, it just doesn't feel completely manly. Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of very manly music pieces and songs in every genre, but there isn't really a genre that men can call fully manly. The most popular music (pop music) today is catered towards young girls obviously.
So what is there for young boys? What is music is there for them that they can look up to: to put them on the path of manliness? What genre of music can we men call our own?
I feel as though there isn't any music out there that real men can appreciate, something that feels generally masculine. Being a musician by profession, I've seen and heard basically most of what mainstream music has to offer and am very dissatisfied. Right now when I think of music for gentlemen I think the great American songbook, or classical music. Yet, it just doesn't feel completely manly. Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of very manly music pieces and songs in every genre, but there isn't really a genre that men can call fully manly. The most popular music (pop music) today is catered towards young girls obviously.
So what is there for young boys? What is music is there for them that they can look up to: to put them on the path of manliness? What genre of music can we men call our own?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Rafael Feliczaki on -
I don't think it is right to associate some music genre to be absolutely manly because music is a patrimony of humanity. Even heavy metal that is very manly have some woman around. There are, of course, music directed towards man in a lot of different styles. If you need a manly music as reference for kids today, it is probably better to check something old, a big hit from the last century or even local traditional songs.
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Permalink Reply by John Galt on -
Manly music is anything that gets you going, gives you energy, and goes well with alcohol.
Modern (pop) country is fail on all counts. Rap/hip-hop doesn't qualify as music. It's just talking to a heavy beat.
Classical(of the more percussive sort, such as Wagner), metal, hard rock(not the modern poppy crap), and some older country are the musics that stir a man's soul.
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Permalink Reply by Joseph Casson on -
Classics like Frank Sinatra, Queen are filled with energy I find good for the soul. Folk songs of the pirates, the nordics, the knights and such are all very inspiring and though provoking, as are the works of Two Steps from Hell and Hans Zimmer, and nothing says manly like a serene and thoughtful individual.
Also throw in some Cha Cha Slide
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Permalink Reply by Scott on -
Just happened across this post while surfing for thoughts for a play list I was creating. I didn't really look through other posts, so if what I post is a duplicate - my apologies!
The first and foremost masculine music is the Blues, esp Delta Blues. People like BB King, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Joe Bonamassa, etc are all definitively masculine.Next thought I had was old school Rockabilly - Dion, Elvis, Chuck Berry, Johnny Cash, etc.
Also, Ray Charles, Little Richard, and James Brown stuff from the 50's & 60's all qualify.
Most of the songs on this list... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZH8zTzjQpE&feature=related
And, last but definitely not least - James Brown "It's a Man's World" and Muddy Waters "Mannish Boy"
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Permalink Reply by A L Stein on
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Great post, Josh. Usually anything labelled "classic" is pleasing to the ear and works; classic rock, classic r&b, classic country, etc... and requires some form of concentration and reflection. Anything with a great bassline and horns plus great lyrics will always get my attention.
I avoid anything White Stripes or their offspring. To me that's the equivalent of putting an old transistor radio next to your ear and cranking it up all the way. Screeech! Even rap is more heartfelt and thought out.
As far as 'manly' music, Sinatra always works. As does Waylon Jennings.
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Permalink Reply by Vytautas on -
What is manliness and educating boys in manliness? I guess you need to answer those questions for yourself in order to get the answer to "manly" music.
I like jazz and blues and classical and rock and pop and rnb and country and hip hop. When listening, I rarely ask how manly is the music.
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Permalink Reply by Stewart Alan Chilcott on -
Get back to the roots. The Blues, a true American music (from the opinion of an Australian), often speaks volumes about the troubles which many young men battle: depression, loneliness, prejudice, lack of respect, lack of opportunities and so on. Other great musical genres include folk music, country and western. Basically anything that's real and has a human feel to it. For this purpose I would suggest The Rolling Stones and The Who.
A great lyric from The Who song ANYWAY, ANYHOW, ANYWHERE sums up what it means to be a young man:
"Nothing gets in my way
Not even locked doors
Not gonna be following lines
That been laid before
I get along anyway I dare
Anyway, anyhow, anywhere."
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Permalink Reply by sal alvarado on
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Soul, punk, oi, ska, rockabilly, and other derivatives of those are manliest.
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Permalink Reply by Charlie on -
I grew up listening to a lot of punk music. Currently it seems many of the singer/songwriters from a lot of my current favorite punk bands of been playing a lot of acoustic and even folk-ish music. Their raw voices give it a soul that I really love.
Music on this one starts around the 1:00 mark (Brian Fallon from the Gaslight Anthem)
Chuck Ragan from Hot Water Music. For this song he tends to bring opening bands up to play with him regardless if they know the song or not. You can't deny the manliness of his shredded voice.
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Permalink Reply by Jimmy on -
Someone has already said it but Neil Young is definitely a manly man.
I'd put Bruce Springsteen up there as manly music too.
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Permalink Reply by Conor on
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personally I think the society around classic instrumental jazz fits the mold of a real man. An example in my city there was recently 2 concerts last week. One was a jazz concert featuring great jazz guitarist like Howard Alden. The second was a red hot chili peppers concert. My father and I went to the jazz concert and my sister and brother in law went to the RHCP concert. The difference was amazing.
The jazz concert was full of men dressed well very respectable no hoot and hollering light clapping after solos but up most respect.
From what I hear about the RHCP concert there were people screaming dirty looking people drunks people without shirts, fights and other things like this.
I love smooth instrumental Jazz music, go to concerts, and restaurants with that kind of music and took a few Jazz guitar lessons when I was going through school. The people I find in the smooth jazz classic style of music tend to fit the mold of the "real man" that we discuss on this forum. Respectable, Dressed well, care about appearance, calm, and respectable.
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