There is a quote from Theodore Roosevelt that reads, “Comparison
is the thief of joy.” This quote applies to everything, especially music. When
listening to a newly discovered band, many people (including myself) often
compare what they are hearing to another sound that they are familiar with. People
like to find similarities that they are comfortable or familiar with, because it
is just how the human mind works. However, when a song or group is compared to
other bands, it constantly reminds the listener what they are “supposed to be
listening to,” even if the similarity was not intended by the band and was only
applied by the listener. It can definitely suck the joy out of listening to
anything. This can apply to genre comparisons as well. Metalheads are known for
subdividing everything into an absurdly extensive range of subgenres, and I,
being a metalhead, tend to do this during initial listenings of a band.
However, if the band does not exactly fall into the classifications I have set
aside for it, I can get disappointed and think, “this doesn’t fit that genre.” This
is all ridiculous, of course, because the band itself likely never set out to achieve
that classification in the first place. An example of this was when I first
discovered the band Fudge Tunnel. I initially classified them as grungy sludge
metal, but after repeated listens, I began subconsciously comparing their sound
with that of early Tool. Eventually, I began to wonder why this “prog-sludge”
band didn’t sound more like what I thought they should sound like. But then I
realized, that was MY classification. The band in no way meant to sound like
whatever I had dubbed it to be, and I realized that my classification of the
song had sullied my expectations of it. It is best to pay attention to what
something actually sounds like, instead of trying to invent a new comparison in
your head.
Another factor which could ruin a person’s interpretation of
music is expectations. If a band or song is recommended, and the person tells
you that it sounds exactly like Led Zeppelin, then until you hear the song, you
will have built up in your mind an expectation for the song that can in no way
be matched by reality. So when you actually hear it, you will of course be
disappointed by the fact that whatever you are listening to does not sound like
what you thought it would. So even if the song is perfectly good, you will be
listening to it with a bad perspective, in a constant state of disappointment
that it does not sound “exactly like Led Zeppelin.” Once again, it is best to
try to appreciate music as you hear it and to not have any ideas in your head
about what it should sound like. This can be difficult sometimes. For instance,
if you are listening to music on Spotify, and you look through the list of
recommended artists, anything you see you expect will sound somewhat like what
they are allegedly “similar to.” If the recommended artist sounds nothing like
what you are expecting, you may not like it even if it is a great band that you
would normally like if you didn’t already have an expectation for it.
When listening to music, it is usually best to keep expectations
and comparison out of the mind, no matter how hard that may be sometimes.
