Music

I don't like opera, mainly because of the sopranos. Auditioning vocal performance in such high ranges makes my skin crawl. I don't like bluegrass, most country, or rap, or any music that encourages (or glamorizes) illiteracy, stupidity, or ignorance as a lifestyle. I absolutely believe that these forms of music encourage ignorance & promote illiteracy, not to mention (he mentioned) that they devolve the English language. I don't like punk rock or thrash, or other music that is intentionally dissonant. I don't like "whiners" (like Alannis Morrisette or Hootie & the Blowfish). Also, I don't like musicals in general, mainly because the music requires a suspension of disbelief that I'm not willing to make the effort for... for me, it destroys the story when people begin to gyrate around the stage and/or sing.

Singers that cannot sing are particularly annoying. The most extreme example I can think of is Tom Waits, who may be the world's absolute worst vocal performer. Another one who can't sing worth beans is Bob Dylan... I usually wake up out of a sound sleep and turn off the stereo if Dylan comes on... Luckily, Waits is so unpopular, I have never even heard the man outside of some LP's I inherited.

Here's what I do like:

• classical, with an emphasis on string quartets & cellos
• rock
• hard rock
• blues
• disco
• dance
• heavy metal
• big band
• high-quality folk
• barbershop quartets
• choir
• most Xmas carols
• some blues
• soft rock
• techno with a heavy beat & no lyrics
• soft jazz
• crooning (like Harry Connick Jr.)
• classical piano
• country when it's done very well (I dislike most country for the same reasons I dislike rap).

Here's a list with some of my absolute favorite artists:

Artist	Recommended Work	Why I like them
Emerson Lake & Palmer	Trilogy	Rock to Classical music - done to perfection
Amy Grant	Heart In Motion	Listen to this work. Wonderful. Her other stuff doesn't measure up so far, though. This is the only work I know of that isn't Christian devotional (read, "icky") music.
Crack The Sky	Crack The Sky	The debut album was the best one. Unfortunately, I can't find it on CD!
Heart	Little Queen	Rock with attitude & beautiful harmony.
Hiroshima	Hiroshima	Soft Jazz - wonderful.
Robin Lee	Black Velvet	Country - the best I've ever heard. You know the phrase "sings like a bird"? It was made for this woman. What a voice! What great songs! And remember, this is from someone who is not generally a country fan!
James Gang	Live in Concert	The best live album anyone ever made. You know, people talk about Eric Clapton like he's "The Man", call him "Slow Hand", generally give him credit for being about the best in the world for serious rock and blues frettage. Nah. Not even. Joe Walsh is "The Man". Clapton plays with his ego. Walsh plays with his heart. Get this CD and trip on his work. Then find everything else he's done (the Eagles, solo work, etc.) and buy it. Or you'll go to hell.
Led Zeppelin	Led Zeppelin I, II, III or IV	The early works are the best, from where I sit. These guys were the penultimate hard rock band.
Tony Macalpine	Freedom To Fly	The 2nd best technical guitarist I've heard.
Rush	2112	Rock with an SF edge. Superb musicians, great themes.
Joe Satriani	Surfing With The Alien	The best technical guitarist I've ever heard.
Skywalk	Silent Witness	Soft Jazz - romantic and wonderful.
Sunscreem	O3 (that's "ozone", for those of you not into chemistry)	Techno, some of the best there is.
Yes	Fragile	In a class with Emerson, Lake & Palmer. Or vice-versa. Stunning.