Differences of opinions

It's always eye-opening to read what other people think, and my friend Ellie's preference for Kris Allen over Adam Lambert, as expressed in her always-eloquent blog, was interesting. She and I often disagree on matters of entertainment, and thus far, I don't think we've ever preferred the same American Idol contestant. However, I do have to say to her and to anyone else who might be reading, Adam Lambert does not have a "screechy style" unless you also count Steve Tyler and other top stars as having a screechy style. Maybe my years as the mother of a musician have affected my judgments about music. Daniel eats, sleeps, breathes music, and not only does he play a large number of instruments, he also sings. Yet he would be the first to say that being versatile doesn't mean much when it comes to having a fan base.

I used to argue with my mother about Elvis versus The Beatles. She would say that Elvis was a far better singer than any one of the Fab Four. I'd argue that they wrote their own music (which Elvis never did) and that they performed using more than a simple acoustic guitar (Elvis's usual). She'd respond, "But he can still sing so much better than they can." These days I'd be inclined to agree that overall, Elvis sang better than John, Paul, George, and/or Ringo. He was a more talented singer. (But none of his songs ever moved me the way John's "Imagine" did.)

I tend to like singers with unusual voices. My husband likes the velvety voice of Sade, while I like the gravel-voiced Bonnie Tyler. I like Janis Joplin (actually, I LOVE Janis Joplin). I like the younger Rod Stewart and Elton John at any age (almost). I don't like Beyonce. Give me the young, pre-drugged Whitney Houston. I love Pink. I love Natalie Mains of the Dixie Chicks. I adore Otis Redding, the Righteous Brothers, and Willie Nelson. Can't stand Barry Manilow or Paul Anka or Frank Sinatra. Love Stevie Nicks and Grace Slick. Can't stand Christina Aguillera. Can't stand the Beach Boys or the Rolling Stones. Love Eric Burden of the Animals.

But taste is relative. One of my students asked me why people liked and disliked different foods. He can't stand alfredo sauce, for example, but his girlfriend loves it. In the end, there's something (or someone) for every taste. Although I'm still trying to figure out why anyone loves raw oysters, raw celery, brussel sprouts, or root beer....

And I still predict that Adam Lambert will achieve long-lasting fame, guyliner and all. I probably won't ever buy a Kris Allen CD, even though I just added a Blood, Sweat, and Tears CD to my collection after saying, years and years ago, that I hated them. What can I say? Tastes differ from person to person, but they also differ from age to age. Still, the day I buy or voluntarily listen to a Barry Manilow CD will be the day to close the lid on my coffin. If I want to listen to anything that refers to the tropics, I'll just play Jimmy Buffet and dance around in my flip-flops.