This post saved me from searching for free porn.

Weller, its sad. Cafe Bleu saved my teenage life and turned me onto modern jazz. Even in the Nineties up until about 1997, you could still believe in Weller, but not now.

I turn 39 this year, my wife is older and she turns 40.  Odd as it happens, her ex-husband shares exactly the same birthday as mine. I was always attracted to, and had relationships with women who were always a year older than me. That was our destiny, to be together, and we had children late, three and two years old now. Never thought I could be so old, and a parent.

As you, my icons, Weller included are now getting old. Remember when I found out Joe Strummer had died, three months down the line from a Mojo bought in Ipanema.  I still don't quite believe he's dead.

I saw David Byrne several times, last time in '97, he still had the fire, now, he hasn't.

My music collection is full of dead jazz musicians, still this speaks to me more than the moderns. What does this mean? I don't even check out the contemporary releases in the local jazz record shop, unless its Sex Mob. But I dig modern jazz, its classical music of the urban 20th century.

Our culture is in decline, its already difficult to achieve what our father's achieved, for our children it will be even more difficult, but the East, never destined for this future, read Blake and Levi Strauss as examples, has taken the means of production and technological innovation from us. We gave it to them, in the race for profit.  And yet, we still engage in 19th century wars whilst the morals and notions behind such enterprises are deemed extinct by our elite, who have sold us down the river.

We live in a culture where saudade and nostalgia may be the strongest desires at work, the trads don't exist in a vacuum.

A very good topic and one also very much on my mind these days. The more I have to do with young people (acknowledging that I am now not one of them) The more I finally get all that 'zank 'eavens for leetle girls' crap.

I'm glad I fathered a child, planted a tree and all of that. I think too that it's fair to say that I've left most things & people I've come across different to the way they were pre-me - And that's been great fun.

What's next I have no idea. I'm hoping for more of the same. My clothes, haircuts & records will become ever more 'vintage'. The next generation will do what they will. If they 'do the knowledge' then they will do well, if they try to skip it then they are doomed.

Today I shall sit in a Tapas bar by the harbour chatting to Ray (if he's on duty) planning my next move just like I did at 13. My wife and daughter will go and buy shoes and see me later.

I'm looking forward to the Summer.

http://www.el-puerto.co.uk/

http://www.askandyaboutclothes.com/foru … p?t=100440

You might want to check out Cruiser's take on the subject.

Post #22.

Last edited by Matt (2010-02-06 04:21:39)

lockerloop wrote:

What is it with some people? They'll buy anything if it's cheap but have no taste, they just do not know what is really important. So I found myself meditating on the ageing process. I'm 45 and many friends are looking back, reminiscing, re-evaluating. The icons of my youth are approaching their 60s.

This is you at your best, John, if I may say so i.e. the real person and not the persona. Reminds me of the Macchiato Man and the early days of Modculture which I'd joined in an attempt to find a direction to grow gracefully old ( well, hopefully ) more or less. I'd like to refer to my Mirror, Mirror on the Wall thread as an aside where there's a guideline of sorts to be found as for the road I've followed that lead me to this place. The Macchiato Man is here too, of course and so is Chris_H. The people that championed the Ivy League look on Modculture forum, back in the day. This obviously struck a chord with me...

After I'd called it a day as for my Rock & Roll days I guess what I started searching for was something that was both familiar and challenging but more importantly it should suit my age at that. No more studied scruffiness as had previously been the case throughout my teenage and adult life ( can't you tell I'm in a band ? ). The prevailing casual look I'd started dabbling with wasn't satisfying really, I could never truly relate to the people that started that culture for one thing. I could, however, relate to the Modernist aesthetics, or so I like to think anyway.

I'm enjoying the fact that I'm in good company here and the clothes make a lot of sense. I'm typing this whilst listening to The Five Corners Quintet, which is very much in accordance to the mindset related to those conservative clothes I think. No more having to prove oneself in that punky sort of way is a relief, if you get my drift. No more rebellion, just being at ease with yourself and the very things that surround you. I say things because I'm not a family man, never have been. There are obviously still a few trusted friends, but I'm basically a loner. One other thing is that there were never any true icons in my life, but I get the thing about Paul Cook alright. A bit like Charlie Watts perhaps. Growing gracefully old.....

Last edited by Alex Roest (2010-02-06 04:32:11)

eris wrote:

From a rather different/younger vantage point, this thread makes me wonder what my age group will look like in 40 yrs. If there's a truth to the notion that one tends to stick with what one wears in his 20ies, I see 60 year olds in baggy pants, A&F and Juicy couture tracksuits looming on the horizon. Not a nice thought.

On that note I watched Mike JUdge's movie Idiocracy last night. Set in a future where all the morons have bred and taken over the world which has become more and more dumb. Funny as it was, I realised quite soon that it wasn't set in the future. We already have this world around us. Bit depressing....

Last edited by TheWeejun (2010-02-06 11:46:50)

Just Jim wrote:

Alex Roest the sensible guy is great, but I'd love to have him with a 'Mr. Hyde' side to add to the experience of knowing him. Another online persona with all the freedom it can bring can let you do ANYTHING.

The anything bit I'd like to keep to myself if you don't mind, Jim. I'm no different to anybody else I suppose so people can just use their imagination. As for the Mr. Hyde comment I think I've posted enough to show that side of myself as well, don't you think ? Mr. Moody Cunt more like

Back to the topic. The older I get, the more I think that a "real person" has inconsistencies, quirks, silliness, masquerades... and perhaps a bit of sense (I'll give you that Alex ).

Just Jim wrote:

I'll take John WITH any persona he likes, in much the same way that you'll always get me with a few add-ons too.

1966 wrote:

The older I get, the more I think that a "real person" has inconsistencies, quirks, silliness, masquerades...

Alex Roest wrote:

I'm far from perfect myself either. I Just felt like stressing those strong sides of the both of you ( Jim and John that is ) that I find can actually make a difference in my own weird way. Ignore me when I'm being a c*nt.

So there....

Last edited by Alex Roest (2010-02-06 23:53:08)

One good thing about growing older, is that the inhibitions and shyness go, you have more self confidence in areas you know about and much less in ones you don't.  You generally have more money, better standard of living and the worries you had are gone, replaced by worries about the kids. And you can't go out for a full weekend on a tenner anymore.

Staceyboy is spot on about Weller, he's all paisley and psychedilc now, nicotine tinged skin and cites every musical influence possible in interviews when selling his latest record in a desperate attempt to expand his demographic and evoke empathy from one and all. From hippies, goths, punks, dreads, classical musicians, tangoists, Christian and Islamic fundamentalists and oh yeah, mods.

Ageing is inevitable for all of us, so just embrace it and go with it. All here have the means and the wherewithal to age gracefully and with dignity dresswise........The voice of experience speaking

Chris_H wrote:

Ageing is inevitable for all of us, so just embrace it and go with it. All here have the means and the wherewithal to age gracefully and with dignity dresswise........The voice of experience speaking

I'm not sure about the 'gracefully' bit in your case...

Few better dressed, though!

I grow old, I grow old...I shall (probably not) wear my trousers rolled...as TS Eliot almost said.