Inspiration is a word often tossed around in music. Sometimes, I believe, it is used in the correct way. Other times, however, it is used loosey-goosey (if I can use that underutilized slang) and generally in a weak way. The video that I have linked to the title of this blog post "Inspiration" is something that is in no way a "loosey-goosey" piece of music and art to be inspired by.
Mississippi John Hurt plays the type of Delta Blues that inspired all music to follow in the coming years after the 1960's (let alone 1950's and earlier). And that's what this blog post is all about "INSPIRATION" (hence the title).
Blues music, in my humble opinion, is the driving force behind all music ever created, ever written, ever performed in earnest. Sure, KISS can write multiple songs about their genitals and other people's genitals and be a popular group, and sure The Backstreet Boys can hire a group of writers to dribble pop music drivel out on some paper that pre-adolescent girls will eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner; but, the real, heartfelt music that comes from people is rooted in the Blues. More specifically, Delta Blues from the southern U.S. states that started off with plantations and mistreated African Americans.
That reason alone, the fact that Blues is such an overpowering style of music that it has permeated throughout the entire music catalog that has ever been catalogued, is the reason that I LOVE music. The FEELING, the STORIES behind the writing, the EMOTION, its one of the most expressive forms of art that there is.
It is impossible to write and play Blues music without actually having the blues at some point in your life. The pain, the misery, the resent, the jealousy--all these emotions have to be captured in your heart and spilled out into both your fingers and your vocal chords in order to produce this form of art. That's why all the great Blues artists from the 50's and 60's were struggling African Americans like Mississippi John Hurt and like Son House and like Muddy Waters. All of these men lived through hard times. Some through pain caused by monetary issues, some through pain caused by women (or men in the case of great Blues Women).
So, people ask me why the White Stripes are my favorite band, and my answer is rooted in this Delta Blues style. Sure, Jack White kicks it up a notch, but when he hammers out a Blind Willie McTell song on the electric guitar with overdrive and distortion with the same embodiment of that original emotion captured by Willie--THAT IS ART.
I challenge you to find a decent song with some emotion put into it that was not at all inspired by the great blues artists of the 30's, 40's, 50's, 60's. I can tell you that you will be very hard pressed to do such a thing.
In the event that you need more convincing about the Delta Blues or Blues in general, consult the video below.
