May the Music Never Stop

Through this humble piece I would like to pay tribute to the various musicians who have touched my heart with their craft, those who have so often picked me up from the depths of my own despair when I needed picking up, those who have made my day so often when I get to discern a shade of their music I hadn’t before, those who have accompanied me in the years through my journeys as constant friends, those whose music acts as a portal to parts of my life often better than my own waking memory….I could go on and on, but I’m woefully bad with words, so I’d instead like to quote the words of a wise man who said that music is the closest one gets to comprehend the uncomprehendable, or something to that effect…

…to James Hetfield and the boys at Metallica, for exposing me to a brave new world, for making music which causes the blood to rush to your head, a music so heartfelt, sincere and raw that at times it made the hair on my thirteen year old self’s arms stand on end…

…to King Diamond and his cohorts at Mercyful Fate and his own band, for pushing the limits of the human voice, for songs that through their macabre content and excellent individual musicianship aroused in me emotions and fears that never fail to tingle even to this day when I play them back…

…to Bruce Dickinson and the others at Iron Maidens for making you forget your worries for a few minutes, for making you pump your fists in the air and bang your head to the galloping, hypnotic thump of the bass and shout along with him…

…to Joe Satriani, Eric Johnson and Steve Vai for opening my eyes to what could be achieved on an instrument and saying through their guitars what words never could...

…to Tom Araya and the guys at Slayer, for showing my fifteen year old self new expressions of aggression, for scaring the stuffing out of me with songs so fast and evil…

…to Roger Waters and David Gilmour for crafting songs that elevated you to new heights, and words that made you view the world in a new light, and Syd (RIP) for never failing to surprise you when you least expect it…

…to Mikael Akerfeldt and the musicians at Opeth for their ability, through their music, to control my mood better than I ever could…

…to Steven Wilson, for his crystalline guitar sound and intricately layered songs that make you close your eyes and forget everything else, for making music that enhances any activity while it plays in the background, like writing this piece…


…you may get old, people may forget you, play down your achievements, or say that your time is past, but there is no denying that you changed the world, and in the eyes of a lost, confused boy, you will always be young and ever shining. May the music never stop.