Do men really have a 'mid life crisis'?.....

sonnetpete

sonnetpete

Grumpy Old Retired Moderator and quiz inquisitor..
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......you know, we allegedly do things like buying a sports car or a power boat (in fact anything to do with fast cars and loose women....or is that fast women and loose cars?? Anyway, I think I'm having mine now, though if it's 'mid life' I'll live to 120).

I've decided that my satellite set up has gone as far as practically possible here and I'm not going to buy more dishes etc. :D:D But.....I've been given money for Xmas and I've saved some by not having to pay one of my housing charges.......

I've had a guitar since I was 12 (so a long time!), though never a really decent one. I've owned acoustics, a twelve string acoustic, an old beat up Watkins Rapier electric, a better Epiphone electric and then since 1985 an electro acoustic Ovation copy. But lately I've had this urge to buy something a bit special......

My musical soul lies in Rock and Blues and I've always wanted to sound like Rory Gallagher or Peter Green (sound like....couldn't possibly play like). I looked at several online guitar stores and came across a really good guitarist called Simon McBride who uses and demos Paul Reed Smith guitars. Now I couldn't afford the top end PRS range (£1500 and up) but they do a mid range and I fell in love with the one in the attached photo. It looks, sounds and plays like a dream, even on the tiny battery amp I have, I really couldn't be happier!!!
 

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I suspect that it affects men who marry early and want to kick up some metaphorical dust before it's too late. I married at the age of 33 (co-incidentally the same my father) having spent ridiculous amounts of money driving like a lunatic in rally cars in my twenties. I'm sooooo glad I got that need for speed out of my system before all the speed cameras came along!

Regarding your problem. Well, it's not a problem, is it? Like they say - if it feels good, do it! I'm also a fan of early Fleetwood Mac (Green Manalishi, Man of the World - beautiful) and if I had a musical bone in my body I'd be up there with you, so go for it!
 
sonnetpete said:
Do men really have a 'mid life crisis'?.....
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I think a real mid life crisis only happens to men that have been handcuffed (not literally) by their wife and financial situation.

BTW, I love the wall. Is the whole house in that style?
 
Huevos said:
I think a real mid life crisis only happens to men that have been handcuffed (not literally) by their wife and financial situation.

BTW, I love the wall. Is the whole house in that style?
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Perhaps I was metaphorically handcuffed because of our finances. We struggled along on a mixture of benefits and low paid work for years until due to my wifes cancer recurrence she could access her teachers pension early. Sadly, she had very little time left to enjoy the benefits.

The exterior walls are like that, but there's only a couple of walls in the dining room in that style. It's a lot of mess and hard work to take down the plasterboarding covering the interior walls, dig out the old pointing and then fill in with that creamy yellow 'joint'. I also think it would be too much to have the whole interior with exposed walls. Had Bob 'the builder' not done a bunk back to the UK I might have thought about doing more, but it's too much for me to take on myself.

@ PaulR : I married at age 59!!
 
Well if there was one for me then I did not notice it amongst the everyday crisis of having, nurturing, feeding and educating our offspring whilst trying to maintain a roof over our heads and employment that was fulfilling and financially beneficial. Never having earned a great amount of money, I feel that I never reached a level of financial security that would allow me to indulge in my desires. I do not however begrudge anyone who does feel secure enough to treat themselves. Of course everyone's priorities are different ours probably more than average with having a large part of our family in the ME.
A guitar was always something that I desired to learn but always put off, which I regret as now my fingers are unable to move in the way I would like them to achieve this goal. If you can do it......... go for it......... splash out and get strumming, or have you already?
 
Topper said:
.....A guitar was always something that I desired to learn but always put off, which I regret as now my fingers are unable to move in the way I would like them to achieve this goal. If you can do it......... go for it......... splash out and get strumming, or have you already?
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Blimey Topper, if I make my mind up I don't hang about! I ordered it (from the UK) Tuesday morning, got it sent FedEx priority and it was here by 4pm on Wednesday.
 
So, just a couple of David Gilmour attic clearance Amps/Speakers to go?
 
sonnetpete said:
Blimey Topper, if I make my mind up I don't hang about! I ordered it (from the UK) Tuesday morning, got it sent FedEx priority and it was here by 4pm on Wednesday.
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Crumbs the dust can still be seen from over the channel Pete, so with sonnets and guitar to hand you will be posting some tunes soon then?
 
@ Tivù : Though I did go through a period where Pink Floyd (which one was Pink BTW?) were flavour of the month they've never been a particular favourite. Should Mr.Gilmour be clearing out his attic I might be interested in any guitars he no longer has a use for. (and looking him up on Wackypedia it seems he has quite a stock)

@ Topper : I don't think any of my sonnets really lend themselves to a rock/blues overdriven guitar backing. Early Peter Green covers maybe.
 
sonnetpete said:
@ Tivù : Though I did go through a period where Pink Floyd (which one was Pink BTW?) were flavour of the month they've never been a particular favourite. Should Mr.Gilmour be clearing out his attic I might be interested in any guitars he no longer has a use for. (and looking him up on Wackypedia it seems he has quite a stock)

@ Topper : I don't think any of my sonnets really lend themselves to a rock/blues overdriven guitar backing. Early Peter Green covers maybe.
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Go for it m8 ...and enjoy it to the full ..
:D

Musically ...I'm still stuck in the Floyd era ...
Syd I hope you are looking down right now ..
Love you man ..

Also like folk ..as I used to sing acapella ....Ewan maccoll ...mostly

Never learned to play an instrument ...but love blues guitarists like John Mayall ...

but in my youth it was all Yes ...Floyd...ELP ...Zeppelin Tull ...etc etc ..
and still love it all ..

Never had ankle biters ....but was married briefly ..
Went back to what I know best ....divorced ...and carried on being the child I hope I'll always be ..
54 going on 24 ..thats me..
Love your life ..Live your life ....but most of all gotta love yourself ...before you can love others
rgds
VS
 
Now VS, we're the same age and I was more of a Moodies man as a late teenager .............. but oddly enough over the past couple of years I have slowly acquired much of Mr.Pink's back catalogue, including the psychedelic stuff and I'd have to say that it is the bees bo**cks.

That said, I also find I like the Bee Gees too ................ and do you know what? I don't give a stuff who calls me a girlie!
 
Understand where you're coming from with the moodies ...and yes I don't mind hearing the brothers Gibb ...
They made good music that was fitting for their hayday.
My favourite early floyd number has to be Arnold Layne ...
Its classic ...
But of course I remember losing a few brain cells the first time I heard Dark side of the Moon ..
I still have all my Floyd on vinyl ...in pristine condition..
Sad aint I ...
Oh ..and I also find a disturbing fascination with Aqualung by Tull ...
Yep ..maybe I am that guy :D
rgds
VS
 
Oh dear.....I seem to have unwittingly started a 'rocknostalgia' thread.

I pretty well liked anything John Peel played in the late 60's and early 70's. I've already mentioned Peter Green and Rory Gallagher but I do also admire Ry Cooder, J.J.Cale, B.B.King and Paul Kossoff.

I had a few Emerson, Lake and Palmer records (and a few Nice ones too, anyone remember 'America'?). Lots of Yes, but didn't really find that Led Zep did that much for me. Perversely, Robert Plant's duet record with Alison Krause I do really like. Of up to date stuff I like Evanescence and Kings of Leon.
 
sonnetpete said:
Oh dear.....I seem to have unwittingly started a 'rocknostalgia' thread.

I pretty well liked anything John Peel played in the late 60's and early 70's. .
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..me also Pete ..
Also remember the radio being very active saturday afternoons with Alan Fluff Freeman ..who didn't always hit the spot with me ..but played a lot of stuff I did like...
back when I were but a kid..

...not forgetting of course ..the old grey whistle test ....
Compulsive viewing
;)
 
Another John Peel disciple here.

mid 80's I went for bands like Camel, who have remained one of the lesser=known greats, with a huge but not especially vocal fan base.

PS: I hope Rolf is reading -------------- some ideas for the Crimble "Name That Prune" fest???
 
I _do_ have a confession though ...
Fell in love with Kate Bush ....both vocally and physically ..

I also have a soft spot for Simon and Garfunkel & the Carpenters

There ...I've said it ..confession time over
Better get my rosary out now
 
Did you see Alan Bentyob's documentary about S&G last week?
 
Tivù said:
Did you see Alan Bentyob's documentary about S&G last week?
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Sadly no ...I managed to miss it ..
What was the doc titled ?
Chances are I can find it on usenet..
rgds
VS
 
I don't mind Simon and Garfunkel, though I prefer Paul Simons solo work (IMHO he's one of the best lyricists ever, check out 'Kathy's Song'.)

I also had a couple of Camel records (Snow Goose?) eventually however they gave me the hump.........

.......now you can't say you didn't expect that one LOL
 
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