Re: He's an English boy

["Mark R. Leaman" <mleaman@sccoast.net>]

> I disagree with you here.  If you want a detailed explanation I can send it to
> you privately.

McGoo:

There's no need, for it's extremely obvious that music was the primary
force in the social change in the `60's. You have the right to disagree,
but having lived it I've got to tell you you're incorrect...degree
notwithstanding.

> Oh, but it is the way it works

Most theories have facts to back them, or at least a basis in reality.
Otherwise, it doesn't work. You could come up with anything, create it
whole cloth, and call it a theory. I can't accept that.

> American novelist.  I could try to show you that Twain is the first to have
> "real" speech, privately if you wish.

That may not be necessary. I see you didn't respond to my contention
that Dickens actually did it earlier.

> That is precisly what I get from the song.

But that's only ONE SMALL PART of the song; the rest is about something
else!!! I was merely illustrating how much Townshend can say with few
words...more than most entire poems! Uh, including...

> Dickinson is essentially saying
> that faith is a human creation that nice to have, but when it comes to the real
> world, you need to use more practical things to help you.

Yes, yes...but that would only be news to a hard-core Christian who
refuses to accept reality! Or someone too stupid to read poetry...
The rest of us already knew this, so it's far from awareness-raising.
It's a rather pedestrian observation, in fact...that is to say,
something an average Joe might say?

> On a slightly deeper
> level, I also think is saying that you need to know at which point to give up
> on praying and do something about the situation yourself.  I think this is
> similar to what Townshend was saying.  I could be wrong, but I could also be
> right.

What I get from I'm Free: it's first a celebration of freedom and early
observations on human behavior from someone who's been apart from
it...someone who had a completely different perspective than society. I
don't know how much you know about LSD, but one of the essential
elements is that it give you a different perspective. Thus we see the
reflection within TOMMY of the society. I do not see anything about
doing for oneself in the song. Instead, lines like "Freedom tastes of
reality" speak of the feeling one who's been caged feels...ah, it's
wonderful when an artist can convey unfamiliar feelings to his/her
audience, wouldn't you say?
Just below the surface, however, is the pure joy one feels when basking
in the glory of one's new-found spirituality...as clearly Tommy is here,
for he's so "high" on it he invites his fans to come experience the same
joy. And so infectious is his joy, they come along even though they
don't really understand it...."How do we follow?"

That's a lot to pack into less than 3 minutes, wouldn't you say? And of
course, that's just the words...but in any case, it completely refutes
your argument Townshend doesn't write in levels.

I must observe that you failed to respond to my contention that music as
an Artform is more important than poetry, which of course why I can put
Townshend in Dickinson's league easily...you need to deal with this, or
conceed the point.

> I hate to say it, but I believe you missed the point.

Not really. You see, I was looking for that "beautiful use of language"
you were talking about and it wasn't there to any great degree...whereas
some of Tolkein's poetry (written to enhance a story, not as the primary
medium) has more of it.
So while I "got it" I simply wasn't impressed by it.
Speaking of Tolkein, I'd have to say Lord Of The Rings is my choice as
best story ever written.

> I don't think that it is deeper, but I do think it is deep.

It IS deeper (maybe you don't understand this one either?), if I am
correct that spiritual matters are about as deep as it can get. And you
failed to comment on the metaphores you claim Townshend never used being
present.

---

 "You take the guns...I'll keep the women."
             what David Koresh should have said

                      Cheers                ML