RE: This *IS* a social crisis...

["O'Neal, Kevin W." <Kevin.ONeal@vtmednet.org>]

>From: "Brian Cady" <cadyb@home.com>
>Subject: RE: This *IS* a social crisis...
>
>>You get old, you
>> become worthless.
>> Where is *that* written into stone??
>
>I think this point of view comes from a variety of sources:
>
>1) Rockers of the '60's used to espouse ageism (and any more than The Who?)
>so now that they're old and still performing, they're hypocrites.

Absolutely, but it's wrong.  We can't forget how much of a social change
this nation and the rest of the world as a result (yes, I know that sounds
nationalist, but it's true.) went through during the 60's.  It was a
generation standing up and telling the older generation that things had to
change.  No more civility at all costs.  No more just accepting.
It was a time to look outside of the box and see things in a different
light.  Why is it that many want to go back to those days of "people get
old" ????
Why can't we realize that now, there will be many (if not the majority) who
won't get "old" (I mean old in the way Pete means old.  Old in your mind.).
The Who was very right to espouse ageism.  It needed to be done.  They were
stifling free thought.  And, as a result, The Who did get everyone thinking
about it and one would have hoped, changed some perceptions.
Why do music critics want to go back to those days of youth vs. older
generations???
Even as a young kid, I was psyched to watch what would become of the then
current rockers.  There was hope for the future!  There was hope for unity!
To me, the now older rockers are setting the paces.
They're not hypocrites, they're social anarchists continuing the fight!!!!! 

>2) The NME (or "the enemy" as Ray Davies calls them) has been hammering the
>punk credo for almost 25 years now that '60's rockers should f-f-f-fade
away
>to make room for the new breed. 

Oh, OK.  Silly me.  I didn't know that I was supposed to stop listening to
good quality music, and start listening to the crap that's out there, just
because.
If there's something worth listening to, people will listen!
I was listening to (and still do) Soundgarden, Rage.  But now, the only
thing new that captures my attention is Cake.  One band.  One solitary, not
quite main-stream band.  Everything else is for shite.  And I've been
looking real hard.

>3) Many, many people see a rocker in his 50's on stage as the equivalent of
>watching a man and woman in their 50's naked and having sex. EWWWWWWW!
>Please close the door on that!

This will be the hardest to overcome.
Folk need to open their minds.  Folk who appreciate what they are hearing
and feeling will.

>It really should have been called "Pete Townshend's Tommy" instead of "The
Who's
>Tommy."

Has anyone on the list actually seen the production???
I'd be very interested in hearing a review.

>Here's a theory that just popped into my head:
<snip>
>The public says "Bulls***!" and
>turns on their classic rock radio stations as the critics harden their
>position into a never-to-be-questioned orthodoxy. Coincidence?

Great theory!  But, I just don't get it.  I thought it was the consumer that
drove demand!!!!  When did critics get such bloated egos to think that they
should be driving what we want to listen to??????
The beginning of Fascism?????  Should I plug into The Grid and get the
musack pumped in??????

>From: "Scott Schrade" <schrade@akrobiz.com>
>Subject: Re: This *IS* a social crisis...
>
>I'll grant anyone his or her opinion, but any time a person makes those
ridicu-
>lous, broad, sweeping generalizations - *all* rock music performed by "old"
>rock stars sucks - you just know......they're full of shit.  
>
>He's only trying to rile people up & get attention.

With out question, oh wise Akron-ite.
The fucking problem is, this kind of talk is listened to by those youth who
are unfortunately closed minded, and are looking for this sort of conflict.
It's in direct contradiction to what the 60's generation was trying to
accomplish.  It destroys unity at the cost of enlightenment.  The poor saps
who listen to this asshole (no, not me) will deprive themselves of the truly
great music that's out there.

I look to The Who to fight this.

Kevin in VT
Full of Piss and Vinegar!