genre labels for music

["Jeff House" <whocasa@hotmail.com>]

I can't resist chiming in on this discussion about Gov't Mule as blues or 
rock.  Why is it necessary to label their style?  Why get argumentative when 
someone throws out a label you don't agree with?  No labels work well.  It 
is music and is very difficult to box in with a single word.

It's kind of like labelling people.  Someone could call me an accountant, 
but that is only partly accurate.  I am so much more interesting than that 
single word makes me out to be.

Last night I had the distinct pleasure of seeing two 'blues' legends.  These 
people rocked out.  They were loud, used distortion and highly syncopated 
timing in their arrangements.  Does that make them rock?  Who the fuck 
cares?  They were great fun to *me*.  That is the important thing.

If someone said they were playing Irish Folk with a souuthern twist, I would 
not argue with them.  I would ask:  Do you like it?  Why?

BTW, the artists were Son Seals and Koko Taylor.  A few hours of Chicago in 
Rhode Island :-)  Hot as shit!

Jeff

_________________________________________________________________
Chat with friends online, try MSN Messenger: http://messenger.msn.com