"I can hear music/Sweet sweet music..."

[mleaman@sccoast.net (Mark Leaman)]

>Selective listening perhaps?  "Nick my gelt.." was said once in the song, 
>"Don't Let Go of the Coat" is the chorus.  On the surface, both are pretty 
>stupid.  What about "How can we forgive a grievance, now that we all live 
>with demons"? 

Ian:

I still think the lyrics don't stand up. If we're talking about the chorus,
"Did you - steal my - money..." is said too damned many times.

>Mark, it's the music I like....the words are secondary. I'm not a poet, 
>never hope to be one.  I listen for what matters most.  What about the 
>jangle of the Rickenbacker on "Don't Look Away"?  The interesting 
>harmony with "Don't go and hide, yesterday you were my girlfriend"?  What 
>about the bass on "How Can You Do it Alone"?  If I want to be indulged with 
>poetry, I'll listen to Dylan.  Of course you listen to the Kinks with the 
>lyrics as the forefront, but for the Who it's always been the music.  
>That doesn't mean Townshend is an excellent songwriter, but his gift for 
>melody was just as great.

Well, I separate them when I listen. Townshend is my favorite songwriter
because he may not be the best lyricist or music writer, but he's the best
with both together. A song that I like, therefore, must have both together.
If one falls apart...it takes the song with it. Dylan can get away with it
because his lyrics are so strong (at least until the `70s).
I like the things you mention (I mean, it's like sex...the worst sex I've
ever had...wasn't bad. Nor is the worst Who song), but overall I think these
are the weakest. The bass, for instance, in HCYDIA is interesting but the
song as a complete unit isn't that interesting. DLA is very weak musically.
It sounds like a lessor band did it, not the ever-mighty Who.
The scale I measure Who songs against combines other Who songs and what
other bands were doing at that time. The Who come out as number one in `65
and from `67-`73, hands down. And hit and miss during the other years.

>I hope your time wasn't wasted by this Mark, I was making a joke.   
>Personally I enjoy living in VA, so much that I kill myself ten weeks out 
>of the year to use my Eagles season tix in Philadelphia.

Well, I hope you realize that I too was making a joke. Gee, I have no
standard to judge my humor against. I can only try...
Since you're in Virginia (and therefore not too far away), I hope you'll
consider coming down for WhoFest in August. Then we can "battle it out" face
to face. "Don't play that crappy Disguises again!" "OK, then I'll play
Please Please Please." "Noooooooo. Too much!"



                   Cheers                   ML

"Never underestimate the power of human stupidity."  L. Long