More Tricky Baba Songs?

[Bogie3200@aol.com]

>>Sir, you mention Baba but find the message in "Another Tricky Day" to be so
>>unWho-like??  Wasn't one of Baba's favorite sayings "Don't Worry, Be
Happy?"
>> Isn't that in essence what "ATD" is saying as well?  And it certainly
isn't unusual for 
>>Pete to say (or write) one thing and say something inconsistent later!
 Yes, Pete 
>>wrote his fair share of depressing songs, but I always found so many more
of his 
>>messages to be uplifting at their core, which may be why so many people say
things 
>>like 'Quad saved my life.'   LMLOTD is one of those more hopeful songs from
around 
>>the same period as ATD, and yet Pete was going through pure hell (some 
>>self-induced, some because of Keith's death, some because of Cincy) around
this 
>>time, yet he could still find it within himself to write an upbeat song or
two.

>Rich B.:
>
>I must say that you've got a good point there. I never thought about ATD in
regard to 
>Baba. I suppose it could be interpreted that way, although lines like: "This
is no social 
>crisis..." make it sound like Californian feel-good type advice to me.  And
yeah, Pete 
>must have set the record for contadiction in the major Rock Star catagory.
 Let My 
>Love has never been one of my favorite songs (although I cheered the
recognition it got 
>Pete)...to me it's way too commercial.

MarK:

Actually, I hadn't fully made the connection between Meher Baba and "ATD" in
my own mind until two things happened:  (1) You mentioned him and the song in
the same breath, and (2) I had recently been thinking about possible
interpretations of various early 1980s songs in the wake of Pete's new
"LMLOTD" liner notes and the recent discussions on this list regarding the
meanings of "YBYB" and "Athena".  My previous feelings regarding "LMLOTD"
were similar to yours, but I've gained a new appreciation of it, especially
with the dandy new RC Cola Mix.  By the way, to me it always sounded like the
line "This is no social crisis" was sung by Roger with a tinge of sarcasm
(reinforced by the way Pete repeats "no crisis"), as if to say 'let me try to
put this concept in words you Silicon Valley airheads might understand.'  And
Pete's "This is true" line was also a phrase I had heard in common use only
around 1980--maybe he picked up both phrases while being Exquisitely Bored In
California!  I don't find the entire song to be sarcastic, however, and
overall to me it's a recommendation to be Content and not constantly expect
immediate and full gratification, which is a distasteful attitude Pete
undoubtedly encountered on the west coast.
 
>I don't really look at Pete's songs as upbeat or otherwise...because a good,
solid Rock 
>song is upbeat to me anyway. I Can't Explain, for instance, is a song of
pain and 
>confusion and yet I want to jump up whenever I hear it and play my
air-guitar.

In thinking about Pete's upbeat/happy/hopeful songs, "ICE" was one that I
listed as having far less pain than many of Pete's other songs (e.g., just
about all of Quad).  But I couldn't identify too many Who songs that match
the cheeriness of "ATD" or "Blue Red And Gray."  IMO, some of Pete's more
positive Who songs include "Sensation," the istening To You part of "WNGTA"
and "I'm Free" from Tommy, and maybe "Bargain" and "Getting In Tune" from
Lifehouse.  But even some of these are like "Our Love Was" where Pete
demonstrates the extent of his joy by spending half the song contrasting it
with his disappointment.  I found more of Pete's 'don't worry, be happy'
Meher songs on his solo LPs, including songs like "Sleeping Dog," "Keep Me
Turning," "Keep On Working," and "A Friend Is A Friend."  I'll leave the
matter of how "The Sea Refuses No River," "Don't Let Go The Coat," and "Life
To Life" fit into this scheme for another [tricky] day...

>Waterloo Sunset, a most beautiful song, has an element of celebration in it
and yet I 
>get sad and wistful when it's on. For me, at least, upbeat has more to do
with the 
>music than the message therein. Call me shallow, but that's how I'm affected
by 
>music. A lot of Rock music has a negativity about it anyway...pain is
sometimes the 
>best catalyst for a great song. Look at Clapton, who was at his best when
addicted to 
>heroin.

I don't think you're being shallow here at all, especially given your
thorough explanations.  The thing I always loved about so many Who songs, and
that I noticed in them as compared to so many rock songs that were
negative-only, was Roger's/Pete's defiance and determination, rather than
defeat and depression (and resignation or hopelessness, but those words don't
begin with "d").

>As far as lyrics and messages in music are concerned, I'm of the opinion
that most 
>listeners (who care about such things) enjoy listening to songs that don't
teach or 
>inform, but rather ones that echo what they already believe or feel. I
wouldn't mind 
>some feedback on that, if anyone has any thoughts...

As you can tell, Pete's Baba-tinged songs intrigue me, but I agree with your
generalizations about listeners not usually being interested in being taught
or informed.

Rich B.