GOP, Punks, and Gods

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

> The best example is politics.  It is now impossible for any candidate to
get the Republican nomination without the support of the Christian
Coalition.  And more and more the Republican Party is turning into a
Christian Republican Party

Brian McG:

Well, we do agree on some things after all.

> Not that this is bad

I take that back. It's bad for any religion to contol secular people.
Period. And since, like Prof. Brian, I'm from the sunny South, I'll say it
"Tain't right!"

> 	Either a) I have a different definition of Punk or b) I disagree.  I've
> always thought of Punk as being anti-conformity for the sake of
> anti-conformity or, in some cases, for the sake of the promotion of
> anarchy.

Kyle:

Hidey Ho, Kyle! (sorry; couldn't resist)

I think we might be in disagreement about the definition of "Punk," but not
by too much. While I do agree that Punk is anti-conformity, I don't think
it's merely for the sake of being anti-conformist. Rather it was meant to
bring things back to the basest level, to clear out the clutter and BS.
When Punk came along in the late `70's, we had Disco (need I say more?) and
most Rock was produced to a ridiculous level. Strings, backing vocals,
soaring synthwork, superslick...excessive to say the least. Punk came along
with three/four chords ane utterly raw sound, and wiped the slate clean...a
slate that badly needed cleaning, I might add.
The same was true when The Who came along. The Beatles, of course, and the
Dave Clark Five and Herman's Hermits...need I mention The Monkees? SOMEONE
needed to rock it up, and The Stones did to some degree BUT they were just
snickering at it while they rode its wave. Using it. The Who, on the other
hand, were about as non-commerical as it came (except for ICE, of course).
Listen to MG compared to any other early British debut album. It almost
sounds like it was painful to make, but out of pain comes the best Art.
There were two kinds of British bands, when The Who came along: those who
were doing their damnest to sound like The Beatles and those who were
basing their music on Blues. The Who fit into neither catagory. This is
obvious. I often like to say that if The Beatles opened the door for the
others, The Who tore down the wall around it.
So...it comes down to Daltrey screaming "I go anywhere I want to!" as a
proper street punk should. And what can be more Punk than "I hope I die
before I get old?" THAT is a complete rejection of society as it was.
If you don't believe me, ask Joe Strummer or Johnny Rotten...both of whom
were Who fans.

> definition is incorrect and in which case I would ask that you please
> correct me.

I don't know about "correct," as only Lil Danny Quayle (or is it Quail?) is
no longer entitled to his own opinion IMHO, but anyway that's the way *I*
see it.

> I agree, and I'm not one who thinks the Who are gods, 

OOOOHHHHH! I'm sorry, Kyle. You're right; they never dressed like GODS. I
misread your note.