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RE: The Era of the Grown Up Punk




> From: "L. Bird" <pkeets@hotmail.com>
> Subject: Re: FACE DANCES
> 
> >1) Pete's writing style:  Pete was then going for a complex, poetic
> style of writing in which he said he was smashing words and images like he
> 
> used to smash guitars.  So the songs have strong images in them that are 
> complete non-sequitars (like "volcanoes exploding through snow" in "Music 
> Must Change" for instance; yes, I know it's on Who Are You).  This
> "obscure 
> and oblique" style of writing was very off-putting to fans who were 
> previously attracted to Pete's writing for its straight-forward 
> emotionalism.
> 
> Anybody have an idea why Pete went to this style of writing, and whether 
> this has affected the success of his solo albums?
> 
	[O'Neal, Kevin W.]  I've always thought of Pete's "changes" to be a
result of the times and of him growing up.  We were all fed up with the damn
peace sign.  Rock was fading.  Disco was gone, but was being replaced by the
very socially biting punk movement, or "new-wave" for the less hard core.
Pete changed in many ways.  His hair style, his clothes, the way he danced,
wearing mascara again, etc..
	Look at a 1981/82 era boot video.  Pete is all about new-wave (AKA -
adult/mature-punk).  He almost doesn't fit with the rest of the band
anymore.  Pete, always being the social mirror, was following a genre of
music that continued this sort of mission.  I, for one, was glad to follow
him.  I too was way into the punk movement.
	While Punk was very heavy on "bashing music", New-Wave was musically
more subtle and thus had to make up for that with "smashing lyrics".
Definitely more sophisticated.
	Did it affect the success of his solo albums?  Hmmmmmm.  Pete chose
a path.  Most didn't like it (or get into New-Wave/Punk), but many did.
	I personally felt Pete took it too far (time-wise and creatively).
It took allot of effort and adjustment to let it go and return (or follow)
the next path.

	Kevin in VT.
	"Don't jump in expectin fun
	Don't swagger in there with your elephant gun
	Don't enter the cage wavin chairs"        PT