Re: Rock is dead, I say

[Phil McRevis <legalize@xmission.com>]

In article <000601bfc650$922efee0$ad4674cc@mleaman>,
    "Mark R. Leaman" <mleaman@sccoast.net>  writes:

> OK. What innovations have come from the Blues in the last 60 years?

I guess that's where we part company.  You consider it "dead" because
it hasn't innovated?  Whereas I would only consider it "dead" if it
didn't move me anymore.  New songs by new bands still move me and so
does new stuff from Pete and John (sorry Roger fans, but his solo
stuff never moved me, I'm not a fan of crooner stuff; the one
exception was McVicar, but that was really TEDJ plus guests).

I don't demand innovation from music in order to be happy with the
product.  Hell, one of my favorite 80s bands is the B-52s.  Were they
innovative?  Hell no, they were retro before anyone even knew what
retro was, but they still rock the house and get these old bones a
bouncin'.

> And by
> the same token, what innovations have come from Rock since the 70's?

I'd say the synth bands did some innovative things since the 70s, but
I guess that was due to new possibilities with the instruments more than
anything to do with "rock".

> It's not that I don't love Rock and Blues, and Reggae and Jazz and so on,
> but that doesn't mean there's anything going on there but recycling.

Apparently this bothers you more than it bothers me ;-).

> >The same thing goes for all the "they should retire" arguments.
> 
> I never said they should retire, but I'd sure like to see some innovative
> material from Townshend because I know he's still got it in him.

Yeah, I didn't mean to put words in your mouth there, but it is
another common complaint about our boys.

> >Nobody expects Muddy Waters
> 
> My favorite Blues artist, BTW.

Anyone who isn't yet familiar with Muddy, I recommend the "Muddy
Waters on Chess" compilation.  Somehow I lost my copy of the first
disc and now I have to hunt it out again.  A sweet compilation!

> >[...] this idea that it has to be for "kids" only.
> 
> But remember, even Pete Townshend bought into this thinking, and the reason
> he was constantly in termoil (hopefully resolved now) is that he felt he
> needed to bring it to an adult level but it cannot be done.

I think of everything The Who did from Tommy onwards to be more
"adult" than most of the stuff that comes out.

> I agree with you; no one will be able to do Louie Louie (Animal House
> soundtrack) better than John Belushi anyway.

I wasn't thinking that having them cover Louie Louie would be the
"best" version or anything like that, just that it would be fun to
hear them play it!
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