Wednesday, July 10, 2002

And keep writing I shall...

I really don't feel my need to defend rock or its meanings. I'm just trying to imply its importance to many people (including myself). Rusty, you are indeed one of the lucky few people in this world that can bury stuff and let it go. Most people in this world cannot, therefore, they end up doing all sorts of crazy things. It depends on how much they let go and how much they hold in. The Beatles were magic. Plain and simple. They managed to walk that perfect line of being so many things to all people. But, The Who's music may actually may mean more to me in the larger picture. I know that it's really a matter of personal taste, but that's me. The reason why is because I relate. I think music should be able to be related to. You relate to ABBA, I do not, but it certainly doesn't diminish their quality. Same goes for 'Nsync, for that matter. I appreciate your clarification on the reasons you dig Destiny's Child. I understand the issues that are being addressed in the big Who songs. It may be because I'm just an overgrown teenager. I understand Pete Townshend's duplicity and contradictions. I'm full of them, too. Somehow, they all add up in the end to me. The great thing about a song is one that can be listened to in headphones and speak directly to your soul, then, you can sit in a room full of people and play it and have everyone sing along, and then, the next level is having it affirmed with thousands of screaming people in a stadium somewhere. Waving your fist in unison to that great anthem. It is important. You are made to not feel silly for turning up the volume on "Won't Get Fooled Again." You've affirmed it with many, many like-minded people. Rock shows can be those kinds of releases. As I seem to remember, Rusty, you're not a big fan of those either. Church, anyone? Why do people attend church? Maybe it's the same reason kids attend rock concerts. It's probably wrong. The Beatles were more popular than Christ, after all. I know for those of you that stand on that good old Rock of Salvation will win out in the end and I will be left with nothing but damaged hearing, but by golly, it's almost all I've got these days to confirm that I am real. Maybe that can change. Alot of folks have commented on The Who's decision to continue their tour a couple of days after Entwistle's death. The more I've thought about it, I know that it's the right thing to do. The only thing to do. The release. It's all about the release. So, whereas you feel that Mr. Townshend is merely trying to get at the big problems, I think he succeeds. Quadrophenia works on so many levels because of this. Eddie Vedder (another purveyor of angst that I happen to like, and Rusty happens to dilsike) was deeply moved by Quadrophenia as a youngster. And, I know as a writer, you feel that his stories has many holes in them (they do). You can't get past the structure. This is precisely why they work for me. Rock music should never actually tell its audience what to feel. I usually don't like the stuff that does. It should always be open ended. This can always be a problem when words are brought into play. Another fine line that bands like The Beatles were perfectly able to walk.

Lyrics

I get really irritated today that if in a rock song you actually mention anything specifically. Hit something head on. You're upposed to skirt around it and flirt around it in a way, say, that a Stones lyric would, and maybe mention it in a sort-of double meaning, double edged way. I've always been frustrated with this aspect of rock, I don't get anything from that type of song. Like you sit down and listen to a piece by Debussy, one person can see the Arctic and another can see the Russian Revolution, you can see anything you like because there's nothing suggested by it than in a musical way. When you've got words, "I walked into the room and I picked up my spade, and I worked for the Revolution" type of thing, it's enough to kill anything stone dead.

In rock and roll, what you don't do is make people's decisions for them, you share their ideas and you share their difficulties and you share their period of frustration, but you don't say "the thing that you have to do now is get yourself a job, get a retirement plan. You don't do that stuff. You say, "Let's go get a drink and talk about it." Drawing a conclusion should never be the job of a good rock songwriter.

Maybe I make no sense whatsoever. I make sense to me, though. Again, it's the reason why people like certain things and other folks don't. It's the difference between me and you, Rusty. But you know I love you all the same. Rock music is my release. I think you have different releases than mine. And perhaps I do harbor too much angst and really don't realize it all yet. My favorite movie is Rushmore, after all...

Tommy Fischer

And I like flowers too, almost as much as The Who.

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