While traversing Eastern Iowa today on the way to pick up my son for a visit, I heard The Who’s “Long Live Rock” and AC/DC’s “Rock and Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution” within a few minutes of each other, and I’d like to respond to both claims.
Regarding Pete Townshend’s words “Long Live Rock, be it dead or alive!” I agree, as long as said rock is of the 50-s through some of the 90’s variety. But Rock as we children of Rock and Roll know it is indeed dead. Today’s “rock” (I hate equating that great word to today’s so-called “music”) is completely digustingly terribly awful. Never worse. For the first time in 20 years, given the choice, and being forced to listen to one over the other…I’d choose hip hop over hard rock. Today’s bands suck. Worst ever. It’s not music. It’s f’ing noise.
Which leads me to the AC/DC claim: 20-30 years ago? No, it wasn’t noise pollution. Some of it was bad, but most of it was great. Today? It’s noise pollution. Period. I’d rather put a chainsaw and my head simultaneously into one of those large metal toolboxes and crank up the chainsaw for an hour. The pain of that noise would be FAR less than the noise I’m hearing out of so-called “bands” who profess to be making “music”.
No, I’m not old. I will still rock out with the best of ‘em. Hence the reason I was listening to classic rock and turning it up to Nigel Hufnel’s vaunted “11″ on the way to get the boy today. But today’s…”music”… is killing rock and roll. It may already have.
2 responses so far ↓
1
chef Kevin
// May 22, 2007 at 3:22 pm
The problem with today’s rock (as I see\hear it) is that it SOUNDS depressing. I mean songs could have the most upbeat, flowery lyrics ever written but the keys they are using and how words are sung make the blues sound like “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun”. I feel like I need Prozac after a half hour session.
2
bjstone
// May 24, 2007 at 2:38 am
I listen to it and it’s no wonder there are so many angry young men between 15-24 these days…that crap would make anyone mad.
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