Talkin' 'bout their generation
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Earlier this month, my employer announced company-wide pay cuts and an increase in insurance premiums (on top of a mandatory 2-week unpaid furlough announced earlier this year), which pretty much demolished any interest I had in keeping the "How I Spent My Extra 10 Bucks" series going. But luckily, there are plenty of other things that interest me and should make for good blog fodder, assuming I can actually make the commitment to write some quality entries.
Classic rock, for example. A few days ago, I found a link to this diatribe (I can't remember who linked to it, or I'd give you credit) that claims that "young people who subsist on classic rock are traitors to their contemporaries." And while the writer, Ben Westhoff, has a point that today's rock bands probably aren't being given a fair chance by someone like me, whose music collection is dominated by albums released before I was born, I think it's unfair to demand that we stop listening to all of this great music just because it's from our parents' generation.
Westhoff argues that we shouldn't be listening to our parents' Beatles and Dylan albums, since they in turn weren't interested in their own parents' Benny Goodman and Glenn Miller records. But I think he's overlooking the fact that so many artists of the '60s were so much more than their music. For example, the Beatles weren't just a band, they were a worldwide phenomenon that forever changed the face of music and popular culture. And, morbid though it may be, I think that John Lennon's shocking murder only added to the Beatles' mystique for those of us who are too young to have remembered it. And so many other classic rock artists had both a tremendous social impact and tragic stories that drive their continued popularity.
And also, the music is just that damned good. In 200 years, I think the Beatles and Dylan will be as well-known and well-loved as Beethoven and Mozart are today. The best music transcends generations, and there are many of us who recognize that although we may have missed the '60s, we are at least lucky enough to see some of these legendary artists perform in our lifetimes. So that's why we're still flocking to Paul McCartney concerts. And that's why I'm not going to feel guilty about my latest album purchase - "A Quick One," by The Who, originally released 43 years ago. It's a great album, by a great band, and I'm going to have a great time listening to it. And really, isn't that enough?
Labels: Music
posted by Vinessa @ 2:36 PM,
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