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From: merchant@dartvax.UUCP (Peter Merchant)
Newsgroups: net.music
Subject: Re: "USA for Africa" trash...
Message-ID: <2905@dartvax.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 10-Apr-85 11:05:06 EST
Article-I.D.: dartvax.2905
Posted: Wed Apr 10 11:05:06 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 14-Apr-85 02:23:10 EST
References: <93700002@hpcnoa.UUCP>
Organization: Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
Lines: 55

> 
> 
> 	This note is concerning the recent USA for Africa recording...
> 
 .
 .
 .
> 
> 	The worst thing is, the music is pretty pathetic...and the
> video reminds me a lot of the self-indulgent Police junk - a 'gee,
> isn't it neat to see us at work?' sort of attitude!
> 
> 	Anyone else disgruntled by this sh*t?
> 
> 						Dave Taylor
> 						Hewlett Packard


The song isn't that impressive, I agree.  At 6:20, it's rather boring.
I could probably deal with 3:30 version, no problemmo.  In fact, I grumble
because the station I always listen to editted it themselves and editted
out Bob Dylan, who is the best part of the song! (beep!  personal opinion!)
Even Quincy Jones couldn't get him to harmonize.

The one thing that bothers me about the video, though, is that all they do
is show us a bunch of well fed popular recording stars singing .  Now, 
what touched off a spark of giving in the U.K., from what I understand,
are some rather heavy shots of the starving people in Ethiopia.  I never
saw these shots.  If the american news services brought them to us, I missed
'em.  I may very well have.

But I'm certainly not inspired to give money to this cause by listening to
a bunch of well-fed pop stars.  The only that impressed me was Pat Benetar,
who is donating the profits from her single "We Belong", which is, as you
put it, her own money.  Now Pat isn't going to be going bankrupt over it,
I admit, but it is nicer than "We Are The World."

I could deal with a video that, intersperced with shots of "my favourite
popular stars singing their hearts out for the starving children of Ethiopia
and Africa" (I know Ethiopia is in Africa.  Let me finish) they show me
some of those starving people in Ethiopia.  I've never really dealt with the
whole topic.  The best I've done is gone a whole day without a meal...just 
snacks.  But, of course, the fifteen year-old Michael Jackson fans would go
"Oooh!  Grodey!" and shut off the set.  So they give us the sanitized version.

And now, for chrissakes, the Canadians are making one, which is almost as
boring, but at least it doesn't sound like a Pepsi Commercial.  ("We are
the world, we are the pepsi generation...")  I hear Julio and a bunch of
Spanish Recording stars are going to make a song.  And, the one that gets
me, a batch of metalmusic bands are getting together.  Now THAT, I might buy!
It sounds like it could be hilarious!

I agree with you, though.  The whole thing is kind of sad.
--
                                        Peter Merchant