Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site uwvax.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!qantel!dual!lll-crg!gymble!umcp-cs!seismo!uwvax!pfeiffer From: pfeiffer@uwvax.UUCP (Phil Pfeiffer) Newsgroups: net.music Subject: Re: Instrumental vs. vocal popular music ( ... the beat goes on .. ) Message-ID: <311@uwvax.UUCP> Date: Mon, 16-Sep-85 13:30:52 EDT Article-I.D.: uwvax.311 Posted: Mon Sep 16 13:30:52 1985 Date-Received: Thu, 19-Sep-85 06:36:37 EDT References: <1477@brl-tgr.ARPA> Distribution: net Organization: U of Wisconsin CS Dept Lines: 59 Why do I feel compelled to post a response to this article ?? How can we expect the net to arrive at a consensus about matters of taste ?? Given the author's disinterest in lyrics and dislike for rock vocals, his suggestion that we do away with rock lyrics altogether is quite rational. However, for me, lyrics are part of the soul of song, whether the song be rock'n'roll, broadway ballad, or art song. I can list many rock'n'roll and pop songs that I enjoy for the lyrics, or choruses, as much as for the music -- Black Sabbath's Paranoid Neil Diamond's Turn on Your Heart Light Jackson Browne's Lawyers in Love Bruce Springsteen's Born to Run /and/ Born in the USA Elton John's Sad Songs Say So Much Eddie Grant's Electric Avenue Thomas Dolby's Blinded By Science Led Zeppelin's Over the Hills and Far Away as well as many songs that have lyrics which seem mindless or like they were thrown together for effect, e.g., the "Archie's" "Sugar Sugar" and Aretha Franklin's "Freeway of Love" (cf. "Respect"). But even "Freeway of Love" can be viewed as part of a long tradition of bawdy ballad, and some people may appreciate the song for all that. If someone had advocated doing away with song lyrics in the forties, on the grounds that - you only needed the music to dance, anyway - most lyrics being written were fluff, and people needed serious music to elevate their minds (beginning to sound like Plato, eh?) well, maybe we wouldn't have had some powder puffs like "Wing and a Prayer" (though I'm sure that this song was meaningful to many people, as well), but, then, we wouldn't have had "Serenade in Blue" (whose lyrics I enjoy!) "Stardust" (whose lyrics Fred Flinstone enjoyed! ["that fuzzy-wuzziness, that ring-a-ding-a-ding" ... ). And on and on .... Also, some people LIKE ragged voices. I, for one, enjoy listening to both Neil Diamond AND Neil Young. I often enjoy listening to singers who can convey enthusiasm and emotion, even if it sometimes sounds like they're singing in spite of their voice! Does anyone out there remember Rod Stewart's rendition of "You Wear it Well"? To the three or four of you who read this far: thanks for putting up with my emoting like this. *I* don't want to forget about lyrics, and I hadn't seen anyone else say so, yet. --- Phil Pfeiffer P.S.: By the way, fiddle playing was condemned by 19th century churches because it stirred up the blood and incited people to lustful thoughts. Pagannini, I believe, was the great violinist who was rumored to be "in league with the devil", because of how he could stir people with his fiddle playing? And the author of the fiddle tune "Devil's Dream"? P.P.S: I don't understand why we're hearing so much about rock'n'roll's glorification of (premarital, I presume) sex but little regarding the glorification of adultery in C&W. Brought to you by Super Global Mega Corp .com