I don't think that's it

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In Reply to: Excellent..... posted by Todd Krieger on July 11, 2006 at 00:44:50:

I think it has more to do with the extremely fragile nature of mixing politics into music. Very difficult to do well, in my view, close to impossible.
I wouldn't say there are artists out there turning out stuff on a level with Dylan circa 1964, but there's an involuntary reflex that a lot of people have, myself included, that when we hear something we think is close to that level, Dylan, or whoever yr rock god is, looms over anyone & everyone else...forever. That's something that artists have been battling in youth music for decades & in that way they will almost certainly never get a fair shake, considering they're creating in a world where parameters of excellence have not only been defined, they've been drummed into people's heads as though they were gospel. Meanwhile, there are plenty of well-educated young people around, and while there will always be a percentage who enjoy classic rock & people like Dylan, most of them will embrace contemporary music first & foremost. It speaks to them a lot more than mid-Sixties Dylan.
Lastly, remember that Steve Allen was the guy who made fun of the simple 'Be Bop A Lula' lyrics in his famous put-down of rock and roll music. If the decline in education means no more Dylans, then where were they a few years before this clip, when people like Steve Allen were convinced that the youth music of that day was as subpar due to...factors such as...the decline of education?
Nobody wrote tunes like this one, there were a lot of people who came close, but that's a once-in-a-lifetime feat. If political pop music hit me the way this does, I'd dig it all. Instead, there are the precious few exceptions besides Dylan who worked well in this area, mostly for brief moments. By and large, politics & rock & roll have never mixed, and mostly never will. However, I'm not getting rid of my Clash or Minutemen records.

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Parts Connexion

Follow Ups Full Thread

Topic - Dylan clip - J 22:41:08 07/10/06 (5)

Re: Dylan clip / Check out Sub. Homesick Blues on that clip... - Guy, 08:11:51 07/15/06 (0)

That gives me goose bumps and to think it's only 42 - audiogatorjim 08:07:00 07/12/06 (0)

Excellent..... - Todd Krieger 00:44:50 07/11/06 (2)

I don't think that's it - J 10:39:10 07/11/06 (1)

Re: I don't think that's it - jack70 13:57:29 07/17/06 (0)

Follow Ups

I don't think that's it - J 10:39:10 07/11/06 (1)

Re: I don't think that's it - jack70 13:57:29 07/17/06 (0)

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