rock and roll musings by Tim Byrnes

The Summer of Hate

Cobain ten years gone now, the media’s after Courtney, there’s no justice in the woods. Today’s ‘rock scene’ has devolved into a morass of failure, ineptitude and anger the likes of which not seen before. Are we really in danger of losing rock and roll? Or of rock and roll losing it’s credibility as it sinks lower and lower, if only to meet the expectations of it’s modern fans? The whole shebang has been spinning it’s wheels for what seems like forever, but on closer inspection, turns out to be only really 10 years, but in rock and roll, ten years is forever. At least it used to feel like forever.

I almost feel a tinge of pity for the modern rock critic. Imagine having to piece together some kind of legacy, or even to make any kind of artistic/cultural sense of the crap that’s come down the rock and roll pike these last ten years. No wonder the best they (we?) Can come up with is that Kurt Cobain is, indeed, still dead.

Yeah, I’m a crank, and an old one at that, but that’s the reason I’m so damn depressed about what passes for rock and roll in the 21^st Century. I was there and saw the greatness of the great, from Dylan to the Pistols to the Smiths to the Afghan Whigs, and as the years wear on (and god how they wear on) the pickings get nothing but slimmer.

For a cultural movement that at one time was an integral part of ending the Vietnam War to wither and stray to the point where we (whatever we’re calling ‘the youth culture’ this month) can only get it up for something as surreal and Vonnegutian as a wardrobe malfunction, is more than sad; it’s pathetically prophetic. Where’s the real action, anyway? Can anyone really find anything below the surface of, say, a Linkin Park or a Korn? What are these bands saying other than ‘give me $18?

Not much from where I sit. Our governments play footsie with the truth and they’re not even careful anymore ‘cause they know we’re asleep and incredulous. Waiting for further wardrobe malfunctions? Could be. It is the height of irony that the one musical act responsible enough to comment on the chicanery of King George the Bush turns out to be the Dixie Chicks; as traditional a country act as radio will allow. Somewhere Johnny Cash is half-smiling. We, and when I say we I refer to rock and rollers of all stripes, blew it. We rant and rant online and in print and in person all about Kurt and Courtney and Justin and Janet and Britney and Fred when we should be shucking off all these weapons of mass distraction, stop being so fucking entertained and get in the game for real.

We in America have an administration that has to go and the ballot box ain’t gonna cut it this time. It sure didn’t last time. I’m with Michael Moore on this one. He sent a letter to Kofi Annan requesting the help of the United Nations in deposing a dictator who has illegally grasped the reigns of American government. We have a despot to depose, people. Meet me in Washington with pitchforks and torches (or at least email the White House demanding that Dubya step down) and once we get that job done, maybe then we can talk some more about Kurt Cobain.

Although I can’t imagine why.

Posted by: timbyrnes at 17:51 | link | comments (1)

Comments:

#1  31 January 2005 - 22:13

 

"Johnny Cash half-smiling..."

Now, where in the hell did you pick up on that phrase? Are you a fellow wastebasket person, an "as-if" personality, a construct in constant mangle and disengage? A....BORDERLINE?

That half-smiling shite cracks me up. I tried it on my sarcastic old dad, and he told me that I looked as though I were about to vomit.

I see now that you have no use for Hell, but I look something like Patti Smith, and there will always be the horses.

From the Village Branch Library with the lime green walls, wishing for any kind of Philadelphia,

crazy horse, fellow relic in need of kindred badly

CrazyHoss

Comments: