In a message dated 97-11-30 08:36:29 EST, skg21 writes: << Rock 'n' roll is surely by definition happy, upbeat music >> Oh geez, I agreed with much of what you said,but I can't really buy into this statement. First of all, I don't see any point in confining any art, including popular art, to one emotion. That's pretty stifling. I think, if anything, Rock 'n' roll is closer to alienation by definition. Secondly, there are examples throughout the past to contradict the notion that it need to be happy music to be Rock. Bob Dylan was at his best and rockin'est in the 60s when he was smart, angry, and full of contempt. Brian Wilson was at his best when he was sad with songs like "Caroline No" and "I Just Wasn't Made For These Times". And Westerberg, he was at his best when he was happy, furious and depressed. Now that he's completely happy he pretty much sucks. I think Lester Bangs pretty much nailed what Rock 'n' Rolls' all about and how it relates to "heaven" when he wrote,"The politics of rock 'n' roll, in England or America or anywhere else is that a whole bunch of kids want to be fried out of their skins by the most scalding propulsion they can find, for a night they can pretend is the rest of their lives, and whether the next day they go back to work in shops or boredom on the dole or American TV doldrums in Mom 'n' Daddy's living room nothing else can cancel the reality of that night in the revivifying flames when for once if only then in your life you were blasted outside of yourself and the monotony which defines most life anywhere at any time, when you supped on the lightning and nothing else in the realms of the living or dead mattered at all." joe ----------------------------------------------------------------------- . This message was brought to you by the Sinister mailing list. . To send to the list please mail "sinister@majordomo.net". . For subscribing, unsubscribing and other list information please see . http://www.majordomo.net/sinister . For questions about how the list works mail owner-sinister@majordomo.net . We're all happy bunnies humming happy bunny tunes. Aren't we? -----------------------------------------------------------------------