Different Varieties...
Greetings once more in the name of Clapton, Santana, and Bo Diddley, honored parishioners. I had been in seclusion for a time, and did partake in a number of pilgrimages, which I will refer to in due time. But first, a personal experience.
I'm sure we're all aware of how incredibly bad the music that most department stores choose to play can be. The term "muzak" was developed for a reason, and this is it. Earlier last Sunday, I was walking about in a Marshall's. Lately, the trip over there just isn't what it used to be. It's great for clothes, and shoes, and various other little things, if you actually need them. I didn't. And so by the time I got home, I was literally dragging, and I slid onto my bed and fell asleep for 2 hours. It was that dull/draining.
However, while I was over there, this is what was going on in my head.
At one point, a song by Queen was playing. Then I thought to myself, it's curious that they're playing anything by them. You don't usually hear that sort of thing in this sort of atmosphere. Besides, it's mostly White people that listen to that tripe anyway.
And it's true, the only people that I have noticed always singing along to it on the radio, or always walking around with a tape or disc of it, happened to be White. Most especially where I went to college, this seemed to be more than just coincidence. Rare as they might be on that campus, the Indians, the Asians, the Blacks and the Latinos do exist there, and not once did I ever see one of them rocking out whenever the radio was playing Queen. But the White kids, they always started spazzing out and looking incredibly silly. I only spaz out when the radio plays Blues, Classic Rock or Mariachi. As is proper. XD
It's more than a cultural thing, though. My Father raised me into the Rock and Roll Cleric that I am today, and he always referred to Queen, and many similar bands playing similar material, as falling into the category of "Arena Rock," or much more fittingly in my opinion, "Bullsh-- Rock."
This is the way I would explain these categories: There are brilliant films out there, classics, works of art. Doctor Zhivago, Citizen Kane and Who Framed Roger Rabbit?. And then there are films where, though not necessarily bad, they just aren't quality. There's no depth, just a lot of noise, explosions, and cheap thrills. Just about every slasher flick ever made falls into this category. And that's how it is with Queen. They're the cheap slasher flicks, while Bo Diddley, Carlos Santana, Eric Clapton, etc., would be the real deal, the classics, the legends.
I never liked Queen, personally. While I most definitely concede that their tunes are catchy, if you actually listen to what they're saying, it's largely gibberish, and not meaningful gibberish like the Beatles or Bob Dylan had done. It just comes off as having no substance. I don't understand why they're so popular. Especially considering how in one of their songs, they rip on Star Wars. If they had been talking about the new trilogy, I'd understand. But they weren't. They were talking about the original Star Wars. And anyone who would do such a thing deserves a swift kick in the teeth.
Now, I know that probably everyone on my Friends list and anyone else who happens to read this now is going to jump me for saying anything against Queen. But let me tell you this story, which references back to my days spent in the comic club where I went to college, among the other dorks that were in it:
A friend of mine, he joined the table and overheard a conversation about music, most particularly about Queen. One of the Freshmen was raving about how great they were. He then jumped into the conversation, saying that he had a theory about Queen and its fandom, which was in turn imparted to him by a friend. He asked how many people at the table liked Queen. I was the only one who did not raise my hand. I said that I liked exactly one of their songs, Bohemian Rhapsody, but otherwise I had no use for them. Everyone else at the table was about to carve me up, but my friend stopped them and went on to explain that according to his theory, anyone who liked Queen was gay. And apparently, I was the only straight person at the table. And the kicker? The guy who was telling this story was White and also liked Queen. That made this theory even better.
But take heart, all one of you who are reading this: every now and then, you just want to slide on the air guitar and not have to worry about any greater meaning. There is absolutely no harm in the slasher flicks or the Arena Rock as long as you don't do it often. Every now and then, it's actually nice to listen to a song that doesn't really try to tell you anything. Seriously, if every movie ever made were like Doctor Zhivago, the cinema would be abhorrently depressing, and very boring. It's variety that makes things work and come together. Even if Arena Rock is the Red-Headed Stepchild of Rock and Roll, it's still part of the category. Somehow. So, no harm in listening to Queen once in a while, so long as you balance it with Rock and Roll of substance.
Brethren, that is all. Go in peace, and be guided faithfully by the music.
I'm sure we're all aware of how incredibly bad the music that most department stores choose to play can be. The term "muzak" was developed for a reason, and this is it. Earlier last Sunday, I was walking about in a Marshall's. Lately, the trip over there just isn't what it used to be. It's great for clothes, and shoes, and various other little things, if you actually need them. I didn't. And so by the time I got home, I was literally dragging, and I slid onto my bed and fell asleep for 2 hours. It was that dull/draining.
However, while I was over there, this is what was going on in my head.
At one point, a song by Queen was playing. Then I thought to myself, it's curious that they're playing anything by them. You don't usually hear that sort of thing in this sort of atmosphere. Besides, it's mostly White people that listen to that tripe anyway.
And it's true, the only people that I have noticed always singing along to it on the radio, or always walking around with a tape or disc of it, happened to be White. Most especially where I went to college, this seemed to be more than just coincidence. Rare as they might be on that campus, the Indians, the Asians, the Blacks and the Latinos do exist there, and not once did I ever see one of them rocking out whenever the radio was playing Queen. But the White kids, they always started spazzing out and looking incredibly silly. I only spaz out when the radio plays Blues, Classic Rock or Mariachi. As is proper. XD
It's more than a cultural thing, though. My Father raised me into the Rock and Roll Cleric that I am today, and he always referred to Queen, and many similar bands playing similar material, as falling into the category of "Arena Rock," or much more fittingly in my opinion, "Bullsh-- Rock."
This is the way I would explain these categories: There are brilliant films out there, classics, works of art. Doctor Zhivago, Citizen Kane and Who Framed Roger Rabbit?. And then there are films where, though not necessarily bad, they just aren't quality. There's no depth, just a lot of noise, explosions, and cheap thrills. Just about every slasher flick ever made falls into this category. And that's how it is with Queen. They're the cheap slasher flicks, while Bo Diddley, Carlos Santana, Eric Clapton, etc., would be the real deal, the classics, the legends.
I never liked Queen, personally. While I most definitely concede that their tunes are catchy, if you actually listen to what they're saying, it's largely gibberish, and not meaningful gibberish like the Beatles or Bob Dylan had done. It just comes off as having no substance. I don't understand why they're so popular. Especially considering how in one of their songs, they rip on Star Wars. If they had been talking about the new trilogy, I'd understand. But they weren't. They were talking about the original Star Wars. And anyone who would do such a thing deserves a swift kick in the teeth.
Now, I know that probably everyone on my Friends list and anyone else who happens to read this now is going to jump me for saying anything against Queen. But let me tell you this story, which references back to my days spent in the comic club where I went to college, among the other dorks that were in it:
A friend of mine, he joined the table and overheard a conversation about music, most particularly about Queen. One of the Freshmen was raving about how great they were. He then jumped into the conversation, saying that he had a theory about Queen and its fandom, which was in turn imparted to him by a friend. He asked how many people at the table liked Queen. I was the only one who did not raise my hand. I said that I liked exactly one of their songs, Bohemian Rhapsody, but otherwise I had no use for them. Everyone else at the table was about to carve me up, but my friend stopped them and went on to explain that according to his theory, anyone who liked Queen was gay. And apparently, I was the only straight person at the table. And the kicker? The guy who was telling this story was White and also liked Queen. That made this theory even better.
But take heart, all one of you who are reading this: every now and then, you just want to slide on the air guitar and not have to worry about any greater meaning. There is absolutely no harm in the slasher flicks or the Arena Rock as long as you don't do it often. Every now and then, it's actually nice to listen to a song that doesn't really try to tell you anything. Seriously, if every movie ever made were like Doctor Zhivago, the cinema would be abhorrently depressing, and very boring. It's variety that makes things work and come together. Even if Arena Rock is the Red-Headed Stepchild of Rock and Roll, it's still part of the category. Somehow. So, no harm in listening to Queen once in a while, so long as you balance it with Rock and Roll of substance.
Brethren, that is all. Go in peace, and be guided faithfully by the music.