Why'd ya have to go and.............(insert source of grief here)??????!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've wanted to post about this ever since I first heard 'Let It Die' but life always got in the way. Also, I thought it best to let the debate go on for a little while about whether Dave Grohl is confronting his emotions about the tragic death of his Nirvana bandmate.


So now, I am finally here to put the issue to bed. Yes, the song is about Kurt Cobain. Yeah I know he said it isn't, but why should we listen the artist who actually wrote the song? Especially when he has also said things like this. All one has to do is read the lyrics and listen to the melancholly tone which abruptly becomes emotionally flooded with rage and it all makes perfect sense that this song is the product of a man coming to grips with the death of a friend at his own hands, right?




Or...................maybe the song is about US Olympic Skiing Champion Bill Johnson. A simple man with a blushing bride, but all preceding tragedy and failure. Right again! The song is in fact a tribute to Bill Johnson! I have no idea, btw, if Dave Grohl has a clue who Bill Johnson is. But it doesn't matter. If it works, it works. And the song is both ambiguous and emotionally authentic enough to be the song about whatever is a source of intense grief for the listener.

So if listening to it helps one come to grips with their grief about the loss of Kurt Cobain than that is what it is; and it is also many other things, all of them related to healing from intense grief.....and it is perfect.

Rock and Roll: used today as a vehicle to make money, originally created to break chains

For my first "real" post here, I am going to attempt a pretty broad statement, using a specific set of examples...so a few qualifying statements are necessary. This post is not meant to advocate for or against any particular band or style of music. I happen to be a huge appreciator of Metallica and their music, but I am also a fan of many bands and musical styles that are not named Metallica and sound nothing like them. They, however, are a very good example for a case study in musical trends, as they have existed for nearly 30 years; and many steps on their journey are at least evolutionary, if not revolutionary for the music world in general. Agree or disagree, please bear with me and feel free to share your thoughts....

This will come as no surprise to anybody who knows me, but I hate American Idol. I don't just hate it because it sucks (although that would be reason enough). I hate it because it is embarrassing to me that it is taken seriously as a vehicle for cultivating the next generation of artistic creation and expression. The net result is