On New Year's Day, 1966, London Records (their USA record company) unveiled a billboard for the next Rolling Stones album, December's Children, that showed the cover of the album blown up to massive scale for the billboard and the words, "The Rolling Stones: The Band Your Parents Love to Hate."
So true. My father hated rock and roll music, especially the Stones. When he expressed a kind word for The Beatles after hearing 'She's Leaving Home' I almost reconsidered my devotion to them. My point? While music is a universal language and, I think, the way feelings sound, there are innumerable dialects and variations among the tribes. He was a Dean Martin, Perry Como, guy, while what I listened to was 'crap.'
Sunday night those selected for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame were announced (as part of "American Idol" without a twinge of self-consciousness at the irony of that choice of venue). I was as thrilled to learn John Mayall had been (finally) selected as I was confused by the inclusion of Foreigner which had (past tense deliberate) one original member, Mick Jones (who was a great interview, as I recall from another lifetime) but he no longer tours with them, leading me to wonder who or what is Foreigner now).
Folks who have been active and successful within the last three or so decades were also inducted though, channeling Dad (somewhat to my chagrin), I have little to no appreciation or understanding of who they are or how what they make could even, as a joke, be called 'music.' I guess Townsend was r-r-right.
-bill kenny
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