Intelligent Music Versus Big Dumb Rock: A Moral Dilemma

When I interviewed bands in the early '90s my editors would assign me to girl singers, hybrid punk/pop groups and anybody English. While this was fine and dandy, when left to my own devices I'd interview the metal/hard rock singers I viewed as smart. Those perceived as man-sluts got concert and CD reviews. "Why don't you interview those guys?" my room-mate asked one day, pointing at a pic of a particularly fluffy hair band. "Look at them. They don't have anything to say," I replied, guilty of categorizing by genre as much as my pickier friends.

Typical banter at this time went something like:

Me-"I like the Cult."
Music Snob-"Well I like the Cure."
Me-"Poseur!"
Music Snob-"Slut!"

Years later, when I decided to approach some of the bands/genres I had previously blacklisted, I received two non-sequitor e-mail responses to polite, businesslike interview requests, and for the first time in my semi-professional career, an interviewee didn't call as scheduled. A few days later I found out that the now fortysomething Dad was in rehab again. Guess sometimes my instincts are correct.

I still like all types of music, though. I suppose big dumb rock is like the candy sprinkles on the cake of my musical existence. It's nice but doesn't sustain me. The difference between "intelligent" music and big dumb rock is like the difference between a beer and cognac. They both get ya drunk-except the beer's cheaper and doesn't go down as smooth.

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