Some Windmills Are Better Than Led Zep IV

Pop music really isn't all that important in the grand scheme of things, is it? I mean, it's great and all, but ultimately it doesn't actually matter none. It's not just that it's fundementally stupid, or that it's an inherently disposable, trashy, gloriously dumb waste of everybody's precious time. It's more just like... people are way too serious about Being Into Pop Music, and we - as a society - regard the whole shamalama with way too much awed reverence. I mean, I like pop music enough. Infact I like it more than most things. I like it more than most buildings, say. On the other hand, there are some buildings which are way better than any pop record, of course. Like I saw a windmill the other day that totally kicked ass over Led Zeppelin IV. No disrespect to Led Zep, you understand, it was just a really fucking cool windmill. Like I think some dude actually lived in it or whatever.

But I like pop music better than some stuff anyway. I just don't have any faith in it, and I absolutely refuse to take it seriously. My girlfriend was in a Trendy Alt Rock Band for a couple of years until she decided to pursue her career as a teacher instead. She loved doing both, but the band got too big too quick and something had to give. I had reservations about her decision to leave, and told her so, but never once questioned the validity of her basic argument, which was simply that the world needs bright, enthusiastic teachers more than it does rock musicians. I mean; no kidding, right? Then I ran into to this middle-aged, bearded, real Rock Dad type of dude we sorta know at a gig, we got to talking about my girlfriend leaving the band, and our conversation went something like this:

Me: Yeah, y'know, she loved the band, but she had to make a decision, and I guess she just felt she was doing more good in the world as a teacher rather than as the cellist in a rock band.

Rock Dad: Well, I dunno. It was always rock music that turned me on, y'know. That's where I learnt anything important.

Me: What?

I mean, seriously: what? Like, he genuinely questioned whether my girlfriend was doing more good as a teacher than as a rock musician, and implied I wasn't 'cool' because I thought differently. What kind of fucked up insanity is that? Oh, sorry dude, yeah, forgive me, you're right, when the bomb drops and those fortunate enough to have survived the nuclear winter crawl from their concrete bunkers, I'm sure they're all gonna start rounding up drummers before they look for nurses and teachers. Get real. Pop music has given the world many joyful things, and some pop musicians have produced genuinely great art...but let's be straight, however great 'Ventilator Blues' is, Keith Richards is a dick, and anybody who thinks Keith Richards is a Stand Up Guy who has provided the world with something fundamentally more valuable than someone who has devoted their lives to selfless, honourable good work like teaching or nursing or whatever has bought into a cultural hierarchy of monstrous stupidity. Has 'cool' really achieved such currency in our culture? Is our sense of perspective really this out of wack?

That's really all I gotta say about that. I haven't posted anything on here for months, and now when I do, it's an angry non-event illustrated by an entirely irrelevant still from the Wizard Of Oz. Hey, you heard that new Wombats song about how his relationship is like a Rom-com or whatever? Man does that ever suck.

(Paul Fuzz)