The other day, some friends of mine and I were discussing the bastardization of the word "cute," and how It used to strictly refer to things like ducklings, baby pandas, small children, curious kittens, chipmunks, stuffed animals the like. At some point, however, people started to use the adjective to describe desirable members of the opposite sex ("Dude, Katie Holmes is totally cute!" etc.) The word is elastic enough to handle both functions, but it arguably remains a incorrect usage of the term.
The same thing is happening, it seems, to the verb, "rock". Used as a term to describe musical peformance, "rocks" once meant something rather specific. "Mick Ronson completely rocked!" No mystery there -- Bowie's long-time gunslinger guitarist was renowned for doing just that; playing furiously adrenalized rock'n'roll on his electric guitar (he's dead now, though, so he rocks no more). Over time, however, the term has been appropriated by individuals (the same folks who wear heavy metal t-shirts ironically) who have no business using it (I'm aware of the "LEAVE TO ROCKISTS THAT WHICH IS THERE'S!" tone of this thread....it is no accident). "Macy Gray Rocks", "Fashion Rocks!", "Avril Rocks!", "Scientology Rocks!", "The GOP Rocks!", "Seinfeld Rocks", "UGH Boots Rock!", "Jesus Rocks" etc. etc. etc.
NO THEY DON'T. THEY DON'T ROCK! THEY DON' T ROCK IN THE SLIGHTEST! THEY HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH ROCK!
This is an excercise in futility, I know. Language -- as has been laboriously pointed out to me on other threads -- changes with the culture. I can't win that fight. But admit to me that the term has become irreparably diluted.
― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 27 August 2004 03:26 (twenty-one years ago)
― Forksclovetofu (Forksclovetofu), Friday, 27 August 2004 03:35 (twenty-one years ago)
― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 27 August 2004 03:36 (twenty-one years ago)
― joseph pot (STINKORâ„¢), Friday, 27 August 2004 03:45 (twenty-one years ago)
― jim wentworth (wench), Friday, 27 August 2004 03:46 (twenty-one years ago)
― latebloomer (latebloomer), Friday, 27 August 2004 03:49 (twenty-one years ago)
― amateur!!!st (amateurist), Friday, 27 August 2004 03:51 (twenty-one years ago)
PEOPLE WHO ROCK SEEN BELOW IN THE ACT OF ROCKING:
http://www.metal-rules.com/concerts/steve.jpg
http://home.nyc.rr.com/feinleib/clash%20live%20boston.jpg
http://www.rockometer.com/photos/john87.gif
http://www.nyrock.com/img/2002/motorhead2002131.jpg
http://www.ipass.net/jthrush/biscuit.jpg
― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 27 August 2004 03:52 (twenty-one years ago)
― Gear! (Gear!), Friday, 27 August 2004 03:55 (twenty-one years ago)
― Gear! (Gear!), Friday, 27 August 2004 03:57 (twenty-one years ago)
― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 27 August 2004 03:58 (twenty-one years ago)
― chuck garrison, Friday, 27 August 2004 04:03 (twenty-one years ago)
Well, you know, "rule" has had its meaning eroded even further.
People that rule seen below in the act of ruling:http://www.lincolnshire-web.co.uk/images/henry-viii-2.jpg http://coloquio.com/famosos/isabella.gif http://www.born-today.com/Today/pix/king_george3.jpg
― wetmink (wetmink), Friday, 27 August 2004 04:05 (twenty-one years ago)
― hstencil (hstencil), Friday, 27 August 2004 04:08 (twenty-one years ago)
― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 27 August 2004 04:08 (twenty-one years ago)
― hstencil (hstencil), Friday, 27 August 2004 04:09 (twenty-one years ago)
And you should be the last person to accuse anyone of sounding like a schoolteacher.
― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 27 August 2004 04:11 (twenty-one years ago)
― hstencil (hstencil), Friday, 27 August 2004 04:12 (twenty-one years ago)
― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 27 August 2004 04:13 (twenty-one years ago)
― wetmink (wetmink), Friday, 27 August 2004 04:16 (twenty-one years ago)
"Did you see the way the marines took out those towelheads? Dude, that discoed!"
― Jacob (Jacob), Friday, 27 August 2004 08:15 (twenty-one years ago)
― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Friday, 27 August 2004 08:20 (twenty-one years ago)
― latebloomer (latebloomer), Friday, 27 August 2004 08:44 (twenty-one years ago)
― Peter Watts (peterw), Friday, 27 August 2004 08:46 (twenty-one years ago)
Ah, Alex, how you cheered up my day.
Also, hstencil, school teachers are teh rockingest! Really.
― the impossible shortest special path! (the impossible shortest specia), Friday, 27 August 2004 09:31 (twenty-one years ago)
I always took "... ROX!!!!" etc. to be a metaphor rather than an actual description of something directly related to rock music!!!!!!!! ie Saying something "rocked" is a bit like saying "It was jolly good in a way not unlike that of a particularly good rock 'n' roll gramophone record!!!!!!!"!!!! Rather than eroding the meaning of rock, it takes something else and equates it in terms of rock!!!!
― Old Fart!!! (oldfart_sd), Friday, 27 August 2004 10:37 (twenty-one years ago)
― m0stly clean (m0stly clean), Friday, 27 August 2004 10:41 (twenty-one years ago)
― Barry Bruner (Barry Bruner), Friday, 27 August 2004 10:48 (twenty-one years ago)
If they fail to do any of these, they are not Rocking. Right?Okay...now here's the tricky bit. If a Rock Musician is called a Rock Musician because they aspire to Rock (ie become "the Rock Nature" as a Buddhist would say), does a Pop Musician aspire to "Pop" (ie become of "The Pop Nature")?And if so, what multitude of different things must a Pop Musician be doing simultaneously in order to successfully "Pop"?
― Lord Custos Epsilon (Lord Custos Epsilon), Friday, 27 August 2004 10:57 (twenty-one years ago)
― Peter Watts (peterw), Friday, 27 August 2004 11:28 (twenty-one years ago)
― Lord Custos Epsilon (Lord Custos Epsilon), Friday, 27 August 2004 11:53 (twenty-one years ago)
The Hues Corporation: 'Disco The Boat'Disco'n'RollAlter Ego: 'Discoer'Discoing ChairPost-DiscoHeavy Disco
and vice versa:
Rock Sucks!Rock BiscuitsRockscotequeRocksography
― Chewshabadoo (Chewshabadoo), Friday, 27 August 2004 12:14 (twenty-one years ago)
...nah, never mind.
― Marcel Post (Marcel Post), Friday, 27 August 2004 12:19 (twenty-one years ago)
― dyson (dyson), Friday, 27 August 2004 12:34 (twenty-one years ago)
To those of you who think that this discussion is pointless or stupid ... I want to remind you that most discussions here are, but that's the point. This is the place where we can be our shallow, rockist selves and discuss the minutia of rock and pop ad nauseum. We can admit to our fellow ILM-ers that we spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about music. We can share our wacky theories, ideas, and opinions without being looked at funny by the average joe who does not know a think about music.
BTW .. that rant did not rock.
Rock on everyone!
― cw28 (cw28), Friday, 27 August 2004 12:54 (twenty-one years ago)
― m0stly clean (m0stly clean), Friday, 27 August 2004 13:03 (twenty-one years ago)
― m0stly clean (m0stly clean), Friday, 27 August 2004 16:14 (twenty-one years ago)
― amateur!!st, Friday, 27 August 2004 16:22 (twenty-one years ago)
Looks to me like any of the following:
(1) A finger-guard with which to play "slide" guitar(2) A lighter(3) A disconcerting, flesh-colored cigar
― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 27 August 2004 16:24 (twenty-one years ago)
― jaymc (jaymc), Friday, 27 August 2004 16:27 (twenty-one years ago)
― amateur!!st, Friday, 27 August 2004 16:29 (twenty-one years ago)
NO THEY DON'T. THEY DON'T SUCK! THEY DON'T SUCK IN THE SLIGHTEST! THEY HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH BLOWJOBS!
― nabisco (nabisco), Friday, 27 August 2004 16:33 (twenty-one years ago)
― hstencil (hstencil), Friday, 27 August 2004 16:35 (twenty-one years ago)
― hstencil (hstencil), Friday, 27 August 2004 16:36 (twenty-one years ago)
... and what..... "Like, Awesome dude!" Maybe that's for another day? ;-)
― herbalizer12 (herbalizer12), Friday, 27 August 2004 16:37 (twenty-one years ago)
This thread ROLLS!
― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Friday, 27 August 2004 16:39 (twenty-one years ago)
― amateur!!st, Friday, 27 August 2004 16:41 (twenty-one years ago)
― Jordan (Jordan), Friday, 27 August 2004 16:44 (twenty-one years ago)
― hstencil (hstencil), Friday, 27 August 2004 16:44 (twenty-one years ago)
― hstencil (hstencil), Friday, 27 August 2004 16:45 (twenty-one years ago)
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 27 August 2004 17:27 (twenty-one years ago)
― amateur!!st, Friday, 27 August 2004 17:31 (twenty-one years ago)
― amateur!!ts, Friday, 27 August 2004 17:32 (twenty-one years ago)
― amateur!!st, Friday, 27 August 2004 17:35 (twenty-one years ago)
― dickvandyke (dickvandyke), Friday, 27 August 2004 17:36 (twenty-one years ago)
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 27 August 2004 17:37 (twenty-one years ago)
You haven't the faintest idea whether I'm breathless or not, and overstatement is a relative term.
― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 27 August 2004 18:52 (twenty-one years ago)
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000002LLC.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg
― amateur!!st, Friday, 27 August 2004 18:53 (twenty-one years ago)
― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 27 August 2004 18:55 (twenty-one years ago)
*the latest Macy Gray album, which is more a rock album than R&B and has some very Sly Stone-ish stuff on it
**me
― Begs2Differ (Begs2Differ), Friday, 27 August 2004 18:57 (twenty-one years ago)
― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 27 August 2004 18:58 (twenty-one years ago)
― Begs2Differ (Begs2Differ), Friday, 27 August 2004 18:58 (twenty-one years ago)
― Begs2Differ (Begs2Differ), Friday, 27 August 2004 18:59 (twenty-one years ago)
― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 27 August 2004 19:00 (twenty-one years ago)
― Begs2Differ (Begs2Differ), Friday, 27 August 2004 19:01 (twenty-one years ago)
― Begs2Differ (Begs2Differ), Friday, 27 August 2004 19:03 (twenty-one years ago)
― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 27 August 2004 19:04 (twenty-one years ago)
Since then I've heard many, many middle aged women use the term (ahem Katie Couric). They're usually moms who want to talk the language of their kids. I think it's sad. But it's probably sadder that I actually watch the Today show sometimes.
I still think using "rock" as a noun is OK, though. Like Homer's immortal, "No, no, don't stop the rock!"
― The Knitter, Friday, 27 August 2004 19:05 (twenty-one years ago)
― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 27 August 2004 19:06 (twenty-one years ago)
― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 27 August 2004 19:07 (twenty-one years ago)
and medleys DO NOT ROCK, even if you like the stooges
― Begs2Differ (Begs2Differ), Friday, 27 August 2004 19:08 (twenty-one years ago)
Oh how wrong you are. What about Jane's Addiction's "L.A. Medley"? What about The Jesus Lizard's "Chrome" (essentially a Chrome medley)?
You breathe wrong like a fish breathes water.
― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 27 August 2004 19:11 (twenty-one years ago)
― Logged Out, Friday, 27 August 2004 19:12 (twenty-one years ago)
― nabisco (nabisco), Friday, 27 August 2004 19:13 (twenty-one years ago)
― hstencil (hstencil), Friday, 27 August 2004 19:13 (twenty-one years ago)
― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 27 August 2004 19:15 (twenty-one years ago)
The Jesus Lizard are no more, so you having time for them is a moot point.
― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 27 August 2004 19:17 (twenty-one years ago)
Also can you get me Jenna Pagano's number, Nabisco?
― Forksclovetofu (Forksclovetofu), Friday, 27 August 2004 19:29 (twenty-one years ago)
― grimly fiendish (grimlord), Friday, 27 August 2004 20:04 (twenty-one years ago)
-- chuck garrison (wfm...), August 27th, 2004.
Rock, Rot & Rule
― joseph pot (STINKORâ„¢), Friday, 27 August 2004 20:04 (twenty-one years ago)
― n.a. (Nick A.), Friday, 27 August 2004 20:05 (twenty-one years ago)
MORE PICTURES OF INDIVIDUALS WHO ACTUALLY ROCK CAUGHT IN THE ACT OF ACTUALLY ROCKING:
http://www.whatawaytodie.com/circlejerks/circlejerks.jpg
http://seattlemusicweb.com/misfits-dc82.gif
http://www.an-irrational-domain.net/images/geordie/geordie13.JPG
http://www.livexs.nl/node/319.jpg
http://www.furious.com/perfect/graphics/stranglers.jpg
http://www.southern.com/BURNINGFLAGS/pics/blackflag_video.jpg
― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 28 August 2004 01:25 (twenty-one years ago)
http://www.marriageproblems.org/img/l-ron-hubbard.jpg
http://www.jesuspaintings.com/pictures/way__new_page_1.jpg
http://www.webducks.com/joes2.jpg
http://www.allhatnocattle.net/george%20bush%20slip.jpg
― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 28 August 2004 01:37 (twenty-one years ago)
― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 28 August 2004 01:38 (twenty-one years ago)
― m0stly clean (m0stly clean), Saturday, 28 August 2004 01:51 (twenty-one years ago)
― m0stly clean (m0stly clean), Saturday, 28 August 2004 01:54 (twenty-one years ago)
― m0stly clean (m0stly clean), Saturday, 28 August 2004 01:58 (twenty-one years ago)
Czech blastcore and pagan culture
― hagbard the fnorden, Saturday, 28 August 2004 02:06 (twenty-one years ago)
― m0stly clean (m0stly clean), Saturday, 28 August 2004 02:07 (twenty-one years ago)
― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 28 August 2004 02:23 (twenty-one years ago)
Hi folks! I was the bass player for the original Misunderstood, and decided to make a short posting here. I'd like to thank everyone who has written kindly of our music, and continues to hold it in high esteem. I'd also like to point out that there continues to be a tremendous amount of mis-information about us, some of which is contained in other reviews on this site.
For one thing, "I Unseen" is emphatically NOT simply our version of the Byrds "I Come and Stand at Every Door"! We wrote AND recorded it months before the Byrds ever went into the studio to do their version of the Pete Seeger song (lyrics by Turkish poet Nazim Hikmet)...and we still have the dated acetate to prove it. That may be a small point, but for those of you who are interested in the truth, there it is.
Another bit of truth has to do with the rather free use of our name after the real band collapsed due to a combination of the US draft and incredibly bad management. ANY music with the name The Misunderstood attached that was created after the songs from the London sessions (the ones on "After the Dream Faded") is emphatically NOT The Misunderstood. Rather, it's simply someone's greedy and unethical attempt to capitalize on whatever reputation we were able to establish, and includes, at most, only one band member from the original group. I'm not recommending that you not purchase it; I'm only forewarning you that the music is not of the same style (and many would say, same caliber) as what we created. It's just a name - not the essence.
Those bits of history corrected, I again thank those of you who value our music, and encourage you to purchase and enjoy it...we certainly had a great time writing/playing/recording it. And just so you won't think this is a shameless commercial plug, please know that none of us receive ANY royalties whatsoever from the sales of our CDs. That was taken away from us, just like they tried to take away the dream...but the dream lives on...with those of you who continue to listen, and in our hearts too, as we continue to create new music. Many blessings to you all!!!
P.S. Please excuse me for giving our music a 5-star rating, but I still really like it, even after all these many years.... :)
― billy nicholls, Saturday, 28 August 2004 03:13 (twenty-one years ago)
― noodle vague (noodle vague), Saturday, 28 August 2004 10:17 (twenty-one years ago)
― James Mitchell (James Mitchell), Saturday, 4 September 2004 02:35 (twenty-one years ago)
― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 4 September 2004 02:41 (twenty-one years ago)
― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Saturday, 4 September 2004 04:15 (twenty-one years ago)
― tricky disco (disco stu), Sunday, 5 September 2004 00:31 (twenty-one years ago)