[Vick]

Stop looking down your nose and open your mind a little - it's like a parachute, works best when open

Also you have no idea what range of music I listen to. Calling it crap before you even know what it is insults yourself

Now we're done spitting at each other

Actually I agree (to a point) and that's why the Ramones are very significant

In the USA at the end of the 70's we were subjected to disco, Saturday Night Fever, boring 10 minute long guitar/drum solos, Freebird, Peter Frampton and Stairway to Heaven - all boring and ignorant.

Devoid of any real artist merit or innovation (I know I'll get trashed from that but all of those songs/artists were played ad nausem)

Then the Ramones came along with (no artist pretensions and not a lot of technical merit) 2 minute 30 second songs, 3 chords, interesting/thought provoking lyrics, catchy Beach Boy-esque harmonies.

There were a garage band that played their first gig for 4 people, built a following of the disenfranchised when being other than mainstream and or being disenfranchised actually meant something

Their song lyrics touched places that hadn't been explored, or at least not in their fashion

Music was given back to the garage players, kids and such - at least for a short while

*side note - I find it deliciously ironic that the Ramones first records couldn't get any airplay but today are soundtrack to commercials

and from that came the Sex Pistols who were a prime example of the standardization and manipulation you speak of (they started out of a clothing store and were the puppets of their manger Malcom - at least in the beginning)

But Sid Vicious took it seriously and bled every night (I like to think that was for the corporate sins of punk) and as we all know died from a Heroin OD - another delicious irony

The boy who was a puppet and thought it was for real .......
Was a causality of his own beliefs and excesses


Beyond that I think you don't give enough credit to what is a portion of the (American) listening public

Not everyone, especially kids (teens, 20-something's) accept everything that is marketed to them and shoved (spoon fed) down their throats

Which explains the current market and may underground bands, unique sounds that haven't been homogenized and controlled


Another irony, IRL it's usually me with the disdain for the general public or as I occasionally say "I don't much care for humans"