Unsubstantiated allegations

Guido Vacano gvacano at BEAVER.MBB.WESLEYAN.EDU
Thu Feb 6 21:28:01 EST 1997


Hello--

        I guess that I'm posting to a slightly stale thread, for which I
apologize. I was on vacation for the last week and a half, and I've been
neglecting my boc-l reading. :-)

> On Tue, 4 Feb 1997, John Majka wrote:
>
> >                                                          Even though I'm a
> > huge HW fan, I must admit that many of the fans (of both bands at BOC-l)seem
> > like stuck-in-the-mud types with musical interests that ceased growing
> > approximately 20 years ago.  I mean there have been an awful lot of great
> > bands from every time period, and I guess I just get a little upset
> > sometimes with the narrowness of some people's tastes.  Does anybody on this
> > list buy music by relatively "new" bands which aren't related to HW or BOC?

I know nothing of John Majka's motivations in writing the above, but it
strikes me as incredibly ill-informed and arrogant. I would like to make
a couple points:

1) I am a boc-l oldie (I've been subscribed almost continuously since
1990). During my vacation I have purchased CDs by:

        Robby Aceto
        Caryn Lin
        Frank Zappa
        J. S. Bach
        Toyah Willcox
        Brian Eno
        Robert Fripp
        FFWD>>
        Future Sound of London
        Tool
        John Zorn
        Joni Mitchell
        David Bowie
        Japan
        Robin Trower
        Alan Davey (Thanks for the recommendation!!)
        Hawkwind

Okay, I'm prone to buying lots of CDs on vacation. :-) I think it's
possible that my own musical tastes (or lack thereof) cover wider ground
than those of John Majka. Does this give me the right to be upset with
the narrowness of his tastes?

2) No doubt I'd find John Majka's comments even more offensive if I only
liked old bands (i.e., if I was one of the "stuck-in-the-mud types"). He
has a LOT of gall making pronouncements on ANYONE'S musical tastes. Doing
so with the boc-l collective is well beyond arrogant--it is completely
absurd. It would be just as absurd if all of us got our musical jollies
listening to paint drying. He cannot support the thesis that his musical
tastes are better than our own.

3) Reacting to John Majka's post (as I have done) is even more absurd.
Doing so implies that the post is worthy of consideration. It is not.

> This proves once again that every so often someone is determined to start
> the "my musical tastes are more diverse than yours" pissing contest on
> BOC-L.  Congratulations!  You are this month's winner!
>
> (Btw, I think your posting is just a sinister record company plot to get
> us all to "broaden our minds" and buy Pat Boone's new "heavy metal"
> album...)

What's this Pat Boone thing? Could someone let me know by private email,
unless posting to boc-l is deemed appropriate?

Thanks, Guido (returning to lurker mode)

obCDplayer--Code by Robby Aceto

--
If nothing is done, then all will be well.  -- Lao Tse



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