Re: Windpuke Hill

[William LeFebvre <phil@rice.edu>]

And what about Shadowfax?  I happen to think they've done some pretty
good stuff.  I've certainly heard better jazz, but I wouldn't call
their stuff "rubbish".

>J.A. ROSSI <rossi@nusc.ARPA>
> Anyone contmplating to buy this Windham Hill rubbish should seriously
> consider the 'real thing' first.  But, alas, there are a lot of Pepsi
> drinkers out there.

Oh great.  Now you're bringing soft drinks into it.  Well, both you and
the Pepsi drinkers are all bonkers there---Dr Pepper is far superior to
anything Koqua Kola or Pepshi have ever put out (and Mr Pibb, Koqua
Kola's blatant attempt at a Dr Pepper ripoff is a far cry from 'the
pepper').

And I have considered 'the real thing' in music.  And I listen to such
stuff.  I also happen to listen to Windam Hill.  Not because I'm a
yuppie (I'll never be one of THEM), but because I HAPPEN TO LIKE IT!  I
also happen to like Laurie Anderson, KaTe Bush, Flim & the BBs,
Flairck, Peter Gabriel, Jean-Michael Jarre, Mannheim Steamroller (YES,
THEM TOO), Mike Oldfield, Klaus Schulze, Tangerine Dream, U2, ....  Not
to mention ELP, Jethro Tull, Yes.  AND EVEN such greats as Bach, Bartok,
Beethoven, Handel, Holst, Saint-Saens, Shostacovich, Stravinsky, and
even some people you've probably never heard of:  Percy Grainger, Harry
Partch, Torbjorn Lundquist, Henry Cowell, Yoshihisa Taira (but then,
I'm a frustrated percussionist, so what do you expect).  I own discs or
records containing compositions by all these people, and there are
plenty other composers that I haven't gotten around to investigating
yet.  But I'm sure that once I do, I will enjoy them.

I enjoy almost all music, as long as there's more music than noise, or
as long as all the talent hasn't been homogonized out of it.  About the
only musical style that you'll never catch me listening to (unless
forced) is C&W!

So take your petty carping about "listening to the 'real thing'"
somewhere else.  Face it, your definition of "real" is what you like,
and not necessarily what is good or even what has merit.  I will freely
admit that I don't like C&W, but I wouldn't say that it's completely
trash and rubbish and not worth the vinyl (plastic) it's pressed on!
C'mon mister, cut some slack.

> Space is space, and bland is bland.  Windham Hill music should be
> marketed in generic packaging, and played only on elevators.

And there is a place for what many people term "elevator music".  If
I'm intently reading a paper about the latest proff that P=NP, I don't
want my mind plastered against the wall with "Rhythm of the Heat".
It's kind of distracting.  But there are times when I enjoy playing
rhythmically intense music as loud as I can get away with.  But when I
am in the mood for something mild, I would rather have stuff like
Ackerman and Shadowfax to turn to than that overly-homogonized and
plagiarized stuff they play on the Muzak stations (say, did you know
that "Muzak" is a trademark?).

> Again, my opinion, only.

Obviously.  Too bad you can't present it as anything but fact.

			William LeFebvre
			Department of Computer Science
			Rice University
			<phil@Rice.edu>