Responses

[Mark Katsouros <KATSOURO%UMDD.BITNET@MITVMA.MIT.EDU>]

> From: keving@ZELIG.SGI.COM (Kevin Gurney)

> > From: pb1p+@ANDREW.CMU.EDU (Peter Glen Berger)

> > Frankly, I'm a bit upset:  I just heard that Pat Benatar did a version of
> > "Wuthering Heights".  Sigh.  is nothing sacred?

> > Pete Berger

> A funny (but true) story.....

> A friend of mine who had no idea who Kate Bush was heard "Wuthering
> Heights" on our local college station a while ago and said, "Wait a
> minute! That's a Pat Benatar song. She's killing it!!!!"  I didn't
> have the heart to tell him the truth.

Forget heart!  He should have been executed immediately.  For those of you
that haven't heard Benatar's version, it packs none of the emotion of the
original or "New Vocal" (which is simply a masterpiece.)

> From: student@atom.oz (Work Experience Student)

>   I am afraid I cannot see your point of view! Kate Bush is,
> indubitably talented to some extreme- however you lot tend to go
> 1e+32% overboard.

>   I detest songs which have very little or nothing to say-the music
> industry is riddled with non-talented capitalistic swine who just
> produce their over- done, superficial ear candy. Kate Bush, I regret
> to inform you, topples headlong into this category!

>       [    Go stick your head in a pig, buddy!  Actually, anyone who says
>     that Kate Bush has "little to say" or that her music is
>     superficial, already has their head in a pig...  -- |>oug ]

>  Have you lot never heard music by "reform" bands? (ie, the Dead
> Kennedys which have a message (occasionally subtle) embedded in
> attention getting lyrics).

This is ridiculous.  Music is just that: music.  It is an art form.
The thing that makes art great (besides great craftsmamship) is
originallity.  Kate's music is certainly new and always changing.  The
Dead Kennedys do have a message: "We have a message, and no matter how
much we suck at making music, we're going to USE it as a medium for
our message."  Many artists have messages embedded in their music.
(Kate definitely does.)  But the most important thing (to me, anyway)
is that music is art, and has qualities to justify that
catagorization.  The only "band" I know of who's "message" is almost
as important as their great music is The Grateful Dead.  This is
because they have the craftsmanship necessary to incorporate their
message (which is basically "Have a peaceful, good time.") IN the
music, and not just NEXT TO it, or ALONG WITH it.  Kate also does this
extremely well.  The music, not just the words, should invoke what you
are calling "a message".  Otherwise, spoken words would be more
appropriate.  I probably shouldn't have said that The Dead Kennedys
suck.  That's certainly not my right since I have not heard enough of
their music to say such a thing.  What I AM saying is that music is
not just a medium, but an art.  No time to hate, Mark Kat(e)souros

"Walk me out in the morning dew, my honey."