Republican Music Police
Saturday, March 04, 2006
Rock And Roll Almost Died. . .
. . .But Pete Doherty saved it.
I know I'm years behind the hype machine, but if you don't listen to The Libertines, you ought to reconsider whether you actually like music.
Here's the thing: this is the tragic thing about music. It can't continue. God there was just this prolonged orgasm of Rolling Stones rebirthed. It was there on the first album, which is more like rock and roll than anything I've heard since The Replacements. Then the second album was just a flare of brilliance couched by buffers of filler. Was it the heroin or the coke or the fighting or was it just the fact that putting songs of the caliber of Can't Stand Me Now, The Man Who Would Be King, Music When the Lights Go Out and What Katie Did in rapid succession would just destroy the impetus for music. Because, hyperbole aside, how could you match an album that hit those high notes consistently? It'd be hard. For what it's worth, I don't think the Stones ever did it. And of course the Libertines didn't. But that's why they're the new Stones.
But no, fuck that. They're also the rebirth of the Kinks (or were, rather. But just like a good relationship that ends badly it's just too damn hard to think in the past tense about it), as Music When the Lights Go Out seems to indicate. Or The Clash, as everybody was eager to point out, drawing on the obvious Mick Jones connection.
And then, what? Pete's out there dating supermodels, getting busted for crack, breaking out of a Tibetan Monastery, stealing a switchblade, getting arrested for weapons violations, robbing his bandmates for drug money. Hell, Keith never got that much shit on him, and he was being a degenerate for over 30 years. If Pete lives to see 5 more, what the fuck are we going to see?
Honestly, I almost threw in the towel for rock and roll...but here's this fucking band ripping everything to pieces in a way I haven't seen since, Christ, I don't even know. X, maybe? G'n'R's an obvious comparison...but they're more British. Shit. Now I'm just not being rational. I'm sure I'll be sick of them in two months anyway.
But for now: Rock Lives.
there's no worse you could do,
cw
I know I'm years behind the hype machine, but if you don't listen to The Libertines, you ought to reconsider whether you actually like music.
Here's the thing: this is the tragic thing about music. It can't continue. God there was just this prolonged orgasm of Rolling Stones rebirthed. It was there on the first album, which is more like rock and roll than anything I've heard since The Replacements. Then the second album was just a flare of brilliance couched by buffers of filler. Was it the heroin or the coke or the fighting or was it just the fact that putting songs of the caliber of Can't Stand Me Now, The Man Who Would Be King, Music When the Lights Go Out and What Katie Did in rapid succession would just destroy the impetus for music. Because, hyperbole aside, how could you match an album that hit those high notes consistently? It'd be hard. For what it's worth, I don't think the Stones ever did it. And of course the Libertines didn't. But that's why they're the new Stones.
But no, fuck that. They're also the rebirth of the Kinks (or were, rather. But just like a good relationship that ends badly it's just too damn hard to think in the past tense about it), as Music When the Lights Go Out seems to indicate. Or The Clash, as everybody was eager to point out, drawing on the obvious Mick Jones connection.
And then, what? Pete's out there dating supermodels, getting busted for crack, breaking out of a Tibetan Monastery, stealing a switchblade, getting arrested for weapons violations, robbing his bandmates for drug money. Hell, Keith never got that much shit on him, and he was being a degenerate for over 30 years. If Pete lives to see 5 more, what the fuck are we going to see?
Honestly, I almost threw in the towel for rock and roll...but here's this fucking band ripping everything to pieces in a way I haven't seen since, Christ, I don't even know. X, maybe? G'n'R's an obvious comparison...but they're more British. Shit. Now I'm just not being rational. I'm sure I'll be sick of them in two months anyway.
But for now: Rock Lives.
there's no worse you could do,
cw
posted by Chris W # 6:49 PM 
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