Saturday, April 17, 2010

Voice of a Generation.


According to the AOL splash page this morning, Bryan Adams was the voice of a generation. Hmmm. I think I have to take umbrage with this one. Not that I wish to question AOL's expertise about such things, of course, but as I recall he basically had the one hit before he jumped the same shark Rod Stewart skipped over and became a sappy love song crooner with a raspy voice who became the voice of a Kevin Costner as Robin Hood film.
I've always considered "the voice of a generation" to be someone huge and iconic that changed the way things are done with their honesty and a unique sound. Frank Sinatra. Elvis Presley. Bob Dylan. Bruce Springsteen. Kurt Cobain. Writers. Poets. I'd argue that you could put Morrisey on this list. I could see where people of various niches would say Marshall Mathers has a place on the list, or Billy Joel, or Joe Strummer. In any case, these are people that have made special, prolific contributions. Bryan Adams does not make any such list.
It reminds me of an idiot college professor I had that declared to her class during a '60s lecture that music was incredibly important for understanding each decade and the people that came of age in it. "I won't use examples by Bob Dylan, though. I saw him in concert once and he told the audience to fuck themselves, so I decided he is rude. Instead, I'll tell you about Neil Young because he's not rude, he's just a nice, smart man."

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