I know it's only rock 'n' roll
but I like it.
I think those Rolling Stones lyrics are appropriate for my constant state of mind. However, the lyrics' high level of appropriateness shouldn't overshadow their even higher level of inaccuracy. Meaning: the words only and rock 'n' roll shouldn't be sitting next to one another in the same sentence. Rock 'n' roll never has been and never will be able to be measured by that horrible four-letter word. That would be like saying that baseball is only a game or that Captain Morgan is only a pirate. Rock 'n' roll is a foundation in music lovers' psyche and is what gets me out of bed each day (and paradoxically begs me to keep sleeping).
Less than a week after The Stones announced a world tour, I find myself not only analyzing the state of that specific band, but also the institution of rock as a whole. First, allow me to criticize anyone who thinks that Mick Jagger is wasting his time. His recent Alfie soundtrack hit Old Habits Die Hard (an autobiographical title if there ever was one) earned him and Dave Stewart a Golden Globe, as well as a controversial Oscar snub. The Rolling Stones, although aging, are proof that rock, for some, is a lifestyle -a need. It's more addictive than any cup of Starbucks and more habitual than afternoon naps. Anyway, laugh at The Stones if you like, but they will be cranking out hits and putting asses in seats.
Most of us don't live a rock 'n' roll lifestyle because most of us don't wake up next to a supermodel (or two), look at an empty bottle of Jim Beam and then determine, Oh it must be a Wednesday. Most of our diets don't consist of caviar, cocaine and lager. Most of us have never said, You don't have to go home but you can't stay here. (Or at least most of us have never said that to thousands of screaming fans.) So it would be plausible to say that although most of us don't live rock 'n' roll, many of us most definitely need it. And with that being said, I feel confident about the future of rock.
In a recent column, my word-limit kept me from expressing my admiration of satellite radio. Although I don't think monthly fees are very rock 'n' roll per se, I could say the same thing about the ridiculously high price of tickets, parking and beverages at most of the concerts that I attend. But if rock 'n' roll is a drug, then I am the addict who is selling anything I can steal to experience the vibe of a curtain call, because I am more than willing to pay the inflated fees. There always has been and always will be a demand for rock 'n' roll, whatever sub-genre your tastes may fall into. I figured this out at the dentist's office.
I have been getting my teeth cleaned for over 20 years now, and in that time a Chicago song has always been played as I have sat in the think happy thoughts chair, giving incoherent answers to the barrage of unnecessary questions asked at me as my teeth become sparkly-white. Whether it's the early years of Hard to Say I'm Sorry or the late-eighties hit Look Away
one-time Chicago front man Peter Cetera has provided a much appreciated soundtrack for, I can only assume, dentist offices across the country. Even if it's his Karate Kid 2 solo-hit Glory of Love
Cetera, as well as other light-rock artists, can rest assured that there will always be a demand their product. Why? Because in 20 ... 30 ... 40 years, dental hygienists will still want to rock out to Saturday in the Park as they grind away at the coffee stains on our teeth.
In 20 years NFL fans will still expect to listen to Welcome to the Jungle by Guns N' Roses before each game's opening kick-off (and I'm sure we'll still be anxiously awaiting the release of Chinese Democracy). We will still want to hear jazzy, symphonic versions of Roxanne and Yesterday when we patiently wait in elevators and on phones. And we will most-definitely want Satisfaction. The thing is, as rockers ... we will never get it; but we'll try and we'll try.
So even though rock has the potential to turn us into self-loathing, hotel-smashing lunatics, it can also provide us with some motivation to drive to work. As for The Rolling Stones, the band members might be caricaturizing there careers, but at least they are not gathering moss.
17
Archives
Letter to the Editor
