BOC/OFF: Repercussion of a bad musical trip

[Carl E. Anderson]

> Yeah, they do sometimes, don't they?  Especially those sort of
> gimmicky hits, that people either love or hate.  And too often, for
> better or worse, that's what people will remember you for.  Remember
> Hawkwind "blowing up" the Silver Machine?  (Which is unfortunate,
> because that was shaping up to be one of the best versions ever).  :-)

        Yeah.  _Bastards_.

        On reflection, I think I end up liking a lot of music
which drives other people nuts largely because I've escaped
the original context.  I don't mind the Monkees, the Beach
Boys, BOC's "Godzilla", HW's "Silver Machine", etc. since
I never was there when they were big.  I was discussing
something like this with a German friend the other day--we
both like _Steeleye Span_ f'r Chrissakes, which is instant
street cred death in Britain.  But for us there was never
an association with twee 70s folkies, it was just some
music.

        And other side of the coin, this is probably exactly
Nirvana, etc. grate so much on me.  That scene became huge
right at the end of my highschool career, and I was suddenly
faced with loads of rich suburban kids from LI's north shore
slopping around in boots, scruffy jeans, and a flannel shirt
around their waists (which they had spent the previous 6 years
taking the piss out of me for dressing like) saying "Dude,
I my life is so crap and I so identify with this music". And
I could only think, "If you're life is miserable it's only
because your latest girlfriend dumped you, you aren't getting
the car you wanted as a graduation present, and you got busted
for skipping out of PE.  And 12 months ago you totally identified
with Madonna and dressed like INXS.  What the hell?"
        That and a "Smells Like Teen Spirit" video with
loads of cheesy moshing high-schoolers may have biased my
opinions slightly ;)  So, apologies to big Nirvana fans.
I liked the riffs despite myself, because they _were_ good,
but Ye Gods the whole scene just hit me wrong.

        I'll get back to talking about how I like Godzilla
and Silver Machine :)

Cheers,
Carl