The American Spectator

Pete Chagnon /p> p> THE SOUNDS OF MUSIC br> Re: Lawrence Henry’s About Songs : /p>

Lawrence Henry correctly points out the major difference between songs “then” and “now.” He mentioned Oldies stations.

p>Can anyone believe, twenty-five years from now, that there will be Oldies stations playing Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” or anything from Britney Spears? br> — Greg Barnard br> Franklin, TN /p>

What passes for music today (ad nauseam) is nothing more than the noise of clashing junk akin to Fibber McGee’s famous closet. Since I was raised in a home that valued light classic music and the big bands while my youthful musical interests strayed toward Dixieland, Klezmer, country and other folk music tastes, it came as a body blow when the painful “rock” hit the public market. My seminal moment came when I was standing outside Oregon’s stunning Timberline Lodge at night during a light snowfall and the earsplitting cacophony of “Rock Around the Clock” boomed out over loudspeakers. The strong urge to vomit swept through me. Over the years, things went downhill from there. There is no way that I would set a radio dial to today’s “top tunes” as what comes out of the radio is far too upsetting. It is too painful and disturbing; certainly not what my idea of what music is supposed to do for us.