Wednesday, May 20, A.D. 2009

Won’t Get Fooled Again

Yesterday, I wrote about rock and roll. For people who developed their musical tastes before the age of rock, contemporary pop must seem like cacophonous noise. For the lovers of that noise, however, rock animates certain passions like no other music (and that is why Bloom and company criticize it).

I offer you The Who’s “Won’t Get Fooled Again” to exemplify this musical divide. It is either noise—or raw adolescent pathos in rebellion against the world.

Here they are live in The Kids Are Alright.

It’s not Chopin, but it does get your blood moving. I also like the song because of its honest assessment of social revolution: meet the new boss . . . the same as the old boss. It was for this reason that John J. Miller chose it as his # 1 “conservative rock song” on the National Review.

Posted by Joseph on Wednesday, May 20, A.D. 2009
Music | Popular Music • Permalink