A Response to Richard Brookheiser’s “All Junk, All the Time”

Richard Brookheiser throws every burblele indictment that he burn down think of at the institution of rock euphony. It is obvious that Brookheiser is writing merely to vent his personalized feelings he has no intention of learning more about the unison that he has chosen to criticize so roundly. It is unfortunate for him, since if he had unflinching to actually listen to some rock music with an open heading, he would reserve been certain to hear some music that he would have liked. The first criticism that Brookheiser (1996) films is that rock appeals to the masses, change surface to megachurches.That, in itself, is not a bad thing to be entirely honest. Music should appeal to the masses. disregarding of whether thither is a variety of music that only exists for the highbrow pleasure of the elite class, the average person also need to experience the asterisk that listening to music can bring to a person. Music needs to speak to the person that listens to it, to have rel evance to that listener, and perhaps notwithstanding rebound the events in his or her life.If rock appeals to the masses, its because most of its listeners understand the artist when the pain of rejected or unrequited love leads the artist to sing about the first cut being deepest or the sense of expiration counting the steps of a retreating lover. Opera, after all, has the same theme, only its shouted at the top of ones voice and in another language. Brookheiser (1996) also criticizes rock music for having E Z 2 Play musical instruments (p.1), equaled by the apparent ease of the lyrics. Once again, he misses the point. Clearly, Brookheiser has not listened to enough rock music to appreciate the harpsichord use by the Beatles, the saxophone used by Billy Joel, or the data-based music used by more artists than it is possible to count. Rock music is about pushing the boundaries of acceptable sound. While much of the music can be played on the guitar, it is never about playing it sa fe. valuate it or not, both the original and the remake of Funky Town make a dry landment with their electronic musictry that on the guitar incomplete are the vocal musics as simplistic as Brookheiser would make out. For every strain with the simplicity of Natasha Bedingfields Unwritten, another song exists with the artistry of Celine Dions vocal riffs that makes the listener sit up and listen. Even more so, Brookheiser should listen to the sentiments evince by those apparently simple or mumbled lyrics.Even those without artistry purposefully state the writers hopes, fears, or social concerns. If Brookheiser feels that rock music fails as a memory marker because it is crude and blank (p. 1), obviously he has not been listening to the right affable of rock. Rock music is a genre that spans more areas, as he so rightfully points out. dissect some easy listening or oldies into the DVD player and even Brookheiser is likely to find music that he feels appropriate to mark even his most special memories.All he has to do is to listen with an open mind and a whole new world will open up for him. Not every person is going to like every kind of music, or even every subgenre of every kind of music. Many spate might know of country music, but not as many even know about its Cajun cousin, zydeco, let alone appreciate it. That wish of appreciation does not make zydeco any less of a expensive resource for the culture that produces it rather, it speaks even more loudly to those who understand what it is move to say.Virtually every generation of parent has said, in my day, music meant something Yet even as we age and listen to the music that we once felt was so radical, it turns into something safe and familiar, associated with our youth. The television series, The Simpsons, did an episode in which the rock song In the Garden of Eden. Richard Brookheiser ends his essay with the statement, Its Bottom 40, all junk, all the time. And its here to stay (2). Sadly enough for him hes rightand give thanks Heaven for itReferenceBrookheiser, R. (1996). All junk, all the time. National Review. Retrieved 23 July 2007 from http//findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1282/is_n22_v48/ai_18914547/pg_1