ELVIS, WHERE ARE YOU WHEN WE NEED YOU?

Maybe it’s a generational thing or that my taste in music is woefully lacking in artistry, but using the jargon of the younger generation, the so-called music of today “sucks”.

I use the word music, but in reality, what passes off as music today is not music, but grunts, groans, guttural sounds, chanting, and obscene sexist gibberish.

I can visualize Hoagy Carmichael, Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, Bobby Darin, and yes, Elvis, turning over in their graves for what is being passed off by phony press agents, and bogus impresarios, as music today.

Hip Hop, Rap, Heavy Metal, New Wave, Alternative etc. is being sold by the “artists” who seem to have difficulty putting together a proper English language sentence. The culture of the new “artists”, glorifies crime, abuse of women (where are the feminists?), social chaos, and incitement to commit violence.

Is this good for our society to be bombarded with this pseudo-music? Of course not!

Remember, when our parents were complaining about Rock ‘n Roll, Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, and the Beatles? Aah, for the good ole days!

Times were a changin’ back then, but the music had a melody and two people could dance to it – sometimes very close and snugly. You could sing or hum along, tap your foot in rhythm to the lilting sounds sung or played by professional singers and musicians. It seems that the people who listen to the music of today, look like they need to be high on drugs or alcohol in order to appreciate the noise that is being promoted as music. Maybe I’m too hard on the new millionaires such as Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Jay Z, Eminem etc., but what do they offer society in any redeeming way? The silence will be deafening in trying to answer that question.

How many of the “songs” today will be performed six months from now or even years from now, like the standards of yesteryear, like “Stardust”, “Take the “A” Train”, “Melody of Love”, “Blue Suede Shoes” and yes, even “Rock Around the Clock”, which are still performed today at weddings, and at middle-aged and senior citizen get-togethers?

The young people today are missing out on a worthwhile, wholesome activity - singing and dancing together to tunes that have a melody and rhythm that does have some redeeming values.

Esteemed black entertainer Bill Cosby, as opposed to the “Rhyming Reverends”, Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, has decried what is happening in the minority communities when it comes to what the youth are buying as music today, and who they look up to as role models. Ludercris is revered, and Justice Clarence Thomas is reviled. What a country!

Of course, Bill Cosby is not “politically correct”, because he is genuinely concerned with the uplifting of his community and of America in general. For all his sincere and worthwhile efforts in this regard, he is vilified and called an “Uncle Tom” by some in the black community, who cannot face the problems that Bill Cosby so aptly describes in his very forceful presentation and manner of speech.

Let’s hope the songwriters of today, who have musical talent, will not get discouraged, and those in the future with a real musical gift, will somehow turn out some decent music that all ages would appreciate, to combat the “music” that is dumbing down America today.

LONG LIVE ELVIS!

Submitted by Chuck Lehmann