In January, I wrote a column inviting readers to weigh in on Six
Essential Rock Questions. Well, you weighed in, all right.
I wish I could publish everything I received. Alas, the accolades
for my choices would alone take up a couple of columns. A tiny
sample: "Moron." "Ignoramus." "Glasses-wearing geek."
Let me reprise my choices so that you, too, might marvel at my
taste.
My picks:
Best Debut Album: Jimi Hendrix's Are You Experienced?
Dumbest Song (by Good Musicians): "Rock the Casbah" by the
Clash.
Dumbest Song Lyric (by Good Musicians): "Stairway to Heaven"
by Led Zeppelin: "If there's a bustle in your hedgerow/Don't be
alarmed now/It's just a spring clean for the May queen."
Best Songwriter: Chuck Berry.
Most Overrated Band/Artist: Pink Floyd.
Most Underrated Band/Artist: T-Bone Walker.
Before proceeding, a few notes: The category wasn't "Best Album."
It was "Best Debut Album." And invented categories - "Best Song to
Play Air Guitar To" - are fun, but you can't win if you don't play
by the rules. Oh, that's right, there is no prize. Never mind.
Yes, I know I didn't choose any artists from the past 20 years.
Well, neither did many of you. Very few respondents chose a song,
album, or artist that appeared on the scene after 1985. But Brian
Marshall did. He put forward Isaac Brock of
Modest Mouse as best
songwriter. A brave choice considering Marshall resides in Lubbock,
Texas, hometown of songwriting immortal Buddy Holly. Brian, they've
put people into witness-protection programs for less.
I tried to choose responses that were particularly well written or,
most important, those I agreed with.