nessus@mit-eddie.UUCP (Doug Alan) (07/12/85)
[This space for rent -- cheap!]
I received this message from Jim Hofmann (hofmann@amsaa.ARPA) a while
ago via personal mail. He posted it to net.music but it never got here,
so I'm reposting it. Where does all this net-news go anyway? What are
all the neat things that I'm missing out on? Here's the article:
(-- Doug Alan)
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Speaking of Susan Vega, I heard an interview with her while
speeding down scenic Route 40 on WHFS-(ANappyllis). I'll
try to remember some of things she said. First of all
when Weasel ( the DJ ) asked her what she thought of Bob Dylans'
Newport Convention Electronic set, she said, "well, I don't
want to get into that silly old argument as to what Folk music
is and what it isn't."
When pressed, she said folk music was music for the people.
She even went so far to include the Clash (!) as folkies under
the definition. She explained also how she got into folk music.
When she was a young'un, she started taking guitar lessons. The
instructor asked what kind of music she got into and whether
she liked folk. She answered she didn't like folk ( associated
folk at that time with Baez,Collins,Flower-Child,etc. ) but
she listened to Beatles and Dylan. Her instructor smiled
and said, "You like Folk." From then on, she played and
composed folk. When asked what she had been listening to lately,
she answered 'Tears for Fears'(!) and "The Smiths" and she
was very impressed with the latest crop of bands in Rock. I
guess Ray Manzarak's theory that music gets better when
a conserative administration is in power may be correct since
I tend to agree with her. So at least we can thank RWR for
something, eh? When asked why she liked these groups in
particular, she replied that she liked the Brazilian rhythms in
TFF and the political sentiments in the Smiths' music. It
reminded her of the sub-cultures of the 60's. [Don't know
if I can concur on that one, since I was still playing
Kick the Can {Well - I still would if I could find anyone
interested in it}]. Weasel then played 'Jump' by Aztec Camera
and asked her if she would classify it as Folk. She said
no, but at least she could understand the words. Oh well, she played
down at the Bayou in DC but I couldn't make it. Heard it
was rather decent, though, I might say.
Jim Hofmann
P.S. She also said she didn't know if the Washington Squares ( a
local punk turned folk band ) were really serious or not. I
kind of think they are cashing in on folk/psychedelic revival
by parodying it. I mean, just look at their name!