The Lefsetz Letter: Never Been Any Reason

“For you to consider me.”

Meat and potatoes rock and roll flourished within the midwest, within the south, had a presence within the west however was pooh-poohed within the northeast. “Free Fowl” caught on in New York after it broke elsewhere. I don’t keep in mind ever listening to Foghat on FM, nor did anyone personal the information, although I acquired hooked on the band listening to “Boogie Motel” and “Stone Blue” on FM after I moved to Los Angeles.

One of many causes meat and potatoes rock will get a foul rep is the lyrics. Easy. Misogynistic. Something however weak.

However after I heard “By no means Been Any Purpose” on Spotify as we speak…

I began with “Rocky Mountain Excessive,” I had a hankering to listen to it. And from there the moment radio station slipped into “Take heed to the Music” after which “Foreplay/Lengthy Time,” not that I noticed the John Denver reduce being aligned with the latter, however in fact we might be followers of all sounds again within the day. Right now the whole lot is out there on-line, only a click on away, however regardless of all of the hoopla concerning the grazing of the kids it appears individuals find yourself of their silos.

Now I’ve heard “By no means Been Any Purpose” extra as an oldie than when it was initially launched in 1975. And it acquired a lift from its inclusion in “Dazed and Confused,” again in 1993, appears similar to yesterday. Teen exploitation movies are now not a factor, at the very least on the multiplex, they will seem on streaming retailers, however they was once a ritual. At the beginning with the B photos of the sixties and seventies, and even by “American Pie” within the nineties. Then once more, are as we speak’s children optimistic? Can they ignore the realities of local weather change, earnings inequality, and monetary hardship? By the point the seventies rolled round, politics was within the background, particularly after Nixon was gone and Vietnam wound down. There was a degree of hedonism boomers hadn’t seen beforehand, the seriousness of the sixties was historical past, and we had been luxuriating in our achievements.

We had weed, whites, and wine, and issues had been fairly good.

The live performance enterprise was constructed within the sixties and matured within the seventies. The sound was lastly good, you anticipated it. And reveals weren’t unique, they had been a ritual, you went frequently, they had been inexpensive. And the touring artists might dwell fairly properly on the earnings.

So that you banged your head. Let go. Felt alive. Untroubled.

After all, this wasn’t utterly true, however the music acquired you thru.

2

“Have you ever ever been lonely, do you have got any enjoyable”

One factor concerning the over-criticized web, it has introduced the lonely collectively, you possibly can log on and discover your tribe. It looks like the one individuals testifying concerning the ills of the web are those that had/haven’t any drawback functioning in common society, going to promenade, getting laid, being a member of the group. However that leaves loads of individuals out. And for this group the web has been a godsend. The truth that cash and appears aren’t the whole lot on-line aids those that don’t ring the bell concerning these standards. Positive, there are social media influencers parading their belongings, then once more Mr. Beast didn’t make it on seems to be. Nerds rule the web and the cool individuals of yore don’t like this.

So who is that this particular person the singer is asking these questions of? It sounds just like the underdog. But it surely’s not. She’s his coronary heart’s need, she’s the winner.

“Did you see any motion
Did you make any mates
Would you want some affection
Earlier than I go away once more”

Typical macho rock star a*shole, proper? I imply hearken to the music, it’s energetic, breezy, however in actuality it’s a cover-up.

“I’ve been strolling behind you
Because you’ve been capable of see
There’s by no means been any purpose
For you to consider me”

They grew up in the identical neighborhood. She by no means took him severely. He’s acquired a crush. Women speak about their crushes on a regular basis, they share this info, plot methods of connection. However boys…they josh and jive and charge the ladies, it’s all posturing, reality isn’t revealed, since you don’t wish to look weak. Your crush is secret. And if it comes out oftentimes you’re an object of ridicule.

“Would you be my companion
Is there even an opportunity”

You recognize, go on the street, to dwell the rock and roll life-style, getting excessive, getting laid, getting paid. But when that is so, why accomplish that many of those male stars get married so quickly? For each Gene Simmons there are scores of stars who went on the street and got here dwelling and married their native sweetheart earlier than leaving city once more. You see the street is lonely. Positive, there’s intercourse, not for everybody, regardless of the legend, however human beings crave connection, intimacy, and the street is antithetical to this.

“You’ve been speaking in circles
Since I’ve been capable of cry
There’s by no means been any purpose
For ever telling me why”

The lyrics are usually not clear, they don’t make full sense, however that’s de rigueur for rock and roll. On one hand he’s longing in isolation, however you too can argue that they’ve had intimate relations. In any occasion, no matter has occurred, or not, she’s not giving him what he needs. She’s elusive.

We’ve all been there. Even when there are moments of connection you’re by no means fairly certain whether or not they’re into you. You’ll be able to’t learn the scenario, and you may’t get any solutions.

She’s so nice.

“Girl with the candy lovin’, higher than a white line”

However he’s holding the quick finish of the stick, if he’s holding it in any respect.
So he postures.

“There’s by no means been any purpose
For me to consider you”

However he can’t maintain that place.

“Save my life, I’m taking place for the final time”

3

There’s a vulnerability in “By no means Give Any Purpose” that I didn’t catch till as we speak.

And the reality is so most of the meat and potatoes rock tracks have unperceived depth.

However because the a long time wore on…

MTV grew to become about posturing, by the brand new wave of English bands.

After which Nirvana introduced on the period of alienation. There’d at all times been alienation in rock, however this was the ethos of Kurt Cobain and the remainder of the Seattle sound after which…

Hip-hop was all about posturing. Bragging.

Rock misplaced its approach.

Pop gained inroads unseen because the sixties. Mariah Carey. The divas. The middle of the universe moved from rock and roll to a mix of pop and hip-hop, and rock has by no means recovered.

Positive, we had Coldplay, however that band has a core of wimpiness, there’s no edge. And Dave Matthews shouldn’t be about edge. And Radiohead is its personal spacey factor, and extra of a cult than mainstream.

And all these acts broke earlier than the outdated paradigm evaporated. They had been boosted by music tv and terrestrial radio. And as soon as that died…

So did rock and roll.

Right now’s rock and roll is anti-internet. It’s removed from weak. It’s the uber-alienated enjoying for the uber-alienated. The rock viewers was once mainstream, however as we speak’s “Lively Rock” appeals to the downtrodden, the blue collar, the neglected. It’s a bubble. It doesn’t stream. It doesn’t sync. It’s a slim assemble. As for mainstream rock and roll…

It’s useless.

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