When Stravisky's The Rite of Spring premiered in 1913, the reaction from the crowd (according to many accounts) was one of astonishment and shock, resulting in a full scale riot. Now that's passion!
And passion is what defines great music, and the artists who create it. Great artists have no choice; they must create the music, not matter what the obstacles are. Not all artists, of course, are of the caliber of Stravisnsky's talents, but they may have some of the same passion, and become an unstoppable force. In our American culture, we differentiate between high and low art; the high artists get grants to write symphonies, and the low artists are considered "garage bands." Of course some of our greatest and most endearing music springs from garages, and sometimes the great concert halls feature music that nobody remembers.
One measure of great art is the amount of controversy it causes. The world in which The Rite of Spring emerged probably wasn't quite ready for what was considered at the time primitive (i.e. sexual) and marching to a different drummer than the late romnatic period that preceded it. But times don't change, and in 1969 the world wasn't quite ready for the ultimate garage/art band, and certainly one of the more, uh, distinctive groups of all times, The Shaggs! Read more »
On my son's pickup truck.
I've been searching the last few years for the ideal way to view some of the media files I've accumulated over the years on my TV. I've tried all sorts of schemes, but none were totally easy to use, efficient, and delivered the kind of quality I expect.
Heres a toast to two of the legends of the Hammond Organ. Besides being innovative musicians with fantastic technique, they shared a deeply spiritual demeanor. And they were mostly self-invented. Not that there's anything wrong with that; it is a common thread throughout our cultural history, from Mark Twain to Madonna. You are who you say you are, and who's to argue? Being outrageous never hurts, either.
Our friend 
