RE: Re:

["William Walker" <billwalker@baymoon.com>]

You know, I drift on and off this list, partly because I get busy with work
and partly because of flame wars like this. life is too short for such
nonsense. I appreciate people coming to our defense. But lets put the 
thread
to rest, OK? I don't know why anyone feels compelled to rip others,
particularly in the context of a web site devoted to music. In hindsight, I
probably should have ignored Larry's comments.  I know a lot of musicians,
and a few of them I know I would describe as "jazz snobs". I'm dealing with
one such person in a band context right now, who I can tell has no affinity
whatsoever for the music the band is covering, a mix of soca calypso reggae
and afro beat. And even though he is a great jazz player and monster
bassist, the fact that he is bored and indifferent to the music really 
shows
in his playing. He acts like any music without a high degree of harmonic
complexity is somehow inferior. There is no passion in his groove, and it 
is
hurting the band. he really should leave the band before he gets booted 
out.
If all this technology shit bores you and is beneath you Larry, its really
ok to step away, like you suggested you would, before you dashed off 
another
fusillade of vitriol.
Good Luck
Bill



-----Original Message-----
From: the toy room [mailto:thetoyroom@comcast.net]
Sent: Monday, February 14, 2005 7:52 PM
To: Loopers-Delight@loopers-delight.com
Subject: RE: Re:


>You may be Beethoven or highly creative.  I don't know.  I figure most
of you are slaves to technology and this is a shame.

You've put some great thoughts on this list Larry, and I appreciate you
getting under our collective skin at times, but this recent thread is
pretty much petty bullshit, in my opinion.

Yes, I get it that you get off on other people not liking you.  Oooh,
you're so indifferent that you really 'don't care'.  Good for you...i
guess.

But then be a bitter, lonely person.  Or just be supplicated by people
who think you're neat because you're so intelligent, or musical, or
bitchy, or whatever.

Personally, I really get off on people who have the intelligence and
fire that you possess, but also have a humility and humanity about them.
It makes them more accessible, admirable, and ulitimately inspirational.

If you wish to be none of those things, that's ok, too.  Again, you get
to be whoever you choose to be.  That's all we all are doing.  And you
are choosing to use your time, electricity and technology to come here
and, on occasion, belittle people.  For what?  What do you gain?  Making
us 'see the light'?  Of how trapped and stupid and futile and ignorant
we all are?

Ok, granted...i'm stupid, and a slave.  So are you in the grand scheme
of things.

Respect and admiration are not given, they are earned.  That's why a lot
of us dig Rick and Bill.  Because with very little regard for their own
selfish motives (of which we all have many), they effortlessly GIVE.
Advice, help, compliments, constructive criticism, whatever.  It cool.
And then they'll turn around and say something laughingly
self-depracative that brings them such a human quality.  And then
they'll step up and play MUSIC with talent and aplomb.

Jeez, you're gonna be spiteful towards that?  You don't have to like
their music, or them.  That's cool.  But being a little bitch and
putting them on a false pedestal to only then try to knock it down is
childish.  I don't care how intelligent you are, be a man.  And define
by something more significant than the skin between your legs.

And as for the slave to technology comment.  I wholeheartedly agree.  WE
are.  And you are too.  So, next time you play, send up some smoke
signals, so we can all come running (or walking, or by horse or boat) to
see you playing your acoustic guitar around a campfire.

Without electricity to blow your hot air around, you're just a chump
like the rest of us.

rich