Letters to the Editor

But for me, the drawback is that I haven't heard much profound, creative music on the radio in many years; in fact, the radio has never been known as a fountain of great art, especially in the past thirty years or so. I do try and listen to a variety of stations, and from what I hear (in a number of different styles, not just pop/rock), there's a certain blandness, a decidedly middle-of-the-road, don't-rock-the-boat sort of approach to the music that gets played on the air. Of course, it's not much different from the shows on TV or the majority of movies that get produced; maybe that has something to do with the increasingly corporate ownership of the media outlets. For those of us who want something a mite deeper, it's a bit frustrating. When I hear of a "radio-friendly" band these days, I pretty much assume that there's going to be very little emotional/spiritual depth and a general lack of creativity and individuality. That's really a drag ( I'd love to be proven wrong).

Isn't it ironic that Malcolm Bruce was involved in the recording of this album? His dad's band was one of my all-time favorites and, outside of "Sunshine of Your Love," received very little airplay in its day. Yet it's generally regarded as one of the most important rock bands of all time. Perhaps airplay translates into some sort of fame and fortune, but it often doesn't add up to the best in music. I would love to see young bands like the 3rd Degree take their talents and apply them to pushing the envelope a bit. There's all sorts of very commercial pop/rock bands today, and very few who are doing anything of much interest; I'd love to see that change. I haven't been musically challenged, or surprised, by anything on the radio since the late '60s, and that's a drag.

Neil Haverstick
Lakewood