[Cadaverous Pallor]

All this reminds me of my quick music shifts in the mid-nineties. My love of ska lead me to big band, my love of big band lead me to classic lounge. I remember playing some of this big band/lounge stuff for my father, an ex-hippie, who looked somewhat confused and said to me, "That's what my parents listen to", as if that meant that it sucked.

The idea that the only good music is the rebellious ground breaking stuff is something I used to hold, but now I realize that there's plenty quality and beauty to be found in the status quo. Of course yesterday's rebel is today's status quo...

The big problem is, where do you draw a line? When does a band, or style of music, cross the line from "rebel" into "mediocrity"? It's not about how many records you sell - plenty of breakthrough music has made money and become wildly popular. The only measurement that I can see is one's own subjective tastes.