Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/17/84; site opus.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!hao!cires!nbires!opus!rcd From: rcd@opus.UUCP (Dick Dunn) Newsgroups: net.music Subject: Re: Indispensible (sic) albums and classics Message-ID: <852@opus.UUCP> Date: Fri, 28-Sep-84 19:40:28 EDT Article-I.D.: opus.852 Posted: Fri Sep 28 19:40:28 1984 Date-Received: Tue, 2-Oct-84 03:40:28 EDT References: <21d33f02.708@apollo.uucp> <4287@fortune.UUCP> <1161@pyuxn.UUCP> Organization: NBI,Inc, Boulder CO Lines: 56 No, you're not Humpty Dumpty, so a word doesn't mean exactly what you choose it to mean. Backing up a bit in the discussion of classic albums: > >> Either: 1) I am too old for this net; 2) Persons posting > >> "classic albums" are being deliberately obscure and > >> esoteric; or 3) The word "classic" is being seriously > >> misused. [W. Christensen] Have to agree if what some people are calling "classics" are unknown to others who know the genre. But then, ostensibly from someone who agrees with Christensen: > > I believe the word classic as used here is up to the individual, > > and rightly so. [Gregory Strockbine] This is bound to confuse things; see my further comments below. > First off, for every person who utters what Christensen said, there > is a person ten or twenty or thirty years older saying the same thing > about Christensen's (or whomever's) choice of albums... But Christensen was saying he was too old?!? > ... Thirdly, just because > an album is esoteric or obscure (i.e., *you* never heard of it: that's > all the words imply) doesn't make it any less of a candidate for > "classic" status. No, "esoteric" and "obscure" are not defined by your own perceptions alone. They reflect a general sense of something not recognized by the masses (even if "masses" is limited to a particular peer group--say, those who know R&R or R&B). After reading this set of interchanges, I finally wandered down the hall to find a dictionary--was the definition of "classic" completely turned around in my head? Seems not. Among the phrases suggested by various definitions in a couple of dictionaries, I found the following which seem to capture the sense of "classic": serving as a standard, model, or guide basic fundamental of enduring interest or quality renowned traditional typical definitive Moreover, I suspect that the person who originally asked about "classic" albums had these traits in mind, and I've seen a number of postings where I would agree with perhaps 80%+ of the albums listed. The frequent repetitions out of the posted lists are the classics. The leftovers may be classics of lesser stature or they may just be personal favorites--but definitely "personal favorites" != "classics" unless you're only interested in playing dumb about meanings of words. -- Dick Dunn {hao,ucbvax,allegra}!nbires!rcd (303)444-5710 x3086 ...Relax...don't worry...have a homebrew.