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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
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Organization: NBI,Inc, Boulder CO
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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.