[Brian Perkins]

Al, et AL,


I was at a bookstore recently, and there on the cover of Fortune (I
think) was none other than Mick and Keith!!! The headline/cover/caption
read: The Rolling Stones: A billion dollar rock band or some such.
Clearly, these fellows set out to make themselves millionaires and since
their "message" (do the stones have a message??? Sure!!) all along has
been pretty clear and simple, they have made it easy for their buying
public to digest. 

Things start getting complicated as your "message" gets more
complicated, wouldn't you say??? That being said, does rock have to have
a message? Does it have to be Art? Why? PG was quoted as saying (in
paraphrase) essentially: DANCE!......then think about what we're saying.
Suggesting that they feel that they are here first to entertain, and
second to inform. These guys are not dummies, they know that to continue
to give their ideas a forum, they must remain "popular" (define that how
you wish) so that they may continue to sell CD's and concert tickets.
They then continue to support themselves and get their ideas across to
the public at the same time. We in turn support their efforts by buying
CD's, Tickets, etc. A certain level of commercial success gives them
continued access to and credibility with the media, the record industry,
and ultimately with .......their fans. 

I guess this is one of the reasons I love these guys so much is that
they are teaching us that saving the world and having fun, do not have
to be mutually exclusive. So in turn this will satisfy the people who
come to the Oils for their sound, and those who come for their
"messages", and for those who seek both.

At any rate, as with many things in life, the answers to these and many
other questions are very subjective. Heck, I remember my buddy Scott (he
of the old guard Head Injuries crowd) crying to me in 1988 that the Oils
"Sold-Out" (his words) by releasing a hit single called "Beds'R
Burning!!!! He felt that by "pandering to the mass-appeal pop market"
they risked their "cred." (I'm still not sure where he got that) His
equation was sales = sellout. (He's always been a bit extreme in his
thinking) I still love him, though........ :O) 


Brian Perkins
West Linn, OR 

"...........get down, and be your bad selves........"
							Frank Zappa