Back in the day when Rock 'n Roll was the hot new thing, and all the parent thought elvis and his gyrating hips were from the devil, did the Crotchtower Babel and Crapped Society have anything to say about this in their Literature?
WTS and Rock 'n Roll
by roflcopter 3 Replies latest watchtower bible
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Atlantis
Awake-1982-August-8-pp.23-25 Young People Ask . . . When the Music Ends, How Do We Solve the Problems? ANOTHER day of school was over at last. Susan, happy that it was, could now head for home, retreat into the privacy of her room, drown herself in music and forget the world! Is this an apt description of you? A study made of the musical interests of young people, conducted in Berlin and Hamburg, Germany, revealed that they spend one and a half to three hours a day listening to music. Six out of ten put music with a heavy beat, and pop, at the head of their list. Why the major interest in this type of music? Interviewed young people said it was because of their disappointment with the world around them and their desire to be distracted from their problems. This was an essential reason in Susan?s case. Admonishing teachers, anxiety about schoolwork and exams were all forgotten at the first sounds of music. Often forgotten, too, were the chores and the homework. Susan had little contact with her parents. She saw her father seldom, perhaps fleetingly on weekends. ?He works a lot,? her mother explained. Susan was not so sure. But of one thing she was sure: this was not the kind of marriage she would have. Her husband would have time for her and the children, just as one of her favorite songs described it. Her mother, who also worked outside the home, always seemed nervous. She seemed to be always under a strain, always on the run, unwilling to listen to anyone who might want to talk to her. She would fix supper in a hurry, do a little housework, and then either slump down in front of the television or fall dead tired into bed. Susan knew many other young people who had complaints about their parents too. It is a fact that, in recent years, the bond between parents and children has weakened considerably. Many parents no longer listen to what their children want to tell them, and large numbers of children no longer look to their parents for guidance in solving life?s problems. Young people, however, generally want help in planning their future. They need someone who can show them understanding, someone who will listen to them talk about future plans or past disappointments. Since music is such an important part of their lives, it is small wonder that oftentimes they look up to musicians as examples to follow. Yes, at times they even idolize them. What Do Pop Stars Have to Offer? Modern songs often deal with contemporary fears and disappointments. So young people who actually have these problems feel understood by the performers who sing about them. Of course, simply complaining about today?s deplorable state of affairs?even when done in the framework of music?does not really change things or solve problems. So it is not strange that those who sing about their apparently healthy world, or at least dream of such, are afflicted by the very same problems that are common to all of us. The realities of life serve as a test of life-styles, showing whether they are feasible or not. The life that music stars live is oftentimes a distortion of the free and easy life they sing about. Rock stars are often unable to form balanced, partnershiplike relationships. ChrissieShrimpton says of her love affair withMick Jagger, member of the Rolling Stones: ?It was simply insane wanting to share a life with a man who, on the one hand, wanted to belong to everyone, but who, on the other hand, was unwilling to belong to you even when he had the time.? For over two decades Elvis Presley was a superstar. In a Presley biography we read that although he had ?an unbelievable career . . . he was not happy. He had few real friends. He was surrounded, as he often complained, ?either by fans or by spongers.? He had no peace of mind.? How did his life turn out? The biography continues: ?He could not cope. He turned to drugs, to uppers and downers, he grew argumentative, he was no longer the polite young man he once had been. Those who knew him well still admired him, but they no longer loved him. He lived alone, although not in seclusion, and he died alone.? Popularity and prestige are in the long run no replacement for a meaningful and satisfying life. George Harrison, a member of the former Beatles group, said: ?There was no longer any satisfaction in it.? Perhaps this emptiness of fame and the dissatisfaction with the life it brings are partially responsible for the behavior of some show-business greats. Hotel rooms have been wrecked, cars demolished, and, frequently, people have been injured. Such behavior is not indicative of balance and composure. To the contrary, it denotes a spirit of frustration. A friend of Mick Jagger once said: ?Mick has always had an inner conflict. He never wanted the negative image with which he and the Stones were burdened. But in order to cope with it, he . . . became the evil, aggressive man the press represented him as being. . . . On the other hand, he was always dreaming about a sound world, in which maliciousness and power mechanisms would not rule.? The world of happiness and harmony that pop stars sing about sounds good. And they may be very good in vocalizing what is wrong with our present world. But knowledge of a condition does not change it. And their life-style is in contradiction to their dreams of a sound world, the one they cannot create for others, not even for themselves. Sooner or later the music ends, leaving both singer and listener still loaded down with problems. Choosing a Better Example to Follow As a result, many young people have come to the conclusion that looking to pop stars as examples after which to pattern their lives is looking in the wrong place. One such is the fourteen-year-old German boy who wrote the Watch Tower Society the following: ?Until I was twelve music seemed to have little influence upon me. Of course, I heard music on the radio, but that was all. But this changed suddenly when we moved and my grandmother gave my brother and me a phonograph. I wondered what kind of records I should buy. My parents recommended Elvis Presley, and I agreed. I bought one of his albums. Upon hearing it I was enthusiastic. I bought another. But that was not all. I began to collect newspaper articles about him and pictures. Later I bought some of his posters. But this was still only the beginning. I got a haircut like the one Elvis had, and I began to copy his ways. I tried to dress as he did. When I turned fourteen, what did I have? At least fifteen of Elvis? albums, posters, piles of articles and a bad conscience.? Why a ?bad conscience?? Because, even though young, this lad came to realize that copying or idolizing imperfect humans is unwise and self-defeating. His view now is far more balanced and he concludes his letter by saying: ?Let this be a warning to other young people not to go too far.? Many persons, including this young boy, have decided to pattern their lives after someone else. It is a man who lived some 1,900 years ago and who invited his listeners to ?come to me, all you who are toiling and loaded down, and I will refresh you.? (Matthew 11:28) The speaker was Jesus of Nazareth. A young person who respects the Word of God, as Jesus did, and allows it to be his guide in all fields of human endeavor will find that it offers practical counsel on how to live a happy life and how to cope with life?s problems. Additionally, it holds forth the wonderful prospect that this earth will one day be cleansed of corruption, violence, crime, injustice and pollution. Choosing to pattern one?s life after this man, Jesus, and his modern-day followers does not mean you must live the life of a pious ascetic. Observe the Christian witnesses of Jehovah. You will discover that they are happy, normal persons. From experience they have seen that no better counsel on coping with life?s problems can be found than what is in the Bible. They would like to invite you to look into the matter for yourself. http://www.badongo.com/pic/285305 http://www.badongo.com/pic/285310 http://www.badongo.com/pic/285316 Nevada-
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BluesBrother
I reckon that references to some old mags are now wiped off the c/d rom, I really wish I had kept the old paper indexes as they came out. I can remember a WT in the sixties that lambasted my favourite bands but it is not listed now.
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w631/15p.53Christendom?sIdolatryForeshadowed***There is also the idolatry of movie stars in Christendom, especially by its youth. Certainly the German teen-age girls were guilty of idolatry when they painted on the portals of the Bamberg Cathedral in Munich the words, "Elvis Presley?my God."
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g8310/22pp.24-25"CountryMusic?sinMyBlood"*** Story by Woody WoodellThings looked good for country music, but then came rock ?n? roll. My first encounter with rock music came when I was host of a show in Cleveland?s Circle Theatre. The producer came running backstage. He was furious. The audience was upset. Some were thoroughly bored by the performer on stage. Others were shocked by his body movements. Many were walking out in disgust. As emcee it was my job to get some new young performer called Elvis Presley off the stage and bring on the next act?and do it quickly!
"That kid will never amount to anything," I thought to myself. Of course, I was wrong. After his voice lessons, he probably did more to promote rock ?n? roll than anyone. At the same time, I think he also did much to influence country music. Much of modern country music has shifted away from traditional country toward rock. By doing this, it gained the popularity of both country and rock, but the price of popularity was high.
While rock music was taking the country by storm, I kept busy promoting country music. A Nashville booking agency asked me to go on tour with country and western star Jimmy Wakely. After covering much of the eastern United States, we ended up in Hollywood, where I appeared in several movies.
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w831/15p.10ModernTrendsinMusic?CanTheySwayYou?***It is easy for the older generation to think that all of this applies only to the younger people and their music. But what about the song hits of 20 and 30 years ago that nostalgics still enjoy? "Big Spender" portrayed a prostitute trying to "hook" a client. "Fever" was a thinly disguised description of intense sexual desire. "Never on Sunday" was also a prostitute?s song. How many at that time enjoyed such melodies, without giving thought to their connections
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read good books
I remember when Nathan Knorr was speaking at an assembly in Minnesota he sarcastically referred to the Beatles as those 'hairy men.' I also remember an article in the Tower that also made reference to John Lennon's remark about the Beatles being more popular than Christ, which I heard he later stated in an interview that he meant more as a criticism of the attitudes of fans.