Re: (TV) Arthur Lee / Blank Generation

["Jeremy Smith" <jeremy_ni_smith@hotmail.com>]

At the age of 18 or so when I heard Blank Generation for the first time, I
guess I just liked the tune. The words - being vaguely anti-establishment
were an added bonus to me. I then put it in the same category as Bored
Teenagers by the Adverts, Your Generation by Gen X and hordes of other punk
songs which were shouting out to "my generation"

I even wrote a song myself of which the chorus was:

I hate, I hate, I hate, I hate the Council Estate, the Council Estate
I hate, I hate, I hate, I hate the Council Estate, the Council Estate
I hate, I hate, I hate, I hate the ****ing Council Estate

for those of you in the US incl Lester Bangs, a council estate = housing
project

What's my point ? Well its the sloganeering that gets people going. If you
write a song with a really good title, a good slogan and it fits the time,
then people will remeber it fondly.

Thats how I remeber Blank Genration, now almost 25 years later its the
slogan/chorus that sticks in my mind , not the words or the message

Regards

Jeremy (UK)
Lyricist to the Stars




----- Original Message -----
From: Raymond <ray@wavewalker.freeserve.co.uk>
To: <tv@obbard.com>
Sent: Friday, February 25, 2000 9:31 AM
Subject: Fw: (TV) Arthur Lee / Blank Generation


> > I personally have always taken "Blank Generation" to be an extremely
> > positive and inspirational statement of intent-the notion that you are
> free
> > to re-invent yourself in whichever way you choose is incredibly
liberating
> > and appealing when you're 16 years old and growing up,as I did,in
> N.Ireland
> > in the 1970's-a grey,repressive,fearful and highly sectarian society.
> > I had a pure,strong desire to work with words and music-R.Hell helped to
> > fuel that desire and I remain eternally grateful.....
> >
> > "Y'know I gotta blowtorch in my hand
> > to burn away all the garbage lies in every land
> > that can't take the heat and light up the rest-understand????"
> >
> > Cheers....R.
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: Philip P. Obbard <pobbard@yahoo.com>
> >
> > > Ok, I know it's off-topic (somewhat), but...
> > >
> > > --- Joe Hartley <jh@brainiac.com> wrote:
> > > > It has a *lot* to do with their music.  How many other songs capture
> the
> > > > sheer angst and desperation of youth as well as "Blank Generation?"
> In
> > > > order to capture that feeling, Hell must have felt it.  If he'd been
a
> > happy,
> > > > well-adjusted lad, we'd never have had that song.
> > >
> > > ... remember that "Blank Generation" is theoretically a *positive*
> song...
> > in
> > > Hell's own words (in FROM THE VELVETS TO THE VOIOIDS), "People misread
> > what I
> > > meant by 'Blank Generation'. To me, 'blank' is a line where you can
fill
> > in
> > > anything. It's positive. It's the idea that you have the option of
> making
> > > yourself anything you want, filling in the blank. And that's something
> > that
> > > provides a uniquely powerful sense to this generation. It's saying, 'I
> > entirely
> > > reject your standards for judging my behavior.'"
> > >
> > > Perhaps this isn't a tangent?
> > >
> > > --Philip "read your Heylin, people" Obbard
> > >
> > > np: Kinks, TO THE BONE (UK version)
> > >
> > > __________________________________________________
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> > > http://im.yahoo.com
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>
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