Okay, so I recognize that I am
Prof. Horwitz's "Newman."
As in the Seinfeld character. The way that Jerry said "Newman," Horwitz says "Munger."
Partly because I have long mocked his love of
Rush. Of course, I am hardly alone in this. Consider this "review" from a "
Most Over-rated" list:
These Canadian Prog-Rock mouthbreathers have earned a place in the history books for humble conceptual retardation and for having the most prolific legion of apocolyptically prententious fans under the sun. This band grew into maturity and developed a fan base after having produced a number of records. The inclination of their fanbase seems to to tally with the period within which they began producing some of the most disappointing concept albums of all time. And singing about dragons or whatever. This just goes to prove that pot wasn't as unpopular in the 70's as you were led to believe. This band also excercise the right to gargantuan respite periods, due to band break-ups and so forth; much to the chargrin of their fans. In my experience (as Anglo-Canadian Prog Metal Ambassador and Correspondant), Rush fans are the jacket-and-jeans wearing, male equivalent of bagladies that are willing to kill in the name of Lee, Lifeson and Peart. Genuinely, this band started life with a great of potential. They went from "Funny/Peculiar" to "OHMYFUCKINGGODTHESE-GUYSAREFUCKINGHILARIOUS!" within a few small steps.
Still, it was sort of cute. It's hard not to sing along with a Rush song in the car, if the radio is broken and you have no way of changing the channel to the "
All Yani, All the Time!" station.
But....now. Now Prof. Horwitz has launched off into new territories of tastelessness. He has expressed the view that (wow)
Steely Dan is "da bomb." The Prof. has been heard crunching old fish bones and chortling about his Dan concert tickets: "Mine, preeeeecious. All miiiiiine, precious." Problem? Yes. Even "
The Daily Kos" is right about "The Dan."
Personally, I'd be hard pressed to think of another major act that even approaches the sheer awfullness of Steely Dan.
Their music reminds me of cottage cheese, tasteless and lumpy. And I don't like tasteless lumps. They natter. They noodle. Their music goes on and on and on with no discernable point or plot. And their singing??
Ay! yi! yi! A bandsaw hitting a hard wood knot sounds better.
Here's the thing: that quote is from...2005. That's a long time ago. Steely Dan has NOT gotten better in the last ten years. Basically they are a tribute band that plays songs that their now geriatric fans listened to while smoking their first doobie. It all seemed deep. But: It wasn't the music that was deep; it was the doobies. I'd rather listen to Lt. Dan. Tapdancing.