Don't Support Devilish Music(Rock Music)!!!

[Major_Minor]

You appear to not have read what I wrote. I wrote that rhythm is not bad in itself. Even if it is prominent, it doest not necessarily make it bad. That’s why certain dance music (for decent dancing, such as square dancing) is ok in its proper place (dancing). To listen to it while dancing is appropriate for that activity. To listen to it as your main course, that’s bad news.

I did read what you wrote and I was arguing against your assertion that without all 3 in this supposed perfect balance it would be “Satanic”… you said “Why is rock music not good (purely from the view of the music itself, not the lyrics, which could be either good or bad)? It all boils down to the three components of music and how they are related, which are melody, harmony, and rhythm. etc. etc.” and again what I am saying is that: The music of ancient times would not fit your model. Rhythm was the main element.

 

[Major_Minor]

Rock consists of short, constantly repeated measures. This is not a characteristic of the music that came before it.

Blues? Folk? Gamelan music? I’m not going to write a comprehensive list, but what you are asserting isn’t true. Again to use the Biblical model… do you think that ancient music did not repeat? That is was constantly changing and that constantly changing music is in itself somehow better or more holy?

 

[Joe_5859]

Blues? Folk? Gamelan music? I’m not going to write a comprehensive list, but what you are asserting isn’t true. Again to use the Biblical model… do you think that ancient music did not repeat? That is was constantly changing and that constantly changing music is in itself somehow better or more holy?

Indeed. The poetry of the Old Testament is based on repetition. That’s how we know it’s poetry. Look through the Psalms or the latter half of Isaiah. Quite often, it involves a statement, then another statement that says the same thing in slightly different words.

I find the whole “incites the passions” argument to be unnecessarily provacative if not intentionally beleaguering . You could just the same say that it “provokes an emotional response.” That’s what all music does.

 

[Major_Minor]

Going back to the “Define Rock” part… (and for that matter The Beach Boys somehow being “Satanic” -because they are rock) This is just too short sighted to believe.

How is this piece Our Prayer “Satanic”?
youtube.com/watch?v=ePOc1Tr85gs

or Surf’s Up (Don’t let the title fool you it isn’t actually about surfing.)
youtube.com/watch?v=YIHwNEZyMbE
I find Surf’s Up to be the equal to any German Lieder I’ve ever heard.

As for your potato chip analogy I think that’s true of music, that some is better than others, but I do disagree that it’s somehow exclusive to rock. I would argue that every genre has high and low moments and you should be selective about what you spend your time with, but your assertion that rock is somehow exclusively bad to be ill-informed. There is a lot of music that is labeled rock that doesn’t have the beat you are describing…

 

[Lost_Wanderer]

I strongly disagree with this. Music inspires us in various ways, regardless of the sort of music that it is but I don’t believe that classical/opera, etc is necessarily superior to folk music. Don’t you think that that is a bit euro-centric? In fact, most arguments of this sort always boil down to this: Classical/baroque music good, Jazz/Blues/Rock bad. I recall during the 50’s that there was a tinge of racist attitudes that permeated the objections to Rock music.

I enjoy all types and can appreciate all of it. I certainly do not consider Irish music “junk” food nor any other type of music. When it comes to liturgical music, that is a different story.

My musical tastes revolve around songs/scores that I hear in movies/shows/cartoons/video games. Now from my perspective? The most popular classical music are the ones I find the least inspiring since I associate them with whacky, old cartoons and monochrome slapstick. That’s kinda funny since those who put classical music on a pedestal claim it to be “intellectual”. Heck whenever I hear “Flight of the Bumblebee” I get the impulse to run around randomly till I run into a wall face-flat. Yeah, real intellectual all right.

Contemporary music on the other hand (rock music in particular)? The emotions I feel from such music makes it perfect for all kinds of scenes.

I find rock in particular to make for quite a hardcore BGM whenever there’s a fight scene (or an intro before a fight scene).

 

[EphelDuath]

Rock consists of short, constantly repeated measures. This is not a characteristic of the music that came before it. It is a characteristic that incites the passions. Simplicity in itself is not bad, but the constantly repeated short sections, along with the driving beat, is not good news.

There’s nothing wrong with passions, else the Lord wouldn’t have given them to us. I love classical music and Gregorian chant. I also love jazz, blues, rock, metal, electronica, and cross-over genres. I don’t see anything wrong with that. I openly admit that J.S. Bach’s music is probably more intellectual than anything written by Eric Clapton, but for everything, there’s a time and a place.

God bless.

 

[rapunzel77]

There’s nothing wrong with passions, else the Lord wouldn’t have given them to us. I love classical music and Gregorian chant. I also love jazz, blues, rock, metal, electronica, and cross-over genres. I don’t see anything wrong with that. I openly admit that J.S. Bach’s music is probably more intellectual than anything written by Eric Clapton, but for everything, there’s a time and a place.

God bless.

Exactly Ephel . I don’t want to hear rock music at Mass since it is a sacred time so Gregorian chant is the most appropriate or hymns. However, outside of Mass, I listen to a bunch of different stuff depending on my mood. Sometimes I want to hear quiet, relaxing music like mood music/nature/ethereal, etc. Other times I want to hear folk music, sometimes from around the world or I want to listen to rock, classical, etc. I love all sorts .

 

[Tally_Marx]

Music is a tool. In and of itself it cannot be bad/wrong or good/correct. It’s all about how it’s USED. There are songs that are horrible, degrading, and sinful songs. I can name a lot of songs that are bad.

And, believe it or not, many of them are country songs. I don’t have a problem with the genre; instead, I have a problem with that individual song–and the artist who wrote it.
There are bad and good songs in every genre. Discriminating against rock music is very unfair. It’s are not even the worst genre (rap is far worse. And even then, Father Stan Fortuna is a rapper. And he’s awesome!).

I’m a rock music artist. I play/compose classic/alternative rock. If you want to know why I love these genres above all others, look up some of Switchfoot’s songs. I recommend “Easier Than Love”, “Only Hope”, “Company Car”, “Lonely Nation”, “Politicians”, “The Sound”, “Love is the Movement”, “Dare you To Move”, “Meant to Live”, and “Stars”. Also listen to “Funny The Way It Is” by the Dave Matthews Band as well as “Open Arms” by Journey.

Opens Arms is a very religious song, depending on the way one looks at it. If you look at it as a conversation between a Guy and Christ on the Cross, and not a guy and his girlfriend.

I hope that you come to see the “awesomness” in music, especially rock music!

Pax,
~Tally Marx

 

[Major_Minor]

OK, maybe a little comedy is in order here…
This video proves once and for all that heavy metal is Satanic:

youtube.com/watch?v=Kw5oJoUYTb8

HA!
(It’s actually a Finnish guy who removes the audio from a video then adds his own… he writes the lyrics to fits it on a lip reading level… hysterically funny.)

 

[gamewell45]

Hi again.I just went back from a Life In Spirit Seminar two days ago and the priest was talking about how people got influenced by the devil.He talked about cults,occults,spirit of the coin,magic.But one thing was really getting my attention when the priest was talking about how people today are influenced by the devil through music(rock music,country music,etcetera).

During his talk,he mentioned bands and singers like John Lennon,Beatles,Eagles,Beach Boys and more!I was shocked to hear that these people were involved in Satanism!!.

And before this,I was thinking like “man,music today is so bad.singers and bands tosday are always singing about sex,drugs,girls,love(eros=sexual love) and etcetera.Why cant we go back listening to the 60’s or 70’s music like Beatles,Eagles Guns and Roses,Santana.” That was what I thought last time,and now I know that Im dead wrong!

These bands from the past are also as bad as bands and singers now!They include in their music drugs,sex and killing.

So what does this mean?It means that the Devil has been tempting and has been spreading his evil influence from the past till now!

So what are we going to do about it?We should warn everyone about devilish music and how it affects and kills the young minds of today.For parents,please ensure your kids are not involved in this spirit killing music.

So this post is as a warning and I would like those who read this post to add singers or bands who are devilish in their music in your reply(doesn’t matter if its past or present bands

So,thats all my brothers and sisters in Christ.I hope that if we work together.Evil will lose his power over the people of today.

If u want to know more about devilish music just go to this site
www.jesus-is-savior.com/Evils%20in%20America/devils_music.htm

What music does the church approve of? Montavani? Beethoven? Is it music that only has lyrics in it? electric guitars? Acoustic guitars?

 

[TheWhoFreak]

^^^That’s something that I’ve always wanted to ask people who hold the “rock music is of the devil” belief. What makes music (in your opinion) rock music? What about instrumental rock? If I play rock stuff on my guitar or drums, am I sinning?

Apart from these questions never being answered (heck, they’re never addressed at all), the rub I have with Jesus-is-savior.com’s articles on rock is that when they pull quotes from alleged “satanic” rock artists, they’re always taken out of context or taken from people who are considered “out there” even in the rock scene.

Reading that site is like watching a bad movie. It only gets worse when you realize that the creator(s) actually believe that what they’ve made is good.

 

[LilyM]

Indeed. The poetry of the Old Testament is based on repetition. That’s how we know it’s poetry. Look through the Psalms or the latter half of Isaiah. Quite often, it involves a statement, then another statement that says the same thing in slightly different words.

I find the whole “incites the passions” argument to be unnecessarily provacative if not intentionally beleaguering . You could just the same say that it “provokes an emotional response.” That’s what all music does.

Precisely! That’s what I love about the (perfectly suitable for Church, in fact written for it) ‘Lachrymosa dies illae’ from Mozart’s Requiem - the music paints an evocative picture (in other words incites the passions).

There’s nothing wrong with passions, else the Lord wouldn’t have given them to us.

God bless.

Jesus wasn’t at all averse to a display of passion Himself at times - look at all the insulting epithets He hurled at His opponents, the moneychangers in the Temple, His weeping at Lazarus’ death and impassioned pleading to the Father in the Garden.

 

[inyourbox]

The fact that this is 2010 and not 1950 should be giving everyone pause to think about this a little closer and realize this is a ridiculously obstinate thread. That all being said… How can any of us condemningly label anyone’s music as “Satan’s music”? Songs that suggest things like drugs, sex, and violence are merely a reflection of their times. Drugs, sex and violence have always been a prevalent issue in the world. The fact that artists in the last 50 years have stated that fact is a tribute to courage they have to “tell it like it is”. And is that, in itself, a sin?.. The only real change from the good old days of Bach and Mozart to Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra is that people don’t hide those “inequities” or pretend they aren’t problems. I call that progress. Also if God gave us the ability to create works of art then in essence all music is inherently inspired by the divinity that God gave us to create. I agree some artists may be misguided but instead of condemning them or their way of life pray for them… And as an artist myself I’ll pray for you…

God Bless
Michael Johnson

 

[Portrait]

Rock consists of short, constantly repeated measures. This is not a characteristic of the music that came before it. It is a characteristic that incites the passions. Simplicity in itself is not bad, but the constantly repeated short sections, along with the driving beat, is not good news.

You appear to not have read what I wrote. I wrote that rhythm is not bad in itself. Even if it is prominent, it doest not necessarily make it bad. That’s why certain dance music (for decent dancing, such as square dancing) is ok in its proper place (dancing). To listen to it while dancing is appropriate for that activity. To listen to it as your main course, that’s bad news.

I like the comparison my teacher gave us. Classical/opera/Baroque/etc. music is like the main course of a meal. Stuff like Irish folk music can be likened to potato chips. Is it bad? No. If you want a few potato chips, take a few potato chips. But if you dress up the potato chips on a nice dish and make it the main meal, that’s a problem. Don’t make it something other than it is. A few potato chips won’t kill you, but a lot might.

Dear iluvburpees,

Cordial greetings.

May I just say how much I concur with your two part discussion of rock music. You are quite correct in stating that it is not merely the lyrics that are the issue but also the music itself which is a fundamental problem for the Christian.

First, the fact is that rock music is communication minus the words, irrespective as to what idealogy is inserted into the music; the lyrics merely inform us what the music is already declaring. Thus the music is not neutral for the music per se is its own message and as such it can alter entirely the message of the words, assuming of course there is any! Moreover, rock music is not some sort of pliable medium that can be bent in any direction. Some art forms express certain philosophies and are so wedded to those philosphies that they convey a certain kind of outlook. Now rock music is a prime example of this and is decidedly not a neutral medium, notwithstanding assertions to the contrary. Indeed, so far as I am aware, this is only dismissed by those who have a particular polemical theory to uphold, like the fanatical pro-Christian rock clan, who desperately clutch at every and any straw to legitimize and baptize rock music, in spite of its occultic and very unsavoury connections.

Second, one of the basic constituents of rock music is constant repitition; listen to any rock track and you will discover that one of its major features is the constant repitition of chord patterns, beat, a narrow range of notes or a rythmic figure.

Granted, there is no hard and fast ‘law’ about the amount of variety that is required before a peice of music becomes ‘legitiamte’; the most that one can say is that variety is clearly one of the traits of good music. Whilst it is undeniably true that there is considerable repetition in certain classical music, it is, however, creative with subtle variations woven into it. Is there honestly any parallel between say the repitition in a Vivaldi concerto movement and Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lot of Love”? (widely considered a classic peice of rock). Quite apart from the depraved erotic elements, this so called classic piece of rock has about as much variety as a neumatic drill.

Now because of this constant repitition, rock music is an ideal vehicle for individual or mass hypnosis. This alone ought to raise the warning cones respecting the suitability of rock music for Christians, or indeed anyone for that matter

Third, a driving beat is an indispensable ingredient of rock, whatever harmonic and melodic or verbal sophistication rock may contain; it simply would not appeal as it does without the undergirding of its simple, repetitive, pounding beat. As with repetition, rythym plays a valid part in all music, but in rock rythym is repalced by a relentless driving beat. There is evidence to suggest that when the beat overrides other elements in a song the communication level is significantly changed to one which is primarily physical and often specifically sexual. This is surely a red light that ought to spell danger to any unbiased man, but especially the Christian who is seeking “to control his own body in holiness and honour” (I Thess. 4: 4).

The ineluctable conclusion is surely that rock music is so poblematic, for whole variety of reasons, as to be beyond artistic redemption.

Warmest good wishes,

Portrait

 

[Lost_Wanderer]

Indeed, so far as I am aware, this is only dismissed by those who have a particular polemical theory to uphold, like the fanatical pro-Christian rock clan, who desperately clutch at every and any straw to legitimize and baptize rock music, in spite of its occultic and very unsavoury connections.

Unless you cite evidence and references, this is nothing more than a long-winded assertion. Eloquence is no substitute for a substantial argument.

Second, one of the basic constituents of rock music is constant repitition; listen to any rock track and you will discover that one of its major features is the constant repitition of chord patterns, beat, a narrow range of notes or a rythmic figure.

The same can be said of classical music particular popular works of Beethoven and Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyries. Flight of the Bumblebee is another work that has constant repetition and I don’t need to be a music buff to hear that.

Whilst it is undeniably true that there is considerable repetition in certain classical music, it is, however, creative with subtle variations woven into it. Is there honestly any parallel between say the repitition in a Vivaldi concerto movement and Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lot of Love”? (widely considered a classic peice of rock). Quite apart from the depraved erotic elements, this so called classic piece of rock has about as much variety as a neumatic drill.

Classicist opinion and obviously biased one at that. I don’t know about you but I’d rather hear emo band Simple Plan’s Welcome to My Life than suffer the impulse to run around like a lunatic from hearing Flight of the Bumblebee.

There is evidence to suggest that when the beat overrides other elements in a song the communication level is significantly changed to one which is primarily physical and often specifically sexual. This is surely a red light that ought to spell danger to any unbiased man, but especially the Christian who is seeking “to control his own body in holiness and honour” (I Thess. 4: 4).

The ineluctable conclusion is surely that rock music is so poblematic, for whole variety of reasons, as to be beyond artistic redemption.

“There is evidence…”, “There is evidence…” you keep saying that and you’ve never provided as much as a hint to a psychological study. Music is like all arts. It can be widely interpreted. And from my own personal interpretations of all kinds of music, I get sexual imagery whenever I hear Arabian or Egyptian sounding music, not rock. I find rock nowadays to be more of the background music of heavy brawls, acrobatic gun fights, and robot mayhem.

 

[Tally_Marx]

First, the fact is that rock music is communication minus the words, irrespective as to what idealogy is inserted into the music; the lyrics merely inform us what the music is already declaring…rock music is not some sort of pliable medium that can be bent in any direction.

Hello there, Portrait! I’m glad to see that you are willing to put thought into this subject before posting. However, there are, I believe, more things for you to consider before judging the matter. First of all, rock music is not communication minus the words. Actually, this is a better despcription of classical msuic. In classical, you listen to the tune and emotion that the music encites and then interpret it, relating it to some experience you have had (“Dolly’s Dreaming and Awakening” by T. Oesten) or some object/person (“Le Petite Chien” by Chopin).
In rock, however, the words indeed do matter. Yes, it is true that the music sets the tone and animates the words. Of course, the opposite is also true; the words help mold and contain the music, providing it with a fairly clear meaning and leaving out the wide range of interpretations available to classical music. I’ve always been under the impression that this co-operation between the music and the words was the point of music and one of the traits of a good lyrical song. It is rarely that I hear a song which is ineffably sad where the lyrics are concerned, but with a bouncy, hopeful beat. Finding a tune which expresses and enhances the words is one of the challenges of composing. It can be bent in any direction, hence the many different genres, such as soft rock, alternative rock, hard rock, and classic rock. It all depends on what you, the composer, wants the song to be about.

Some art forms express certain philosophies and are so wedded to those philosphies that they convey a certain kind of outlook. Now rock music is a prime example of this and is decidedly not a neutral medium, notwithstanding assertions to the contrary.

If this is indeed so, can you please tell me what underlying philosphy is common in the Dave Matthew’s Band’s “Funny the Way it Is”, STYX’s “Renegade”, Roxette’s “Listen to Your Heart”, Switchfoot’s “Only Hope”, and Journey’s “Open Arms”? If they all possessed the same harsh, passionate beat (like rap music does, as a general rule) then I would say the words to not matter. However, the tune fits the words, the words fits the tune, and there is a great variety of sounds and words between hard, soft, classical, and alternative rock.

(to be continued in post below)

 

[Tally_Marx]

Indeed, so far as I am aware, this is only dismissed by those who have a particular polemical theory to uphold, like the fanatical pro-Christian rock clan, who desperately clutch at every and any straw to legitimize and baptize rock music, in spite of its occultic and very unsavoury connections.

And I suppose you would be a fanatic to desperately clutch at your Nike shoes, despite the fact that Nike is a pagan godess of victory? Or to desperately clutch your candles, even though candles have been used for evil things… like Black Masses. Or to desperately clutch your gun, even though it was a gun that was used to shoot Pope John Paul II… do you see where I am going with this? These things are tools and cannot be evil in and of themselves. It is the intention with which they are used which perverts them. EVERYTHING around you has unsavory connections. Human beings are fiendishly good at being able to sin anywhere, with anything, at any time. Of course, God is equally as good at speaking to people through whatever medium happens to be available at the time.

Second, one of the basic constituents of rock music is constant repitition; listen to any rock track and you will discover that one of its major features is the constant repitition of chord patterns, beat, a narrow range of notes or a rythmic figure…Now because of this constant repitition, rock music is an ideal vehicle for individual or mass hypnosis.

Every lyrical song repeats itself, otherwise it wouldn’t be a song but a psalm. Most rock songs I hear have several stanzas, a chorus, a bridge, and an outro… of course, the same could be said for most country music, too. Anything done over and over has the power to ‘hypnotize’ someone. Even classical music can do this, which is why a lot of classical music is played in stores and elevators, so that it has the effect of calming people down, making them move slowly so that they can look at and be attracted by more sale items or so that the ride doesn’t feel so long…

Third, a driving beat is an indispensable ingredient of rock, whatever harmonic and melodic or verbal sophistication rock may contain; it simply would not appeal as it does without the undergirding of its simple, repetitive, pounding beat. As with repetition, rythym plays a valid part in all music, but in rock rythym is repalced by a relentless driving beat.

It’s not necessarily a relentless driving beat and if you think that as a rule this is a characteristic of rock music, then I’m afraid you have never really listened to rock music and have confused it with rap. Every lyrical song has a rhythmic beat, because the words are a poem (and no poem is a poem without rhythm) and the music reflects the words. Besides, most songs change the beat at some point… the beat for the stanza (whether maintained by the drums, the guitar, or the piano) is usually different from the beat for the chorus, and the bridge doesn’t have to have anything in common with any other part of the song!

There is evidence to suggest that when the beat overrides other elements in a song the communication level is significantly changed to one which is primarily physical and often specifically sexual.

Or it can be like Switchfoot’s “Easier Than Love”, in which the words are specifically sexual and somber (in a good way, though, believe it or not) but the tune is bouncy, and possesses an irony which gives the song a special punch that gets your attention. It’s the downplay of poetry, in a song. Now, if you are speaking of something that’s heavy metal, where you cannot hear or understand the words the music is so loud, then you have a valid point, because then all one is getting is the emotion (which is a violent one) and none of the words that give that emotion form. But this doesn’t happen in all rock (but it IS seen inChopin’s “Revolutionary” ) and it would be highly unfair to condemn all rock just because some artists like to scream. (For the record, I can’t stand loud, screaming songs, either)

The ineluctable conclusion is surely that rock music is so poblematic, for whole variety of reasons, as to be beyond artistic redemption.

It’s all in the interpretation, my friend. And Switchfoot is awesome.

Warmest good wishes,

~Tally Marx

 

[Tally_Marx]

I’ll take a moment here to bore you all as I expound upon Switchfoot’s “Easier Than Love”, which I mentioned above. I said that it was an ironic song because the words do not fit the tune… after I said that it was a trait of a good song for the music to accurately reflect the meaning of the words. Allow me to explain.

“Easier Than Love” is a song about how today we are oversexed… how everything in our society today is about sex, how it is used to advertise everything from cars to magazines, and how we (especially young people) mistake sex for love… and how in doing all of this, we basically destroy ourselves. These are what the words say. The music, however, is in contrast to this bleak picture. It’s bouncy, spinning, and for the most part rather upbeat. This is what I meant by irony. Now, this does not prove Portait’s point that the music speaks louder than the words. This ironic effect was, I’m certain, completely intended by the composer and song-writer, Jon Foreman. See, while the words paint an accurate picture of what society has done to sex and what sex has done to our society, the music itself relfects how people in general think of sex. The music says what most young people today say, “Yes, we are going to dress immodestly. Yes, we are going to lose our virginity at age 13. Yes, we are going to be exposed to this immorality. Yes, we are going to ask for more and keep coming back to it. And yes, in case you are wondering, it is destroying our lives.” The words spell the truth and the music lies, just as we lie to ourselves. The music at first doesn’t seem to fit the words… but it’s only ironic because the subject matter is ironic. When heard together, the entire song truly gives an accurate description of our society. Switchfoot has another song with this same general idea of irony-- “Amateur Lovers”. Both are excellent songs, and I highly recommend them. I hope you look into them.

Pax,
~Tally Marx

 

[distracted]

Dear iluvburpees,

Cordial greetings.

May I just say how much I concur with your two part discussion of rock music. You are quite correct in stating that it is not merely the lyrics that are the issue but also the music itself which is a fundamental problem for the Christian.

First, the fact is that rock music is communication minus the words, irrespective as to what idealogy is inserted into the music; the lyrics merely inform us what the music is already declaring. Thus the music is not neutral for the music per se is its own message and as such it can alter entirely the message of the words, assuming of course there is any! Moreover, rock music is not some sort of pliable medium that can be bent in any direction.

Portrait

i disagree… or i disagree as concerns SOME rock music…

if i can listen to a little of every day… and still remain devout in my faith… then i don’t see a problem… Of course, if you can’t… Jesus said tht if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off … cast it from you…

so far i am still loving the Mass… & all the other things Catholic…

 

[dontknow]

Dear iluvburpees,

Cordial greetings.

May I just say how much I concur with your two part discussion of rock music. You are quite correct in stating that it is not merely the lyrics that are the issue but also the music itself which is a fundamental problem for the Christian.

First, the fact is that rock music is communication minus the words, irrespective as to what idealogy is inserted into the music; the lyrics merely inform us what the music is already declaring. Thus the music is not neutral for the music per se is its own message and as such it can alter entirely the message of the words, assuming of course there is any! Moreover, rock music is not some sort of pliable medium that can be bent in any direction. Some art forms express certain philosophies and are so wedded to those philosphies that they convey a certain kind of outlook. Now rock music is a prime example of this and is decidedly not a neutral medium, notwithstanding assertions to the contrary. Indeed, so far as I am aware, this is only dismissed by those who have a particular polemical theory to uphold, like the fanatical pro-Christian rock clan, who desperately clutch at every and any straw to legitimize and baptize rock music, in spite of its occultic and very unsavoury connections.

Second, one of the basic constituents of rock music is constant repitition; listen to any rock track and you will discover that one of its major features is the constant repitition of chord patterns, beat, a narrow range of notes or a rythmic figure.

Granted, there is no hard and fast ‘law’ about the amount of variety that is required before a peice of music becomes ‘legitiamte’; the most that one can say is that variety is clearly one of the traits of good music. Whilst it is undeniably true that there is considerable repetition in certain classical music, it is, however, creative with subtle variations woven into it. Is there honestly any parallel between say the repitition in a Vivaldi concerto movement and Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lot of Love”? (widely considered a classic peice of rock). Quite apart from the depraved erotic elements, this so called classic piece of rock has about as much variety as a neumatic drill.

Now because of this constant repitition, rock music is an ideal vehicle for individual or mass hypnosis. This alone ought to raise the warning cones respecting the suitability of rock music for Christians, or indeed anyone for that matter

Third, a driving beat is an indispensable ingredient of rock, whatever harmonic and melodic or verbal sophistication rock may contain; it simply would not appeal as it does without the undergirding of its simple, repetitive, pounding beat. As with repetition, rythym plays a valid part in all music, but in rock rythym is repalced by a relentless driving beat. There is evidence to suggest that when the beat overrides other elements in a song the communication level is significantly changed to one which is primarily physical and often specifically sexual. This is surely a red light that ought to spell danger to any unbiased man, but especially the Christian who is seeking “to control his own body in holiness and honour” (I Thess. 4: 4).

The ineluctable conclusion is surely that rock music is so poblematic, for whole variety of reasons, as to be beyond artistic redemption.

There’s so many holes in this response I’m not sure where to begin.

Other than some references to music structure (patterns, etc…) most of this is based on opinion - not fact. What is good and bad in art (music or anything else) is all opinion.

Studying the fundamentals of music will lead you to realize repetitive patterns are in mostly any genre of music in one form or another. Whether or not those patterns are good or bad are opinion based.

I dare you to listen to some of the most influential musicians who created and played Jazz (Ellington, Basie, Armstrong, etc…) that play with / around and over repetitive patterns and find them not legitimate. Please don’t listen to one song - study the music history then tell me.

I could keep going on about the post, but have already said too much.