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It happened again.
This time on MTV, during a recent special on Aerosmith's latest album. The radio execs and the band
Well, this is to them, and all of the other Huey-bashers out there - I've had it, so listen up!
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  Rants in Spite Magazine are short, emotional, and irrational outbursts. We want them to remind you of the way you sound right after you stub your toe for the second time in one day, discover that your car has been towed, or hear your parents are getting a divorce. They sound even better when read out loud. They are also exactly 500 words long, stopping in mid-sentence if necessary. Copyright 1997 Will Hines
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sat back and listened to the whole cut after production had finished. They struggled to come up with the right words to explain why they were all disappointed in the final sound. Finally, they had it. One of them yelled, "It sounds like a Huey Lewis record!" After laughing, they all went back to the studio to make it "harder", more "rockin'", as they put it.
You know the people I'm talking about. They think Huey is "lame", right? Well, the issue here is that Huey-bashers are insecure. They can't handle a band that has registered a few hits along the way. By their definition, a top 40 hit means a band has "sold out". That's such a load of crap. Did the Beatles have any top 40 hits - yeah, a few. Give me a break. The true irony of these people is that though they claim to be hip and like bands that "don't care" about making hits, they turn around and dislike bands solely on the basis of reputation. It's not "hip" to like Huey because he's had hits, but it is hip to dislike him for the same reason? I don't think so. Is Marilyn Manson cool because they're all painted up and have whacked names and hurt each other on stage? NO. If you like Marilyn, it's ultimately because of their music,right? So we all have our taste, but check it before you wreck it, you dig?! Here's a typical quote from someone who doesn't dig: "I liked Hootie back before they were big, playing college parties; now everyone else is in, so it's not as...." Who cares when you liked them; and, more importantly, who cares who else does? Have some guts! Why don't these people just try and like a band for what they are! This brings me to the next level of the issue, and the real clincher - classification.
What is wrong with variety in musical taste? Let's say you notice a friend has Michael Jackson next to Jethro Tull in a CD rack (hypothetical) would you say this person is insane? No, that person simply doesn't care what label is placed on the music; he or she just likes to boogie on Monday, and thrash on Tuesday. I go back to the irony of it all: Those who pretend to be with it and blindly trash a band like Huey Lewis are the real "sell-outs". They have given in to labeling and therefore pre-conceived notions, and that's a major problem with our world on many different fronts - think about it. And, as you think about it, put Huey in the CD player, and see if you're tapping your feet to "Heart and Soul" before you realize what's up.