" It is a kind of mystery: Why does his music make my skin crawl in a way that other bad music doesn't?" - Mr Rosenbaum truly asks of himself in this article. I don't pretend to be a psychologist, nor do I buy into current pop psychobabble from anyone who writes a book. If you are really asking me, Mr. Rosenbuam, I would attempt an answer founded in common sense. Consider: who can hurt us the most, and who do we spend the most time lambasting ? Its been my experience that most commonly, harsh words from people we admire, like, or love, or buy into on some level that dislike us or do not realy love us as we hope they would.

Otherwise stated, people we are jealoous of in some fashion, be it the person themself, or some aspect of their social circle or appearance or any number of reasons to spend an undue amount time bashing a person - boiling down closer to Avegadro (as in his homepathic 'reduction' nonsense of curing a person with what ails them, offending toxins iteratively reduced by factors of 2 over and over and over until we can no longer theoretically ; eg Avegadro's number.) Well Mr Rosenbaum, I believe that B. Joel does not just make your skin crawl, I'd say some aspect of his music is actually getting under your skin. You have bashed and bashed so many times in the slaughter of Joel, you've reached a worhtless exercise endpoint - metaphorically- Avegadros number, So what ? There is so much bad music, who cares if you don't like his music. I care more about who you do like and why...

. Anybody can slam a singer or an artist, thats way to easy. Put your money where your big mouth is, and say who you do like to listen to and why, I say again. That is opening yourself up to far more ridicule than bashing someone- there are always losers with insufficient brainpan who will not really know why, but say to you bashing: "yea man, Rosenbaum is right,,huhh yea man" But wait... say who you do like and defend why. Thats really putting your self-appointed 'Head of Which Music is the Most Bad ?' cards on the table - but I suggest perhaps you are scared to death to do that - because anyone can bash your choice, of anybody

. Here, I'll do it, and I know I am a minority, but I don't care. Some singers are great at singing covers, but can't write their own music worth a damn; wheras some singer/songwriters write great lyrics put can't sing worth a damn, and I mean ear-bleading bad - but their lyrics are incredible, I'll say one - Bob Dylan. Oh sure I could write the words that defend him from any angle, but in the end, he cant sing worth sh88. And then some singer/songrwriters write inctredibly beautiful music that adapt very,very well into intrumental-only versions of their work....but only a very rare breed of singer/songwriter can both write staggeringly poignant lyrics that stand on their own as poet laureates unrealized; AND sing when their throat and stomache muscless controlling singing were at there peak, before his very sad medical events that struck his voice, but we Lightheads still cheer him on and NEVER miss a concerrt.

Getting close ? He is a Legend in Canada - the second largest nation in the world, and as hip and urbane as you espouse good and bad of, in its populaced areas i.e.Toronto,Ontario. Very hip. Who cares ? This man not only is a living legend in his home country, but at his vocal and songwriting peak '70 - '79 or so, he travelled the world in two Learjets, filled stadiums, Montreaux Jazz festival, Australia, U.K., Western Europe hugely popular; especially in the time period I admitted was his 'peak' in popular terms, moreover in his native Canada, he was awarded the equivalent of our county's Congressional Medal of Honour for his contribution to the arts and chronicling Canada's vast and rugged history in his music. And his love ballads will make any date of yours melt under the table brother - the songs: If I Could Read Your Mind; Beautiful, Softly, Canadian Railroad Trilogy, Don Quixote, Whispers of the North; Restless, SUNDOWN, Carefree Highway - absolutely exuisite, pleasing to the ear and the mind music.

Even Bob Dylan was quoted, paraphrasing here if you'll pardon me ;"When I hear a Gordon Lightfoot Song, I wish it would NEVER end." Winner of 5 Juneau Awards. To finsh my exuberant rant on my favourite classically trained, musically educated singer-songwriter , who knows what those little ant specks mean..... which would do well for 90% of the popular musical scene to consider - Education in their own area - music. Does make a difference there. I said it - Gordon Lightfoot. I can even write how you would bash him ala your Billy Joel Maelstrom. Oh, Lightfoot is maudlin, all his songs sound the same, if you can't sleep listen to Gordon Lightfoot, and for God's sake - finish that interminable song The Wreck of the Emund Fitzgerald. I love the lyrics, the music, they both stand alone, in one rare case of his, together, they are agonizing monotony. Even Da Vinci had a bad idea once in awhile - allthough I salute Lightfoot for caring to write a thoughtful andin many ways magnificent homage of the 29 men who died when that freighter went down in Lake Superior. Its just a little on the long aside - eyeing the door long side.

So what ? Go ahead and bash him. I really don't care. Write of someone who has some very good qualities - and I'll listen, if you keep it affable and good natured. Your work reads like that snot in High School who was in the upper 99 percentile intellectually, but sarcastically executes lesser minds viciously, then never really does a good thing, a caring, productive thing in his life later. Show us the beauty, write of the honourable, write of those who try- and how important that is. And for God's sake....... - like your mother said,.,,,,if you can't say...OK. - you know that one, but you've forgoten it.

You's say he's banal, he's maudlin; morose, a Woody Guthrie wanna-be (In his native Canada, over 75% of people polled their believe he wrote their national anthem- Oh Canada! - He's just that good, incredibly good, and in an international internet web poll, he was voted the number one most important singer/songwriter of the 20th Century. There - I slid from my envisioned bash of Lightfoot right by you, inescapably into how good he is, it just doesn't work to bash him. He's to good. You try to write ONE SONG as poigant and beautiful as his. So go head and bash him. You know what Mr. Rosenbaum? I don't care....and I am laughing as I say that, really. And I don;t think any one else worth spit cares either. Only tragically wimp chip-on-thei-shoulder writer-pundits like you waste yours and others time by saying what stinks in the arts..... thats WAY to easy.

If you have the kahounas, step up. get an ounce of courage, and say who you LIKE. I'll listen.... but who you don't like ? Never again. You have not socially progressed from slam books in Jr, High School. Get a life. OK that was a little harsh. I don't want to be like you and wanton-ly bash someone that no one cares about if I do or don't. I'd prefer to have more courage, and make my case- for why something in the arts is good. And as Jonathan Hemlock, primarily fictional novelist under the pen name of Trevanian once wrote (and he could out-sneer and snidely whip your written word little behind any day of the week) in his satirical spoof of the 007 James Bond books by Ian Fleming, - The Eiger Sanction - by Trevanian, had a protagonist that was the epitome of sartorial and tonsourial insouciance, but was witty, hip, urbane, and an under-cover Federal Black-Ops Assassin, with a day job of Professor of Art History - (thats why I mentioned it).

The actual author Robert Whitaker,Phd, portrayed the character Dr. Jonathan Hemlock quite like you sir. And author 'Trevanian' ripped the character to shreds if you have the intellectual acumen and are erudite enough to recognize it in the writing... . So go ahead and sneer and snidely bash in a fruitless endeavour of taking the easy path - and saying who's not doing something so well. But I'll finish with one simple thought: You may or may not be aware of a test of likelihood of a newly penned song, as to its probability of being a 'hit . The test is simple - you drive-by in your Billy Joel Limousine (have you never ridden in one sir?) open the door at a certain 5 star hotel In London, (I'll not write the name of without researching the citation) where the famed 'greycoat doormen' of this elegant Hotel listen to the music being presented them as a famous true-life test done by recording producers in England of pop music - and if the 'greycoats' can whistle the tune immediately after hearing something around 15 seconds worth, the superstitous - but never ignored greycoats determine if the song will be a popular success it is said.

And statistically they are in the accuracy range of around 2 sigma- but you know what that is of course, as terrible as everyone else is....... so I finish with this: I can whistle Billy Joel's tunes. Easily. By memory. I don't like him, but a LOT of people do who could buy your little hiney out 100 times over. Good day - and try being positive ! Just give it a try ! Who knows, you may recieve the greatest award in your field if you do. Like Gordon Lightfoot has - may times over.