Hornby on Music
In today's Times, Nick Hornby (author of "High Fidelity," "About a Boy," "How to be Good") expresses some wistful worries about music of today. There are similar themes to some we've discussed before. His perspective is interesting. I can't help but wonder if it's the man, and not the music, approaching the fork in the road. Here's a bit:

"I understand that I run the risk of being seen as yet another nostalgic old codger complaining about the state of contemporary music. And though it's true that I'm an old codger, and that I'm complaining about the state of contemporary music, I hope that I can wriggle out of the hole I'm digging for myself by moaning that, to me, contemporary rock music no longer sounds young — or at least, not young in that kind of joyous, uninhibited way. In some ways, it became way too grown-up and full of itself. You can find plenty that's angry, or weird, or perverse, or melancholy and world-weary; but that loud, sometimes dumb celebration of being alive has got lost somewhere along the way. Of course we want to hear songs about Iraq, and child prostitution, and heroin addiction. And if bands see the need to use electric drills instead of guitars in order to give vent to their rage, well, bring it on. But is there any chance we could have the Righteous Brothers' "Little Latin Lupe Lu" — or, better still, a modern-day equivalent — for an encore?"

There's more to his piece than just this concern. If you're a music-lover, and over 27 (and I know you all are), it's worth a read.