...But Pop's Stereotyped

It have said that our brand of popular music is stereotyped—as far as lyrics are concerned this may be seen simply by examining the words of any six or seven "hits." The presence of the eternal theme, treated in thinly disguised variations, is only 100 obviously apparent in-all of them. Separated from the appeal of the appeal of the vocalist, and the slick orchestration, the words fail natter than a belly flop. The music consists of a thematic formula, as varied as the whine of an electric saw, and is embellished with superficial novelties taken from classical music and from jazz. For example the attractive eight beat coda, which is the "Amen" of ninty-nine per cent of commercial music, was brought into prominence by Jelly-Roll Morton, the rag-time pianist, as early as 1911. There remains the presentation of these songs, and it must be admitted that in this much thought and effort has been spent in sugar-coating the product for the jaded taste of an almost satiated public. Percy Fath's arrangement of "Delacado," Mantovani's arrangement of "Green-sleeves," the Les Paul and Mary Ford novelty and Ben Knight's performances on the Steinway are, in their own ways, masterpieces of presentation. "They provide piquancy for a huge mixture which is uniformly as flat as last year's home brew.

If are to speak of music then, we will speak of Beethoven and Bartok, of Goodman and Grapelly. That mass-produced opiate—commercial music—may be left without concern in the hands of Big Business and the Schools of Dancing.