Dec 31 2009
Pop Goes the Decade. Not.
Time for a little rant to ring in the New Year:
Notice I say “New Year” and not “New Decade”. Who ever said it was okay to count to 10 this way?
All you culture vultures, pundits and wags who are preparing to sign off on the first decade of the 21st century- not so fast! Let’s be serious about this from now on and count properly. All you party goers who are preparing for your big, decade-ending night on the town- I got sour news for you, Jack- you’re a year early!
Ask any first grader to count to 10, and she will start at 1 and finish at 10.
No one, in fact, ever counts to 10 by starting at 0 and working their way up to 9. It’s just wrong.
Listen to the Tattooed Lady, and enjoy the last year of the decade. Decade. From the root deca. It means 10.
Maybe I’ll even make my own Top 10 of the Decade list. Next year.
But why end the year on such a curmudgeonly note?
Even though my natural inclination is to pray for the endless 80s nostalgia to be over, I have to admit it produced some very amazing works. This is one of them. Ladies and gentlemen, Herbie Hancock’s “Rockit”, live ‘84 extended version:
“Rockit” was performed in a 3-minute version at the ‘84 Grammys and turned millions of kids on to turntablism, as documented in the awesome film Scratch, one of my favorite documentaries. Anyway, a lot of people think this was the first time scratching was used in DJing and that’s not true. But “Rockit” brought mainstream cred to the turntable-as-instrument, and showed a tough, avant-garde side of Herbie Hancock. Also, the way he comes through the crowd to the stage with his keyboard, taking his time before playing the song’s signature riff… And then the solo at the end… Herbie love for the year’s end! Happy 2010, everyone!
