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PDF versionVatican's rock top-10: Beatles, U2, Pink Floyd
Feb. 15, 2010
VATICAN CITY -- The Vatican newspaper has come up with a "semi-serious" list of 10 essential rock and pop albums, including works by the Beatles, U2, Michael Jackson and Pink Floyd.
The list was offered in a tongue-in-cheek article Feb. 14 as an alternative to the music of Italy's biggest pop music festival, which was to begin two days later. The "10 albums worth taking to a desert island" were listed in the chronological order of their release:
- "Revolver" by the Beatles, described as more innovative than any of their successive albums.
- "If I Could Only Remember My Name" by David Crosby. Its songs used experimental musical forms to express an "existential fragility," the article said.
- "The Dark Side of the Moon" by Pink Floyd, which the newspaper called an "amazing" and eminently enjoyable milestone in the history of rock music.
- "Rumours" by Fleetwood Mac, which the article said mixed the sounds of blues, pop and country.
- "The Nightfly" by Donald Fagen of Steely Dan. A niche album, but "brilliant and ironical," according to the Vatican newspaper.
- "Thriller" by Michael Jackson. The article described this album as "the masterpiece of the king of pop" and said its original approach went against the stereotypes of black music.
- "Graceland" by Paul Simon, who used South African music with his own to create a multiethnic album that marked the birth of "world music," the newspaper said.
- "Achtung Baby" by U2, a disk that stands out for its music and lyrics, and remains a symbol of the '90s, it said.
- "(What's the Story) Morning Glory?" by Oasis. The group picks up the great tradition of the Beatles, but with a harder edge of punk and rock, it said.
- "Supernatural" by Carlos Santana, seen as an avant-garde mix of blues, soul, salsa and rock.
The article ended by explaining why it left Bob Dylan off its list. While acknowledging his "great poetic vein," it said Dylan's greatest fault was to have inspired a generation of amateur singer-songwriters who have "severely tested the ears and patience of listeners, thinking that someone might be interested in their tortured meanderings."
No "Exile on Main Street" by
No "Exile on Main Street" by the Rolling Stones? Led Zeppelin IV? Talk about SIN!
I am actually pleasantly
I am actually pleasantly surprised by this list. Revolver is truly one of the Beatles' great transition albums. Darkside is probably the most epic album ever and the rebirth of the concept album from the realm of jazz into rock n roll. Rumors by fleetwood mac is often overlooked, though obligatory to any great rock collection. I am exceptionally impressed to see David Crosby's great album on there, Cowboy Movie is a great song. I think this too is a pivotal album, and it is nice to see it recognized. Personally I think I would've picked Pink Floyd's The Wall over darkside, I probably would've excluded Oasis. It is nice to see Paul Simons songwriting masterpiece, as well as Nightfly make it on to a top ten list. Also not sure if U2 really belongs. I tend to agree that the Stones or Zeppelin deserve their due, but it would've nice to see Jimi Hendrix Blues album, Talking Heads Remain in Light or their live Stop Making Sense album, perhaps some more solo albums such as Roger Waters and Claptons dream-album, The Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking, or David Gilmour's studio-stellar On An Island, (I am a little Pink Floyd-centric). Anyway good list, minus U2 and Oasis. Also, why recognize Dylan and not Neil Young at the end? Anyways, pretty good work Italians!
The Vatican cannot control
The Vatican cannot control what goes on in the Church with the homosexual and pedophile scandals, yet they have the audacity to come forward with a report on rock music? Obviously they've forgotten Christ's admonition to be in the world and not of it. They should also heed His words about causing scandal. The millstone around their necks gets bigger by the day.Catholic parents can no longer trust today's Vatican.
Are you incapable of finding
Are you incapable of finding humor in something?
Ellie, Your comment is based
Ellie,
Your comment is based on two rather silly assumptions First, that the existence of internal scandal means that no one in the Church should spend any time or effort engaging the culture and applying the Catholic tradition to movements in the world. Where would you draw the line? No more theology books on arts and culture? No more papal statements on the environment because there is a sex scandal?
Don't all of the in-depth assessments of the crisis point to the fact the Church's sex scandal is the result of a detachment from the world? The Vatican denied the warnings from experts in psychology; they actively resisted the attempts of law enforcement to intervene. We only became aware of the sex scandal precisely because of the outside world.
The second assumption you make naturally flows out of your Church-against-the-world mentality whereby rock music is necessarily secular, profane, "worldly" and diametrically-opposed to the Gospel. Jesus' "admonition" is a reference to corrupt, unjust systems of oppression - not rock albums! I suggest you reread your Vatican II documents about the Church in the modern world....and go buy the "Dark Side of the Moon" album.
They also left out: Cheap
They also left out: Cheap Trick at 'Budakan', AC/DCs "High Voltage" "back in Black"
How about "Catholic Boy" by
How about "Catholic Boy" by Jim Carroll. "Redeemed by pain and not by joy...I put my tongue to the rail whenever I can."
Rock on!
Rock on!
seriously? they left Dylan
seriously? they left Dylan off the list because other people thought they could be Dylan and couldn't?
PLEASE don't take this as
PLEASE don't take this as Holy Mother Church's teaching on rock music. Here’s what the ‘Vicar of Christ’, ‘The Sweet Christ on Earth’, His Holiness Pope Benedict XV1 wrote about ‘pop’ & ‘rock’ music:
Popular and Rock Music
"On the one hand, there is pop music, which is certainly no longer supported by the people in the ancient sense (populus). It is aimed at the phenomenon of the masses, is industrially produced, and ultimately has to be described as a cult of the banal. “Rock”, on the other hand, is the expression of elemental passions, and at rock festivals it assumes a cultic character, a form of worship, in fact, in opposition to Christian worship. People are, so to speak, released from themselves by the experience of being part of a crowd and by the emotional shock of rhythm, noise, and special lighting effects. However, in the ecstasy of having all their defenses torn down, the participants sink, as it were, beneath the elemental force of the universe. The music of the Holy Spirit’s sober ine¬briation seems to have little chance when self has become a prison, the mind is a shackle, and breaking out from both appears as a true promise of redemption that can be tasted at least for a few moments." [The Spirit of the Liturgy, (SF, CA: Ignatius, 2000), p 148]
Howdy, welcome to the 21st
Howdy, welcome to the 21st Century - it's about time the Catholic Church accepts Rock Music and what it is entertainment for you to discern for yourselves.
Now let the backwards thinking Evangelicals who want to plunge the world back to the dark days of Puritanical Law where entertainment is banned in all forms - music, movies, tv, books, ect. Let them deal with it - it's not going to make you go to hell or heaven - because you listen to music.
If you want to be the burning books and records go to the Evangelical Self Centered Right Wing Egotistical Greed is a virtue 'Church' they certainly want your money so they can buy a new Cadillac for the wife and kids and gold plated sinks in their Minister's Bathrooms - go to them.
Whoa ...They're in the SAME
Whoa ...They're in the SAME BUSINESS .... called ENTERTAINMENT .... the clientele a bit of different, so are the style of presentations.
Whoa ...They're in the SAME
Whoa ...They're in the SAME BUSINESS .... called ENTERTAINMENT .... the clientele a bit of different, so are the style of presentations.
How could the Catholic Church
How could the Catholic Church omit "Faith" by George Michael and
Madonna's "Like A Prayer?"
The inclusion of Michael Jackson's "Thriller" is probably a token
since it listed no other Black artists' albums (e.g. Stevie Wonder,
Whitney Houston albums). The Vatican is trying to show that it
is trying to be diverse though how painful it can be.
Does that mean grandma was
Does that mean grandma was wrong when she said Pink Floyd was an awful racket?
Thanks for the list. I'll
Thanks for the list. I'll listen to all of them. Maybe I'll hear anything unknown. Hope to find everything at music SE http://www.mp3hounddog.com . I've found already all the songs by Beatles already. Cool!
Many thanks this specific
Many thanks this specific fantastic article. We are thrilled looking at that. Many thanks
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