GnR Covers Manson

You'll have to excuse me if I'm in a surly mood (Dave in a bad mood, Surprise!), but the production of the newsletter this week has been difficult. Does anyone know Pagemaker? Could you please assist me? Hep me!

There's something else in my craw and you probably know how painful that can be. Maybe it's ignorance, maybe it's insensitivity but can someone explain to me what the brouhaha over Guns and Roses' decision to record a supposed Charles Manson song is? What is the issue?

No, I suppose we shouldn't be rewarding mass murderers. You kill someone, you lose some privileges others in society get to enjoy. I can go along with that. No use giving criminals any kind of motivation. Rather, I would agree we should set up some pre-determined deterrents. No one should profit over breaking the law (right Mr. Milken?)

Yet. . . throughout history, artists have often been tortured souls. Who would disagree Charles Manson must have some intriguing view on the human condition? If Billy the Kid was a poet, or Jack the Ripper a painter, or Adolph Hitler a sculptor, wouldn't it be historically significant to see their work? Wouldn't it help us understand the isolated insane?

Yes, it probably isn't right that Manson might be in line to receive some royalties from the song. But it is only money. If the system works, Manson himself won't be able to enjoy any benefits no matter the amount he might receive. And the rest of us might learn something along the way.

Maybe the issue is letting Manson get "his" message out to a large audience thus giving it some type of legitimacy. But the song is hardly one that proposes violence against others. It's quite literally just another song. Unfortunately the boys in the band, especially Slash and Axl have decided to give in to the controversy and back away from their decision to include the song on their CD.

Art isn't something that has defined morals. Even a member of the Supreme Court once defined obscenity as ". . .knowing it when I see it." The best art is often created by outcasts, by people who don't fit get 'his' message out to a large audience thus giving it some type of in with the rest of society. (Having never claimed to be an artist, 1-for one would jump off that bridge if the rest of the people did it.) The best art takes a creative often times unusual mind, and allows the rest of us to understand (if only briefly) the thoughts of one who thinks very differently.

For me, G'n'R has done much more offensive work. That they can relate to the mindset of Manson shouldn't surprise anyone who has followed the history of the band and particularly Axl. The new CD is pretty damn good and the publicity the one song has gotten unfortunately takes away from the rest of the work.