During late-night sessions when we'd finalize the latest edition of the high school newspaper, it was common for someone to play a mix tape. The music usually remained in the background without incident until one night. This was our newspaper adviser's reaction upon hearing a Pink Floyd song with profanity:
MR. H.: What kind of music are we listening to here? Why doesn't anyone play some music by Billy Joel? I like Billy Joel! Or Air Supply! Why doesn't anyone play music by Air Supply? What I'm hearing now is some of the worst music I've ever heard in my life!
(Right on cue, Pink Floyd segued into Led Zeppelin's "Black Dog.")
MR. H. (after hearing the opening lyrics:) Good grief-a-Gertrude, I sound better than that! I'd better start recording.
I wonder if anyone else has ever had that verbatim reaction when listening to Led Zeppelin. Then again, Mr. H. once commented on a Talking Heads album review by quoting lyrics from "(Nothing But) Flowers:"
MR. H.: "This was a discount store; now, it's turned into a cornfield. Don't leave me stranded here; I can't get used to this lifestyle." These lyrics make no sense.
Fortunately, other tracks by Steppenwolf, Toto, and Chris De Burgh went over better with Mr. H. I don't remember, though, if anyone ever played Billy Joel or Air Supply during future late-nights.
