Dear Readers:

I have a problem. No matter how many excellent albums get released every month, it's almost impossible for me to keep playing them over and over like my "old faithful" CD's. Sometimes it makes me think that maybe the quality of today's music is not up to standards that I grew up listening to. Most of the times I dismiss these thoughts, since, after all, I'm only 28.

Of one thing I'm certain. Music today is not the same as it was, say in 1987. What makes a listener play an album over and over? I can listen to "Dark Side Of The Moon" all day long without going crazy. I'm known at work as the crazy nut that plays "Dark Side Of The Moon" and "The Wall" back to back two and three times during my night shift. I've done this so many times, it even has a name - "The Pink Floyd Worship Hour."

But why?

I don't know. I just like listening to these CDs. Maybe it's not fair to compare classic "Pink Floyd" to new releases, but musical tastes are not supposed to be fair. There is absolutely no excuse to release mediocre work.

There are a few albums released over the last 20 years that have a replay value as high (or maybe even higher) as "Dark Side Of The Moon." For example, "Business As Usual" by "Men At Work." Or perhaps "Ten" by "Pearl Jam." Each of these is remarkable in its own particular way. Each one is timeless and unforgettable. I've reviewed CDs in the last 5 months that I would be glad to never hear again. I've reviewed others that are already as scratched as my "Pink Floyd" stuff (my wife says that the more scratches on the CD, the more I like it).

Every generation says "music sucks after the year so and so." In my case, I've been heard saying that music went downhill after 1987. But, there's always something new around the corner. I was never too big on blues until I saw the light and learned that without the blues there would not be popular music as we know it. Some of the most brilliant music out there is by performers that refuse to forget the origins of their music, no matter what the genre is. Just look at Lauryn Hill (Congratulations on the Grammys!) or Everlast. Maybe that's what's killing music - artists are forgetting the roots of their music. Rockers talk about how their heroes are Hendrix and Plant, but none can mention from memory 5 songs by either artist. Hell, I could play some of the mid-70's blueish stuff by "Led Zeppelin," and none of these jokers would recognize them unless they can hear Plant's voice. Please!

Then we have the music videos. I love music videos, especially when they have a story to tell. But if I dial to MTV I might catch one hour of videos out of 24 hours of programming. Besides, how many times can you watch Britney Spears dressed like a schoolgirl and playing innocent? Or a dead rapper being canonized? I know Tupac got killed, but he wasn't Mother Theresa. I bet nobody on MTV proposes to make videos with Mother Theresa as the main theme.

VH1 is fine as long as you catch them on one of their marathons, when they blow up a whole night with rock documentaries. That is, if you're interested in documentaries about fallen rock stars.

What are we going to do, hide in the past? Listen to the same CD over and over because there's nothing else out there? I don't know. At least "Hole" and "Garbage" both rock. Hopefully they won't screw up for the next two or three CDs.

I don't believe in "hiding" in the past, but maybe the past is the answer. Can't find anything new to fit your tastes? Look back! There are plenty of wonderful artists waiting to be discovered. Have you heard any good old Blues? What about "Trench Town" Reggae? Or maybe you can try some Psychedelic Rock. A good experiment is to try to follow a band that has spanned more than 20 years. Anything except "Grateful Dead" and "Motorhead." They sound almost the same as when they started. I'm talking about bands like "Rush" or "Yes." Maybe "Jefferson Airplane/Starship."

If you stop buying new releases, the labels have to stop and see what they're doing wrong. Maybe someday they'll take the hint that they're not delivering quality with their product. But don't hold your breath.

See you in Cyber-Space! Pedro A. Vera-Perez

The opinions expressed above are those of the author and not necessarily those of AMZ. If you wish to respond to the opinions expressed herein, please email Pedro.