Charles L. L. Dalmas writes:

>There are exceptions to this, of course.  One has only to look at
>Led Zeppelin's work to see that (Robert Plant's use of alternate,
>experimental guitar tunings in such songs as "The Rain Song).  Syd
>Barrett also experimented with new techniques in Pink Floyd's early
>work (specifically, the Umma Gumma album).

Not to be pedantic, but the guitarist in Led Zeplin was Jimmy Page (Robert
Plant was the singer).  Syd Barrett left the Floyd after the recording
of the first LP in 1967.  From then on David Gilmour was the guitarist,
aslo on Ummagumma.  The experimental LP of the Ummagumma 2xLP features
individual compositions by the 4 group members (Gilmour, Wright, Mason
and Waters), the other LP is a live recording of material mostly from
the second album (with Gilmour not Barret).

But I certaily agree with Charles that this kind of music is not pop!
But in the rock camp (?) there are many more of these exceptions (rock/pop
musicians that did express intellectuality or real emotion), e.g.  King
Crimson, Gentle Giant, Don van Vliet (Captain Beefheart) and his magic
band, Henry Cow and all the individual productions of the members of this
band (e.g.  Fred Frith), Yes, Zappa, Pere Ubu ...  and many more.  But as
Charles wrote:

>However, this type of "popular music" is far from the mainstream in the
>year 2000.

Thus, if it is not popular I would not term it as pop!

>Classical music, on the other hand, is not highly marketed (at least
>not since the days of Van Cliburn in Russia).  It is music for the
>intellectually elite, since it requires the listener's attention for more
>than three minutes and fifteen seconds.

You should come here to Italy and see how A. Bocellis albums are marketed,
or these CDs with various tenors in various combinations....!  I also met
quite a few intellectuals that did not care at all for classical music.

I do not like this idea of pop being the music of the stupid masses and
classical the music of the intelectual elite.  It is not that easy.  I
think most genres of music have an intelectual demanding side and an easy
listening side.  There is Britney Spears and Tom Waits, Lloyd-Webber and
Hindemith, Ellington and Coltrane....  Not all *pop* is bubble gum and not
all classical music is an intelectual adventure!

Achim Breiling