Mark Ehlert replies to Jocelyn Wang: >>Classical music requires concentration, an intellectual effort >>that is almost never required of pop. > >"...Almost never..." I'm curious what the exceptions might be. Perhaps Jocelyn merely wished to avoid making a categorical statement. However, I can think of a lot of pop that, while it may not require concentration, certainly rewards it. For example, * Irving Berlin's "Pack Up Your Sins and Go to the Devil" -- a fiendish duet, no pun intended, that drew the admiration of such notables as Gilbert Seldes and Alec Wilder * Harold Arlen's "Blues in the Night" -- a wonderful riff on blues ideas (even though it's not a blues) * Gershwin's "Our Love Is Here to Stay" -- just the opening three chords repay thought * Lennon's "Martha, My Dear" -- for its rhythmic twists; Berlin's "Puttin' on the Ritz" for the same reason * Any number of songs by Gillian Welch, whose lyrics actually *require* concentration. I've deliberately left out genres like bluegrass and jazz. Steve Schwartz