University of Virginia Library

Getting Worse

Somehow the importance of
rock and roll in our lives has
declined in the last year or two,
even for those who were the most
obsessed. This is partly due to a
falling off in the quality of the
music (viz. Dylan, the Beatles, the
Airplane, the Band, and Country
Joe).

And partly to our growing up.
But most of all it is the result of
our crumbling illusions about our
world, of our realization of the
forces of politics and power
structures that not only controlled
the world but even permeated out
sequestered university
communities. Placed beside these
new ideas, even Rubber Soul began
to pale in significance.

The concept of the Sub-Culture
became increasingly a political
concept. (The Sub-Culture itself
may never have really existed.) By
the time the Let It Be album was
released, it was not an event of very
great importance to anyone except
those who would make money on
it.