Recording engineers of days gone by used to often collect and pass around surreptitiously taped studio sessions. Most of them involve tantrums, shouting matches or the like. One of the most well-known of these is a session wherein The Troggs are working on a follow-up to their no. 1 smash, "Wild Thing". What made it memorable is the fact that it becomes very clear very quickly that the band have no idea (or virtually no idea) what they are doing, nor how to follow up on their mega-hit. A major freak-out ensues. One of the main problems is the fact that the drummer does not seem to understand his role: he doesn't know the difference between rhythm and meter (see June 18 post). If you listen to "Wild Thing", this is apparent - he is playing the same accents and rhythms as the guitar. The irony is that an experienced drummer would have never thought of doing this. Of course, it adds to the garage rock charm of the song. And it wasn't contrived: This was the band doing its best. (To their credit, they improved over time - as all bands do.) What interests me the most about this is the fact that "Wild Thing" has been heard many, many more times by many more people than Concerto for Orchestra. I'm not saying this is necessarily a bad thing - I like "Wild Thing" a lot. And, like a surprising amount of garage rock, it has real staying power. But the big question that all of this brings up, for me at least, is: What are people trying to get from music? Of the two pieces mentioned today, why is "Wild Thing" known by far more people?